Critique / suggestions for a Scottish road trip

[Nigel_O]

After our very enjoyable run round most of the NC500 last September, my son and I are taking my V8 Vantage around Scotland again in early October. We were blessed with good weather for most of last year's trip, but we're under no illusions that going in early October could be somewhat less favourable.

Anyway - we're looking for suggestions on what to see / do, places to go, from people who've done it a lot, and of course any local PH'ers

Requirements:

• The trip is predominantly about driving - we're aiming for 1,500 miles in 6 days and we have some fairly hefty mileage targets for some days.
• We're looking for excellent driving roads and epic scenery
• We're both into photography, so we like a decent landscape, although we're not going to hike for hours to get a picture of a hill or a lake...
• We're thinking ahead about stopping points and decent places to stop for lunch (although we're not 'foodies', so we don't need Michelin-starred stuff)
• All the hotels are already booked, so the start/end points of the day are non-negotiable. All the bits in between are up for grabs and flexible.

Here's the draft itinerary:

Day 1 - Staffordshire to Dunoon, via the Hunter's Quay ferry - 300 miles / 6 hours

Day 2 - Dunoon to Tyndrum via Inveraray and Oban - 170 miles / 4.5 hours



Possible stops:

• Inveraray
• McCaig's Tower & Battery Hill
• Castle Stalker
• Cruachan Hydro Station (closed?)
• Loch Awe . Kilchurn Castle

Day 3, Part 1 - Tyndrum to Glenfinnan via the 'Scotburgring' - 88 Miles / 2.5 hours



Overnight in Tyndrum purely to have an early blat through Glencoe - one of the highlights of an earlier trip I did on my own

Stops:

• Corpach shipwreck
• Glenfinnan viaduct in time for the cheesy tourist shot of the Jacobite Express

Day 3, Part 2 - Glenfinnan to Balmacara, via the Mallaig ferry and a loop of Skye - 160 miles / 5 hours



This feels like a huge day's driving with little time for much else (not a problem) but I'd like to see:

• Old man of Storr (might have to send my drone up if hiking takes more than half an hour)
• Kilt Rock waterfall

Day 4 - Balmacara to Kylesku, via the Applecross Loop - 185 miles / 5.5 hours



We didn't do the Applecross Loop last year, so I'd like to do it this time, especially now it has been resurfaced.

Stops:

• Bealach na Ba
• Applecross
• Torridon / fly-past of Get Carter's house ;-)
• Possible dolphin-sighting boat trip from Ullapool?

Day 5 - Kylesku to Nethy Bridge, via Lairg & Tongue - 250 miles / 6.5 hours



Another big driving day, but we can always cut out the northern-most loop if required and go from Syre to Kinbrace on the B871

Stops:

• Not much really, other than the obligatory play on the Kylescu Bridge, which we did last year

Day 6 - Nethy Bridge to home, via the Old Military Road over the Cairngorms, with a possible stop at the Kelpies if we're not too jaded by then - 410 miles, 8 hours

All suggestions / amendments / warnings welcome

Edited by Nigel_O on Wednesday 17th September 18:47

[hidetheelephants]

Auchindrain township - as visited by Queen Victoria!
Kilmartin museum
Inveraray gaol

Edited by hidetheelephants on Wednesday 17th September 19:46

[Mr Tidy]

That looks like a wonderful trip.

I've only been home a fortnight after an 800+ mile trip around Argyll and the Highlands deliberately not using the NC500. It was my 6th Scottish trip and I'm already planning to return next year.

I did the NC500 in May 2023 including Applecross which is well worth doing for the spectacular scenery but progress can be very slow so you are right not to try to cover too many miles the day you do that.

I didn't do a boat trip but did spend a night in Ullapool with a stunning view from my room.



Have a great time!

[Leggerly]

I’m not sure why’d you want to go from Lairg to Bettyhill on day 5. It’s all single-track road and in places the surface is terrible. Especially at Naver Bridge which is in process of being replaced. Strath Halladale is another 40 miles of single-track and the added bonus of suicidal wind farm workers attempting to break the sound barrier in Jacks Rental vans.

[5 In a Row]

Glenfinnan will probably be heaving and parking - when we visited 3 or 4 years ago - very limited with a lot of vehicles just parked at the side of the road for about a mile each way.

The visitors shop was full of tourists and there were a lot of people milling about near the bridge waiting for their ideal photo.

It might've been upgraded a bit since then but not sure.

[Nigel_O]

Leggerly said:

I m not sure why d you want to go from Lairg to Bettyhill on day 5. It s all single-track road and in places the surface is terrible. Especially at Naver Bridge which is in process of being replaced. Strath Halladale is another 40 miles of single-track and the added bonus of suicidal wind farm workers attempting to break the sound barrier in Jacks Rental vans.

Thanks for the feedback - just the sort of info I’m looking for.

I don’t mind some single-track, especially if it’s not full of slow camper vans. I think I read on PH that this was a fairly good stretch of single-track - open and well-sighted.

Would I be better going straight up to Tongue on the A836, or should I just bale out at Syre at turn south on the B871?

[Nigel_O]

5 In a Row said:

Glenfinnan will probably be heaving and parking - when we visited 3 or 4 years ago - very limited with a lot of vehicles just parked at the side of the road for about a mile each way.

The visitors shop was full of tourists and there were a lot of people milling about near the bridge waiting for their ideal photo.

It might've been upgraded a bit since then but not sure.

I was there in May last year and there’s a big car park, well away from the road. We’ll still be arriving decently early though, as it’s a few minutes walk up the hill to the viewing spot

[giveitfish]

I'm very jealous! I did a similar but shorter trip in October 2023 in an Elise in biblical rain but still had a great time.

If it's a purely driving trip can I suggest some changes to Day 2 - Dunoon to Tyndrum via Inveraray and Oban?

- I would go direct from Dunoon to Strachur and skip the loop to Tighnabruaich as it's narrow and slow for the most part, especially the way back past Otter Ferry. From memory the A815 to Strachur would suit a Vantage very well.

However the Spa at Portavadie has a heated outdoor pool overlooking Loch Fyne and is an amazing place to watch the weather coming in (you can do this for £12 as a "Leisure" visitor, you don't need to book the fancy spa), and the Oystercatcher at Otter Ferry does good food. My wife and I will be doing that trip in my V8 Vantage on Sunday so I can report back!

It's a great area to visit but not outstanding for driving.

- The run along Loch Fyne past Inveraray is a great road spoiled by traffic

- A816 Lochgilphead to Oban is absolutely superb, really enjoyed this

An alternative route might be to head out to Portavadie, go for a swim and then take the little ferry across to Tarbert and head to Lochgilphead from there. You could even extend to a loop down to Campbeltown. Even if you just go from Tarbert to Ronachan and back the road is fast and worth a little detour.

The ferry is tiny though, to the point where you'll get splashed with seawater on the crossing lol.

Edited by giveitfish on Thursday 18th September 09:32

[giveitfish]

The spa:


The ferry to Tarbert:

[Ranger 6]

giveitfish said:

... I would go direct from Dunoon to Strachur and skip the loop to Tighnabruaich as it's narrow and slow for the most part, especially the way back past Otter Ferry. From memory the A815 to Strachur would suit a Vantage very well.

However the Spa at Portavadie has a heated outdoor pool overlooking Loch Fyne and is an amazing place to watch the weather coming in (you can do this for £12 as a "Leisure" visitor, you don't need to book the fancy spa), and the Oystercatcher at Otter Ferry does good food. My wife and I will be doing that trip in my V8 Vantage on Sunday so I can report back!

I was going to add a suggestion to call in at the Oyster Catcher - it changed hands earlier this year and the new folks are lovely. Their lemon drizzle cake is fabulous.

The suggestion about using the main road is good, but you'd miss the pub. Reasoning is that those some of the stages on the Argyll rally use those roads, they're not always the smoothest and while they are fun, it's difficult to push on, knowing there's potentially cars coming the other way.

[Leggerly]

Nigel_O said:

Leggerly said:

I m not sure why d you want to go from Lairg to Bettyhill on day 5. It s all single-track road and in places the surface is terrible. Especially at Naver Bridge which is in process of being replaced. Strath Halladale is another 40 miles of single-track and the added bonus of suicidal wind farm workers attempting to break the sound barrier in Jacks Rental vans.

Thanks for the feedback - just the sort of info I m looking for.

I don t mind some single-track, especially if it s not full of slow camper vans. I think I read on PH that this was a fairly good stretch of single-track - open and well-sighted.

Would I be better going straight up to Tongue on the A836, or should I just bale out at Syre at turn south on the B871?

If you’re in a low slung car whatever you do, don’t take the B871. You will bottom out in places due to the logging trucks running on a road that was built on peat bog. You would make it across but you’d be staring at the road surface after Palm Loch to the Garvult Hotel. The road to Tongue is in much better shape. Strathnaver itself is twisty and not a fast road at all.

[sjabrown]

Day 2 - I'd consider either a stop at Kilmartin museum or factor in time to visit a couple of the sites in Kilmartin glen just off the A815. A small diversion but if weather is nice is a trip over the bridge over the Atlantic onto Seil +/- the short crossing onto Easdale. Ps if you do do the single track B8000 from Otter Ferry NE towards Strachur imagine averaging 60-65mph along the first 8 miles of it. It's one of the stages of the Argyll rally.

Day 3 - looks like too much squeezed in. Especially the Skye loop. How about either/or only going as far as Sligachan or doing the Elgol road instead? Driving on Skye always seems to take longer than what the maps say.

[giveitfish]

Have been driving around Argyll today and can confirm:

1) Portavadie is still the best situated spa I’ve ever been in, but it’s due a refurb

2) the Oystercatcher is in a lovely spot and does great food

3) I would drive from Dunoon straight to Strachur on a driving holiday unless you really wanted to visit (1) and (2).

The single-track coast road to the Oystercatcher is 30mph at best and is getting rough in places. Nice sunset views from it though!