|
|
Post by rich5660 on May 4, 2016 12:26:22 GMT
So just been having a think about where could be feasible to visit and where could be AWESOME and I've come up with a rough plan, if anyone has any family or relatives on route or nearby then let me know and ill be happy to amend the plan.
Before we begin I suggest you open google maps, makes life a LOT easier!
So first off... the departure venue, im thinking Skuzzle as we all know where it is and its central(ish) for those of us from the South Coast. 1st drive would be over to Llanberis, Gwynedd. I cant pronounce it either but if we go via Cardiff then we get to go through both the Breacon Beacons and Snowdonia, also a few laps of the EVO Triangle appears to be a must! 2nd drive round Liverpool to Dalmellington, Ayr KA6 7QE. Again hitting 2 parks, the Lake District and Galloway Forrest Park 3rd is straight up to the Highlands to Spean Bridge 4th from Spean Bridge to Stoer via Stromeferry, Londubh and Ullapool (up the west coast) visiting the Applecross Pass on route 5th is the long way round from Stoer to Dornoch via Thurso 6th is from Dornoch to Dundee via Cairngorms National Park, for one reason and one reason only... to visit "Coxswain Bridge"  utilising cross country from Nairn to Aberdeen (not the A96/A95) Finally to break up the mega drive home I propose an evening in Leeds, no real reason other than its roughly half way. Going via the Hartside Pass before we hit Leeds and Snake Pass when we're leaving seems like a cracking idea
so again to reiterate; if anyone has any family or relatives on route or nearby then let me know and ill be happy to amend the plan, nothing is set in stone!
Speaking of nothing being set in stone, neither is the date. Does anyone have any preference..? |
|
|
|
Post by NurseHolliday on May 4, 2016 12:45:33 GMT
I don't quite understand, you want to do a trip and want advice or you're suggesting a group road trip?
|
|
|
|
Post by rich5660 on May 4, 2016 13:12:05 GMT
Planning a trip for all, suggestions welcome, anyone can come along (for part or all)
|
|
|
|
Post by NurseHolliday on May 4, 2016 13:33:31 GMT
Cat and Fiddle
Hartside Pass
Snake Pass
EVO Triangle
Snowdonia
Applecross Pass
Cross country from Nairn to Aberdeen (not the A96/A95)
|
|
|
|
Post by wannabe on May 4, 2016 14:43:56 GMT
I'd want to do the two crazy-steep passes in the Lake District (IIRC?) - the ones that are like 1:3! I've done them before and they were fun but slow going lol I think anything like this would need to be fully planned out electronically via evil, all-seeing Googlemaps - that way some confirmation of distances could be confirmed, to allow budgeting for fuel. Anything like this is easily going to be 1500 miles, which at 300 miles to a tank (assuming 30mpg-ish), is 5 full tanks of fuel, so the best part of £200 alone, excluding accommodation, food, breakdown fixing, pre-trip servicing, etc. Which is still pretty reasonable IMO, and I'd love to do it, but I am poor :-( lol I guess local members to each section could just do that section? I'd love to see the pictures! |
|
|
|
Post by joeytalent on May 4, 2016 19:09:59 GMT
So just been having a think about where could be feasible to visit and where could be AWESOME and I've come up with a rough plan, if anyone has any family or relatives on route or nearby then let me know and ill be happy to amend the plan.
Before we begin I suggest you open google maps, makes life a LOT easier!
So first off... the departure venue, im thinking Skuzzle as we all know where it is and its central(ish) for those of us from the South Coast. 1st drive would be over to Llanberis, Gwynedd. I cant pronounce it either but if we go via Cardiff then we get to go through both the Breacon Beacons and Snowdonia. 2nd drive round Liverpool to Dalmellington, Ayr KA6 7QE. Again hitting 2 parks, the Lake District and Galloway Forrest Park 3rd is straight up to the Highlands to Spean Bridge 4th from Spean Bridge to Dundee via Cairngorms National Park, for one reason and one reason only... to visit "Coxswain Bridge" Finally to break up the mega drive home I propose an evening in Leeds, no real reason other than its roughly half way.
so again to reiterate; if anyone has any family or relatives on route or nearby then let me know and ill be happy to amend the plan, nothing is set in stone!
Speaking of nothing being set in stone, neither is the date. Does anyone have any preference..? Spean Bridge is barely the highlands  If you're going that far, tag another day on and do Applecross. Camp on the other side, then drive back the next day. |
|
|
|
Post by rich5660 on May 4, 2016 19:13:42 GMT
So just been having a think about where could be feasible to visit and where could be AWESOME and I've come up with a rough plan, if anyone has any family or relatives on route or nearby then let me know and ill be happy to amend the plan.
Before we begin I suggest you open google maps, makes life a LOT easier!
So first off... the departure venue, im thinking Skuzzle as we all know where it is and its central(ish) for those of us from the South Coast. 1st drive would be over to Llanberis, Gwynedd. I cant pronounce it either but if we go via Cardiff then we get to go through both the Breacon Beacons and Snowdonia. 2nd drive round Liverpool to Dalmellington, Ayr KA6 7QE. Again hitting 2 parks, the Lake District and Galloway Forrest Park 3rd is straight up to the Highlands to Spean Bridge 4th from Spean Bridge to Dundee via Cairngorms National Park, for one reason and one reason only... to visit "Coxswain Bridge" Finally to break up the mega drive home I propose an evening in Leeds, no real reason other than its roughly half way.
so again to reiterate; if anyone has any family or relatives on route or nearby then let me know and ill be happy to amend the plan, nothing is set in stone!
Speaking of nothing being set in stone, neither is the date. Does anyone have any preference..? Spean Bridge is barely the highlands If you're going that far, tag another day on and do Applecross. Camp on the other side, then drive back the next day. Not just me that thinks it's highlands |
|
|
|
Post by joeytalent on May 4, 2016 19:50:10 GMT
Pfft. I more meant that if you go to Spean Bridge, you're not going to experience the best bits of the Highlands. They start as you head further west, towards Skye.
|
|
Don
Chats A Bit
Posts: 146 
|
Post by Don on May 4, 2016 21:00:01 GMT
100% agree with you Joey. Honestly guys, don't drive all that way and make Spean Bridge your most northerly point. You're just dipping your toe in the water there. Make time to enjoy the roads of the west coast & up around the north. You have to understand, this is a rare opportunity. The roads are twisty, but there is great visibility because the vegetation is mainly low growing. On these roads police are more rare than rocking horse prarrie canoe. If the weather is clear the scenery is simply fantastic & no dash-cam footage you can find does it justice. There is an ever changing view of the west coast islands, and the landscape is like nowhere else in the UK. It's hard to describe really - undulating, fragmented, twisty, peppered with little lochs, hairpin bends, long corners, short corners, up the gears, down the gears, sections to punish the brakes, long straights to let the engine relax a bit - an opportunity to drive your 5 for hours in a way that you can normally only snatch a few minutes. Don't be misled by the A-road rating on maps. Check some of them out on street view (only some have pictures). There aren't any tunnels but there are loads of bits where the road has been blasted through rock so you have lengthy sections where the sound of your car is bounced back off 30ft high rock on either side of the road. Click your way a few miles up the road here & look at what you'd be missing. Open cornersBrrrraaaapppp up the hill and round the bendsWhite sand on the beaches too if you stop & admire the view. |
|
|
|
Post by Steve C on May 4, 2016 21:19:03 GMT
A few friends and I are planning on doing the North Coast 500 in September. Heard good things about it.
|
|
|
|
Post by rich5660 on May 4, 2016 21:38:05 GMT
100% agree with you Joey. Honestly guys, don't drive all that way and make Spean Bridge your most northerly point. You're just dipping your toe in the water there. Make time to enjoy the roads of the west coast & up around the north. You have to understand, this is a rare opportunity. The roads are twisty, but there is great visibility because the vegetation is mainly low growing. On these roads police are more rare than rocking horse prarrie canoe. If the weather is clear the scenery is simply fantastic & no dash-cam footage you can find does it justice. There is an ever changing view of the west coast islands, and the landscape is like nowhere else in the UK. It's hard to describe really - undulating, fragmented, twisty, peppered with little lochs, hairpin bends, long corners, short corners, up the gears, down the gears, sections to punish the brakes, long straights to let the engine relax a bit - an opportunity to drive your 5 for hours in a way that you can normally only snatch a few minutes. Don't be misled by the A-road rating on maps. Check some of them out on street view (only some have pictures). There aren't any tunnels but there are loads of bits where the road has been blasted through rock so you have lengthy sections where the sound of your car is bounced back off 30ft high rock on either side of the road. Click your way a few miles up the road here & look at what you'd be missing. Open cornersBrrrraaaapppp up the hill and round the bendsWhite sand on the beaches too if you stop & admire the view. Awesome! Will take a more detailed look tomorrow but thanks for all of that! |
|
|
|
Post by boringgit on May 4, 2016 22:44:55 GMT
Watch this space. I've planned and booked a little Wales trip for next month. Evo and Beacons. I'd have invited more but the hotels were booking up very fast so I had to pounce on it when I could.
Roger (J2LTD if he's on here! ) organised an epic trip round Europe in 2013. If anyone gets a chance to do a road trip with a group of mates, do it. You won't regret it.
Edit: Don't forget Cornwall. The b3306 from St Just to St Ives is epic on a quiet morning.
|
|
Don
Chats A Bit
Posts: 146
|
Post by Don on May 5, 2016 8:10:32 GMT
Cheap accommodation here at the NW point. I'll research/ask around a bit more if this begins to take shape. |
|
|
|
Post by rich5660 on May 5, 2016 11:19:27 GMT
updated OP to include steps 4 and 5, as an estimator ill put something together for how much its all going to cost, good news is (im hoping) the further north we go the cheaper B&Bs will be, an alternative to save a bit of cash monies though as someone has already said is to go camping
|
|
|
|
Post by rich5660 on May 5, 2016 13:49:52 GMT
So after some quick calcs it looks like; roughly 2000miles for the full loop working at 300 miles per tank that's 6.67tanks at £40 a tank it works out to be £267 for petrol plus 6 nights away, assuming all in B&Bs at £40 each a night is £240. Leaving £30 a day for food/drink that's £180 so all in that's £687, call it £700 for what I think would be an epic adventure! As its looking like a week off work is needed and to utilise a bank holiday (and save on those precious holiday days at work) departing on Saturday 27th August looks good. With it being a bank holiday weekend we will likely get stuck in some traffic but as we'll be heading to north wales on Day 1 this shouldn't impact us too much *touches wood* with it being a few months away that also gives people some saving up time (114 days to be precise, so only £6.14 a day / £43 a week ) How does that sound...? |
|
utilising cross country from Nairn to Aberdeen (not the A96/A95) 
If you're going that far, tag another day on and do Applecross. Camp on the other side, then drive back the next day.
le sigh