Hi All
My good lady and I are starting to plan a trip next year driving the Freelander from Newcastle north through Scotland and then ferry to the Shetlands to explore up there. There will be just the two of us in the car with maybe a roof box so no trailer etc to drag around. Don't just want to batter along on main roads, so ......

Knowing the variety of experience on here and that many members live in the areas we will hopefully be visiting I thought I would ask you all for some suggestions on:

- places to visit en-route.
- travel tips up there
- any must see/do people and places?
- any challenging drives/routes to try out the FL2's capabilities?
- we would especially welcome suggestions for stage stops and B&Bs en-route. Finally,
- when best to go to avoid the dreaded midges which I recall from previous trips?

That will be a great trip.

Personally I'd take the A9 and get up to the N coast (Its not really a main road N of Inverness!), do the Shetlands and then zig zag back down the west Coast.

Camping up there is brilliant if you fancy that, can be a bit blowy though, just do B&B instead on those days!

Places to visit...

Ardnamurchan
Applecross

More stuff when I've got a bit of time!

Last edited by Bibendum on 7th Nov 2015 10:09 pm. Edited 1 time in total

Best time? Probably April, early May. Weather usually good but before the midge breeding season...

We found a wee gem of a place in Fortrose (just south of Inverness) called the Anderson. Not great to look at from the outside and the room we stayed in was a bit "Fawlty Towers" but it is a proper Scottish whiskey and real ale bar run by an American who wants to be Scottish. Hugely warm and welcoming and the food was really good too. Plus you get the excuse of doing over the Lecht which is a mighty impressive road.

Here's a link http://www.theanderson.co.uk Learned to drive in 2011.
Bought a Micra - great little car
"Upgraded" to Kia Sportage - hated it
Proper upgrade to FL2 TD4 GS 60 reg Facelift - tailgate paint issues, fuel gauge rewire, transfer box failure at 36k miles, clutch at 60k
Reconditioned diff at 70k ish
Sold at 84k and now on a DS. Terribly unreliable.
Sold DS for a 2021 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. Fingers crossed....
Sold Outlander for a 2014 SD4 SE Tech because I’m mental

Thanks Fellas - that's just the sort of stuff I was hoping for
Its these little hidden gems that can make a trip so please give up your secrets  No Longer the owner of a 2013MY Fuji White GS

"Fiat Lux" a philosophy not a car

A few more tips...

No more specific places to visit - it's more fun to find your own, but here are some hints...

This is the GPS trace from our last trip to the far North.



Buy a good map and look for beaches and lighthouses on the West coast, then start "collecting" them. You won't be disappointed. There are fewer "single track roads with passing places" shown on maps than there were, but quite a few 'A' roads still come into that category. They are worth seeking out too.







Keep a kettle and an emergency lunch in the car. Not because you will get stuck, but because there will be times that you just want to stay somewhere for a while and take it all in.

The backup food and kettle is a good idea. If there's an accident on some of those roads the detour can be 100s of miles. Learned to drive in 2011.
Bought a Micra - great little car
"Upgraded" to Kia Sportage - hated it
Proper upgrade to FL2 TD4 GS 60 reg Facelift - tailgate paint issues, fuel gauge rewire, transfer box failure at 36k miles, clutch at 60k
Reconditioned diff at 70k ish
Sold at 84k and now on a DS. Terribly unreliable.
Sold DS for a 2021 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. Fingers crossed....
Sold Outlander for a 2014 SD4 SE Tech because I’m mental

Have to say I'm quite envious - before kids we used to do those kinds of drives but due to our kids ages we haven't had a full day or night away in absolutely yonks.

Considering I've lived in Scotland all my life there are still so many wee gems to find without even leaving the mainland and I haven't seen half of them. Learned to drive in 2011.
Bought a Micra - great little car
"Upgraded" to Kia Sportage - hated it
Proper upgrade to FL2 TD4 GS 60 reg Facelift - tailgate paint issues, fuel gauge rewire, transfer box failure at 36k miles, clutch at 60k
Reconditioned diff at 70k ish
Sold at 84k and now on a DS. Terribly unreliable.
Sold DS for a 2021 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. Fingers crossed....
Sold Outlander for a 2014 SD4 SE Tech because I’m mental

WOW that's some trip Bibendum - and I take your point about discovery for yourself - I was just hoping to glean a few wee secrets  No Longer the owner of a 2013MY Fuji White GS

"Fiat Lux" a philosophy not a car

Suggestions are good when time is limited. There are some poop holes in Scotland too. Learned to drive in 2011.
Bought a Micra - great little car
"Upgraded" to Kia Sportage - hated it
Proper upgrade to FL2 TD4 GS 60 reg Facelift - tailgate paint issues, fuel gauge rewire, transfer box failure at 36k miles, clutch at 60k
Reconditioned diff at 70k ish
Sold at 84k and now on a DS. Terribly unreliable.
Sold DS for a 2021 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. Fingers crossed....
Sold Outlander for a 2014 SD4 SE Tech because I’m mental

I do believe you are right - (my Mum came from the nether regions of Lanarkshire) I've never been north of Inverness so it's a discovery mission for me - thanks for your contributions No Longer the owner of a 2013MY Fuji White GS

"Fiat Lux" a philosophy not a car

westville wrote:

WOW that's some trip Bibendum - and I take your point about discovery for yourself - I was just hoping to glean a few wee secrets

Sudden thought, if you like "attractions" rather than just doing your own thing the whole time then these are good fun:-

- Cable Car up Aonach Mor nr Fort William
- Fast RIB rides from Ft William to Oban and back
- Slow boat trip down Loch Linnhe from Fort William (find one with bar for a wee dram en route)
- Railway up Cairn Gorm (nr Aviemore) - I'd do that or Aonach Mor, prob not worth doing both.
- Boat trip on Loch Ness. I think you can also hire self drive boats on Loch Ness, though not sure.

Thanks again - I'll consider them all in our final plan

I have canoed Loch Ness several times recently so I've had my fill of boat trips on there
 No Longer the owner of a 2013MY Fuji White GS

"Fiat Lux" a philosophy not a car

We did this in August, one of the best forest drives I have been on. Fantastic scenery and as we got there early very little traffic.

http://scotland.forestry.gov.uk/forest-par...rest-drive