Scotland, places to visit your help needed
- Thread starter pk1was
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Hi,
It really depends what you want to see. General guidance is stick to the West Coast as the scenery is more dramatic, East coast is fairly flat. If you have time, try to get up to Applecross and the costal road up there, also the Islands are great. Best time to visit is mid May, the weather is usually bright and the Midgies are not out yet.
I have a couple of routes that some members of the Lotus 7 club put together, but their average speed per day may not translate. Drop me a line if you are interested and I will see if I can find it for you.
Jon
It really depends what you want to see. General guidance is stick to the West Coast as the scenery is more dramatic, East coast is fairly flat. If you have time, try to get up to Applecross and the costal road up there, also the Islands are great. Best time to visit is mid May, the weather is usually bright and the Midgies are not out yet.
I have a couple of routes that some members of the Lotus 7 club put together, but their average speed per day may not translate. Drop me a line if you are interested and I will see if I can find it for you.
Jon
As Jon says the west coast has some great scenery but can be wet but in June you'd be really unlucky to have a complete washout. A week isn't a great deal of time and once you get north of Glasgow progress on the roads can be slower than you might be used to (even in a bus!). Anyway, here's my recommended itinerary:
Day 1: Manchester to Oban. Stay here... http://www.obancaravanpark.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Day 2: Oban to the Ardnamurchan peninsula. Very short ferry crossing at Corran. Stay at Resipole (http://www.resipole.co.uk/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false
or at Kilchoan (http://www.ardnamurchanstudycentre.co.uk/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false. The site at Kilchoan is small and has a steep entrance so might not be suitable for lowered buses. There's a great beach at Sanna Bay and a visit to the lighthouse at the Point is worthwhile.
Day 3: Ardnamurchan to Morar. Stay at Camusdarach (http://www.road-to-the-isles.org.uk/camusdarach-campsite.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false
Day 4: take the ferry from Mallaig to Armadale (Isle of Skye). Stay at the Glen Brittle campsite and be prepared for midges (http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/sites/details.asp?revid=1091" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false
Day 5: Skye to Applecross over the Bealach-na-Ba pass. Stay at Applecross (http://applecross.uk.com/campsite/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false or go a bit further north to Torridon where there is a basic site at Shieldaig (http://www.scottishcampingguide.com/link.php?n=492&c=18" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false
Days 6 and 7: make your way back home maybe staying at Glen Coe (http://www.redsquirrelcampsite.co.uk/index.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false.
If you don't fancy staying at the sites then there's plenty of opportunity to wild camp. Have a good trip.
Day 1: Manchester to Oban. Stay here... http://www.obancaravanpark.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Day 2: Oban to the Ardnamurchan peninsula. Very short ferry crossing at Corran. Stay at Resipole (http://www.resipole.co.uk/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false
or at Kilchoan (http://www.ardnamurchanstudycentre.co.uk/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false. The site at Kilchoan is small and has a steep entrance so might not be suitable for lowered buses. There's a great beach at Sanna Bay and a visit to the lighthouse at the Point is worthwhile.Day 3: Ardnamurchan to Morar. Stay at Camusdarach (http://www.road-to-the-isles.org.uk/camusdarach-campsite.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false
Day 4: take the ferry from Mallaig to Armadale (Isle of Skye). Stay at the Glen Brittle campsite and be prepared for midges (http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/sites/details.asp?revid=1091" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false
Day 5: Skye to Applecross over the Bealach-na-Ba pass. Stay at Applecross (http://applecross.uk.com/campsite/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false
or go a bit further north to Torridon where there is a basic site at Shieldaig (http://www.scottishcampingguide.com/link.php?n=492&c=18" onclick="window.open(this.href);return falseDays 6 and 7: make your way back home maybe staying at Glen Coe (http://www.redsquirrelcampsite.co.uk/index.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false
.If you don't fancy staying at the sites then there's plenty of opportunity to wild camp. Have a good trip.
I could not add anything else to John's itinerary, his suggestions will give you a fantastic trip. I think I may explore a few of them myself
Jon
Jon
Wozza - if you don't fancy moving around so much as it could get a bit tiresome moving on each day I have another suggestion. Drive up to Oban and get the ferry over to Mull (short crossing of an hour or so). Then head out to the Ross of Mull and camp at Fidden Farm. If the weather is good you won't want to move. This is probably one of the best sites anywhere in the UK (http://www.coolcamping.co.uk/campsites/uk/scotland/scottish-isles/isle-mull/fidden-farm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false. It's situated on the machair (grazing land next to the sea), and has great views over to Iona. So just chill out for a week. Mull is a big island and the roads are virtually all single track so the pace is slow. Plenty of places to go like a day trip over to Iona; a boat trip to Staffa and Fingal's Cave; get up close and personal with the puffins on Lunga (usually tagged on to the same boat trip as Staffa); Tobermory (Balamory) for the kids (if you have any). This is us at Fidden a few years ago......
. It's situated on the machair (grazing land next to the sea), and has great views over to Iona. So just chill out for a week. Mull is a big island and the roads are virtually all single track so the pace is slow. Plenty of places to go like a day trip over to Iona; a boat trip to Staffa and Fingal's Cave; get up close and personal with the puffins on Lunga (usually tagged on to the same boat trip as Staffa); Tobermory (Balamory) for the kids (if you have any). This is us at Fidden a few years ago......
pk1was said:
The Scottish midge has a bad reputation and rightly so but there are a few precautions you can take to prepare yourself for the onslaught. There's even a website with a midge forecast... http://2010.midgeforecast.co.uk/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;. Most of the small local shops up our way will stock a range of repellants (both chemical and natural) and daft looking midge hats. A lot of people swear by Avon's "Skin So Soft" cream as a repellant and there are other natural repellants like this one made from bog myrtle... http://www.stopbite.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;. Midgies like cool, shady, calm conditions and are most active early morning and evenings. They'll be out and about from early June to September but they can be around right up to the end of October. They are kept at bay by even the slightest breeze so try and find somewhere to camp that's likely to have a breeze (not too difficult if you camp by the coast). Saying that, the Glen Brittle campsite on Skye that I suggested earlier is just back from the shore but it's there that the midges have been the biggest pain in the butt. They also don't like strong sunlight, so sit in the sun not shade whenever conditions allow. Keep the bus windows shut and funnily enough I've found that if they follow you inside it's better to put the lights out. If you're out for a walk the midges won't bother you as they can't keep up with you at normal walking pace......but as soon as you stop they'll have you.
I don't want to alarm you Wozza but ticks are more of a danger. Midges are just an irritant whereas a tick bite might pack a more serious punch (like Lyme Disease). I speak from experience as my dear mother in law came down with Lyme disease a few years ago after visiting us. She was quite unwell with flu-like symptoms - tired, listless, headaches etc. and she woke up one morning thinking she'd had a stroke as one side of her face was paralyzed - in fact it was a Bell's palsy brought on by the Lyme disease but she got a bit of a fright. It's quite a rare disease but saying that I know four people local to us who have been afflicted. Not every tick bite leads to Lyme disease but it's good to be aware of the possible risk. Our two girls (and the dogs) are constantly outside during the spring and summer months and pick up tick bites frequently. We remove them with a tick remover thingy that we got from the vet and if it's the kids that have been bitten we put a little mark on the calendar to remind us of the date that the tick was removed. Then we just keep an eye on the bite area and if the dreaded "bull's eye rash" develops we take them to the doc for a dose of antibiotics (this has only happened once in the last 10 years). If you've been out for a walk or have been rolling around on the grass just check yourself for bites (they like to bite on where it's warm - under arms, back of knees, around the midrift). Hope this doesn't put you off coming to Scotland but it's best to be aware.
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