Scotland holiday advice

For our "summer holiday" this year around the end of June, rather than driving to the alps as usual, the wife and I are considering a trip to Scotland, looking for some general advice really as I'm aware there are plenty of members who live there or are familiar with the region., and neither of us have ever been.

So, any recommendations where to go? We've potentially got two weeks including driving there from the South West. At the moment we're thinking west coast maybe somewhere around Glencoe. We would rather avoid the touristy areas, we're both pretty active and want to be outdoors as much as possible in among the mountains (and if I could also get to some great photo spots that would be a bonus).

Accommodation would probably be a mix of Air BnB and camping so we're pretty flexible and happy to travel around a bit, maybe 2-3 nights per location or a good base where we can travel each day if needed.

Also what can we expect from the weather that time of year and what are the temps like? I have looked it up but first hand experience is better than looking at seasonal averages.

Thanks in advance.

(I didn't put this in the Talk Locations sub-forum as it isn't a photography trip per se, but if the mods want to move it there that's fine)

Look to get much farther north than Glencoe (lots of tourists). Wester Ross & Sutherland (Torridon and Assynt) are spectacular ++.

Temps are very moderate. July is usually wet therefore the end of June could be, too. You are in the lap of the gods with the weather. Just chance it if you have no kids with you.

Midges ............ probably range from bad to horrendous. If you camp take the Samaritans phone number with you in case you feel suicidal. Some wind would help. However, you may be lucky.

May would be a better month for dry weather.

arclight said:

Look to get much farther north than Glencoe (lots of tourists). Wester Ross & Sutherland (Torridon and Assynt) are spectacular ++.

Temps are very moderate. July is usually wet therefore the end of June could be, too. You are in the lap of the gods with the weather. Just chance it if you have no kids with you.

Midges ............ probably range from bad to horrendous. If you camp take the Samaritans phone number with you in case you feel suicidal. Some wind would help. However, you may be lucky.

May would be a better month for dry weather.

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All of this. I'd add Skye to that list also which is a slight detour as you move up the west coast.

There is also the Cairngorms etc, but the area pales in comparison to those mentioned tbh.

yeah as above, midges can be horrific, isles of skye very nice.
maybe lewis as well and or harris.

We're doing two weeks in a camping pod on Skye next year.

Wester Ross - stunning scenery and not too touristy. Lots of mountains to climb and lots of paths/tracks through the mountains and glens. There's lots of information on good routes - Walk Highland for one. Stunning sunsets there too. It's in striking distance of Skye even for a day trip. We stay just out of Gairloch (Sands). You can get some great wildlife there but it's not guarenteed. Neither is the weather. The midges are, especially if it's damp and still We do an overnight stop at Dunkeld on the way up to visit the ospreys, but do the return in one. Takes about 12 - 13 hrs with a few good stops. We used to go in late June but the weather can be horrendous. Now it's May. It can still be horrendous, but usually isn't, and is usually not so bad for the midges. There's also further north, but avoid Ullapool itself as it's full of grockles. Be prepared for the single track roads, although the road between Inverness and Gairloch is now 2 way pretty much all the way now (that used to be day trip in itself!)

I agree with your thoughts about the west coast. I am biased as I spend a lot of time in one part of the coast of north west Scotland but more generally I think a coastal location gives a very good combination of landscapes.

One thing to remember – Scotland is a lot bigger than it looks and getting from place to place can take longer than you think, even ignoring the scenery you'll want to stop and take in, and it is very easy to spend too much time in the car. While it has a lot of good and fast roads there are no motorways north of Perth and many roads are single track with passing places.

As you are travelling from the south west I'm guessing eventually you will be using the M6 and the M74(IMO one of the best motorway in the UK). As you approach Glasgow there is the choice of going for a route that will eventually take you up the west coast or crossing the country towards Stirling and joining the A9 just north of Stirling. It might seem odd to go east if you want to go the west coast but depending how far north you are going it can be the better option.

If you want to visit Glencoe then the M8 through Glasgow to pick up the A82 west of the city is the way to go. It goes past Loch Lomond and through some great scenery before getting to Glencoe, which is spectacular with plenty walking opportunities.
Fort William is about 15 miles north of Glencoe and is the largest town in the area and has all the usual facilities. The road into Glen Nevis starts at the north end of the town and the glen is definitely worth a visit. The obvious attraction at Fort William is Ben Nevis. It will be very busy in June but every walker to this part of Scotland has to do the Ben at least once. There is also a lot of other good walking from the glen.

An alternative route from Glasgow is to head towards Stirling and the A9 to Inverness. From Inverness options for the west coast are towards Ullapool or towards Gairloch. Ullapool is the largest village on the west coast anywhere north of Oban and the scenery north of Ullapool is spectacular – google Assynt. The road to Gairloch is longer but passes through or close to some wonderful geography, eg Loch Maree, Glen Torridon.

If you get this far north and west then I'd recommend (if the day is good) a circuit that takes in the Pass of the Cattle. I prefer an anti-clockwise route – Kinlochewe, Torridon, Shieldaig, Applecross(via the coast route), Pass of the Cattle, Loch Kishorn, Loch Carron, Achnasheen, Kinlochewe.

In June there is a lot of daylight(doesn't really get properly dark at night) and if it is sunny it will be hot. I can recall many days when it was almost too hot to move, but equally I have seen days of pretty much continuous rain in June, just be prepared for everything.

Midges are always about in the summer months. Some people appear to be largely unaffected by them – they are the blessed. It is difficult to explain just how bad they can be, but the repellents work. Those containing DEET are probably the most effective but I find them pretty unpleasant – sting the eyes, numb the lips and melt plastic (not too good for glasses and cameras). I have found Smidge That Midge to be good without the side effects of DEET based substances.

Hope you have a great time.


Dave

A few links -
Walkhighlands site - http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/ Lots of walks of all difficulties all over Scotland

Campsites
Gairloch -
http://www.gairlochcampsite.co.uk/ Convenient for the facilities in the viallge
http://www.sandscaravanandcamping.co.uk/index.html A dunes site about 3 miles from the village. You can walk straight off the site on to the beach.

Ullapool –
http://www.broomfieldhp.com/index.htm On the edge of the village by the shore of Loch Broom

Ardmair –
http://www.ardmair.com/caravan.html A few miles north of Ullapool also on the shore; one of the best sites I have visited.

Eating places

Kinlochewe The Whistle Stop Cafe. Basic food but good. It doesn't have a website but is on Trip Advisor.
Applecross – The Potting Shed - http://www.applecrossgarden.co.uk/ Good food in a walled garden
Kishorn - If you like seafood – Kishorn Seafood Bar - http://www.kishornseafoodbar.co.uk/

As said don't underestimate the Buzzers they are horrendous especially if you are camping if you are in a bad area you can forget trying to cook or eat outside. The last time we were there my wife was bitten so many times her body was overwhelmed and we had to cut the holiday short as she was quite ill.

Lived in Scotland all my life and have never once been bitten by a midge. For those who are or think they might be vulnerable to them, get yourself some Avon 'Skin so Soft' original (Amazon and other places) and stay away from still water around sunset, problem solved.

As for the trip itself, two weeks isn't nearly enough, you'll have to come back again and again I recommend doing the North Coast 500 but you might want to leave that till next time so you can take time and appreciate the places you'll be going.
If you're doing Glencoe this year then take two or three days to visit Skye over the bridge, and ferry back to Mallaig and then maybe head back South via Oban.

Wow, some great info here guys, I really appreciate it. I'll take some time to read through and no doubt come back with more questions. The Midges do sound a pain but not enough to put me off!

Tony @KIPAX went on a road trip to Scotland this year and loved it - hopefully he'll pop on here and give you some ideas of where he went...

We're thinking of driving up and around Scotland next year. After looking at a few options, we came across this site https://www.secret-scotland.com/ For the price, the guides look very good and their facebook has some good reviews.
We haven't taken the plunge and bought one, but very tempted. Still early days though, so still researching.

The important thing to remember about Scottish weather is that we don't have bad weather in Scotland - it's either sunny or "moody and atmospheric". We get a lot of mood and atmosphere up here

gm43uk said:

The important thing to remember about Scottish weather is that we don't have bad weather in Scotland - it's either sunny or "moody and atmospheric". We get a lot of mood and atmosphere up here

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Liquid sunshine!

We stayed on the North Coast last year, it was very isolated where we stayed (Kirtomy) and we were literally 500 yards from the cliffs, next stop , Iceland. I didn't really get a chance to do much photography as it was a family holiday but if you can get based up that way, the area can be stunning for landscapes.

Originally being from there and around that area of the west coast I would have to say the isle of Arran. Can get busy with tourists in the summer/ holiday time but plenty off walking and photo opportunities. Was only about £40 i think for the 4 of us and car there and back from Ardrossan. You could always go in that way and out the Lochranza/ Tarbert way.

North coast 500