JohnnyColombia

Hey FTers.

Sorry for a vague question, I will try to make it less vague as I go.

I have never been to Scotland and I am always a bit envious of the people that go up there and come back with stunning photos. Also I like the idea of having a nice car and driving around the spectacular roads.

So here goes, rented myself a Merc and I have a few days spare.

Starting in Brum on 10 Oct or Derby on 11 Oct, and I need to be in Doncaster for 13 or 14 Oct at the latest. How far can i get into Scotland if I nail it and where is the coolest scenery that I can see in that timescale?

Given my limited days I am not averse to doing 400 miles to get there and back so I could hoof it straight up to Aberdeen and spend a couple of days around there.

Obviously don't want to spend the night in the car so some cool places to stay on the way would be nice too if anyone has any recommendations.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions

nobbyclark

On the west, the A83 between Arrochar and Inverary. There are hotels at either end, depending on how you get there and how long you take to do the drive.

And on the east side of the country, the A93 between Perth and Ballater, which then leads to Aberdeen.

HIDDY

Even though you don't have much time you should be able to get a taster of the country.
I would suggest a routing of Glasgow - Fort William - Inverness - Glasgow making use of the motorway to get to/from Glasgow from the south quickly. Although you'll be sticking to main trunk roads the scenery is amongst the best there is. Loch Lomond, Rannoch Moor, Glencoe, Ben Nevis, Loch Ness, Cairngorms.

Just make sure you time your days driving right. The days will be getting shorter in October and you won't see much in the dark.

antichef

I admire your stamina with those planning constraints. Derby - Aberdeen or Inverness is about 8 hours drive in each direction.

With "leave Derby on 11 Oct" and "Doncaster on 13 Oct" it doesn't leave much slack!!

My suggestion is a careful check of the weather before you set off no matter where you are headed. If it is rainy, foggy or misty you are going to have a wasted journey.

Is it rural scenery you are after or buildings for the stunning photos? Roads or beaches or highland wilderness?

Dawn and dusk times can be found here - [Good point HIDDY!!]
http://astro.ukho.gov.uk/nao/miscellanea/birs2.html

Swiss Tony

Just a thought but I suspect you would be better off getting a flight one way (Birmingham->Aberdeen) then drive back.

Driving up the M6 on a Friday night is going to be no fun at all. Infact driving up the M6 is never fun - it's just even more unpleasant when the rest of the population is (it seems) trying to do the same.

Here's an idea...

Go to the Lake District - it'll be relatively quiet at that time of year, the scenery is stunning and then it's an easy drive across some rugged countryside over to Doncaster at the end of the trip.

Jenbel

I had to go to Kintyre for the first time recently, and despite having lived in Scotland most of my life, found the drive from Glasgow, up the side of Loch Lomond and over to Kintyre across the Rest and Be Thankful beautiful. So for someone on your kind of timescale, maybe a trip like that? Carry on from Lochgilphead to Oban, come back east via Crianlarich and so to Perth (or indeed extend onto Fort William).

I think it's realistic, but you'll get some of that breathtaking scenery.

antichef

Jenbel,

I agree! But what does Johnny want to see? I would have said go and see Camusdarach beach or Lunan Bay (on the opposite coast).

Perhaps he should have a look around here for a few ideas:
http://www.scotlandthemovie.com/movies/fintro.html

JohnnyColombia

Thanks for the thoughts everyone.

I could go Birmingham back to Doncaster 10-14 Oct. that is 4 nights. Still not enough? I am only going to Birmingham for a balti so nothing stopping me leaving at the crack of dawn on the 10th. Wouldn't mind squeezing a night in Edinburgh in on the way back down too.

Sadly I cannot fly from Birmingham because I will have a car with me

Lake District sounds nice, not been since 1989. Also interested in going to Alnwick and thereabouts for a nearer option.

I am going to plug some of your roads and destinations into Google Maps and see what it looks like

Jenbel

4 nights would be a decent amount. All depends how much driving versus stopping and sight-seeing each day. I can drive Edinburgh - Strathy Point in about 6 hours (it kills me, but it's doable), so you could get a long way in that kind of time period... just depends how you want to balance your time.

antichef - quite ^ Hopefully he'll start to take some of our ideas and narrow down what he wants... or give us more feedback!

JohnnyColombia

Oops sorry! When I started the thread I was thinking about scenic roads, as in narrow and winding through amazing landscapes with mountains and valleys. You have all thrown in so many unheard of place names though that I am going to have to Google them to read up on each one.

I'll be honest, I hadn't really thought about the coast, but if I am passing then I am certainly looking forward to taking a look.

Thanks once again for everyone's thoughts though.

Jenbel

Nothing to apologise for - sorry if I made it seem like there was. You got quite a shopping list thrown back at you!

JohnnyColombia

OK this looks doable

Oct 10 Brum to Glasgow
Oct 11 Glasgow to Fort William via Arrochar and Inverary? Google Maps will only show me the A82 and A84 but I am sure I can find the A83.
Oct 12 Fort William to Edinburgh via Cairngorms and Perth
Oct 13 Hoof it back to Doncaster

Save Aberdeen and Inverness for another time. Oct 11 and Oct 12 look like really manageable drives. Am I right?

rcspeirs

Glasgow to Fort William via Arrochar and Inverary?
Fort William is surrounded by great scenery but the town doesn't have a lot to recommend it. I'd suggest head for Oban instead. Same great scenery, but slightly more interesting town - there's always a bustle of ferries to watch coming and going from the islands.
If you're heading from Glasgow to Inveraray via Arrochar you just stay on the same road - the A82 becomes the A83 at Tarbet (to stay on the A82 towards Crianlarich requires a turn...)

stut

Sounds doable, as long as you really like driving

As others have said, the miserable part is going to be Birmingham up to Lancaster - particularly around Stoke, Lymm and Preston. This is a main artery, and so lined with industrial estates and distribution centres. Once past Preston, it starts to open up, and is rather scenic as it passes over Shap Fell. Do stop at Tebay services (signed as Westmorland Farm Shops) - a fairly average service station building, turned into a farm shop, with stunning views and a stream running through the café.

Once over the border into Scotland, the M74 isn't too bad.

The A roads up to the West Highlands aren't bad, but they're not always fast, particularly if it's anything approaching a holiday season. But that certainly doesn't detract from the scenery, and you can always pull over to admire a view if the queue of 40mph-moving traffic gets a little tedious. Take some back-road detours if you really want to enjoy your car - but bear in mind that there's more and more single-track ones the further into the country you go.

Edinburgh down to Doncaster involves the A1, an entertaining road (I live just by a particularly entertaining section of it...) Much of the Northumberland section of the road is single carriageway (but if you have time to stop off somewhere on the coast - Bamburgh, Alnmouth or even Holy Island - all the better). It's then dual-carriageway round Newcastle and down to York, with sporadic sections of fully-fledged motorway. Can get slow due to sheer volume of goods traffic (when you get stuck behind a lorry at 52 mph overtaking a lorry at 50mph - such is life).

stut

Oh, and if you have iPlayer access or a VPN to do so, this series on the running of the M6 is oddly fascinating:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04hfvcr