Best route - Essex to Skye

Hintza

pinkteapot wrote: »

Thanks all! We are studying the map again.

One week to go, woohoo!

Make sure you bring your winter woolies!

eschaton

pinkteapot wrote: »

Thanks all! We are studying the map again.

One week to go, woohoo!

Enjoy yourself, I absolutely love Skye. May well move there one day if I can get a job there in my line of work.

Where I normally stay is a 55 mile drive once on Skye and it must be the quickest feeling 55 miles you could ever drive.

eschaton

Also consider a trip to Applecross. Just over 40 miles from Kyle of Lochalsh which meant nearly 200 miles in total for me but well worth it.

pinkteapot

We are going for a week on Skye and then a week on Uist. :j

Another epic road trip! Two years ago we drove from Essex to Orkney (and used a ferry before any smart alec comments ). That was in our ten year old Astra. This time we'll be in a three year old Mondeo so hopefully won't have quite the same nervousness about breakdowns.

We are doing Colchester to Portree in one day which will be our longest ever one day drive. Previous max was about 9 hours doing home to the Cairngorms. Luckily we both drive so we swap every 2-3 hours.

Should be hitting Glasgow around 2pm ish... Not looking forward to that part.... I remember being scared on the crazy motorway through Glasgow before.

colino

Remember that with the M74 extension, if you are really Glasgow Motorway averse, it links up with the M8 south of the Clyde and you could follow that route, signposted initially for Glasgow Airport (which isn't even in the same county as Glasgow) and stay on until the Erskine Bridge. That takes you straight on to the 82.
Incidentally, although I've not been along recently, the temporary lights at Pulpit Rock are on their way out as that section of the road is being widened. (Temporary as in 35 years+!)

pogofish

I can't believe that nobody has told the op about the best way to get to Skye!

Speed bonnie boat, like a bird on the wing
Onward the sailors cry
Carry the lad that was born to be king
Over the sea to Skye
Loud the winds howl, loud the waves roar,
Thunderclaps rend the air
Baffled our foes, stand by the shore
Follow they will not dare

Many's the lad fought on that day
Well the claymore did wield
When the night came, silently lain
Dead on Culloden field

Though the waves heave, soft will ye sleep
Ocean's a royal bed
Rocked in the deep, Flora will keep
Watch by your weary head

Burned are our homes,
Exile and death
Scatter the loyal men
Yet e'er the sword cool in the sheath
Charlie will come again.

eschaton

pinkteapot wrote: »

We are going for a week on Skye and then a week on Uist. :j

Another epic road trip! Two years ago we drove from Essex to Orkney (and used a ferry before any smart alec comments ). That was in our ten year old Astra. This time we'll be in a three year old Mondeo so hopefully won't have quite the same nervousness about breakdowns.

We are doing Colchester to Portree in one day which will be our longest ever one day drive. Previous max was about 9 hours doing home to the Cairngorms. Luckily we both drive so we swap every 2-3 hours.

Should be hitting Glasgow around 2pm ish... Not looking forward to that part.... I remember being scared on the crazy motorway through Glasgow before.

That's just a quick run In September I went from just outside Nice to just outside Paris (via Italy due to traffic) which was 730 miles and exactly 10 hours.

Bob_the_Saver

Will be driving from Colchester (north Essex) to Portree on Skye in a couple of weeks.

Is it for a bet, can't think of another reason to got to such a midge infested sub-arctic hole.

OldBeanz

A1 has had all its roundabouts taken out on the stretch from A14 to A66. This is far better than going via Brum.

MX5huggy

My preference north of Glasgow is

A85 to Oban
Ferry to Mull
A848 up Mull
Ferry Tobermory to Kilchoan
B8007 to Salen
A861 to Lochhailort
A830 to Mallaig (do the B8008 if your early for ferry).
Ferry to Skye.