What always impresses me is how soon you can be in remote and beautiful places if you’re crossing the border from England. Pretty much anywhere in the UK, if you’re willing to start early you can be in the Highlands by the evening (for those of you keen on a more long distance trip such as Lands End to John O’Groats). Some people in Road Trip Club have even mentioned how they like to leave in the evening, to arrive near the coast by sunrise!
And while you can try to munch through the miles in the Highlands, many would say you can never spend too much time doing the NC500. There is always more to do and see. It’s worth bearing in mind that everything will get slower once you reach the Highlands. As I mentioned above, the Highlands have become extremely popular this year but the roads are not designed for quite this much traffic. In fact, a lot of areas weren’t really designed for traffic at all. If you’re choosing to travel in the peak of the summer holidays you might find yourself in a long queue around some narrow areas.
If you plan to take on any driving in the Highlands then the most important thing to be aware of is fuel stations. They become few and far between as you head north so it is always worth filling up when you see one. If you plan on doing long drives you should also do your research about when the stations are open, as some aren’t 24 hours, whether they will take card and if they actually sell the fuel you need.
This Highland Adventure is a day-long route that takes you on some of the north coast’s most famous roads. For starters, I’ve chosen one of my favourite locations in Scotland, although it’s in the Lowlands rather than Highlands. This is the town of Inveraray, on the edge of Loch Fyne where the restaurant chain gets its name from. It’s about 1.5 hours from Glasgow and this is where you first start getting a taste for the lochs and mountains.
