Road trip in the west

Posted by diny on 07/13/24 08:26 PM

Hi all,
New to this forum and first time travelling in Scotland, which we plan to do in September 2025. (Planning ahead is my superpower). We are active retirees who love history, gentle hikes, gardens and good food and we are wine drinkers so not mad on whisky. That description is by way of giving you an idea of what we’d like to see and do.

We are visiting a friend who lives on Arran and will be spending under a week staying there. We will have a car and, being Aussies, aren’t freaked out by driving on the left. After our visit on Arran we plan to take the ferry from Lochranza to Claonaig to begin a road trip up to Skye, across to Inverness then back to Edinburgh. We probably have 10-11 days to do this so first question is, is that enough time? How long should we factor in for Skye and Inverness? I see the A816 to Oban seems the most logical route to take but we also want to see Inveraray and the gardens at Crarae, which, being on route A83 is kind of on the opposite side of where we want to go. Any ideas on how we can incorporate Inveraray and the attractions of Loch Fyne into the schedule or is this even a feasible idea?

I’m only in the preliminary stages of my research so would appreciate any suggestions on where to go and what to see on this long and winding route. Too ambitious? Need more time? What are the must visits, the secret gems, the tourist traps to avoid? How soon should we book accommodation in Skye given its reputation for booking out fast? Coming from Australia we can cover very long distances in say, two hours, but given the winding nature of Scottish roads and the eye candy nature of the scenery, I’m uncertain of how far we could go in a day, so any advice on where we should stop and stay along the journey would be much appreciated indeed.

Thanks in advance.

Posted by Skyegirl

Isle of Skye, Scotland

07/14/24 05:24 PM

1351 posts

Firstly I think 10 to 11 days for the bit after Arran is fine. You will find our highland roads very different from what you're used to. And despite confidence in driving on the left you'll discover that single track roads with passing places are quite tricky at first. You need to always stay left even if the passing place is on the right and be prepared to reverse to the nearest passing place if you are closer than the oncoming vehicles. There are plenty of videos online to help and it's worth having a wee look at one.

Skye has several main sights, all of which are beautiful but none of which are hidden gems thanks to Instagram and the like. Neist Point, Fairy Pools, Coral Beach, Dunvegan Castle, Fairy Glen, Quiraing, Old Man of Storr etc. If you want to find your own hidden gems then your best bet is the Walk Highlands website, which will guide you to some amazing walks, graded by distance and difficulty. Pretty much anything outside the above list will be less busy and well worth exploring. If you want to scratch below the surface of Skye you could do maybe a 4 or 5 night stay in a self catering cottage (rather than a hotel or B&B). It will likely work out cheaper and give you more of a feel of living like a local. A week would be even better and open up better rates and more availability on self catering accommodation. Most people underestimate the size of Skye and the time it takes to navigate around our winding and narrow roads.

To get from Skye to Inverness you have two main routes, a southern one via the A82 and Loch Ness - taking about 3.5 hours (not one of Scotland's prettiest lochs) or a more northern route via Strathcarron and Achnasheen. That is my preferred route, but you could even extend it via the Bealach na Ba (pass of the cattle), Applecross and then loop back around to Inverness via Torridon and Kinlochewe. You'd want an overnight if you decided to do that route.

Hope this helps. Happy to answer more questions as your plans develop.

Jacqui (Skyegirl)

Posted by reneezd

08/01/24 03:39 PM

2 posts

I was in Scotland October 2023 and found Skye to be extremely touristy. Granted I am not a person who likes crowds. But I would book a ferry ticket to the Isle of Lewis/Harris for a few days as I found it to be absolutely stunning with friendly people and great food and easy walking.
Renee

Posted by wasleys

Lincolnshire, UK

08/01/24 07:31 PM

2405 posts

If you want to include Crarae and Inverary, do these as a detour between Claonaig and Oban. It is only a about 20-25 miles further that way., so not much of a detour and you can easily do this in the day. (Check this out on google maps.)

Harris and Lewis are wonderful with some stunning scenery and beautiful beaches. They are a lot less busy than Skye (they have less accommodation and don't have the same tourist infrastructure.) There is a ferry from Uig on Skye to Tarbert on Lewis, but check the timetable carfully as it isn't the same every day. You could return Stornoway to Ullapool and it's a lovely drive from Ullapool to Inverness .

If you've not yet found the Undiscovered Scotland website is is the best resource for finding things to do and see and covers many places not in the guide books. Start with the relevant map page and follow the links to text pages with information and lots of photos.