Scottish Road Trip. (Picture heavy)

[MerBrook]

At present we are part way round our Scottish road trip.
Myself and Mrs. Merbrook started on Sunday morning travelling up to Inveraray. Fairly uneventful journey, couldn’t believe the amount of folk around Loch Lomond. Arrived at the hotel which I could quite happily recommend, it’s the Loch Fyne hotel & spa.
Monday found us travelling from Inveraray to Tongue, left Inveraray towards Glencoe, took a small detour through the Glen of Orchy and then up-to Glencoe stopping to have a look at the “Skyfall Road”, weather was dreadful so a quick pic then onwards.




Carried on up to Dumnadrochit and turn left to Beauly, bypassing Inverness from there we followed the NC500 route to below Golspie where we turned up to Lairg/Altnahara then onto Tongue. A great route, single track pretty much all the way and only came across another couple of cars along its entire length.








After leaving Tongue we headed to Gairloch Following the NC500 route. Brilliant scenery. Arrived at Gairloch to stay at the Gairloch Hotel, wouldn’t recommend this place, it’s well past it’s best and the food was poor.

 

[MerBrook]

After Gairloch we headed to the Isle of Skye via Applecross, Loch Carron, Plocton and onto Skye. Another cracking day.
Currently on the Isle of Skye before heading down to Tarbert tomorrow.

 

[Anonymous]

Glad to see the Zeds occupying the high road

Looking forward to exploring those roads again next year... :driving:

I’m sure the driving after leaving the masses around Loch Lomond was great...many Camper Vans?

 

[MerBrook]

Glad to see the Zeds occupying the high road

Looking forward to exploring those roads again next year... :driving:

I’m sure the driving after leaving the masses around Loch Lomond was great...many Camper Vans?

One camper van is too many, I don’t think there are quite as many as last year but still enough. Roads on the whole are fairly quiet but all the hotels that we have stayed in have been full or almost full, present circumstances allowing.

 

[craig3.2]

After Gairloch we headed to the Isle of Skye via Applecross, Loch Carron, Plocton and onto Skye. Another cracking day.
Currently on the Isle of Skye before heading down to Tarbert tomorrow.

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Lots of great roads up there.
This us the route that we should have been doing,going across from East to West,at Golspie.
Inspired by our NC500 run last year,Tim?

Hopefully we get to do it next year :driving:

Enjoy,both of you,and hope the weather improves a bit, cheers

 

[Stevo1987]

Looks great. I would love to do that. The furthest north I got was somewhere up the A9 (I think). I pulled off the the road and took a cable car to the top of some mountain. I can't remember where it was now. Any ideas? hmm....maybe not a cable car. Some sort of transport up the side of a mountain. Brain fail due to age.

 

[MerBrook]

After Gairloch we headed to the Isle of Skye via Applecross, Loch Carron, Plocton and onto Skye. Another cracking day.
Currently on the Isle of Skye before heading down to Tarbert tomorrow.

021C1620-C317-4EBA-97DA-4E377E87EDE1.jpeg

AFFED94C-A76E-4C8B-954A-F0F5AAC845C4.jpeg

B3C71141-0E39-4D6C-9C46-F2F7675242EB.jpeg

607A94C5-7A73-4AAF-B745-85D77F32BEC5.jpeg

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4EB2BAE3-F50F-4D95-8CBB-0FBE1F71BBCB.jpeg

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DEEB6A0E-C03F-4547-910E-24AD9F633513.jpeg

Lots of great roads up there.
This us the route that we should have been doing,going across from East to West,at Golspie.
Inspired by our NC500 run last year,Tim?

Hopefully we get to do it next year :driving:

Enjoy,both of you,and hope the weather improves a bit, cheers

Thanks Craig, definitely inspired by last years NC500 run.
Weather here on sky has been pretty poor today so can only improve.

 

[Anonymous]

Looks great. I would love to do that. The furthest north I got was somewhere up the A9 (I think). I pulled off the the road and took a cable car to the top of some mountain. I can't remember where it was now. Any ideas? hmm....maybe not a cable car. Some sort of transport up the side of a mountain. Brain fail due to age.

Sounds like Cairngorms Funicular?

 

[Stevo1987]

Looks great. I would love to do that. The furthest north I got was somewhere up the A9 (I think). I pulled off the the road and took a cable car to the top of some mountain. I can't remember where it was now. Any ideas? hmm....maybe not a cable car. Some sort of transport up the side of a mountain. Brain fail due to age.

Sounds like Cairngorms Funicular?

Hi Grag, Just done a search and yes, that was it. About 13 years ago now I was in a b&b in Linlithgow working in Edinburgh when I went down with the flu of sumthink. I got fed up and took a drive north and ended up there.

 

[Argyll Andy]

Not far from me when you were in Inveraray.

We’re heading up to Dingwall and doing some of the NC500 next weekend. Just going for a few days so can’t do the whole thing.

Did Loch Lomond to Fort William a few weeks ago too. Was busy but still got a good run out.

 

[Stevo1987]

Not far from me when you were in Inveraray.

We’re heading up to Dingwall and doing some of the NC500 next weekend. Just going for ages days so can’t do the whole thing.

Did Loch Lomond to Fort William a few weeks ago too. Was busy but still got a good run out.

You will be able to get there a bit quicker soon. :wink:

 

[Clobber]

Great pics, thank you for sharing

 

[ColinBR]

Don't forget to do the loop around Skye.

Well worth it and hard to believe there is such stunning views on a smallish Island.

My go to place for a weekend away and an amazing drive up.

 

[Argyll Andy]

Not far from me when you were in Inveraray.

We’re heading up to Dingwall and doing some of the NC500 next weekend. Just going for ages days so can’t do the whole thing.

Did Loch Lomond to Fort William a few weeks ago too. Was busy but still got a good run out.

You will be able to get there a bit quicker soon. :wink:

Purpose of the trip :wink: :driving:

 

[buzyg]

Looks like you are having a really great trip. Enjoying the photos, keep them coming. Weather hopefully sunny for acfew days too.

 

[MerBrook]

Don't forget to do the loop around Skye.

Well worth it and hard to believe there is such stunning views on a smallish Island.

My go to place for a weekend away and an amazing drive up.

Thanks Colin. We did the loop around yesterday, views were limited though because if it wasn’t raining then the cloud was too low obscuring most of any views to be had. A little disappointing but still had a good day.

 

[MrPT]

Lovely. That view from Bealach na Bà never gets old!

Inveraray to Tongue in a day is quite punchy.

 

[Sky-drive]

Not long back from my run up into Scotland and we picked up sections of the NC500 too!

We were lucky with the weather overall and only had to endure one crap day on Sunday 13th September. We opted to visit the waterfalls south of Ullapool and then we made our way in what seemed like torrential flood conditions at times from Torridon Hotel across to Applecross and then up over the Bealach na Ba in very poor visibility eventually reaching the Balmacara Hotel near Eilean Donan Castle. Despite the hotels negative reviews on Trip Adviser we bagged a decent room ... we were both disappointed to find that it wasnt Scotland's very own version of Fawlty Towers haha!.

Cant wait to head back next year ... hopefully the next time in a 3.0 Si!

 

[edshift]

Looks great. I would love to do that. The furthest north I got was somewhere up the A9 (I think). I pulled off the the road and took a cable car to the top of some mountain. I can't remember where it was now. Any ideas? hmm....maybe not a cable car. Some sort of transport up the side of a mountain. Brain fail due to age.

It would have been the Funicular railway at Aviemore.
Cool thing.
Luv and Peace.
If you are in that neck of the woods do the A93 tomintool pass road. It's a crazy mountain pass with so many hold your tummy drops it's comical.
It's the best road I've driven with the cairn o mount a very close second (Watch for brake fade) .
It's well sighted and very countered so lots of exciting transitions.
The road seems to drop out below you on some bits and it's genuinely scary.
The road is like a roller coaster but one where your own safety is your own responsibility.
In a sportscar where that contract is understood it's a lot of fun.
For more touristy visitors it might be a bit much.
Luv and Peace.

 

[Jeremyf99]

We had an amazing trip up there a few weeks back. Same place and hotel! First time to Scotland for me and I think i'll make it a yearly trip.