Scotland Trip!

[Sparkybrum]

Heading up to Scotland this Friday for a weekend tour around Loch Lomond and the Trossachs. Route takes me from Birmingham to Troon and then from Troon up to Loch Lomond for day one. Second day I'm heading up to Glencoe taking in trips to Fort William and further north to Eilean Donan Castle. Have left the Sunday night free as not sure what route to take back down. Any tips on what routes to take back down on the Sunday or places to stay en route would be much appreciated! Fingers crossed the weather will be good to us!

Pictures to follow.

Regards,

Sparky.

 

[mr wilks]

Compared to the wealth of local forum knowledge I'm a Scotland novice but of the 2 trips i have made around the areas you are going to i know that the route through the Cairngorms is one i could do time & time again , its a slight detour for you but i would definitely look to head home east through the Cairngorms down towards Balmoral , Braemar & over the Glenshee ski station towards Pitlochry & can recommend staying over at the Inn on the Tay http://theinnonthetay.co.uk/

 

[Sparkybrum]

Compared to the wealth of local forum knowledge I'm a Scotland novice but of the 2 trips i have made around the areas you are going to i know that the route through the Cairngorms is one i could do time & time again , its a slight detour for you but i would definitely look to head home east through the Cairngorms down towards Balmoral , Braemar & over the Glenshee ski station towards Pitlochry & can recommend staying over at the Inn on the Tay http://theinnonthetay.co.uk/

Just had a look and that sounds a pretty good option taking the A9 down it's about a 2 hour drive from Glencoe dependant upon the stops. Good choice of hotel too and a stones throw from the Blair Athol distillery. Will do some further research this week!

 

[mr wilks]

Compared to the wealth of local forum knowledge I'm a Scotland novice but of the 2 trips i have made around the areas you are going to i know that the route through the Cairngorms is one i could do time & time again , its a slight detour for you but i would definitely look to head home east through the Cairngorms down towards Balmoral , Braemar & over the Glenshee ski station towards Pitlochry & can recommend staying over at the Inn on the Tay http://theinnonthetay.co.uk/

Just had a look and that sounds a pretty good option taking the A9 down it's about a 2 hour drive from Glencoe dependant upon the stops. Good choice of hotel too and a stones throw from the Blair Athol distillery. Will do some further research this week!

Your other drives / routes take in the big names but once passed its no way as enjoyable to drive as the Cairngorms route , alongside Lock Lomond / Loch Ness is nice but you don't need much traffic to spoil it as for Fort William the lowpoint of Scotland that ive seen so far

 

[Mr Tidy]

Shame you only have a weekend OP.

I did a Scottish trip back in 2008, but had a week and went up the East and down the West.

Our first night was in Duns, but sadly the Jim Clark museum wasn't open the next day. So it stays on my list of places I must visit.

I had to visit Muir of Ord as well as my Dad was born there - so it seemed rude not to visit the Glen Ord distillery!

Had a night in Troon as well - we really liked it there.

Two more places you probably won't have time for are Oban where we stayed a night and the Isle of Skye - went over on the ferry and came back over the bridge. The roads over there are virtually empty, so well worth a visit!

Anyway I'm sure you'll have a great time!

B*gger, now I want to do it again. :lol: But in my Z4, not a 123d.

 

[AlfaScozzesi]

If you are staying on the second night near Eileen Donan then you should keep going North for the next day to Strathcarron and onto Achansheen heading through Garve, Conon Bridge, Muir of Ord, Beauly, Belladrum and then Loch Ness side down to Spean Bridge turning North again for one of my favourite roads through Newtonmore onto Granton on Spey where you could stay anywhere in whisky country ready for the road home in the morning through Braemar etc which as Mr Wilks has said is a great road. Indeed I think you will have covered a lot of the great roads of Scotland on this route.

Whichever way you go I am sure you will have a great time.

 

[MefiEcosse]

Shame you only have a weekend OP.

I did a Scottish trip back in 2008, but had a week and went up the East and down the West.

Our first night was in Duns, but sadly the Jim Clark museum wasn't open the next day. So it stays on my list of places I must visit.

I had to visit Muir of Ord as well as my Dad was born there - so it seemed rude not to visit the Glen Ord distillery!

Had a night in Troon as well - we really liked it there.

Two more places you probably won't have time for are Oban where we stayed a night and the Isle of Skye - went over on the ferry and came back over the bridge. The roads over there are virtually empty, so well worth a visit!

Anyway I'm sure you'll have a great time!

B*gger, now I want to do it again. :lol: But in my Z4, not a 123d.

I took a trip to Duns today, couple of really great roads through the Lammermuir hills I hadn't been on before!
Jim Clark museum wasn't open today either! :thumbsdown:

 

[craig3.2]

Alot of good roads have been mentioned,and would agree,Glencoe,Braemar,etc etc are great roads.
So many to choose from up here,enjoy
Hope the weather is good for you,it was a cracker again today

 

[metal licker]

Another thumbs up for Braemar/Glenshee route and try to get too Eilean Donan Castle early as it gets very busy

 

[MrPT]

Another thumbs up for Braemar/Glenshee route

+1 from me too. Lovely road.

If you are heading to Glencoe and fancy stretching that 35is a bit, try the B863 around Loch Leven, aka The Scotsburgring.

 

[Ethicsgradient]

Compared to the wealth of local forum knowledge I'm a Scotland novice but of the 2 trips i have made around the areas you are going to i know that the route through the Cairngorms is one i could do time & time again , its a slight detour for you but i would definitely look to head home east through the Cairngorms down towards Balmoral , Braemar & over the Glenshee ski station towards Pitlochry & can recommend staying over at the Inn on the Tay http://theinnonthetay.co.uk/

Just had a look and that sounds a pretty good option taking the A9 down it's about a 2 hour drive from Glencoe dependant upon the stops. Good choice of hotel too and a stones throw from the Blair Athol distillery. Will do some further research this week!

Your other drives / routes take in the big names but once passed its no way as enjoyable to drive as the Cairngorms route , alongside Lock Lomond / Loch Ness is nice but you don't need much traffic to spoil it as for Fort William the lowpoint of Scotland that ive seen so far

Steady on now some of us were born in FortWilliam hahaha .. Near there is a place called Kinlochleven , setting for the yearly classic pre 65 trials .. And one of the quietest and well surfaced loop roads around the B863 , Turn off at the petrol station on the A82 , take it handy on the in stretch , go through the villiage .. and boot the crap out it on the back stretch along the loch side . usual watch out for sheep rules apply but it is usually very very quiet as unless you want to go to Kinlochleven for ummm ...err..something ..I don't know what that might be , really there aint much reason to use the road .

 

[AlfaScozzesi]

Just had a look and that sounds a pretty good option taking the A9 down it's about a 2 hour drive from Glencoe dependant upon the stops. Good choice of hotel too and a stones throw from the Blair Athol distillery. Will do some further research this week!

Your other drives / routes take in the big names but once passed its no way as enjoyable to drive as the Cairngorms route , alongside Lock Lomond / Loch Ness is nice but you don't need much traffic to spoil it as for Fort William the lowpoint of Scotland that ive seen so far

Steady on now some of us were born in FortWilliam hahaha .. Near there is a place called Kinlochleven , setting for the yearly classic pre 65 trials .. And one of the quietest and well surfaced loop roads around the B863 , Turn off at the petrol station on the A82 , take it handy on the in stretch , go through the villiage .. and boot the crap out it on the back stretch along the loch side . usual watch out for sheep rules apply but it is usually very very quiet as unless you want to go to Kinlochleven for ummm ...err..something ..I don't know what that might be , really there aint much reason to use the road .

That's a great shout as the run from Loch Lomand to Eileen Donan is a bit light in miles for a day and it's a great 20 minutes loop.

Quick edit: for clarity take a right at Glencoe village just past the traffic lights next to the garage for this loop.

I kind of agree of agree that Fort William isn't the prettiest place ( I stay in the area) but it is the hub of the West coast and if coming up here is a good base.

Am in Inverness at the moment. May see you on the road this afternoon if on your way to Eleen Donnan.

 

[Marlon]

@Mr wilks - that would be the old military road A93 then?
We are planning a trip to Skye breaking at Glencoe there and back, so your East route is a little out of the way this time.

@Ethicsgradient - Is this the loop:

 

[AlfaScozzesi]

That's the route.

 

[MrPT]

Yeah, that's it. You can have a lot of fun under the speed limit, but watch out for telegraph poles, cliffs, sheep, plus the odd local!

[vimeo]222936672[/vimeo]

 

[Sparkybrum]

Here's the pics folks!

 

[mr wilks]

Looks a good trip , , any particular highlights of places you would return to ?

 

[Sparkybrum]

Looks a good trip , , any particular highlights of places you would return to ?

I was pretty impressed with it all to be honest. Stayed the first night at the Loch Lomond Arms hotel and paid £240 for dinner bed and breakfast and entry to the Carrick Spa! Cameron House wanted twice that. They even put us up in a lodge on opposite side of road called 'Riversedge' which in itself was fabulous. Will go back and stay there as a base for travelling around. The route from Glencoe to Pitlochry along A86 and A9 was great with the roof down. Inn on the Tay was also a welcome break after a trip round Dalwhinnie Distillery. The Inn was worthy of a longer break too as the setting was great with a pitch right next to the river. Only complaint would be those pesky midges!!!