Road Trip

[johnatg]

Hi guys

Just back from a superb 'Road Trip' - the North Coast 500 - 500 miles north of Inverness. Starting in Inverness, we went north to John O'Groats, west to Durness then south via Lochinver, Ullapool, Gairloch and Applecross to Loch Carron. The official route (there's a website) goes back from Loch Carron to Inverness, but we cut that leg out as it's mostly a fairly boring 2 hour drive through Glen Carron. Instead we headed for home via Lochaber, Fort William and Glen Coe. Even so we managed about 600 miles on the part designated as the NC500 with various excursions and diversions. Thing is, of course, there's also the 900 miles round trip even for us in Cheshire to the start and finish, but we were in Deeside in Aberdeenshire anyway.

Car performed faultlessly (now due for a service!) and I really appreciated its overtaking ability on some of the winding roads along the route!

Most of the route recommendations involve doing it clockwise, but we did it anticlockwise, partly because it leaves the best till last and also you approach the mountains of Assynt from the north - the best aspect! (IMHO)

Many superlatives are hurled at scenery, but the views on this route really justify them all! Here are a few tid-bits. All pics taken between Monday 11th April and Thursday 14th April.

Don't know if the pics will appear in order, but here are the titles:

1 Mermaid of the North

2 Rolling Boulder scupture at John O'Groats

3 Torrisdale Bay

4 Inverpolly Forest

5 Summer Isles

6 Sgurr a'Ghreadaidh from A896

7 Here we are at Inveralligin, looking south across Loch Torridon towards Ben-damph Forest

8 Shieldaig (the more southerly one off Loch Torridon - there are two Shieldaigs quite close together!)

Other 'Road Trips' are available - from personal experience I can particularly recommend the Route des Grandes Alpes between Lake Geneva to the French Riviera (only passable in July and August), and the coastal route from Los Angeles to San Francisco - some of you might like to suggest others!

[toffee_pie]

been to Scotland myself, drove around much of that area and did isle of Skye and orkney also. 

 

Being Irish myself its up there with the great scenery of my homeland.

[Bingo123]

been to Fort William only, couple of times, would love to do more sometime.

nice pics john

[Vintagesixtysix]

Great photos John.

I was reminded of our trip the other day when I saw one of the Sunday papers showing pictures of white sandy beaches..... Not the Caribbean ... But the north coast of Scotland.

We started in Inverness and did the full loop around...Stunning stuff. We took the ferry out from Oban to a couple of the islands also.

Those empty pristine beaches and the reminder that great tracks of the UK are still sparsely populated were probably the two things I took away from that trip.

Always surprised when chatting to people how many have never been to Northern Ireland, Scottish highlands, Isle of Man, Northumbrian coast etc...... Met a lady last year who at 72 had never been to Cornwall!.

Missing out on some stunning scenery & great hospitality.

V66

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