Scottish meet - 7/8th August 2010 - Skye!

[a11y]

OK, we've had a good bit of discussion, now here's the confirmed details - let's do this

Details:
*Sat 7th & Sun 8th August 2010
* 9.00am gathering / 9.30am departure
* Start/finish at Stirling Services (FK7 8ET)

Format:
* approx 9hrs / 390miles driving spread over 2 days (figures according to Googlemaps)
* destination the Isle Of Skye
* outbound route via Fort William, arriving on Skye via the Mallaig-Armadale ferry (£28 car plus 2 occupants)
* return route via Skye Bridge (free!)
* overnight stay in Sligachan (camping or hotel)
* Saturday evening BBQ and beers on campsite (or retreat into pub if weather/midges are bad)
* several photo/chat/pee stops along the way
* opportunity to explore Skye for a few hours on Saturday and maybe on Sunday too (depending on exact plan, but we can discuss when we're there)
* almost all A/B/unclassified(!) road, not much dual-carriageway/motorway
* exact route will be PM'd/emailed to all going

Accommodation:
* Option 1: Sligachan Hotel
- £59 per person per night bed and breakfast
- booking essential! Details HERE
OR
*Option 2: Sligachan Campsite (located 2mins walk from hotel)
- approx £4 per person per night
- no need to book
- toilets/showers, etc and probably somwhere to plug your hair straighteners into... oke:

Notes:
* super unleaded is available at a garage at the Skye Bridge (best to start with a brimmed tank though)
* Mallaig-Armadale ferry is £28 for car + 2 passengers and takes 35mins (Bridge is free but the road from Fort William to Mallaig - aka Road To The Isles - is a beauty and worth driving for the scenery too)
* there are ferries at 12.15pm, 1.45pm and 3.10pm and it's 3hrs driving time from Stirling-Mallaig, so leaving Stirling Services at 9.30am gives us a fairly leisurely drive for the 1.45pm ferry (1.15pm latest check-in).

And if you're not sure about coming along, check out the scenery you'll miss out on...
* Skye holiday June 2007
* Skye/Applecross driving trip June 2010
* hopefully that's helped convince you, and I've not even mentioned the awesome roads...

List of attendees:
1. a11y + Mrs a11y (camping)
2. nosa + Mrs (hotel)
3. JimmyPop + 1 (camping)
4. zermattV (poss + 1) (hotel???)
5. pawnsacrifice (camping)
6. badwolf456 + 1 (hotel)
7. Siftah (camping)
8. RichardG + 1 (camping)
9. jaxz4 + 1 (hotel)


Provisionals - please confirm either way ASAP:
gannet
teamemmenracing
muppet

Cheers
Ally



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MY ORIGINAL POST BELOW
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Folks, it's time we planned another north-of-the-border z4-forum meet

All z4-forumer's welcome - not exclusively for the Scottish members! If anyone wants an opportunity to explore some of Scotland's most unique scenery then this is a great opportunity. Skye is a unique place...

There's been a bit of discussion about a 2-day/1-night trip to Skye, following on the back of photos I posted of my own trip a couple of weeks ago. Lets use this thread (rather than my road trip thread oke and sort out the details for this. I'm not sure if this is what folk are after, or whether we should stick with shorter 1-day trips???

Suggested plan:
- meet at Stirling Services early(ish) on a Saturday morning
- drive to Mallaig via Fort William (exact route TBC but would depend on what ferry time we aim for)
- ferry to Skye
- drive to campsite/hotel at Sligachan
- rest of the afternoon free to explore Skye (or the pub...)
- evening BBQ or pub meal as a back up in case of poor weather
- depart Sunday morning
- route home via Skye Bridge (exact route TBC)

Suggested dates:
- Sat 31st July & Sun 1st August
OR
- Sat 7th & Sun 8th August

Notes:
- approx 360-mile round trip from Stirling Services
- similar style to the Dunkeld trip, i.e. regular stops for chat/photos/etc, going at your own pace, etc.
- super unleaded is available at a garage at the Skye Bridge
- ferry is £28 for car + 2 passengers and takes 35mins (Bridge is free but the road from Fort William to Mallaig - aka Road To The Isles - is a beauty and worth driving for the scenery too)

I'm suggesting Sligachan as there's a pub, hotel rooms, plus a decent campsite all togther, so folk could pick between camping and more luxury all in the same location. Some photos from the campsite in THIS thread.

These are only my ideas, it'd be good to hear other's thoughts too

Thoughts?

Sligachan campsite:

 

[Anonymous]

Aye

 

[Aebous]

Man, ya'll are attempting to make sure I stay broke during the summer months!

 

[Anonymous]

Ally, does the route up take us via applecross? :?

 

[a11y]

Ally, does the route up take us via applecross? :?

No it wouldn't - that's further north of Skye and would be a bit more driving. Approx 150-mile round trip from Sligachan area on Skye, but takes quite a while as the roads are narrow and twisty. We did the trip home from Applecross to Falkirk in approx 6-hrs, and that wasn't too many stops either.

(TBH the road to Applecross looks spectacular but it's too narrow and blind-sighted to drive quickly)

 

[Anonymous]

Ah well, save that for a wee road trip with Mrs then.

You have a PM

 

[Aliv6]

Would personally prefer a 1 day event Ally. i would say i'd take the misses to stop her moaning, but i'm not sure how keen she'd be doing 100mph sideways on A roads!

AR

 

[PawnSacrifice]

Ally, from what I've read, you organise a good meet... and set a decent pace :driving: The photos from your trip out looked awesome, mate

I'd be up for this - depending on dates, but it looks like great fun :wink: Second weekend would probably suit me better, but I think I'll just tag along if I can to whatever you guys arrange... odd feeling I am meant to be somewhere else :?

If I can make it I think I'd possibly be looking at a 4 day weekend... just putting that out there in case anyone else from the "south" fancies it.

 

[gannet]

I will keep watching it....

 

[a11y]

Good to hear some comments folks

100mph sideways on A-roads Ali, surely that's mainly the V6 stepping out? :wink:

"Southerners" :wink: are very welcome to attend - it'd be great to meet a few more Z4-forumers and make them more than just usernames.

If we're going for the 2-day idea then it'd be great to have a firm date confirmed by the end of the week. Bookings at the hotel will need to be made I'd guess, this being the height of the holiday season.

Ally

 

[Anonymous]

As it stands for me at the moment either weekend would suit. Would like to say that i would be tenting instead of hoteling but Knowing and having experienced the scurge of the mighty scottish midge,, and My wife is unable to plug in hair straightners and other such female things in a tent :hairdryer: I will probably end up in the hotel for respite from the midge

:x

 

[Aliv6]

Camping! Sod that for a laugh...Duke of Edinburgh was mu last camping experience...Never again!

 

[a11y]

MTFU :wink:

That's why I've suggested a location with a hotel at it too :roll:

 

[teamemmenracing]

Im up for that .........

 

[RichardG]

Would have to be the 31st july 1st August for me any later and I'll miss out again, even this might be pushing it. I'll know in a couple of weeks.

Nosa you could always get the lady in your life some of these

from here

 

[Anonymous]

Damn you Richard for finding those, now i just have to admit that i am a wimp and can't stand sleeping in a tent :x

 

[muppet]

I am up to Applecross next week, will see if I can get approval for another trip from Pam

Sandy

 

[a11y]

I've just emailed the hotel asking for availabilty and rates for the two weekends in consideration for this. Not sure the campsite can be booked but I've asked them that question too...

Hopefully we'll be able to set a date for this very shortly

 

[Taz]

i just had a quick look on auto route, this would be 1000 miles round trip, bit too far :thumbsdown:

 

[2dogs]

could be up for this what dates???????????????? :driving: