Highlands & Islands trip planning

[Jock Scot]

Your route is as good as any other, there are other choices of course.

Things to remember!
Drive on the LEFT.
When your fuel tank reads half full/empty STOP at the FIRST fuel station you see. Do not expect them to be open in isolated parts after 1700Hrs!
Drive on the LEFT.
Watch out for ticks.
Bring plenty of anti midge cream.
Drive on the LEFT.
Be very careful of fire, open moorland and forestry can burn easily, even though it rains a lot!
On single track roads DONT park in the passing places.
On single track roads, if someone behind you toots their horn and/or flashes their lights, they are usually a local Doctor/nurse needing to be somewhere urgently, they are NOT being aggressive idiots, please let them pass as soon as it is safe to do so.
Drive on the LEFT.
Bring binoculars.
Drive on the LEFT.

The vehicle you have illustrated will be OK for this bit of road, but its not for the feint of heart! Click to enlarge.

[Highland Logan]

I've done two driving trips in Scotland; 2003 and 2007. It looks like you have a good one planed. Best of luck.

Frank

[Nomad]

I did a very similar trip 2 years ago, but based myself in Inverness, Skye, Fort William and loch lomand, using each of those as bases for day trips. I did B&Bs for all of them but loch lomand (hotel) cost was generally under £100 per night in June, so it may be worth considering this. The great thing about staying a couple of nights in a B&B is that you get to chat to the owners and they are great at providing local information on local attractions. Whilst this may not be practical for your trip it may be worth looking as you are garaunteed a shower, somewhere warm and no midges.

[Tomo]

Looks like a good trip - followed a similar route in June last year, except we started and finished in Glasgow, missed out Edinburgh altogether (been many times before and since), spent some time around Loch Lomond and Helensburgh as well as doing a loop through Argyll to Oban via Kilmarten Glen and missed out on the Northern part of your route, instead heading down to Great Glen and on to Inverness that way.

We took it easy - as my youngest is only 3 - so most days spent less than 3 hours on the road over 17 days, spending 2 nights each on or in Helensburgh, Mull, Skye, Inverness and Glasgow. We budgeted £120 per night for accommodation - and as we needed family rooms our choice was limited - we actually spent £1575 and stayed in some great places (mixed bag of hotels, B&Bs, hostels and glamping pods). Car hire was £425.

We also bought Family Membership of the National Trust for Scotland, which paid for itself in about 3 days - it's about £100 and includes entry and parking at all of their sites - compared to the normal price for a family of 4 of £20 to £30 for each place. Historic Environment Scotland (who own and run many of the castles) have a similar scheme and there are also Scottish Heritage Passes - which combine both NTS and HES but are only valid for a week and (I think) only for individuals rather than families.

Highlights for me were Kilmarten Glen, Stor and the Fairy Pools on Skye, Culloden, Bannockburn (turning up on the anniversary of battle was kinda special), Glencoe, Hill House and the Devil's Pulpit in Finnich Glen.

[AbernethyCameron]

Looks a great trip - I would also keep in mind that the speed cameras the length of the A9 between Stirling and Inverness are average speed cameras as opposed to standalone cameras - it's infuriating, especially when people brake every time they see one! Seems mostly effective though. Nice camping (with showers etc.) at Dalraddy (Alvie estate) just south of Aviemore if you were to be stopping around there.

[Jock Scot]

I am sure that after looking at the map of your proposed route many of us can see "wee diversions" that you could take. The reasons that you have chosen your particular route could easily be that you have already seen the "wee diversions", but there might be something worth mentioning just in case you haven't.

If we look at Oban on your map you have chosen the route -----assuming you are going anticlockwise-----south via Loch Awe. A good choice but, did you consider the slightly longer route heading towards Fort William? You need not go that far though, because after passing the wonderful sight of Castle Stalker, you will turn onto the A82 road heading South at Ballachulish(pronounced Ballahoolish). You will then drive through the village of Glencoe and the wonderful----stunning even---- scenery along the road South(as seen in the James Bond film Skyfall) and across Rannoch Moor. You will then rejoin your original route towards Crianlarich.

In my humble opinion, not sights to miss and the Ballachulish hotel is not a million miles from where I stay, so perhaps we could meet up for a pint?

[Jock Scot]

A wee update.

I had reason to go to Glen Coe yesterday and Mrs Jock and I called into the Clachaig Inn for a bite to eat for lunch and a wee dram. I can fully recommend the no frills menu, cheerful staff and recently refurbished decor and the hills are just as awesome as they always were. Yes the target clientele are mountaineers, skiers and hill walkers and they go there in droves, so evenings are extremely busy, but talking to friends who live nearby it is THE place to go for a fun evening. And worry not, THAT famous sign is still there-------even if the wrong assumptions about it are STILL being made!

I would be more than happy to meet up with any Xmarker for a wee dram there----at the less crowded lunchtime preferably------- for a meet up. It may not be always convenient for me, but I will try my best to fit in with your time line.

[Baeau]

I can't resist a comment, here. My wife & daughter make a similar run, twice a day (Santa Cruz Mountains). A good day, about 1600ft climb, in 9-10 minutes. Behind a motorhome, bus, fuel tanker, Prius (quite often passing, inverted ones), or the usual Costco truck, 40+ minutes. When the fools are let out, they run the Old Highway. Longer, windier, slower, with many of the fools about them.

To get back to the subject.......Jock, what would be considered a better time of year for such a trip? Or, for a general trip to the Highlands?

[Jock Scot]

I can't resist a comment, here. My wife & daughter make a similar run, twice a day (Santa Cruz Mountains). A good day, about 1600ft climb, in 9-10 minutes. Behind a motorhome, bus, fuel tanker, Prius (quite often passing, inverted ones), or the usual Costco truck, 40+ minutes. When the fools are let out, they run the Old Highway. Longer, windier, slower, with many of the fools about them.

To get back to the subject.......Jock, what would be considered a better time of year for such a trip? Or, for a general trip to the Highlands?

Good question! Firstly avoid all UK/Scottish public holidays, after that I think my choices would be, mid April to the first week of June and mid September to the end of October. There is absolutely no guarantee at any time of the year with the weather but the spring and autumn colours do make Scotland an even more beautiful place and as an added bonus, it is less crowded..... for now.

[Nomad]

What would be considered a better time of year for such a trip? Or, for a general trip to the Highlands?

Personally May and June can provide great weather, of course it is a little cooler, but there are less midgies and these months tend to be drier, on average than July and August which can be very wet if you are unlucky.

I took the wife on a highlands and Skye trip in June 2 years ago, roughly every third day had some light rain, the roads were pretty clear. Popular attractions had some queues, but they were small and the temperature was cool but not cold, which means you can see much further as there is no heat haze, midgies a few but only in very sheltered and boggy areas like Glenfinnan viaduct visitors centre. Oh and before I forget days are long at this time of year, watching the sun set a 1 am on the Cullin mountains is fantastic.

An alternative to me, would go in late September or early October for the same reasons above.

Pretty much echoes the good advice from Jock, just garnished with a bit more useful/useless blurb.