Not being an ardent royalist I opted to take a few days leave to maximise my use of the extra bank holidays.
I've never been on a big driving trip and recognising that the car at 26000 miles on the clock might appreciate a longer run I figured now was the time, especially as fuel won't be getting any cheaper.
Question as to where was answered by deciding to drive to friends near Inverness from my home in Hampshire.
Now, whether the roads are always this quiet or I got lucky I don't know but I had days of driving seeing next to no traffic once I was in the Highlands and even at legal driving speeds it felt like Gran Turismo tracks coming to life.
Granted some of the surfaces were a bit patchy at times and, being scared of heights, the clockwise run of the Applecross loop was a bit frightening when the Winnebago came the other way.
However the car has never sounded better (regardless of the RON value of the unleaded fuel I gave it) and once the Michelins had proper heat in them for a change even the oem configuration of my coupe made the twisty bits an absolute hoot.
Where there were other drivers they're amongst the most courteous I've ever encountered.
Best part of £400 in fuel at a guess (not bothered to check) and a properly cracked windscreen courtest of lorry+ stone on M6 (to be fixed on Friday)
A bad start to the trip was finding that my neighbours guest the night before I set off has taken off paint from the rear left bumper but other than the white paint I can't prove it. Respray to be arranged once I find a local place to quote.....
I more or less used the routes suggested by 'getcarter' on Pistonheads.
Day 1 got me to Scotch Corner A1 for an early start.
Day 2 Up to Edinburgh, over the Forth bridge , West to Gleneagles and through Crieff, through the Cairngorms via Tomintoul and heading back down through ski areas to Nairn.
(Few days around Inverness)
Return trip was a lot longer and should have been split up really.
Day 1 Up toward Ullapool, round the coast to do the Applecross loop (I can see why others have suggested clockwise) and then back down to Ft Augustus.
I would stay near here next time as it's a long drive. As it was I actually stayed in Carlisle that night so also had the amazing scenic drive down from Glencoe to Glasgow on the A82 alongside Loch Lomond. I didn't take any pics on way out or beyond Loch Lochy on way back so I'll just have to go back againand do that bit properly.
More Pics here - I'm no David Bailey and they're from the iPhone.
www.photobucket.com/yadihighland
I've never been on a big driving trip and recognising that the car at 26000 miles on the clock might appreciate a longer run I figured now was the time, especially as fuel won't be getting any cheaper.
Question as to where was answered by deciding to drive to friends near Inverness from my home in Hampshire.
Now, whether the roads are always this quiet or I got lucky I don't know but I had days of driving seeing next to no traffic once I was in the Highlands and even at legal driving speeds it felt like Gran Turismo tracks coming to life.
Granted some of the surfaces were a bit patchy at times and, being scared of heights, the clockwise run of the Applecross loop was a bit frightening when the Winnebago came the other way.
However the car has never sounded better (regardless of the RON value of the unleaded fuel I gave it) and once the Michelins had proper heat in them for a change even the oem configuration of my coupe made the twisty bits an absolute hoot.
Where there were other drivers they're amongst the most courteous I've ever encountered.
Best part of £400 in fuel at a guess (not bothered to check) and a properly cracked windscreen courtest of lorry+ stone on M6 (to be fixed on Friday)
A bad start to the trip was finding that my neighbours guest the night before I set off has taken off paint from the rear left bumper but other than the white paint I can't prove it. Respray to be arranged once I find a local place to quote.....
I more or less used the routes suggested by 'getcarter' on Pistonheads.
Day 1 got me to Scotch Corner A1 for an early start.
Day 2 Up to Edinburgh, over the Forth bridge , West to Gleneagles and through Crieff, through the Cairngorms via Tomintoul and heading back down through ski areas to Nairn.
(Few days around Inverness)
Return trip was a lot longer and should have been split up really.
Day 1 Up toward Ullapool, round the coast to do the Applecross loop (I can see why others have suggested clockwise) and then back down to Ft Augustus.
I would stay near here next time as it's a long drive. As it was I actually stayed in Carlisle that night so also had the amazing scenic drive down from Glencoe to Glasgow on the A82 alongside Loch Lomond. I didn't take any pics on way out or beyond Loch Lochy on way back so I'll just have to go back againand do that bit properly.
More Pics here - I'm no David Bailey and they're from the iPhone.
www.photobucket.com/yadihighland
Comment