Scenic and High Level Drives

Scenic and High Level Drives

Here are some high level and scenic roads - our own favourites and ones that have been recommended to us. An example of stunning scenery you can see in this photo above is taken from the NW coast over to the Summer Isles. One suggestion is that if you are driving to remote places, that you have plenty of petrol as petrol stations can be some distance away from the one before. Part of these routes and suggestions below take in the NC 500 the North Coast 500 which is extremely stunning and scenic. This basically goes west from Inverness and up along the NW coastline to the very north and then down the east coast via Dunrobin Castle. This is a trip of approximately 500 miles hence the name! The route takes in magnificent coastlines, sweeping valleys, steep drops, lochs and loch views and perhaps a sheep or two sitting on a road somewhere! Some are not suitable if you are nervous about heights or narrow roads, but we thought we would add them so you could have a look

if you were interested, as often they can be one of the highlights of a trip to Scotland. A lot of people think that Loch Ness is the most beautiful in Scotland, however there are many many more other lochs and they are stunning and very beautiful such as Loch Maree in the NW Highlands. There are many very scenic drives in Scotland and our map highlights the most scenic ones, but it is impossible to name them all however, here are a few for you if you will be in any of these areas. SOUTHERN SCOTLAND AND BORDERS Route 1 - South to Moffat and then on to Selkirk From Edinburgh you take the A701 towards Moffat. (If you are staying in Peebles you can take the road west on the A72 before turning onto the B712 passing Stobo until you come to the junction with the A701.) Take the A701 south towards Moffat on a scenic drive through the hills. You will pass by the famous Devil s Beef Tub which is a dramatic hollow in the hills which was used in the past by the Border Reivers (cattle rustlers) to hide themselves and their stolen bounty. There are a few viewpoints here and the views are wonderful. Continue into Moffat and then take the A708 signposted for Selkirk. This is a beautiful drive and is well-worth taking if you have the time. It will take you past The Gray Mare s Tail which is a

magnificent waterfall. There is a car park at the bottom, with some information boards and a well maintained path up to it however you should always be prepared and wear sensible walking boots and have a waterproof. (There is a visitor centre but it closes at the end of August). If you are feeling energetic you can continue past the waterfall and on to Loch Skeen and this is definitely worth it as the views are really fantastic. It is about a 4km walk from the car park and back. Continuing on the road again you can also stop at St Mary s Loch which is another beauty spot and is worth seeing for the views. PERTHSHIRE Route 2 - Bruar to Kinloch Rannoch This is a lovely drive through lush Highland Perthshire on the B847. From Bruar on the A9 take the B847 to near Kinloch Rannoch at Loch Rannoch and will take you through the villages of Calvine, Struan and Trinafour. ABERDEENSHIRE & DEESIDE Route 3 - Cairn o Mount This road (the B974) follows what was originally the old military route from the quaint village of Fettercairn to Banchory in Royal Deeside. This was one of Queen Victoria s favourite roads because of the views. It is a high route on a narrow road and reaches its summit at Cairn O Mount. The views are spectacular from the top

as you can see over the tops of the Grampian Mountains. The views are stunning, but this isn t suitable for people who do not like heights. Route 4 - Cockbridge to Tomintoul This is a stretch of A939 road which we have travelled on many times is well-known by reputation to most people in Scotland (and elsewhere in Britain), as it is always the first road to close in winter due to snow. The Lecht Ski Centre is situated on this road for a good reason! It is a narrow twisty road that can be very windswept. You will also pass by 16 th century Corgarff Castle (a white castle surrounded by a white star shaped wall) which is easily seen from the road as it stands alone at the head of Strathdon surrounded by moorland. If you want to visit Corgarff castle as you pass by, it is open daily from 1 st April to 30 th September from 9.30am-5.30pm (usually closed at lunchtime 12.30pm-1.30pm). You may want to telephone them to check on 01975 651 460. There is a reconstruction of the 18 th century barrack room where the redcoat soldiers were billeted in 1750. HIGHLANDS Route 5 This is a wonderful full day trip from Inverness via Loch Ness, Great Glen, Eilean Donan and Plockton Village (This is a long circular day trip taking a minimum of 5½ hours to drive with no stops for food or visiting castles included in this time, so leave early after breakfast to enjoy the full day.)

Starting from Inverness drive south west on the A82 along the banks of Loch Ness through the Great Glen. This main road is narrow and twisty in places along the loch-side so do be careful as it can be busy and it is very difficult passing other vehicles. There is a lovely viewpoint over Loch Ness to the ruins of Urquhart Castle across the little bay by Drumnadrochit. There is a layby at the side of the road as you come down the hill towards Drumnadrochit where you can stop for photos. On your way along the loch side you can stop and visit Urquhart Castle if you have time and this is another good photo opportunity and you may even see the Loch Ness monster locally known as Nessie. Continue south from Drumnadrochit and then take the A887 signposted to Kyle of Lochalsh and Skye. This road becomes the A87 and will take you by the mountains of Kintail and past one of Scotland s most picturesque castle Eilean Donan Castle which you can visit (pictured above).

Continue towards Kyle of Lochalsh and then further along this road (not A890 signposted Loch Carron). Take the little road at Balmacara signposted Plockton which is a quaint little fishing village on the coast with lovely views over the sea to the mountains. (This village was the location for the TV series Hamish MacBeth). You may like to pop in the Plockton Hotel overlooking the sea and have a seafood pub lunch. From Plockton, continue northwards to meet the A890 road along Loch Carron and after Strathcarron take the A896 to Lochcarron and onwards to Shieldaig and Torridon. This is a very scenic area with high mountains and lovely views of Loch Torridon. The roads are narrow single track with passing places. Continue to Kinlochewe and then turn right onto the main A832 road signposted to Achnasheen and Inverness continue towards Garve passing by mountains and open moorland. At the T-Junction turn right onto the A835 signposted Garve and Inverness and continue back towards Inverness following the signs. (If you would like to take a shorter trip you can miss out the loop on single track roads from Lochcarron to Kinlochewe in the Torridon area. Follow the above route until you get to Strathcarron and then continue on the A890 to Achnasheen and onwards following signs for Inverness). Route 6 Longer Full Day Trip from Inverness via Loch Ness, Eilean Donan and Part of West Coast (Please be aware this route will take a minimum of 6½ hours to drive with no stops for food or

castle visits included in this time). Part of this route takes in the NC 500 the North Coast 500 which is extremely stunning and scenic. This circular route is a variation and extension of Route 5. Follow Route 5 above on the A82 from Inverness until Eilean Donan Castle. Then turn right onto the A890 signposted for Lochcarron and Gairloch. After Strathcarron, continue on the A890 signposted for Achnasheen and Gairloch. At Achnasheen take the A832 signposted Gairloch and continue along the road passing by lovely Loch Maree and past the village of Gairloch. After Gairloch continue on the A832 passing by lovely Loch Ewe on your way you will pass by Inverewe Gardens which has a variety of tropical trees and plants growing due to the mild climate because of the Gulf Stream. Continue on this road with lovely views over Gruinard Bay and Little Loch Broom before arriving at the junction with the A835. If you have time you can visit Corrishalloch Gorge which is nearby for lovely views. Turn right onto the A835 following signs for Garve and then Inverness until you are back in the city. Route 7 - Kylesku to Lochinver on the B869 This is a single-track road known as the Assynt Coastal Route (which is off the main road north) that takes you around the coast before coming into Lochinver and joining up with the main A837. Along the way there are beautiful views and beaches such as Clashnessie (well-known for its pink sand), Clachtoll, and Achmelvich which you can stop at along the way. It s a lovely area and a very scenic drive especially if the sun is shining. At Clachtoll beach there is an old salmon bothy dating from the 1800s and a little further on is the ice house. This area also has remains of ancient history, and you can take a 15 minute walk from Clachtoll beach further along on a nice walk close to the sea to visit the remains of an ancient broch. On the way you will pass a line of big stones which are thought to date from the Bronze Age.

Route 8 - Bealach na Ba (The pass of the Cattle) and the scenic route from Shieldaig to Applecross This is a firm favourite of Elspeth s but Marie doesn t like heights and this road is notorious and is part of the NC 500!! The pass is also the highest road in Scotland and as we have mentioned not for the faint-hearted. It is full of steep hairpin bends which are on very narrow single track roads, however the photos below don t show the steep parts or short hairpin bends! Part of narrow pass up to Applecross You can drive either up the Bealach na Ba pass, by taking a little single-track road off the main road at the north end of Loch Kishorn signposted for Applecross. If you follow the steep narrow road it takes you up the pass, but you will need to turn your head round to see the stunning views down the pass. If you are only going to Applecross this is fine, as you can then return on the same road. However, you can also do the circuit round the Applecross Peninsula, and either arrive at the pass via the narrow single-track road from Torridon (take the turning at Kinlochewe to Torridon A896 and then continue to Shieldaig and onto the single-track loch-side road (not following the A896 south). This will then take you past lovely scenery as this coastal road follows the loch with wonderful views over the loch to the Torridon mountains (and behind you too), before turning south. As you continue along the road you can stop off at the Applecross Inn for some food. This is a busy and popular

little pub which serves great fresh seafood and as it is very popular, you may have to wait to be served. From Applecross drive up the steep narrow road towards the pass. At the top before you reach the pass there is a parking area and viewpoint on the right hand side. On a clear day the views over to the Isle of Skye are beautiful. Then continue on the road and down the pass on a single-track narrow road round sharp hairpin bends. The views down the pass to Loch Kishorn in the distance are stunning, especially on a sunny day. Alternatively you can drive the circuit in the other direction, heading up the Bealach Na Ba Pass and over to Applecross before continuing onwards to Shieldaig. If you travel in this direction you have better views in front of you to the Torridon mountains. As you can see there are advantages of driving the circuit in either direction the choice is yours! Route 9 - The Road to the Isles The road from Fort William to Mallaig (or vice versa) on the A830 is a great route. This road has been upgraded and takes you through lovely scenery.

This is a view from the top of Ben Nevis There are beautiful beaches in the area near Mallaig and the Silver Sands of Morar are famous. It was the beach at Camusdarach that featured in the film Local Hero. There are beautiful views from the coast over the sea to the islands of Eigg, Rhum and the Isle of Skye. Along this road you will pass by Loch Morar (the deepest loch in Britain and also supposed to have a monster! Local talk is that there are supposed to be underground caves and tunnels through to Loch Ness, so the monster in Loch Ness may well be the same one as at Morar!!) You will also pass Lochailort and through Glenfinnan where you will see the Glenfinnan Viaduct (used in the Harry Potter films).

At the picturesque head of Loch Shiel is the monument to Bonnie Prince Charlie, who arrived in Scotland from Brittany on Belle Ile, and marks the place where he raised the Jacobite Standard (there is a visitor centre here). You then continue along the road past Loch Eil before arriving in Fort William. Route 10 Glencoe (known as brooding Glencoe ) This is a very atmospheric and scenic drive through Glen Coe on the A82 (the road runs between Tyndrum and Ballachulish near Fort William) and is one of Scotland s most iconic drives. Glencoe is famously the site of the historic Clan MacDonald Massacre in 1692.

The road twists along the bottom of the glen whilst the tall brooding mountains rise steeply on either side. It is definitely one of Scotland s must do drives and often leaves a real impression on those who have travelled through the glen. It is not hard to feel that a massacre took place here. On a lighter note, Harry Potter was also filmed here and more recently it featured in the James Bond film Skyfall and nearby Glen Etive as the location for his Scottish home. Route 11 - The Cowal Peninsula This is a great drive, some of it on narrow single-track roads, on the south-east side of Loch Fyne and the stretch of the road that is best is from Clachan of Glendaruel, with its ancient Celtic standing stones and tiny church to Tighnabruich driving first along the A886 and then onto the A8003. This section of road is about 10 miles long. The road was blasted out of the hillside to create a new route to Tighnabruich originally people had to take the long way round following Loch Fyne. There are spectacular views along the way the first one is a wonderful viewpoint at 500 feet where there is a map and bench so you can stop to admire the breathtaking vista. This view looks down along the East Kyle over the islands to the Ayrshire coast. Further along the road is another spectacular viewpoint above Tighnabruaich showing the West Kyle this time with views of Goat Fell on Arran (the island s highest mountain) and on down the Firth of Clyde towards Ailsa Craig. The paddle steamer Waverley stops at Tighnabruich so you may be lucky enough to see it. The Kyles of Bute are a favourite area for sailing boats so it is a lovely place to sit and watch them sailing past too.

Route 12 - Rest and Be Thankful Pass (A83) This is well-known route which is usually done on the way north along the banks of Loch Lomond on the A82 and turning away from the loch at Tarbet past the end of Loch Long to Arrochar on A83. From Arrochar drive up Glen Croe high into the hills and over the mountain pass and then continue over to Inveraray on Loch Fyne. The highest point is called the Rest and Be Thankful due to travellers being glad of having reached the summit! There is a viewpoint at the top for lovely views. If you are coming from the other direction from Loch Fyne, you can stop off for views down Glen Croe first before continuing on to famous Loch Lomond and back south. All this work is copyright to Marie Cruickshank and may not be reproduced in any form.