Highlands

[vrsmxtb]

Any input on route planning the cream of the Highlands' driving roads with this itinerary?

Day 1: Edinburgh - Uig, Skye
Day 2: Uig, Skye - Rua Reidh (just up from Gairloch)via Applecross loop
Day 3: Rua Reidh - Achmelvich
Day 4: Achmelvich - Glen Coe (via Cape Wrath/Tongue)
Day 5: Glen Coe - south, back to either M74 or A1

I have driven most of them before over several trips but never made a note of the really special ones.

[vrsmxtb]

Thanks for the advice. I've done Oban round to Aberdeen hugging the coast-line before and it was genuinely incredible - you're right about the roads in the very far North, absolutely deserted and pure bliss.

I've always usually gone late August / Early September so a little concerned the roads will be clogged with caravans etc, hoping that early July will still be fairly quiet.

Achmelvich - Glen Coe via Tongue is ambitious I know, not got any stops planned that day so it should be doable.

[vrsmxtb]

Any ideas on a good route south from Durness/Tongue.

The options seem to be the A836 to Lairg, the B871 to either the A836 or the A897, then A9. There's also a little unclassified road that cuts along Loch Hope and rejoins the A836.

Any pointers on the best drive? I've driven one of them several years ago, but can't remember which one it was!

[vrsmxtb]

Thanks folks!

There is an unclassified road from Bonar bridge linking the A836 to the A835 going through Glencalvie, Tollomuick, Strathvaich and Inchbae forests. Can anyone confirm this is a public road, and is driveable? It looks like an intersting cut across to avoid the A9 down to Inverness.

[vrsmxtb]

Thanks for all the info, my map is getting on a bit but it seemed to show that as a through road handy to know it isn't.

[vrsmxtb]

GetCarter said:

In case you hadn't seen this page, most of the pics were taken around here (Torridon/Applecross) and towards Gairloch http://www.stevecarter.com/picaday/roads.htm

Wow, incredible pictures Steve!!

Really getting excited about next week now, shame about the weather forecast but I guess as they say in Scotland, wait 20 minutes....

[vrsmxtb]

Got back yesterday and wow, what a trip.

The Highland roads took their toll with a knackered rear damper and snapped ARB droplink! But otherwise the MX5 was near perfect on these roads.

Pics here:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151893...

[vrsmxtb]

matt3001 said:

I have just bumped my orginal post in the holidays section, but thought I might get more ideas in here as well.

I go to Scotland on Friday following the route below; obviously I want to take in as many amazing roads as possible so I am looking for some inspiration....

Glasgow - Arrochar - Isle of Bute - Oban - Glen Coe - Plockton - Torridon - Plodda Falls - Inverness.

I would appreciate any ideas!

Edited: Just another query; what is fuel availability like? These roads are going to be (enjoyable so) thirst chenching so are their many petrol stations up there? Or is it just a case of when you see one stop and keep the tank brimmed because you dont know when you will next see one. Are prices reasonable up there, given the remote locations?

Edited by matt3001 on Monday 9th July 11:36

You MUST take in the Applecross / Bealach Na Ba loop.

I can also highly recommend the A832 to Gairloch, the B869 loop (not fast but pretty), the A894 / A838 up to Durness but basically anything North of about Fort William is absolutely awesome. The routes on Steve's website are pretty much perfect. http://SteveCarter.com/bestuk.htm

For fuel, just fill up whenever you see any is my advice. If you go on ViaMichelin route planner it has an option that finds fuel stations, I just marked these on our map so we knew where they all were.

Edited by vrsmxtb on Monday 9th July 12:03

[vrsmxtb]

matt3001 said:

Great photos, what are the roads like currently with the rain? Anything to watch out for? Where was the Jim Clark memorial thing btw?

The roads were bone dry up there last week - no rain, just really warm sunshine hence the roof being off in every pic!!

Driving-wise just be considerate and very alert, in the far North there will only be a handful of tourist cars but some can be a bit erratic. Some of the locals will want to zoom past you so let them. Speed-wise the road surfaces are your limiting factor, even at 60 some of the roads really pushed the suspension to the max, so even if some of the straights and swooping bends tempt your right foot watch out for bumps and humps... and sheep!

The Jim Clark room is in Duns down in the Borders, only a single room but very neat and tidy and a good selevction of pics and trophies on display.

[vrsmxtb]

For the record our eventual route was:

Day 1/2 - A1M / A1 to MX5 owners club trackday at Blyton Park.

Day 3 - A1 to Berwick, A6105 to Duns and Jim Clark room, B6355 to A1 Edinburgh.

Day 4 - M90, B914, A823 past Knockhill to Rumbling Bridge and Crieff, A85 to Crianlarich, A82 to Fort william, A87 to Shiel bridge, then Glenelg ferry to Skye (highly recommended), B8083 to Elgol and back (awesome view),A87 to Portree, A855 round to Uig.

Day 5 - A87, B8036, A850 to Sligachan via Nesit point (saw Minke whales and two Basking sharks), A87 vie Kyle of Lochalsh to Eilean Dornie castle. A890 to Achintee, A896 to Kishorn, Bealach Na Ba to Applecross (food at Applecross Inn is awesome) and full clockwise loop round, A896 to gairloch, B8021 to melvaig and on to Rua Reidh lighthouse.

Day 6 - Gairloch boat trip cancelled due to fog so, A832 and A835 to Ullapool, A894, A838 to Durness. Return to A894, A837 Lochinver, B869 Achmelvich Beach.

Day 7 - B869 clockwise round to A894, A835 back to Ullapool, A832 to Gairloch. Hebridean Whale cruise (lucky enough to see a fully breaching Minke whale and large dolphin pod) then A832, A890, A87, A82 to Glencoe.

Day 8 - West Highland railway - Fort william - Mallaig

Day 9 - Glencoe A82 to Glasgow, M898 (new bypass round?) M74, A66, A1M, M25 - home!

Total miles - 2074

Best MPG - 38
Worst 22 (track day tank)
Average around 34mpg - not bad for an 18 year old 1.8 being pushed fairly hard.

Mechanical problems - shot rear damper, snapped ARB droplink on day 9 and 1 litre of oil.

Human problems - sliced finger and 6 hours Worksop A&E, crap sleep in smelly hostel room, midge bites.

[vrsmxtb]

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[vrsmxtb]

Red Devil said:

Wow - you were at Glencoe and no mention of the Scotsburgring?

http://maps.google.co.uk/?ll=56.698757,-5.067959&a...
http://maps.google.co.uk/?ll=56.706355,-5.046156&a...

Tarmac heaven.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6DtzutD3pY&fea...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fq_4tKKrJmU

Note made for next time...

[vrsmxtb]

SmilerFTM said:

I'm heading up to Scotland in the middle of September to do a big loop and was wondering if this route would be a good one? I'll be doing it over 6 days and so may have the chance to divert off this course a few times if the chance arises.

Any tips on improving it would be most welcome, including whether I should be doing it clockwise or anticlockwise.

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msid=20138600067...

This is just a rough first draght at present, I'll also need to add in campsites to the route as I tweak it.

Edited by SmilerFTM on Tuesday 10th July 17:11

If you can squeeze it in I'd recommend the A837 / B869 loop then rejoining your route further up the A894. It's a slow windy road but very different from the surrounding countryside and some good campsites, for example Achmelvich beach.

[vrsmxtb]

SmilerFTM said:

Done, route now looks like this with the two initial additions

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msid=20138600067...

Looks great, I'm not as familiar with the Cairngorm / eastern area but the west/north-west side looks spot on. Enjoy!

[vrsmxtb]

SergSC said:

Thanks again GetCarter, no substitute for expert advice

Not sure about Skye, maybe stay there the first night then do the Applecross fresh the next day and up to Durness, but that would be a very long second day... google wants 7.5 hours to do that and hit all the good roads.

I have driven to London a couple times before so I'm not that much of stranger to long distances, but I guess doing the same hours on the twisties will be alot more demanding. I dont want to be losing concentration and ruin a nice day. So maybe leave Skye for another day, or add another night in Ullapool... decisions decisions...

Whatever you do...

a) plan in lunch at the Applecross Inn
b) Carry on round the Applecross loop clockwise - the views round the Northern part are absolutely epic.

[vrsmxtb]

Very cool my thread has run all summer and now up to 10 pages!

Hope it's inspired some people and made us all jealous of folks like GetCarter!!

[vrsmxtb]

GetCarter said:

Some from this weekend's Tesco trip: http://stevecarter.com/random/TescoTrip.htm

Wow, amazing pictures.

• Sigh* I need a Highland fix again.

[vrsmxtb]

Steve, only just found and read your house build thread on your website. Wow, incredible!!! Do you think tradesmen can smell a dream project and be awkward out of spite / jealousy? I'm sure it seems like a fun adventure in retrospect, and the house looks brilliant.

I have a long weekend off at the start of Feb, your pics got me itching to head North again. My new VRS hasn't been introduced to the Highlands.... yet.

[vrsmxtb]

Got a week off next week - annual Highlands pilgrimage is tempting but forecast looks pretty dire. Hardly MX5 weather

[vrsmxtb]

GetCarter said:

End of the week looks good. Also, MUCH quieter here all of a sudden.

What's the weather like at the moment? Going stir crazy at home and it's only monday! If I don't get my Highland fix this week, I doubt it'll happen this year, but it is inevitably dampened if it's pissing it down all week, and it's a good few hundred quid in petrol.