North Scotland (NC500) Road Trip

[Big Rat]

17 minutes ago, Jgtcracer said:

Does your route take you past Carlisle? I will be driving up from Edinburgh but could meet at Glasgow?

To decide what dates may be best, its probably easier to know what people cant do and work around that. 

 

My wife is giving birth at the end of June so probably shouldn't be away then......lol

Yes I guess that's important!

Talking of little ones what about midges 🐥

Remember kill one and a thousand will come to the funeral 😁

Big Rat

[emjay82]

5 hours ago, Flytvr said:

I've started my preparation for the trip with this video. 

Failed me. As a Welshman, all I could I see was porn!

Hmmm better practice my emergency stops,  will be p****d if one of these woolly wanderers gets wedged in my front grill. 

[Neil E]

Depends on dates and what the plan is but I could be up for this. I'm frequently north of the border, indeed I drove back from Aviemore last night.

If the starting point is to be Inverness then Stirling or Perth might work as a southern meeting point to form a convoy. Apart from the dual carriageway sections, the A9 has average speed cameras from Stirling to Inverness so it's ideal for keeping a convoy in formation.

Midges are only a problem in the warmer months, some people use hats with face nets if they are out walking or gardening but you should be able to outrun the midges in an ISF. Irish stout is a well known midge repellent.

[emjay82]

Ahhh yes I've heard of this A9 ,  it will be radar cruise control all the way, shame they don't have the lane centre gadget, could've had a snooze 😁  

If midges are a problem, better wear the correct clothing......

 

[Big Rat]

45 minutes ago, Neil E said:

Depends on dates and what the plan is but I could be up for this. I'm frequently north of the border, indeed I drove back from Aviemore last night.

If the starting point is to be Inverness then Stirling or Perth might work as a southern meeting point to form a convoy. Apart from the dual carriageway sections, the A9 has average speed cameras from Stirling to Inverness so it's ideal for keeping a convoy in formation.

Midges are only a problem in the warmer months, some people use hats with face nets if they are out walking or gardening but you should be able to outrun the midges in an ISF. Irish stout is a well known midge repellent.

Would it be necessary to wear one while driving, whilst dabbing my face in a particular tipple I'm fond of no need to mention on hear the name of this wonderful liquid...............

But if was i to get stopped by the Scottish rozzers could I use your name as the person who said that this is how I was to dress and the 17 empty tins of Guinness , oops I've said it, were for skin medicinal purposes only 🤡

Big Rat

[Big Rat]

20 minutes ago, emjay82 said:

Ahhh yes I've heard of this A9 ,  it will be radar cruise control all the way, shame they don't have the lane centre gadget, could've had a snooze 😁  

If midges are a problem, better wear the correct clothing......

 

Just wait one blimmin minute there has been a mistake here just where is the SILVER one may I ask !!!

Big Miffed Rat

[Jgtcracer]

1 hour ago, Big Rat said:

Yes I guess that's important!

Talking of little ones what about midges 🐥

Remember kill one and a thousand will come to the funeral 😁

Big Rat

I read that and thought it said midgets!!!

[emjay82]

Sorry 🐀 @Big Rat.......... There's no Cadoxton Grey either!! Special order.......

 

 

 

[Big Rat]

3 minutes ago, emjay82 said:

Sorry 🐀 @Big Rat.......... There's no Cadoxton Grey either!! Special order.......

 

 

 

You are such a nice bloke will sleep soundly in my bed now I've seen the above, I suppose you could get some black stuff and give it to Mrs Rat to wash regularly trust me it will soon be Grey 🤣

Big Rat

[Jgtcracer]

Nothing says I've given up on life quite like a matching colour Lexus cap!!!!

(know what im getting for my birthday!!)

[emjay82]

2 minutes ago, Jgtcracer said:

Nothing says I've given up on life quite like a matching colour Lexus cap!!!!

(know what im getting for my birthday!!)

You'll get one for the trip now @Jgtcracer why wait til your birthday 😁 

[Flytvr]

2 hours ago, Big Rat said:

Yep all of them will start a diet now in preparation 👍

🐀

So, is the 'Grand Tour' open to all petrol heads or just Lexus drivers?

[Big Rat]

Seems we may have to wear headgear for this trip having regard to my occupation and fondness fir a certain colour here's mine !

 

[emjay82]

With dates in mind, would a Saturday be the best option for the tour?

[Big Rat]

May prove to be a problem as regards accommodation for one night on a weekend if we are going to break the journey up on the way up.

Lot of places don't like just one night on a weekend unless of course we book in advance.

Big Rat

[emjay82]

11 minutes ago, Flytvr said:

So, is the 'Grand Tour' open to all petrol heads or just Lexus drivers?

I'm totally easy but.... Personally it would be nice to see a Lexus LOC tour.

[Big Rat]

My mate Barry up the road is coming in his new Black ISF........cough cough

[emjay82]

1 hour ago, Big Rat said:

May prove to be a problem as regards accommodation for one night on a weekend if we are going to break the journey up on the way up.

Lot of places don't like just one night on a weekend unless of course we book in advance.

Big Rat

Could book in advance once a date, meeting point and time has been agreed. Equally I would be happy for a day in the week if others can take time off work etc. Naturally think more people will be free at the weekend. What's the consensus? 

[Neil E]

17 minutes ago, emjay82 said:

Could book in advance once a date, meeting point and time has been agreed. Equally I would be happy for a day in the week if others can take time off work etc. Naturally think more people will be free at the weekend. What's the consensus? 

I would suggest that if it's a weekend trip, southerners consider travelling Thursday evening to Central Scotland and then depending on what people want to do, go from Inverness mid-morning aiming to stay somewhere like Ullapool on the West Coast, Friday evening. stay in/near Inverness on Saturday night to travel back on Sunday. Adding at least an extra day to the tour to return on Monday would be sensible.

The NC500 can be done in two days or even one if you're really hardcore and stick to the quicker bits but there's so much to see and so many great sections to take in (scenic/steep/fast/twisty/challenging) add in stops for refueling and photos, etc...two days will be a blur. If the plan is to occasionally venture slightly off the route to include a few points of interest, some of the single tracks are very slow and narrow with vertical drops and unforgiving rock-faces. Some sections you will drive and want to go back and do again, others you may just be glad to survive with bodywork intact. 

 

[emjay82]

36 minutes ago, Neil E said:

I would suggest that if it's a weekend trip, southerners consider travelling Thursday evening to Central Scotland and then depending on what people want to do, go from Inverness mid-morning aiming to stay somewhere like Ullapool on the West Coast, Friday evening. stay in/near Inverness on Saturday night to travel back on Sunday. Adding at least an extra day to the tour to return on Monday would be sensible.

The NC500 can be done in two days or even one if you're really hardcore and stick to the quicker bits but there's so much to see and so many great sections to take in (scenic/steep/fast/twisty/challenging) add in stops for refueling and photos, etc...two days will be a blur. If the plan is to occasionally venture slightly off the route to include a few points of interest, some of the single tracks are very slow and narrow with vertical drops and unforgiving rock-faces. Some sections you will drive and want to go back and do again, others you may just be glad to survive with bodywork intact. 

 

Useful information Neil. Maybe head up on a Thursday late afternoon/evening, get to Carlisle, shut eye, then another 4/5 hours in the morning to Inverness. So I guess could be ready to start the NC500 at around midday Friday. Split the NC500 over the Friday and Saturday with a nights stay somewhere mid route. Then Saturday afternoon/evening start the drive home.  

Obviously not cast in stone but having some idea might help work out time needed off work or away from families etc. Any thoughts?

[Jgtcracer]

7 hours ago, emjay82 said:

I'm totally easy but.... Personally it would be nice to see a Lexus LOC tour.

I agree with this, see no reason why anyone cannot attend, the more the merrier as far as I am concerned.  Do you think its worth this topic being in the general LOC meets forum?

 

[Jgtcracer]

4 hours ago, Neil E said:

I would suggest that if it's a weekend trip, southerners consider travelling Thursday evening to Central Scotland and then depending on what people want to do, go from Inverness mid-morning aiming to stay somewhere like Ullapool on the West Coast, Friday evening. stay in/near Inverness on Saturday night to travel back on Sunday. Adding at least an extra day to the tour to return on Monday would be sensible.

The NC500 can be done in two days or even one if you're really hardcore and stick to the quicker bits but there's so much to see and so many great sections to take in (scenic/steep/fast/twisty/challenging) add in stops for refueling and photos, etc...two days will be a blur. If the plan is to occasionally venture slightly off the route to include a few points of interest, some of the single tracks are very slow and narrow with vertical drops and unforgiving rock-faces. Some sections you will drive and want to go back and do again, others you may just be glad to survive with bodywork intact. 

 

This sounds like a good plan, doing the drive over the weekend with an aim of finishing the route on Sun afternoon to give you southerners plenty of time to get back home. 

It would be nice to take in some of the views and not fly along at a million miles an hour everywhere.  Also, some might want a drink in the evening so super early set-offs might be a problem (Big Rat)!!

[Chuckie478]

Depending on dates I could be interested too.

[Big Rat]

4 hours ago, Jgtcracer said:

This sounds like a good plan, doing the drive over the weekend with an aim of finishing the route on Sun afternoon to give you southerners plenty of time to get back home. 

It would be nice to take in some of the views and not fly along at a million miles an hour everywhere.  Also, some might want a drink in the evening so super early set-offs might be a problem (Big Rat)!!

Oh that you would think such a thing 🍻🍺🍻

🐀

[Toothy]

I'd recommend taking a whole week to do it properly. There is so much to see and do. Over the 7 day trip I did last year. We were travelling around 9-10 hours a day. With about 1/3 to 1/2 of that driving. The rest was taken up with many stops for photos, castles, distilleries, beaches, caves, craft shops, loo breaks, breakdowns, etc. We missed so much even then we're going back for another full week this year.