The Not NC500 Scotland Trip

Tom_ed1987 said:
Looks great, the only bit of this I've done is the 'day 2' segment- really need to get up there more. Although it's making me think I'm going crazy as I swear I read a pretty much identical post a few weeks ago.
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I've not really done much of the top western bit (well I have but I was like 6 months one time and 3 years old the other :s) - we've usually cut more or less straight up Fort William to Inverness then back down around.

Don't think I've done the full NC500 route either IIRC we cut the bottom bit out went Inverness towards Ullapool. It was awhile ago but I think because we'd done Applecross area the year before.
 
jsmoke said:
Does it not kill the fun having to drive so slow?
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We had plenty of safe fun, we made sure we respected the villages/towns, built up areas and places with houses because no one wants to be front page news. There are plenty of open roads with great visibility and good surfaces where you can carry some speed without attracting attention. Personally like I do these days I had limits I would not pass on straight roads no matter how clear they were and enjoyed the twisty bits immensely.
 
Some of the roads are fantastic if they are clear - decent mix of straights and twisties with smooth tarmac - though as above I've never done them with a clear run hah.

Looking on Google street view they seem to have taken good use of the lockdown to update the A93, etc. heh - never seen it that empty in person.

EDIT: Though the A82 was captured June 2017 and almost empty - whenever I've done it those long straights have been end to end traffic.
 
You were a stones throw from me at one point :p (Dunfermline). On day 1, was that the road coming down from Gleneagles through Glendevon? If so, a decent wee road when it's empty!
 
On the run to Oban, I can't recall the specific element of road, I had an epic run with a couple of friends in their E92's and another in his 720. It was a long sweeping road, felt like long left, long right, long left, long right etc and I was 2nd in the run behind a mate in his very rapid E92. Roads were empty and for what felt like 15 minutes we just drove it like a track, me watching the E92 absolutely on the limit, mine more settled but E92 driver properly skilled. One of my best drivers ever, just so much fun and of course all at 60mph.....ish
 
All of the off tourist routes are generally the better roads as Steve says, we spent 8 days around Scotland, doing parts coastal and sight seeing, other just finding the incredible roads, dead quiet and like a race track where you can literally go as fast as you can imagine if your daring enough. Much fun to be had just be safe and sensible.

Beauty of Scotland is when you do come across people on the quieter roads they either pull over to let you pass or signal and make it easy for you to pass, what we found anyway.
 
Looks cool and nice photos outside The Kingshouse. Sad they obliterated the old building as the new place has absolutely no character compared to the original hotel.

Another nice drive is up to Rannoch Station.
 
Great route and thanks for the maps.

Nice choice of route in Day 3, you might have missed the West Coast roads up to Ullapool and Durness, but you came East for the best roads.

Grantown-On-Spey to Ballater is an incredible route through Lecht Ski Centre, then you cut back south through Braemar and over Glenshee down. There's some good roads towards Pitlochry also, but you were heading back to Dundooom anyway.
 
ahar said:
Love to know what app you used - I drive a support car for cyclists sometimes so I need to follow the exact route they do to catch people who have a mechanical and not reroute if I go off route.
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When I drove the NC500 last year, I used my old TomTom satnav and programmed the route as a series of waypoints (think it calls it a 'track'), which did exactly that, no auto rerouting so didn't miss any planned stops. Worked out well with Google maps on my phone for traffic and the offline TomTom maps being handy for areas with no service.
 
Dragging this one back up.

My M5 is at the dealer and ready for collection.. The dealer is in Glasgow so a 2 hr train trip up from Preston to collect on Friday. I was thinking Whilst up there to get some of the Running in Mileage done on some nice roads before heading back, Plus it'll give me some time to get to know the beast.

I think I've a route based on the OP's route.. Give or take

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Har...0cc9543!2m2!1d-3.3378318!2d56.5894057!1m0!3e0
 
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Brings back memories of a trip up that way that I took back in 2004(ish). Loved the roads up there even in a lowly 2001 Civic coupe. Did Fort William to Mallaig, Skye via the bridge with the ferry back to mallaig, FW to Dornoch and so on.

Will no doubt be returning whilst towing a tourer so apologies in advance haha
 
Did the Great st Benard and the Furka Pass last month. But was in an X5. Not that I would have gone any faster in the M5 the furka pass defo has bum twitchy moments
 
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