Scotland trip ideas

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ukmgranger

ukmgranger

New Member
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114
Location
Derbyshire
Hi all,

Planning on taking my defender on a weeks trip up to Scotland (possibly the Western Isles).

I have never been up that way and wondered if anyone had any suggestions on great places that I must see?

We are planning on staying overnight in B&B's etc, but we are also going to be taking most of our camping kit too (minus the tent), so that we can cook our own lunch, dinner etc if we find a lovely spot to park up.

I'm not after any off roading as such (still not got 'round to doing any, and my diff-lock is out). I would however like to drive down onto a beach for the day potentially - things like that really.

It'll be the defenders first adventure too, so any other must haves or tips would be good too!
 
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The absolute must is a visit to Elgol on Isle of Skye where you will be able to enjoy the best view in Britain and take a boat trip to Lock Coruisk in the heart of the Cuillin. There is also a footpath to the Loch from Elgol, but you will need to negotiate the "bad step"
 
If you go to Skye don't go over the bridge,take the small ferry(holds about 6 cars) from glenelg,you turn off at Shiel Bridge on the A87 at the bottom of Lock Duich.
Then you have a nice drive up a steep winding narrow road with fantastic views at the top before you come down the other side to the ferry :)
Once your on Skye there's a nice hotel called the Sligachan on the A87(also has a campsite) with nothing around but the Cuillin mountains and is a good base to go seeing the sites,preferably the talisker distillery!
If you want a drive to a beach head to glen brittle,there's also a nice campsite there too and again the views are fantastic.
I'm hoping to get to skye again this year,we love it up there :)
 
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Where do we begin? Problem is because of the way maps are biased - Scotland looks like you could cross it in half an hour! - Common fault of my friends coming up to visit is phoning me when they reach Glasgow and telling me they'll be with me in half an hour! (i'm in Aberdeenshire - its another 4 hours drive - especially in a defender!)
Choose an area and check it out. Too many people try and cover too much and turn their driving holiday into a marathon.
i suggest driving past Inverness (A9) hanging a left after the bridge Towards kinlochewe into the west coast and drive up as far as you want. its wild, beautiful and you'll never forget it!
Another one is down the length of lochness then taking a left or right. there aren't many roads there and most are single track with pull-ins to let folk past (deliberately slows you down so you can enjoy the scenery).
 
Mugsey said:
Where do we begin? Problem is because of the way maps are biased - Scotland looks like you could cross it in half an hour! - Common fault of my friends coming up to visit is phoning me when they reach Glasgow and telling me they'll be with me in half an hour! (i'm in Aberdeenshire - its another 4 hours drive - especially in a defender!)
Choose an area and check it out. Too many people try and cover too much and turn their driving holiday into a marathon.
i suggest driving past Inverness (A9) hanging a left after the bridge Towards kinlochewe into the west coast and drive up as far as you want. its wild, beautiful and you'll never forget it!
Another one is down the length of lochness then taking a left or right. there aren't many roads there and most are single track with pull-ins to let folk past (deliberately slows you down so you can enjoy the scenery).
Click to expand...
That road down loch Ness is a beauty anorl!
I loved the road from Lairg up to Kyle of Tongue(A838) too, must be one of the best drives in UK:)
 
Turboman said:
That road down loch Ness is a beauty anorl!
I loved the road from Lairg up to Kyle of Tongue(A838) too, must be one of the best drives in UK:)
Click to expand...

Turn left at Lairg and take the loch Shin road... 40 miles of single track ... to Rhiconich... spend some time up there (Polin, Sandwood bay, Cape Wrath) - then come back down by Tongue. Just keep your wits about you.. the deer and the sheep have right of way! :D


Oh..and use the Glen Glass route from Evanton to Bonar Bridge!
 
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Beneagles said:
Turn left at Lairg and take the loch Shin road... 40 miles of single track ... to Rhiconich... spend some time up there (Polin, Sandwood bay, Cape Wrath) - then come back down by Tongue. Just keep your wits about you.. the deer and the sheep have right of way! :D
Click to expand...
That would be a nice trip too,coast road from Tongue to Wick is nice and you get a look at Dounreay:D
Youre right about the deer I nearly collected a red deer hind in the fog on Dava moor, that made me slow up a bit:eek:
 
We get them down here too... picked up a Disco the other day... £8-10k worth of damage. The Stag (9 pointer) won't be doing it again tho' :)
 
Thanks for the brilliant suggestions people! Really starting to get excited about it now.

We are going end of February, so we aren't exactly expecting the weather to be great, but it should still be amazing up there. Besides, as someone once said "there is no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothing"! :D

I think we will just concentrate on Skye and/or the western isles this time. As someone said earlier, I don't want it to become a marathon!

Is there anywhere I can go with the defender that I couldn't go with a normal car? Nothing too crazy though! It'd just be nice to feel that the beast had a purpose up there too.....
 
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Scotland is a really nice place to go ( but better when it's sunny) me and the wife go once a year or every other year
But a week won't get you anywhere its massive if you stayed in Inverness for instance that's about the middle and look at a map everywhere you want to go is a day out
So my advice would be look at a map stick a pin in it and go there and just explore around that area within a 100mile or so and then go to a different part next year unless there is a place you really want to visit
And I wouldn't bother with the three big city's
 
Beneagles said:
Turn left at Lairg and take the loch Shin road... 40 miles of single track ... to Rhiconich... spend some time up there (Polin, Sandwood bay, Cape Wrath) - then come back down by Tongue. Just keep your wits about you.. the deer and the sheep have right of way! :D


Oh..and use the Glen Glass route from Evanton to Bonar Bridge!
Click to expand...

:cool::cool::cool: Tis luverly up there, my Auntie owns the campsite in the middle of Lairg, been up there quite a few times:D:D
 
The myth about avon skin so soft keeping the midgies away is true up to a point, but its no match for the swarms that can black out the sun!:eek:
 
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