Outer Hebrides trip

[RgrWynne]

Well just completed the above in my LS430. As expected a perfect trip, with no probs. Did 1150 miles overall, with quite a lot of driving on single track roads, so stop start. Got 27mpg overall and on the 360 mile trip from Fort William mostly at 80 on the motorway, achieved 32mpg, which is brilliant. Now gone over 99k miles and MOT due soon, so keeping my fingers crossed. Hopefully will get a French trip in this year, Cheers , Roger

[Cotswold Pete]

Those single track roads in Scotland do drop the mpg.

Recently up in Kinloch Rannoch, most of the runnning around in a mates Volvo V40, sure it was more fuel efficient but no way as nice as trundling my tank along the road from Pitlochry to Kinloch, though nearly ran over a red squirrel (maybe LS to quite for them to hear!!!)

The run back was Kinloch, to Arbroath (for lunch) then back to Cotswolds via quick detour into Dundee, and though a long drive, felt well less worn out than my mate in his V40.

 

[Malc]

Leisurely touring Scotland in my Ls400 is quite blissful. The NC500 sadly ( for me as a tourist ) brings too many overseas drivers to be too competitive searching for B&Bs and the like

I want it for my own .....  to simply waft around enjoying the magnificent scenery, noting many overseas travellers just seem to want to get the NC500 over and done with in a couple of hectic days

Malc

[RgrWynne]

The one thing I could not believe was just how many Motor Homes there were, being confirmed on Harris by the owner of the guest house we stayed at, that this year they have taken over. Of course they are all big on small roads, but we nearly had a head on smash, when I was doing about 80mph on our way back on a clear long stretch of open road, when a motor home coming in the opposite direction pulled out into our path to overtake a stopped vehicle. I know my LS braking ability , which is excellent and I have newish Michelin’s, and I was literally standing on the brake pedal, and I said to my wife , we are going to hit him. Just at the very last minute he moved out of my path. Believe me I was shaking and nearest miss I have had ever...... but my beloved LS430 lives to see another day. What I also should have said , as Malc has mentioned many times, I did not see another LS at all, and very very few Lexus’s, except on Barra, which is incredibly remote. My planned potential next car is an LC500, ( if I can fit in), when the prices have come down, and I feel the time is right, although not yet driven one. On Barra in front of me is a 68 plate white LC, thought I was seeing things. I have put a notification on the LC forum to see if they are a member but no response yet. My LS430, and all LS’s are truly wonderfully comfortable and perfect cruising cars and I plan to make use of mine and do more, cheers, Roger

[royoftherovers]

Only 8 lives left Roger!

Exceeding 70mph on an open road which contains a parked/stopped vehicle.....tut,tut !

Always expect the unexpected mi amigo.

[RgrWynne]

Actually I travel at 80 on speedo , which in reality is 72 mph, still over I know . The parked vehicle was quite a way in the distance and could quite clearly see me coming, you don’t expect somebody to pull out in front of you, actually. However I do get your point and it is all chastening, but I am a pretty cautious driver, cheers, Roger

[royoftherovers]

1 hour ago, RgrWynne said:

Actually I travel at 80 on speedo , which in reality is 72 mph, still over I know . The parked vehicle was quite a way in the distance and could quite clearly see me coming, you don’t expect somebody to pull out in front of you, actually. However I do get your point and it is all chastening, but I am a pretty cautious driver, cheers, Roger

I really should not goad you Roger---I picked up my first Speeding Ticket in over 50 years,  in Fife a few months ago, and I was mortified.

My wife has dined out on my poor driving skills for 2 months!

[RgrWynne]

The only speeding tickets I got were 2 in North Wales and 1 in Scotland, but thankfully have been clean now for 15 years, and try to drive carefully. I certainly make full use of my cruise control, set at the speed limit.

[Cotswold Pete]

On 5/29/2019 at 1:46 PM, Malc said:

Leisurely touring Scotland in my Ls400 is quite blissful. The NC500 sadly ( for me as a tourist ) brings too many overseas drivers to be too competitive searching for B&Bs and the like

I want it for my own .....  to simply waft around enjoying the magnificent scenery, noting many overseas travellers just seem to want to get the NC500 over and done with in a couple of hectic days

Malc

Never heard if the NC500 until this post, but looking at it it seems like this is a 5 day journey with lots of breaks to soak up the views (or the haar), why would you want to rush around in a day or two.

Reminds me of many years ago while at the Liverpool Garden  Festival in 1984, staying at a B&B in Chester and there was this American couple who had planned this trip

Day 1 - Heathrow to Edinburgh

Day 2 - Edinburgh - Ben Nevis drive by - Stranraer

Day 3 - Northern Ireland

Day 4 Southern Ireland to cork

Day 5 Swansea to Chester (they were looking a bit ragged by now) and they reckon they could not find an castles in Wales (for real)

Day 6 Chester to Lands End

Day 7 back to Heathrow

Nothing like watching great countryside just fly by the window😵 before getting back on a plane

[RgrWynne]

Normally it is the Japanese who do “ Europe in a week “

[royoftherovers]

1 hour ago, Cotswold Pete said:

Never heard if the NC500 until this post, but looking at it it seems like this is a 5 day journey with lots of breaks to soak up the views (or the haar), why would you want to rush around in a day or two.

Reminds me of many years ago while at the Liverpool Garden  Festival in 1984, staying at a B&B in Chester and there was this American couple who had planned this trip

Day 1 - Heathrow to Edinburgh

Day 2 - Edinburgh - Ben Nevis drive by - Stranraer

Day 3 - Northern Ireland

Day 4 Southern Ireland to cork

Day 5 Swansea to Chester (they were looking a bit ragged by now) and they reckon they could not find an castles in Wales (for real)

Day 6 Chester to Lands End

Day 7 back to Heathrow

Nothing like watching great countryside just fly by the window😵 before getting back on a plane

Met some Yanks a couple of years ago,on a golfing trip to Vilamoura. They wanted to know if London was the capital of Wales !

 

Traveled part of the NW500 a couple of years ago.

We were staying in the Factors House in Cromarty on the Black Isle and traveled in the Merc to Ullapool, up to Elphin and then East to Rosehall and Bonar Bridge and back to Cromarty for the night.

I imagine that it will take a good week to travel the entire route, but it will need thinking about in terms of direction of travel and accommodation en-route.

[The-Acre]

1 hour ago, RgrWynne said:

Normally it is the Japanese who do “ Europe in a week “

That's what the owners of the b&b that we stayed at in Saltzburg said, the Japanese come for two weeks but only stay in one place for one day, then it's on to the next.  

[true blue]

Hi ,yes ,we too enjoy trips to Scotland  We did the 500 in march last year but because of the roads took the MX5 in preference to the Lexus ,great fun ,the point of my post is that in my experience the standard of motor home driving is very poor in holiday areas because a lot of these vehicles are hired for a couple of weeks by drivers who have not got a clue how to handle large motor homes as they normally drive a small run about ,I saw 2 that had left the road on our last trip

Dave

[Connoisseur]

We did the NC500 March/April this year, in our RX 350. A fun trip but fully empathise with the above comments about motor home drivers. The day we drove up the Bealach na Bar it snowed on the tops. Came across a dipstick in a hired 16ft motor home near the top (signs at the bottom say no motor homes) scared stiff and expecting me to do all the manoeuvring to let him pass on what is a single track road with small passing places. The terrified look on his face didn’t draw much sympathy from me as I tried to make enough room.....

Next day it was a German registered motorhome on another single lane with passing places and switchback bends doh 🙂

[Spunkmeyer]

Just did the NC500 in my ISF a couple of weeks ago. Fantastic. Fort William to Loch Maree via Applecross, onto Drumbeg, Bettyhill and Dornoch. 1500 mile round trip.


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[Tulpen]

I have a couple of relatives who live on the NC500 route. They have a VERY different opinion on those of you who decide to disrupt their lives. Their livestock are suffering and the, already, poor roads are deteriorating fast. While you are spending a few days imagining you are rally champions, they have to put up with it every day.

Imagine if somebody decided that the roads on your estate were perfect for rally practice......then put it all over the internet!

Just saying...……..

[Spunkmeyer]

https://www.visitscotland.com/see-do/tours/driving-road-trips/north-coast-500/

It’s not a secret


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[Connoisseur]

8 hours ago, Tulpen said:

I have a couple of relatives who live on the NC500 route. They have a VERY different opinion on those of you who decide to disrupt their lives. Their livestock are suffering and the, already, poor roads are deteriorating fast. While you are spending a few days imagining you are rally champions, they have to put up with it every day.

Imagine if somebody decided that the roads on your estate were perfect for rally practice......then put it all over the internet!

Just saying...……..

Oh dear, where to start? First off driving an RX350 doesnt make anyone, but esp me, a rally champion😅

Next, all tourist areas have problems to go with the many £millions and hundreds of jobs brought to the area by visitors. Visitors don't normally turn up equipped with road repair equipment, suggest your relis speak to their Government, MP etc. etc.

And finally, unless by 'estate' you mean hundreds of acres of highland slowly but surely being destroyed by poaching of the land for raising animals, then the NC500 is on main roads and doesn't involve any venturing into 'estates'....

Any tourism or increases in numbers causes difficulties for communities everywhere. Surely your relis take holidays and cause problems for others? I bet no prisoners are taken when they go 'rallying' on other peoples'  doorsteps? Just saying..  🙂

[RgrWynne]

I think the spotlight here should clearly go to the Scottish Government who decided to create this tourist magnet with the express desire to attract tourists particularly from Europe . When it does, is very successful, and must bring in millions in valuable income, to support these rural jobs, what do they expect ? Just saying 

[Malc]

46 minutes ago, RgrWynne said:

what do they expect

much as in Eire, a good wallop of EU money to repair and build new infrastructure .......  destroying the ambience of the idyll for ever ......  but bringing in ££££s and filling B&Bs etc

Sturgeon's dream no doubt

Malc

[ambermarine]

Having lived in a village on the West coast of Scotland for 15 years I can give testimoney to tourists and passing places, we regularly came upon dutch tourists parked in passing places enjoying the view and germans doing it in motorhomes ,I had the jiffy then which was my run about so not much bigger than a Mini it was no problem getting round these obstacles.

The biggest danger in Scotland on all roads is deer ,especially around forests and wooded verges they will migrate especially early mornings and around dusk across roads without warning leaping from the side into your path in an instant.

I had a couple of near misses  but my friends car was virtually written off when a large buck landed on his bonnet ,The speed you hit them at is the crucial factor the slower the better  so always keep within the speed limit especially when deer warning signs are displayed

[Cotswold Pete]

2 hours ago, ambermarine said:

The speed you hit them at is the crucial factor the slower the better  so always keep within the speed limit especially when deer warning signs are displayed

Totally agree, had a near miss last year driving from Cirencester to Stroud when a deer popped out onto road.  I was doing 60 the car coming the other way was doing 60, it was night and when we were about 100 foot apart this deer thundered out of a hedge.  Thank heavens for decent brakes.

So when driving scenic routes I tend to chiil down to 30, but even at that speed I have side swipped badgers (out early evening), taken out rabbits on Watership down, and had many a near miss with grouse/pheasants and the odd cyclist (not there fault - I am a cyclist and living in Cotswoldds you hope cars on scenic roads are not trying to do a Fangio).

As to motorhomes, when spending time in USA, saw motorhomes the size of National Express Coach towing a runnabout (full on Range Rover), would not wanted to have been meeting that on some of the backroads around Maine.