Evening, looking to head up thru Scotland / Highlands for 10 / 12 days in May in the (basic camper) Tranny van with the mrs. Just looking to do a bit of sight seeing, little bit of biking (nothing to major though seeing as i'll be with the mrs), bit of walking / hiking, be stopping in the van and an odd B&B.
Be heading up from Carlisle, only things on the to do list at the min are, in no particular order ...
Loch Lomond
Ben Nevis
Loch Ness
John O'Groats
So, any suggestions ? Things to see / places to eat / things to do ?
Cheers
You've missed out all the best bits!
You need to head over to Mull (Calgary Bay for the night), then ferry across to Ardnamurchan. Just follow the coast until you get to Armadale. Pop over to Skye on the ferry, have a wee drive around and then back over on the wee ferry to Glenelg (great beach campspot for the van here). Then just follow the coast again. Remember to take in Applecross. Keep heading North until you get to Durness, then West to Tongue then head back down.
Forget John o'Groats. Unless you are collecting cardinal points it's an unnecessary detour.
Sanna beach on ardnamurchan. Dunvegan castle sky. The local hero beach. Basically the west coast of Scotland is fab where ever you go will be special.
[quote=scotroutes ] Keep heading North until you get to Durness, then [s]West[/s][b]EAST[/b] to Tongue then head back down.
FTFM!
As above, forget john o g. Waste of time and fuel.
Agree with other recommendations also. I'd concentrate on the west side, Applecross, torridon, Lochinver area (check out Achmelvich campsite beach).
Loch Ness is pretty dull but you can 'tick' it while heading for much better stuff on the West. Sandwood bay is a lovely bike/walk. Kintail, Skye is fantastic...if you can see it, it's not called Eilean a Cheo for nowt, the far North West around Assynt is generally stunning whatever you're doing.
Best place to eat out is the chippy in Ullapool, the best part of a c to c ride, or the fishermans mission in Kinlochbervie. Some may say the Three chimneys is better but I don't believe it.
Achmelvich is OK if you are into beautiful beaches, lovely seas and stunning sunsets. Otherwise it's a bit meh!
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😉
I'd head round the west coast including a full loop of Skye which is a must see 🙂
The beaches around Mallaig are stunning, then ferry from Mallaig to Sky. Scotroutes has some great pictures of them.
I agree with above, west coast beaches stunning, loch Ness is over priced and too touristy, john o groats is ok but we went in glorious sunshine and enjoyed a great boat ride around stromer seal watching. Steam train from fort William to mallaig has some stunning scenery to see, not much in mallaig though. Another good place was shinn falls watching salmon jumping in the water trying to climb up the river. Glenmorangie distillery was catered for tourists but up the road at the clynelish distillery they were very friendly and poured me three sample whiskies to try, they got a sale too ;-). Dunrobin castle just in/near golspie was great and had the best birds of prey display I've ever seen. Dornoch village is lovely and has a nice cathedral with stunning stained glass. As you can tell we loved the highlands, every corner we turned the kids shouted wow at the scenery, stunning.
West coast is crap. Avoid it. 😉
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and then you meet wierdo's...
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/matt_outandabout/4718628724/ ]Start[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/matt_outandabout/ ]matt_outandabout[/url], on Flickr
Assynt, Assynt and then Assynt! The view from the top of Suilven on a clear spring day can't be beaten.
Stunning part of the world. Gotta agree that Achmelvich is a nice place to park the camper van, Clachtoll is OK too.
Assynt is OK-ish
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/druidh2000/5259314352/ ]2002-10-20 131330[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/druidh2000/ ]ScotRoutes[/url], on Flickr
Sandwood Bay - take a tent and stay overnight. Stunning!
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and then you meet wierdo's...
Fathers for Justice?
Fathers for Justice?
It is a worry that some of them ARE parents, and some WILL be parents....
Cheers for all the info guys, the west coast does look quite cool. John O'Groats wasn't a definite, it would add a fair amount of miles to the trip so maybe cross that off.
Gives me a good few things to think about.
Cracking pics.
Cheers
Sandwood Bay is far too busy these days, last time I was there at the tail end of last summer there were 4 others.
Don't forget Cairngorms! Aviemore great, also I love Morayshire for the distilleries, and wonderful places like Findhorn.
I wouldn't bother with Ben Nevis either, it's a pretty uninspiring big lump.
Stac Pollaidh & Suilven are amazing compact mountains. Walk or run up them, then spend an hour or two being awe-struck. Quinag is very special too
Achmelvich beach has to be seen to be believed
Torridon = wow!
An Teallach is amazing if you're a scrambler. Skye as mentioned above
I'd avoid Ben Nevis as the walkers route is dull dull dull. Buchaille Etive Mor is a nicer a day out and the dangerous snow has usually gone by May. Try the Mamores for great views and less people
If you can, treat yourself to dinner at Loch Leven Seafood restaurant. Amazing food.
All of the above.
For Ben Nevis, climb CMD and go over the CMD Arête and up to the top, or if you have some basic climbing experience consider tower ridge with a guide.
I did the aonach eagach in glencoe with a guide last summer and loved it. Not cheap but worth it.
Ardnamurchan is one of my special places too
Islay, for the Whisky
Torridon is a hillwalking paradise
Assynt if you are prepared to go that far. Just stunning
Glen Sheil for Munro bagging, or the mamores near fort William
Seek out fish restaurants wherever you go. Yum
Glen Finnan for the famous viaduct, the memorial to Charlie, and take lunch at the hotel.
Kinlochleven for the mountain biking, and also the red trail on aonach mor
Skye. You might get lucky with the weather. It has been known.
The uninspiring Tower ridge on Ben Nevis 😉
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I think they've all covered it above. With a camper, you've the ability to shift from West to East (or at least central) easily; if it's tipping it down then head for round Aviemore / Rothiemurcus.
Actually I'd say best place to eat out properly is the fish and chip van on Tobermory pier. Don't know what they do but the fish and chips there are stunning...
Glenelg. Then little car ferry over to Skye.
Barrisdale Bay, Knoydart.
re John O'Groats - yes give it a miss, try Dunnet Head, drive past my playtime sandpit, view Orkney cliffs and the Old Man and if you've got a cooker/kettle drop down to the old harbour opposite Little Clett rock to watch the seals and sit in glorious tranquilty (*weather dependant)
Sandwood Bay - tick
http://www.stayatalighthouse.co.uk/ - tick (watch the sunset ...)
http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/info/History/GlenelgBrochs - hippy cafe in a showmans caravan at garden centre further up dead end
see also falls of Glomach
otter spotting in sky (hide near old ferry - get there before dawn)
Talisker bay - picnic
http://www.theskyeguide.com/walking-mainmenu-32/13-moderate-walks/128-quiraing
Plockton - very pleasant (and train etc option if wet)
Applecross-Torridon road
http://garvaulthotel.co.uk/ - we liked it - quirky, and they went to trouble of getting in gluten free stuff for gf, shopping was in Inverness, also a particulary fine view of a lot of large deers bottoms at breakfast.......... (and there is a mtb route just down the road)
Bimble bike - Crinan Canal - when the mist is swirling and the sun rising and burning it away
Arran - truly a mini Scotland
Applecross-Torridon road
Aye, if bealach na ba doesn't leave you with an enormous smile on your face then you're dead inside 🙂
Stop off for lunch/dinner at the Applecross Inn to calm your nerves afterwards.
Lots of good advice here.
Bookmarked for future reference. 🙂
Don't forget Perthshire. Lots of fantastic stuff around Dunkeld / Pitlochry. It's easy to visit on the way up or down the A9. Walks / bike rides starting from Dunkeld or Pitlochry are a good shout.
+1 for Torridon, Mull & Skye. Also consider Arran, it's one of my favourite araes in Scotland. Have a look on the Calmac website, they do tour tickets for the ferries. You could start on Arran and work your way up the Islands!
Cross over to Skye and drive down to Elgol in the south. Park up and pack overnight kit in a rucsac, then take the boat to Loch Coruisk. This is reckoned to be one of the remotest and most spectacular wildernesses in Britain; it is a stunning place with some extraordinary glacial features; the loch is surrounded by the black Cuillins and it drains over flat gabbroe slabs into the sea, it really is unique. From Coruisk walk round the headland to Camasunary bothy and spend the night there - it's spacious with several private rooms. On the path from Coruisk is the Bad Step, which frightens a lot of people but is nothing worse than a narrow ledge across a slab above the sea, a little exposed but not difficult. From Camasunary it's an easy walk out to Kilmarie and you can walk or hitch or bus back to Elgol. You can also walk along the coast back to Elgol. Watch out for basking sharks and seals on the boat trip. You can of course just go there and back by boat in a day.
Applecross, Sandwood Bay, any of the islands
If you head north from Glasgow, the main road A82 as it goes alongside Loch Lomond is an absolute nightmare and will have you wondering what you've let yourself in for. But once you clear Crianlarich, the scenery and vibe just get better and better. You might want to stop at Glencoe for some biking - I believe the chairlifts do uplifts for bikes. On through Glencoe, stop, take some pics, it's the law, on to Fort Bill, more bilking because you have to. then head up to Mallaig/Arisaig. check the [url= http://www.westcoastrailways.co.uk/jacobite/Jacobite_Details.html?gclid=CIHj7duEtbwCFafKtAodSzUAMw ]jacobite timetable[/url] and see if you can't get to the Glenfinan viaduct to watch it pass. When youget the chance, leacve the road and join the B8008 for some staggering sea views - there's camp sites here as well. Then from mallag, ferry over to Skye and bridge back to the mainland. hat road leads to Eilan Donan Castle - more compulsory photos - but there's a left turn a coupoe of miles before that signposted Lochcarron. Follow that road to the village of Lochcarro and if it's Sunday, check if there's a shinty game on. Be amazed at the mentalness they call sport. thereafter, it's just keep north and west.
If you head north from Glasgow, the main road A82 as it goes alongside Loch Lomond is an absolute nightmare and will have you wondering what you've let yourself in for
It's fine! 🙂 Even the works at Pulpit Rock are barely causing much in the way of delay. 2 lanes for the entire stretch apart from Pulpit Rock which is traffic lighted. There's FAR "worse" in the very north of Scotland. In fact, if the A82 along Loch Lomond is troubling then I'd avoid half of the places mentioned above (assynt, torridon etc). The road out to Sanna is also much worse, especially in summer when it's overgrown, visibility is shockingly bad at some sections and you rarely have 2 car widths.
Even driving around the Lakes (with the high stone walls preventing more than 20m visibility), is more difficult.
Sandwood Bay is far too busy these days, last time I was there at the tail end of last summer there were 4 others.
That is crowded - when I was there I had it to myself. Passed quite a few walkers on the path in though, but got there before them 'cause I was biking.
The west coast is great, but so are the western isles so that might be worth considering.
peterfile - it's maybe me and timing but i've always found the loch lomond stretch to be busy and slow with buses, trucks and caravans and no overtaking places at all. Once clear of the loch, the roads quieten a bit there's also scenery which you don't see that much of from the side of loch lomond, so slowing down is easier. that said, i usually hit the west coast via perth, so take the A85 perth crieff comrie road which never seems to be that busy - plenty passing spots though apart from loch earn side.
You can avoid the Loch Lomond stretch of by using ferries to get to the west coast - taking in Bute or Arran for example.
BBSB, very very few trucks up that section of the A82 and few buses too.
Although, in peak season (i.e. not when the OP is going) it can get busy (lots more coaches too), yes. But to be honest, that section is slow anyway so it's not really that noticeable.
I do know what you mean though. If you don't know the road it does require lots of attention, meaning you miss anything else worth seeing, which there isn't a lot of anyway thanks to the trees 🙂