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I've never been, so what is the easiest way to get maximum mountain/loch site seeing as easily as possible?
Will be flying up and renting a car.
Where are you flying to?
Wherever is best!
Do you want to drive round and see, or get out and do?
From London [url= https://www.sleeper.scot/ ]the sleeper[/url] is a good option for travelling and either hire car or train down to Aviemore
Mrs Zip will be in tow so short drive from whichever hotel (less than 100 miles round trip) fabulous scenery with an amazing pub lunch and then back to an equally amazing hotel to watch the sun set on the mountains.
Equally happy to go to some of those beaches which look like the maldives.
Maximum Lochs and mountains in a short time? probably Glasgow and head up the A82 tbh, only about 90 mins drive to Glencoe, passing Loch Lomond on the way, then head onto road to the isles or Trossachs on the way back.
TBH Edinburgh and up the A9 to Cairngorms is probably just as convenient.
Best bet is to concentrate on one area of the highlands, or you'll spend an awful lot of time driving. Anywhere in particular?.
'Short drive' and 'the Highlands' is a pretty tall ask. A hundred miles could take basically all day.
Sleeper to Fort William is very scenic. Passing plenty of lochs and mountains, and across Rannoch Moor in the morning.
Then you can head to Arisaig / Morar if you want great beaches. Or maybe a daytrip to an island, Eigg or Rùm?
If you're flying up then you'll want Inverness. From there, you could drive to Torridon and head north along the coast. Stop at the Shieldaig Lodge hotel near Gairloch. Continue your drive the next day, heading to Ullapool/Achiltibuie if you've time.
Fly to Inverness then head for the West Coast. Some stunning beaches North of Ullapool equally the beaches around Mallaig are good as well.
Glasgow Friday PM flight.
Overnight somewhere on West of Loch Lomond Friday.
Saturday overnight at Inveraray ( http://inverarayhotel.com ).
Sunday pootle back down to Dunoon, ferry to Gourock and back in the ars* end of Greater Glasgow to airport.
Lots of mountains, uber lots of stunning lochs, ferry to top it off.
The sleeper is very convenient – up on the Friday night to Fort William, bike Saturday and Sunday, return on the Sunday overnight service and back in the office for 9am.
The existing coaches are getting a little tired, but they will be replaced by fancy new ones in 2018.
Also, if you book and decide to travel with a berth, go in the middle of the coach, it's quieter.
Inverness, then either through towards Ullapool / Gairloch or - at a push - down towards Fort William and either on to Mallaig / Arisaig or over to Kyle / Plockton.
[ Edit: too slow for the Highlands fan club ]
Inverness or Glasgow if you're flying.
Inverness itself is ok, trips out onto the Firth to look for dolphins are worth doing. South to Aviemore for easily accessible mountains, Loch Ness for other mountains and lochs, Sspeyside for some, uh mountains and whisky, Moray coast for ok beaches and picturesque villages.
Glasgow - up Loch Lomondside is nice but gets packed with tourist traffic and few passing places. Oonce past Loch Lomond, you're not far from Rannoch Moor and Glen Coe, then Fort William (ok) but pressing on to Mallaig and Arisaig and some of the best beaches there are. Fort William - Mallaig is probably the best rail trip in the UK and the road is impressive, includes the Glenfinan viaduct, famous from the Harry Potter movies and a steam train crosses regularly. I'd google Arisaig for some pics of the area, it's stunning. I'd also recommend Springbank B&B in Mallaig. A ferry over to Knoydart (google again) will take your breath away. Then back the same way to Glasgow. Or calmac ferry over to Skye - neat glass bottom boat trips out of Kyleakin and some truly awesome mountains - over the Skye Bridge (worth parking and walking back across to take in the view), then either back to Glasgow or to Fort William and follow the Great Glen past Loch Ness to Inverness and fly back from there. If time allows, a detour past Lochcarron over the bealach na ba to Applecross is worth doing, but it is a detour, not far but not fast
go to shinty.com and see if you can catch a game.
The train ride up to fort william basically turns the travel into part of the holiday- as soon as you're north of Glasgow it's just gorgeous. Albeit you want to time it so you're not doing it at night! Fort William itself is rubbish but you could hire a car there and jump off to anywhere you like
The sleeper is a good option?
£450 for two train journeys! wow
£450 for two train journeys! wow
I did wonder if anyone was going to point out that the sleep tends to be very spendy!
Fly to Glasgow, take your time driving to Ft.Bill then keep going up the coast where it gets really good. Could even keep going up to Torridon then across to Inverness and fly home from there instead of Glasgow
As per Scotroutes- go west to loch Maree & then Torridon but if you really want to impress the Mrs, have a look at the Torridon. Not the Inn, but the hotel proper.
Day 2, option A; north to Gairloch, Ullapool, Achiltibuie for seafood lunch. Or head for Lochinver and Achmelvich beach, rightly well known.
Option B: Applecross Inn, Bealach na Ba, back to Inverness via Kintail & the A87.
So many options!
has anyone ever slept on a sleeper? I've been on several times and ne'er got a wink of sleep. just awake worrying that the first day of my break I will be very tired.
[i]£450 for two train journeys! wow [/I]
No, £450 for two train journeys and two overnight stays plus meals.
Leave work on Friday, eats and beers then a late train arriving in Fort William/Inverness the next morning having had breakfast.
Same back on Sunday and straight into work.
But you can get it far cheaper booking in advance etc.
[I]Mrs Zip will be in tow so short drive from whichever hotel (less than 100 miles round trip) fabulous scenery with an amazing pub lunch and then back to an equally amazing hotel to watch the sun set on the mountains.
Equally happy to go to some of those beaches which look like the maldives. [/I]
We've a night next week here, will let you know 🙂
yes, slept well but very tired - Trenitlia, Catania-Naples with train getting on ferry to cross the Straits of Messina. But every time I've used long distance trains they've been part of the holiday, over the alps, past the fjords, that sort of thing. For a weekend break, I'd just fly, especially as to Inverness or Glasgow is going to get the OP to where he wants to go.
Scotroutes and BBSB have it. Fly to Inverness and you are not far from the most spectacular Scottish scenery. Cheapest options are Easyjet from Gatwick or Luton, or Flybe from Manchester if you have to. IMO the sleeper is utter pish as its very expensive and the chances of getting any sleep is close to zero for most people
Torridon and then north up the west coast is a good shout for some of the best mountain and coastal scenery. The Torridon Inn is very upmarket but the last time we ate there they had a new chef who had gone way too poncy. Try the hotel in Shiedaig for that area or Scotroutes' suggestion for a bit further north.
Assynt is amazing if you have time to get up there, and book yourself into the Kylesku Hotel if you can.