Drive To Scotland

[mystic]

Thanks so much for the replies guys, im going to have to read through this thread really thoroughly. Great suggestions!

[Parts-King]

It takes me 4 hours to Glesga, there is no way you could do it from London in 5.........mind you, I don't drive at MACK 2

Lovely part of the world, I'm a Highlands man, love the North West up near Ullapool and Wester Ross......oh the memories

Kingo

[Tech01]

"Chris, it must have been a hell of a dash..."

Have just checked with my other half, and, yes, you're right. Both of us recall that it was 5-hours-something. Sorry about that. We do remember that, after leaving Guildford on the A3, we didn't encounter another traffic light until somewhere like Cumbernauld (someone will no doubt be precise about this) !

A dash it was . . . We arrived in Stirling a little after 10am. Citroens can be like that, y'know.

Glenfinnan Viaduct

Chris

[CharlieFarlie]

I have been very fortunate in so much as I have been all over the world.. But for unspoilt breathtaking scenery Scotland is up at the top of the list.. The People have in My experience been wonderful !!

Jedi.. I have also done most of Wales and yes it has some fantastic places but Scotland has more oil so Im surprised Your not up here having those very interesting conversations with other interested parties..... Kev are there any nut houses up here...

The isle of Skye where Chris is posting pictures from is Awesome !! Never met anyone rambling about oil though so Jedi must have stayed at home ...............................

[Hoovie]

"Chris, it must have been a hell of a dash..."

A dash it was . . . We arrived in Stirling a little after 10am. Citroens can be like that, y'know.

Yup, I know what you mean. I had a Citroen BX 19 TZS in 1994 and my clock in it never worked either :)

[Big Kev]

I have been very fortunate in so much as I have been all over the world.. But for unspoilt breathtaking scenery Scotland is up at the top of the list.. The People have in My experience been wonderful !!

Jedi.. I have also done most of Wales and yes it has some fantastic places but Scotland has more oil so Im surprised Your not up here having those very interesting conversations with other interested parties..... Kev are there any nut houses up here...

The isle of Skye where Chris is posting pictures from is Awesome !! Never met anyone rambling about oil though so Jedi must have stayed at home ...............................

All the oil up here can only be extracted at twenty to six, Charlie......some people cal it 5.40. Apparently it matures into a thicker, more clingy oil than it was only 10 minutes prior at half past five.......

Big Kev

[dave.m]

If you fancy doing one of the islands without going too far north, I would

recommend Arran, or Scotland in miniature as its known -

http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/areaarra/index.html

Have stayed at the the Auchrannie resort and can reccomend it, a little pricey

but you can get offers, especially midweek. -

http://www.auchrannie.co.uk/

[jedi134]

Jedi.. I have also done most of Wales and yes it has some fantastic places but Scotland has more oil so Im surprised Your not up here having those very interesting conversations with other interested parties..... Kev are there any nut houses up here...

I cannot mention engines or oil in a non engine or oil topic....or I will be shot! :D

I'm suprised you haven't mentioned the forbidden and taboo word of "engine".....are you feeling ok? :P

As for nut houses, the Highlands are full of them :P

[shcm]

I have to agree with the mention of Glencoe and the drop down off Rannoch Moor. Both spectacularly beautiful and I suspect cruelly unforgiving at times. Going the other way's not bad either. Early morning is great with deer standing by the side of the road in the mist (taking care they don't bolt).

If you want a bit of on-road fun and like steep single track with a few hairpins, there is always the relatively famous Bealach na Bà (Kev will translate, but I think it means don't worry the sheep :D). Some videos on you tube, but like most of these things, they don't do it justice.

http://maps.google.c...mra=ls&t=m&z=12

The RAV will eat it for breakfast, but it won't do much for your fuel consumption.

Somebody's RAV at the top of the pass

Drops down into Applecross (Pub). The drive up the Applecross peninsula is OK too.

I quite like the southside of Loch Ness. Nice gentle scenery (That RAV's in shot again ):

B862 out of Fort Augustus or from the A9. There's a view point about 5 miles out of Fort Augustus. Also along there is Loch Ruthven (Slavonian grebes in Summer, although I've never seen any).

A93 and Spittal of Glenshee and the drop down into Braemar isn't bad either.

Also the Ardnamurchan and Strontian Peninsula to the West of Fort William. Glenborrodale for birds (RSPB) and the lighthouse at Ardnamurchan Point (Most Westerly point on Mainland UK).

You can't go far wrong, wherever you go.

A box of stale shortbread, Jimmy Shand on the Stereo (over and over and over again), a "See Youhs Jimmy" wig/hat, a bit of Haggis hunting, a couple of deep fried mars bars and you're sorted (Incoming I expect :D).

[Tech01]

At the risk of setting Luke up with several years of driving holidays in Scotland, it's amazing to find that most of the folk who write here regularly --- and who have become kinda friends since I joined the forum last year --- have not only been to the Western Highlands, but have managed to discover lots of the stunning routes and scenery that we have!

This is in stark contrast to most of our family and friends (mainly the younger ones), who just haven't been there. One explanation, of course, is that most of our family and friends are simply not members of the TOC! So, what is it about RAV owners and scotch mist?

If nothing else, this splendid Forum Topic has revealed a deep and wondrous dimension to several well-known members, which other Topics have never given the slightest hint of. Hang on a mo', while I dab my eye and lie down for a moment.

Bealach-na-Ba, the Pass of the Cattle...

...and, it's now possible to do the north circuit of the Applecross peninsula, going north from Applecross village, round the top via Fearnmore and back to the main road at Shieldag. In the early '80s and before, this was just a motorcycle track, used by the local Postie. The north-tip villages were depopulated, but since the mid-90s are alive again, mostly with folk from the Home Counties; even the local school is up and running.

On a really melancholy note, we drove back up Glencoe towards Rannoch Moor years ago, on the morning of Diana's funeral, listening to the service from the Abbey on BBC R4 LW, and utterly failing not to be reduced to tears by the music, the brother's speech and the sheer tragedy of it all. The haunting gloom and swirling mists of Glencoe was shattering.

So, Luke's on the way. If anyone else hasn't yet, Just Do It ! . . . and don't forget the camera.

Chris

Loch Maree, from the A832 near Kinlochewe

And try this...

http://www.flickrive...ol/interesting/

and, if all else fails...

http://www.geograph....k/photo/2272747

[shcm]

So, what is it about RAV owners and scotch mist?

They are just very discerning people :D.

They are great "driving" roads and the RAV is a fine vehicle for doing them in.

Don't promote it too much though, otherwise the place will be "heaving" when I go up in the summer :(.

I've done some of Norway, but not in a RAV. It would be great there too.

[Hoovie]

One of the great things about having a capable vehicle like a RAV4 (other 4x4s are available but only few as good) is you are able to get around these roads that many other drivers cannot.

Preaching to the converted for the RAV4 section of the forum, I know, but for the benefit of the casual observer .....

I am looking forward to seeing some of these sights this summer (and praying for decent weather to do so!)

[CharlieFarlie]

I have to agree with the mention of Glencoe and the drop down off Rannoch Moor. Both spectacularly beautiful and I suspect cruelly unforgiving at times. Going the other way's not bad either. Early morning is great with deer standing by the side of the road in the mist (taking care they don't bolt).

If you want a bit of on-road fun and like steep single track with a few hairpins, there is always the relatively famous Bealach na Bà (Kev will translate, but I think it means don't worry the sheep :D). Some videos on you tube, but like most of these things, they don't do it justice.

http://maps.google.c...mra=ls&t=m&z=12

The RAV will eat it for breakfast, but it won't do much for your fuel consumption.

Somebody's RAV at the top of the pass

Drops down into Applecross (Pub). The drive up the Applecross peninsula is OK too.

I quite like the southside of Loch Ness. Nice gentle scenery (That RAV's in shot again ):

B862 out of Fort Augustus or from the A9. There's a view point about 5 miles out of Fort Augustus. Also along there is Loch Ruthven (Slavonian grebes in Summer, although I've never seen any).

A93 and Spittal of Glenshee and the drop down into Braemar isn't bad either.

Also the Ardnamurchan and Strontian Peninsula to the West of Fort William. Glenborrodale for birds (RSPB) and the lighthouse at Ardnamurchan Point (Most Westerly point on Mainland UK).

You can't go far wrong, wherever you go.

A box of stale shortbread, Jimmy Shand on the Stereo (over and over and over again), a "See Youhs Jimmy" wig/hat, a bit of Haggis hunting, a couple of deep fried mars bars and you're sorted (Incoming I expect :D).

Andy. What are the ariels for ??

[shcm]

Andy. What are the ariels for ??

They are a warning device for low hanging tree branches, 6ft6 car park barriers and Anchs' garage door :D

I have an amateur radio licence. (I hate the term, but glorified CB if you like). They are for that. The inet has probably replaced a lot of what Amateur Radio was about, but it allows us to experiment and build our own kit, which is the main reason I have it. There's still a few unexplained things about radio propagation that people investigate.

It still has its uses. After New Orleans got hit and all the infrastructure went to poop, Amateur radio was the main emergency comms backbone for a while.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9228945/ns/technology_and_science-wireless/t/ham-radio-operators-rescue-after-katrina/#.T3dYHFOldT8

[Davrav]

There's still a few unexplained things about radio propagation that people investigate.

I knew it,

'ET phone home'

[MarsKy]

So... What happened?

[mystic]

I took on all the advise from the good people who posted (to which i still owe my thanks) We went all over, stopping at the suggested places but i kinda fell in love with glen coe, absolutely stunning, i was like a nervous school boy the whole trip, she clearly knew what was coming so i decided to man up and pop the question, i waited till we was alone, went for thw hole one knee thing, at that exact moment some people just turned up, suddenly it felt like the whole world was watching what was already incredibly nerve racking.. So in my own way i asked the question, in front of everyone she said NO! ......

So as you might imagine, in my head it was pretty much ... that awkward stare from everyone didn't help at all. Then she pounces on me knocking me straight on the floor, i thought "oh great not only has my heart been torn out, now she gonna beat the sh%& out of me too?", i soon figured that a woman laying on top of you screaming "yes, yes, yes" and kisses me must be a good sign (keep your mind pg rated hehe), turns out that due to my inability to hide anything from her, she knew what was coming and the whole saying no was a set up, even the people turning up she planned for all because she thinks im shy and likes to embarass me at any opportunity she gets! She told me it was always yes and i should have asked a long time ago since she been waiting for this a long time!!

Now we are happily engaged to be married and since we are far from the norm, we have a somewhat unique wedding planned, its still somewhat undersided but it's either a night wedding, candle light on the beach but she is really interested in an underwater wedding in the great barrier reef, i love the idea. I know a lot of you are probably thinking but we have never done anything to the book, and it's a time to remember, i only want to do this once so lets do it right the first time i say!! All i know is i love her to death and can't wait to spend my life with her..

So lets hear it from any couples here with long time marriages, how screwed am i handing the reigns over to this wonderful woman of mine? Am i sure to regret it or not? (i hope to god she don't read this hehe)

Oh so i don't get in trouble from the mods, we did drive up in the RAV, faultless, handled everything, no problems at all :)

[Davrav]

[MarsKy]

Congratulations mystic.

[shcm]

but i kinda fell in love with glen coe,

Excellent taste.

but she is really interested in an underwater wedding in the great barrier reef

Sounds ideal to me Are we all invited? :D.

Oh so i don't get in trouble from the mods, we did drive up in the RAV, faultless, handled everything, no problems at all :)

Oh, they'd have to be unfeeling, heartless *******s to do anything with your post...............yes, I suppose you may have a point :D

Long life and happiness together

[DjRav]

Nice one.

I'm a mere amateur at 17 years married 2 weeks ago. Sounds like you've done the right thing to me, you soppy g*t!

I personally think it's the act of getting married is the main thing not the actual ceremony surrounding it. Sure have a great time, but don't stress yourselves trying to get it perfect! I stumbled across our wedding "video" today and realised I have only watched it once (don't even have a video player now!!). But in someways I don't need to see it to remember everything. Now I'm being soppy!

In short, best decision ever made, you go for it!!

Dave

[Guest]

it's either a night wedding, candle light on the beach but she is really interested in an underwater wedding in the great barrier reef, i love the idea. I know a lot of you are probably thinking but we have never done anything to the book, and it's a time to remember, i only want to do this once so lets do it right the first time i say!! All i know is i love her to death and can't wait to spend my life with her..

you will have to understand I am not good at long term, the longest for me was 3 years, but I am looking for 4 years in the present relationship - just managed 6 months so far, so only another 3 1/2 years to go....

I have to say the night or beach shouldn’t be a problem but the underwater one can be problematic for the Rav, go with whatever you think is right.

as far as the prospective human partner, just do what feels right

Joking aside.. Congratulations

Gus

[Jozsef]

Congratulations!!!!

[Tech01]

My hearty congratulations, too!

As I did say several months ago . . . (Visit the Western Highlands) and you'll never be the same again ! I think you be back again before long.

Chris

[mystic]

Thank you for your congrats Its all your advise which helped a lot so im very thankful