Best route - Essex to Skye

pinkteapot

Will be driving from Colchester (north Essex) to Portree on Skye in a couple of weeks. We've been to the Lake District many times and various parts of Scotland, and I still can't decide what the best route is.

Cambridge to Carlisle - A14 to Birmingham, M6 up? Or A1 up, A66 from Scotch Corner, then M6? The M6 around Liverpool and Manchester is a pain in the rear, but the A66 can be slow depending on who you're stuck behind...

Next issue, and where we know the roads less well, Google suggests through Glasgow then up the western side of Loch Lomond. However, we've driven up that side of Lomond before and the road was really busy and slow.

Is it better to take a detour, turn right just before Glasgow onto the M73 and go M73-M80-A84-A85. Looks a long way out of the way but Google says it only adds six miles. Are these roads clearer than the road by Lomond, or did we just get unlucky the last time we used it?

pinkteapot

Also, we have a TomTom. Does anyone know why it's unaware of the existence of the Skye Bridge?!

We can only use it to navigate from home to Kyle of Lochalsh. If I put in Portree, it tries to put us on a ferry to Skye! With all the user-generated map corrections in the TomTom system, I'm amazed the bridge hasn't made it into the system yet.

flea72

A120, A14 to brum, up M6. Loch lomond route is slow, but other option is slower

cazziebo

The A82 Loch Lomond can seem very slow especially when the caravanners are out. I'd say it's probably still quicker than the A84/A85 which is very winding in places and also not quite as scenic.

The Skye Bridge is definitely there - or was a few weeks ago!

pinkteapot

Thanks for the feedback on the A84/85. It was in June holiday season that we found the Loch Lomond road slow going before, but I think we'll stick with it if the other option isn't any better!

neilmcl

pinkteapot wrote: »

Also, we have a TomTom. Does anyone know why it's unaware of the existence of the Skye Bridge?!

We can only use it to navigate from home to Kyle of Lochalsh. If I put in Portree, it tries to put us on a ferry to Skye! With all the user-generated map corrections in the TomTom system, I'm amazed the bridge hasn't made it into the system yet.

It could be your user settings. I assume the bridge is a toll bridge have you got a setting to avoid toll roads etc?

gpc273

There are no toll bridges in Scotland. Maybe the OP needs to run an update for their satnav?

pinkteapot

We pay for the quarterly map updates from TomTom and it's running the latest version of their operating system. Just used their online route planner (accessible via TomTom software) and that ignores the Skye bridge too! Bizarre.

Not a problem as it's not difficult to navigate our own way over the bridge from Kyle of Lochalsh.

agrinnall

I would consider going M73/M80/M9/A9/A889/A86/A82 once you get to Glasgow, it's slightly longer than going up the west coast but could easily be faster if you're travelling at a time when the caravans are out in force. If you put travel via Dalwhinnie into Google it should show you that route.

skivenov

A14, M1, A50, join the M6 at Stoke, M74?

Bit longer, but you dodge the A1 and the worst bits of the M6.

molerat

pinkteapot wrote: »

Also, we have a TomTom. Does anyone know why it's unaware of the existence of the Skye Bridge?!

We can only use it to navigate from home to Kyle of Lochalsh. If I put in Portree, it tries to put us on a ferry to Skye! With all the user-generated map corrections in the TomTom system, I'm amazed the bridge hasn't made it into the system yet.

It will recognise the bridge but the shortest route when travelling from the south is via the Mallaig - Armadale ferry