Scotland Road Trip

[BoristheBounce]

It's worth watching ; it's VERY funny : Williams at his best .


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So funny almost embarrassing.

 

[geoffus]

Applecross in a motorhome, I hope, you don't meet something coming in the other direction....enjoy!

Finally did the scary Bealach na Bà yesterday in the Motorhome, luckily wasn’t too busy and most drivers pulling over when facing us, only one silly old bugger wouldn’t reverse 20 yards so I had to reverse back down a 30 degree slope in a fully laden 7.3 metre van. Missus said she wouldn’t do it again as scared to death, we came back the coastal route to save our marriage.
Probably the trickiest driving I’ve done so far.

 

[Neiltodd]

Pretty sure there is a sign a the bottom saying not to take motorhomes or caravans up that road (there certainly used to be).

 

[geoffus]

Pretty sure there is a sign a the bottom saying not to take motorhomes or caravans up that road (there certainly used to be).

Just says not advised, the Motorhome’s were courteous on the day we went up, it was the car drivers who can’t reverse, go too quick or think leaving 3 feet space on the near side is pulling over.
Must do experience though.

 

[BoristheBounce]

Finally did the scary Bealach na Bà yesterday in the Motorhome, luckily wasn’t too busy and most drivers pulling over when facing us, only one silly old bugger wouldn’t reverse 20 yards so I had to reverse back down a 30 degree slope in a fully laden 7.3 metre van. Missus said she wouldn’t do it again as scared to death, we came back the coastal route to save our marriage.
Probably the trickiest driving I’ve done so far.View attachment 156636

I did warn you

 

[Ted]

I came back on Friday after a week up in Plockton.
A few things I noticed.
Much, much more traffic than previously.
Many more motorhomes of all sizes.
Generally piss poor road sense and manners on all roads.
Single track discipline seems to have gone out of the window. Especially from motorhome drivers who seemed to think they could face up to you and force you to reverse into a passing place.
There was a time when you could ride/drive a single track road, see a vehicle coming and you could both synchronise your speeds to hit a passing place. Not any more, it seems.
But the best (driving) part by far was the journey home.
On the road at 4:00 am, just getting light, and max speeds of 40-50mph to avoid deer of which there were plenty, the Scottish roads take on a life of their own.
For nearly three hours I had nothing behind me except a van and a truck which I pull over to let them past, and precious little traffic coming the opposite way - it was even pretty quiet through Glencoe and over Rannoch Moor.
Fantastic driving. Fantastic roads. Fantastic scenery. Zero traffic. This is just the best driving that this country has to offer. It was wonderful and if you love driving this is sheer heaven.
Of course by the time we hit Ardlui it was busier, and the stretch to Tarbet was nearly as stressful as usual, but without the coaches swinging across the centre line.
Totally set me up for the rest of the drive home and stakes its place as on of my favourite drives/rides of my life. (Strangely most of them have been in Scotland/Shetlands)

I’m smiling as I remember this.

 

[rf065]

On the road at 4:00 am, just getting light, and max speeds of 40-50mph to avoid deer of which there were plenty, the Scottish roads take on a life of their own.
For nearly three hours I had nothing behind me except a van and a truck which I pull over to let them past, and precious little traffic coming the opposite way - it was even pretty quiet through Glencoe and over Rannoch Moor.
Fantastic driving. Fantastic roads. Fantastic scenery. Zero traffic. This is just the best driving that this country has to offer. It was wonderful and if you love driving this is sheer heaven.

And this is how it used to be all day long before someone invented the term NC500, I say invented but the roads have always been there, just not very busy.
Only last week, a clown/tourist in a Porsche was caught doing 142mph. No wonder the locals are not amused and would like it back the way it was.

 

[Ted]

Yes. I’ve done the ‘NC500’ a couple of times on a motorcycle before it had a name.
I think that the interweb and social media are to blame for a lot of it so possibly mea culpa.
It was really good to drive the roads as they were decades ago and realise that it’s not just about the scenery and the roads, but the sum of the parts is much more than the individuals put together.
If that makes any sense.

 

[ChrisHGTV]

Very similar total mileage to my trip in 2010 - I assume that you were in a diesel engined vehicle.

View attachment 156302

Wow only 3 miles different! Yes E250 diesel S212. On the trip I ran it on the posh juice. It does seem to go better with the good stuff.

 

[Rayny]

Wow only 3 miles different! Yes E250 diesel S212. On the trip I ran it on the posh juice. It does seem to go better with the good stuff.

And it took you almost 6 hours to do that 3 miles

 

[ChrisHGTV]

And it took you almost 6 hours to do that 3 miles

Ha ha yes, that would be the M25 on a good day! Interesting though, I imagine our average speed was reduced quite a bit as we were doing a lot of quite slow stop/start sightseeing journeys. The motorways not so much. I actually got a ticket on the way home so had to do another speed awareness course last week. Oops.

 

[geoffus]

Yes. I’ve done the ‘NC500’ a couple of times on a motorcycle before it had a name.
I think that the interweb and social media are to blame for a lot of it so possibly mea culpa.
It was really good to drive the roads as they were decades ago and realise that it’s not just about the scenery and the roads, but the sum of the parts is much more than the individuals put together.
If that makes any sense.

We are still here at Killin, your right about the coaches now we are more inland, around Fort William is packed with tourists and coaches taking up most of the road.
We found nearly every one very patient during our journey around the coast, we always pulled over for faster vehicles, the only real encounter was yesterday, a lady travelling in front on a straight road at 55 mph decided to brake, indicate and pull over all at the same time, I had to brake heavily and sounded my horn, her response was to give me the finger,
I guess she wanted a photo of the mountain but too busy to check her mirrors first.

 

[noogieman]

Did you fine dine haggis on your trip in Scotland?

 

[Ted]

I did. Twice.
Haggis, neeps and tatties.
Food of champions

 

[SpikyMikey]

I did. Twice.
Haggis, neeps and tatties.
Food of champions

It must have been farmed Haggis you had - it's not the hunting season for the wild version.

 

[Ted]

It must have been farmed Haggis you had - it's not the hunting season for the wild version.

I guessed that as I saw a couple of very young ones running (clockwise) round Buachaille Etive Mòr

 

[SpikyMikey]

I guessed that as I saw a couple of very young ones running (clockwise) round Buachaille Etive Mòr

Clockwise eh?
That'll have been your Haggis Scottii dexterous then.

 

[Ted]

Apparently a more delicate flavour than the (rarer) Haggis Scottii Sinister.
But of course, as the glorious twelfth is still a way away, it is close season and hunting is forbidden.

 

[geoffus]

The chap at our campsite offered me 8 legs of venison for £40 today, do you think that’s 2 deer ?

 

[Mactech]

The chap at our campsite offered me 8 legs of venison for £40 today, do you think that’s 2 deer ?

I would have been more worried if you were offered 8 legs of haggis. They might have have been all left or all right, or better still, none left at all