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Scotland - recommend me an itinerary

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MefiEcosse
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Scotland - recommend me an itinerary

Post by MefiEcosse » Fri Sep 15, 2017 9:19 pm

AlfaScozzesi wrote: Fri Sep 15, 2017 9:09 pm Had lunch at Lochailort Hotel a couple of weeks ago Rich. Your diagram shows the ferry at Corran but when you get to the end of Loch Eil you can turn left and get to Strontien that way along the other side of Loch Linnhe which is a nice wee road.

@Bottom. It would be good to meet up for a run sometime. Roads are a bit quieter now at least. :thumbsup:
The ferry is good fun though and adds to the adventure!
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AlfaScozzesi
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Post by AlfaScozzesi » Fri Sep 15, 2017 9:32 pm

I suppose. I used to go on that ferry every Saturday to take my son horse riding at Ardgour. Drop off in the morning and pick up in the afternoon. :)

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Post by MefiEcosse » Fri Sep 15, 2017 9:37 pm

Was also really cheap, couldn't believe it's free for pedestrians and cyclists!
Fantastic part of the country you live in Gary!
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craig3.2
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Post by craig3.2 » Fri Sep 15, 2017 10:36 pm

You can't go wrong with the Roads upto Skye,head up via the Ferry to Malaig,ale the ferry then head north to Portree, and come back down over the bridge,both a great drive.
Also Braemar,Glencoe,Glenshee ski lodge,Applecross,are all great areas to drive in and visit.
Plenty of scenery,good roads,etc etc Ruby.
Also Perth and Dundee areas are both well worth a visit.

Skye is worth at least 2 days itself,wandering round Portree,Malaig,etc and there is also a Highland/Country musuem up that way too,if you are into that sort of thing.
Also some great roads around the Scottish borders,Moffat and Selkirk areas,as well as Dumfries and Galloway,if you want something of an alternative to up north west.

So many choices,but you can't go wrong with Skye,etc :thumbsup:
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RubyBlueZ4MC
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Post by RubyBlueZ4MC » Sat Sep 16, 2017 11:10 am

Bottom wrote: Fri Sep 15, 2017 2:45 pm Are you looking at staying in Glasgow or Edinburgh, with just some drives out or are you touring around?
We are pretty flexible. Still not booked any flights. After reading all these lovely recommendations I feel that I want to see everything and with 3-4 nights max I don't think we can achieve that as I don't want to be on the road for many hours a day. If we had 7- 10 days it would be good and that is a trip we will definitely do one day (and refer back to this helpful thread :) ).

Also I've twisted my knee dancing in heels at a wedding recently and I should prioritise resting it so hiking is out :(
Basically have now decided we need to go to 1-2 places max and stay there and chill as that is initially why we booked the days off work. Will probably make some decisions in the next couple of days.
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Post by RubyBlueZ4MC » Sat Sep 16, 2017 11:12 am

Thanks craig3.2, really helpful :thumbsup:
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Post by RubyBlueZ4MC » Sat Sep 16, 2017 11:15 am

MefiEcosse, Mr Tidy, AlfaScozzesi :thumbsup:
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Post by MrPT » Sat Sep 16, 2017 4:06 pm

Travel Show covers the NC500, if you're looking for more ideas: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0 ... 0-scotland

Looking properly grim up on the Applecross pass! Interesting to hear from the Inn owner. It's definitely much more busy now compared to 2-3 years ago.
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Post by Bottom » Sat Sep 16, 2017 5:51 pm

A lot of the B&Bs on the NC500 are now booking multiple nights only to try to reduce the amount of traffic on the route, a victim of its own success I'm afraid. Last time I was working up in Shieldaig back in August the roads were just stupidly busy. A convoy of 10 plus cars on a single track road is just daft.

Getting back on topic Ms Blue, why not just stay in the city and have a day out here and there. From Glasgow you can easily do a run up to the Trossachs or Glen Coe/Ft William and back in a day, there's plenty to do in the city itself if you want a chill out.
From Edinburgh the borders are in easy reach for another day out and there's loads to do in Edinburgh itself if your ankle is up to it :D

Alfa, I've got the Z off the road at the moment to do the brakes all round, but I'll drop you a PM through the week, I'm semi retired at the moment so can do through the week rather than weekends if that suits you better?

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Post by craig3.2 » Sun Sep 17, 2017 12:04 am

RubyBlueZ4MC wrote: Sat Sep 16, 2017 11:12 am Thanks craig3.2, really helpful :thumbsup:
Cheers.
Hope all is good with you,Ruby.
Enjoy wherever you go,but plenty of good roads,nice scenery etc ......enjoy :thumbsup:
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Post by jack07 » Sun Sep 17, 2017 7:41 am

Hi, We've been two years running and can't wait to return.Concur with all of above,there is just so much to see.Fit a dashcam and change cards before it overwrites.Keep an eye on local weather and change your daily plan to get the best visibility.Enjoy :)
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Post by jimmybell » Tue Sep 19, 2017 12:24 am

Depending on desired accom and target location Ruby i'd definitely recommend airbnb up there, there are some real gems - there are lots of hotels but only the hyper-expensive/hard to book ones are actually that special, we found at least two airbnb's we preferred over the better hotels in the area, one was easily the best place we stayed and best VFM,. The Torridon is the defacto hotel standard to beat, but its not cheap - and pretty booked up when we were there... also Kinloch Lodge on Skye (The Marmalade is a nice cheaper alternative in Portree).
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Post by MrPT » Tue Sep 19, 2017 10:43 am

jimmybell wrote: Tue Sep 19, 2017 12:24 am Depending on desired accom and target location Ruby i'd definitely recommend airbnb up there, there are some real gems -
Great shout! Here are a couple we stayed in which were amazing places in particularly beautiful spots. The owners were brilliant too.

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https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/3710707

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https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/5836486
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Post by Joycey » Tue Sep 19, 2017 10:55 am

I've just got back from a Scotland road trip, took the coupe for a 1600mile trip. I can forward the Google maps route I made. The highlight for me was Applecross pass, driving over a mountain at 2100 feet. Here's a few shots from last week.

Lock Lomond
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So many castles (Inveraray Castle / Eilean Castle)
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Letterfinlay
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Bottom of Applecross
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IMG_6938.JPG (125.31 KiB) Viewed 872 times
Further north we went the more beautiful it got!
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jimmybell
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Post by jimmybell » Tue Sep 19, 2017 6:19 pm

ooh we've descended in to picture sharing now! i'll save my best for instagram, but scenery is incredible, literally you can be on the Mallaig ferry...
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or just by Eilean Donan at a random layby and everything still looks majestic...
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Or perhaps half way up the old military road...
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Or at Winterfell (Doune Castle)..
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the eagle eyed may of noticed something, its a long story.

:P

also worth mentioning - what car you're driving has little impact, we had just as much (if not more) fun in a borrowed Landy Defender than we did any of the above. I'd not hesitate to go back with something small, nippy and rented that i don't care about getting muddy!

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