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Old Oct 11, 2017, 3:41 am
  #47  
florens
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Switzerland / Estonia
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Originally Posted by Sequim
Great trip report and it brought back memories of our 10 day driving trip in Scotland in 2013. We went towards the end of September to try and get away from tourists but of course then you might get lots of rain as we did. But what a beautiful, unspoiled country, so different from driving in the US. Although my husband was freaked out by the narrow roads and driving on the "other" side plus random sheep crossing. And I had to laugh when you said your average speed on one day trip was 35 mph - so true! Tip on Portree - if you want the absolute best, freshest fish and chips, there's a little hole in the wall shop down at the docks. We ate there after taking a scenic boat trip. I still dream about those fish and chips. I see you didn't go on the whiskey trail! That's one of the things I really loved and got a taste for single malt peated Scotch, especially from Islay. But of course it can be dangerous to one's energy level when tasting during the day.

Since I sprained my ankle while mountain biking in the Highlands, I do want to go back and not have to hobble around. Such a beautiful, wild place seems made for outdoor activities as long as you have your rain gear handy.

Thanks for all the photos. You really did capture the country and its wildness.
Originally Posted by MADPhil
Thanks for a great trip report. It has been a very long time since we did a similar trip and your photographs were a splendid reminder. Three of my memories are: climbing a hill by the road along the north shore to get a better view of some warships that were close in only to find ourselves right above some concealed tanks - we were in middle of a NATO exercise; staying at the Inchnadamph Hotel and having oatmeal crusted trout for breakfast - it is a fishing hotel and guest have to surrender their catch to the kitchen; being caught in a July blizzard on Ben Nevis.
I am glad you liked it!

Originally Posted by Concerto
You have touched on my youth with this trip report. I spent much of my life in Caithness, in Dunnet near Dunnet Head. I used to regularly wander down onto the expanse of Dunnet Beach. I went to school in Wick, which was a dire place back then. At lunchtimes I used to go down to the castle of old Wick. The cliffs and slate rock formations made amazing patterns. The sea was scary, especially in the Caithness wind.

I know most of the places you went to. The Boat Hotel is a well known black hole for the traveller, it's a real hark back to Scottish hotels of the 1970s. Hotels were to be avoided, B&Bs were the way to go.

I am very scathing of this North Coast 500 rubbish, it smacks of a stupidity invented south of the border. The way to do it is to follow the old, existing road numbers, such as the A836, and improvise detours to see what you want to see, which is what you did. I like following road numbers in Scotland, some of them are truly epic (A85, A87, A939).

Check out Banffshire and Aberdeenshire sometime. That whole east coast area is full of understated beauty and the tourists hardly go there. The towns, with houses made of granite stone, have changed little since the days of my grandparents.
We went to Aberdeen last year in summer, and saw some beautiful things there too, such as the Dunnotar Castle and of course Peterhead, Fraserburgh, Lossiemouth and many more beautiful roads and towns. Scotland is really worth a visit and we want to go back soon, especially also to explore the islands more.
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