Scottish Help Again Please. Planning a week in the Highlands

[Snapper]

Thanks for all your help the other year when I came up to the Highlands in the Exige.

But I need your help again if you don't mind.

See Thread: http://www.scottishelises.com/phpbb/vie ... highlight=

I enjoyed it so much that I am coming again and bringing some friends as well this time. There will be a mix of cars from Exige, Porsche and Caterhams. Now the Exige and Porsche can soak up the miles easily, but the Caterham will find it harder going especially if we are greeted by the never-ending rain I had on the last trip.

The plan is to do the West Coast again (In Brief: Glasgow, Inveraray, Oban, Fort William, Invergarry, Five Sisters Pass, Eilean Doran Castle, Apple Cross, Torridon, kinlochewe, Talladale, Gairlock, Ullapool, Durness, Tongue, Lairg, Ullapool, ??????, ??????, ????? and ending up in Edinburgh for the Tattoo).

The idea being to do some driving in the morning, stop somewhere for lunch and have a look at something interesting like a place of interest/attraction, a bit more driving, stop for afternoon tea/coffee somewhere nice, and a bit more driving to that nights hotel. Go out for a nice evening meal somewhere. Then doing the same thing the next day.


The main problem I have, having done some of the West Coast before is the Ullapool, ??????, ??????, ????? To Edinburgh Part.

Question 1: What would be the better option?

Question 2: What are the roads like on option 2 over the Cairngorms?

1) From Ullapool back down the West Coast and across from Fort William to Edinburgh, having over night'ed it some where near Fort William or Oban.

or

2) From Ullapool down to Inverness, across the Nairn, Down the A939 - Dava - Speybridge - Tomintoul - Corgarff - B976 to Crathie - A93 to Braemar - Spittal of Glenshee - Bridge of Cally - Rattray - Perth - M90 to A90 and into Edinburgh

Question 3: Where would be a good place to stop over night in the Cairngorms?

Question 4: Any suggestions on route 2 where might be a good place of interest/Attraction to stop for a walk about / look around?

[thinfourth]

Applecross stop at the "potting shed" for lunch

[Snapper]

Cheers, where is the "potting shed"? Is it by the row of White cottages?

[Snapper]

Found it, it's at Applecross house.

Any suggestions on the other questions?

[MacK]

The plan is to do the West Coast again (In Brief: Glasgow, Inveraray, Oban, Fort William, Invergarry, Five Sisters Pass, Eilean Doran Castle, Apple Cross, Torridon, kinlochewe, Talladale, Oban, Ullapool, Durness, Tongue, Lairg, Ullapool, ??????, ??????, ????? and ending up in Edinburgh for the Tattoo).

I think you might mean Gairloch, rather than Oban twice, and an h in loch not a k no matter what way you say it

The main problem I have, having done some of the West Coast before is the Ullapool, ??????, ??????, ????? To Edinburgh Part.
/
2) From Ullapool down to Inverness, across the Nairn, Down the A939 - Dava - Speybridge - Tomintoul - Corgarff - B976 to Crathie - A93 to Braemar - Spittal of Glenshee - Bridge of Cally - Rattray - Perth - M90 to A90 and into Edinburgh?

After Lairg, don't go back to Ullapool but keep heading south to Bonar Bridge, a stop-off at the Falls of Shin to watch the salmon leaping and shop at Harrods could be added on the way.

After Bonar Bridge take the A836 south and then the B9176 over 'The Struie' to join the A9 at Evanton. A9 to Inverness and then Nairn and the A939 etc.

Several hotels in Braemar you could stay in or the Spittal of Glenshee Hotel would be worth a try, and much used SE lunch stop!

[Snapper]

Hi MacK

Sorry for the spelling errors I have corrected them and having a look at your route.

Thanks

[Sanjøy]

When you thinking of coming ? I ask as it has been a mild winter and there are a lot of haggis or more to the point dead haggi on the roads which can make things interesting to say the least.

Also any city stops as I am sure our cloggy friends will tell you SE are always up for a beer!

[Snapper]

MacK

Is the A939 & AA93 Nairn to Braemar road a good drivers road? It looks good on the map.

While doing the Nairn to Braemar stretch is there anything worth stopping at to have a look around?

While on the Ullapool - Durness - Tongue - Lairg loop is there any particular sights worth a look in this streach?

[Snapper]

Sanjoy

Will be coming in August. I am trying to miss out the Cities other than Edinburgh where we have tickets for the Millitary Tattoo.

Edinburgh is the last night before heading home. On route home I was planing to stop off at the Rosslyn Chapel before heading down the A7 to Carlisle.

But looking on a web sight earlier it had some big cover over it. Is that still the case?

[alicrozier]

If I remember correctly the A939 between Narn and Grantown-on-Spey is a pretty boring drive, lots of long straights punctuated by blind crests. Quite nice scenery though on a 'middle of nowhere' kinda vibe.
Granton mebbies worth a stop for some local produce.

After that though the roads don't get much better. Over the Lecht and onwards to Braemar. Maybe stop at Balmoral, popular with SE'rs...


You then have Glenshee to look forward to...

[Snapper]

Nice Pic, you've not all been nicked by the police have you

[Derek]

Wow, and how many in that pic still have the same car now?

Paul; Simon; Tut; Scotty - any others?

[simon]

Just me, Paul, Scotty and Kerry I think. Tut and Craig turned back when I called them

[Lazydonkey]

Nice Pic, you've not all been nicked by the police have you

yup - IIRC everyone got at least a producer didn't they?

Even set up a roadblock

[GregR]

Wow, and how many in that pic still have the same car now?

Paul; Simon; Tut; Scotty - any others?

certainly not the owner of the striped s1