How long does it take to drive from London to the Isle of Skye?

[frogs]

Thank you to all those who posted on my thread asking for cottage recommendations -- I've now booked what looks like a lovely place on the southern tip of Skye. But what is the best way to get there? I'm contemplating driving up, with a couple of stop-overs in nice places on the way, and the same back again. Is this completely mad, and how long is it likely to take?

Alternatively we could fly to Inverness and hire a car from there, but then there's all the palaver of cottage hire. IME this invariably involves taking half your kitchen with you, which is a bit impractical on a flight. Also probably more expensive with all five of us (two adults, 9yo, 5yo and a 1yo).

Any suggestions/experiences?

[charlie95]

my dh recommends driving overnight to avoid any traiiffc jams and allow absolute maximum 12 hours including quite a few sensible stops/breaks. also this way kids can nap in car on way up and perhaps may be bette rfor it when you arrive. dh is going by experience from s. wales to skye some years ago - on a birdwatching trip. he always says if we go to scotland for a family hol. he'd drive up overnight. of course alternatively you could fly - may work out cheaper and quicker, then as you say need to hire a car etc. hope this is od some help.

[bensmum3]

Hi,We drive down to Devon sometimes from mallaig,(a ferry goes from there to the south of skye), and it takes about 9 hours overnight with just a couple of toilet stops, but unless you travel overnight, I would recommend stopping often and having at least one stop over on the way. We usually use a travel lodge, as it's so easy. My children are great in the car, we listen to story and song tapes and have lots of snacks, so I guess if it might depend on how your children travel.

[Frizbe]

Its a bloomin long way from London! how about making it a bit cheaper and flying cheapo into Glasgow and then hiring a car and going the rest of the way? although thinking about it the difference in car hire its might be better to fly to Inverness! From the last time I was up that way I think Skye was about 5hrs from Glasgow, from Birmingham Glasgow is about 5/6 hours, depending on how fast you go...so London - Brum is about 3Hours....total about 13/14 hrs, not including stops.....You might be lucky with the cottage having everything in it?! we hired one last year that did (fall's over in amazement)Have a good hols which ever you decide as its a lovely place!

[IloveMarmite]

You can drive it in a day if you start really early, but I would break your journey at the border or just before.

[tamum]

Depending on where you are in London it takes about 8 hours to get to Edinburgh, and I guess the same to Glasgow. It takes about 2.5/3 hours from Edinburgh to the Skye bridge, so I wouldn't have thought you'd do the journey in much less than 12 hours to be honest. I agree about the cottage though- we go to Dorset every year and always drive because it would be such a pain to take everything we need on a flight. With a couple of stopovers it would be bearable, I guess. I have to say that although we never mind stopping over on the way there, it's much more of a pain on the way back, psychologically!

[tamum]

The AA Route Planner reckons 11.5 hours to the bridge, so I guess 12 hours would be right

[KBear]

We drive to Glencoe every year and it's 500 miles from home and takes 12 hours travelling overnight. We don't boot it all the way, steady speed and have about three or four coffee stops.

I would say Skye is a good two hours further north than Glencoe but always depends on the weather and how fast you drive and if there is a caravan in front of you!!!! aaaaargh!

Have a wonderful time - am jealous. But, we are going to take a trip to Skye this year when we're up there (a friend of a friend has a cottage we're going to hire hopefully) but report back on what you thought and the good things to see.

[KBear]

We drive to Glencoe every year and it's 500 miles from home and takes 12 hours travelling overnight. We don't boot it all the way, steady speed and have about three or four coffee stops.

I would say Skye is a good two hours further north than Glencoe but always depends on the weather and how fast you drive and if there is a caravan in front of you!!!! aaaaargh!

Have a wonderful time - am jealous. But, we are going to take a trip to Skye this year when we're up there (a friend of a friend has a cottage we're going to hire hopefully) but report back on what you thought and the good things to see.

[ScummyMummy]

Why don't you get a sleeper (train) to Inverness and then hire a car? I love trains.

[ScummyMummy]

And i love Skye. Probably going to go there this year too. Maybe see you and Kayleigh there.

[suedonim]

We drive from Aberdeen to Kent several times a year and it never takes more than 12hrs. We find overnight driving pretty awful, feeling sleepy in the wee small hours and then, when you get to your destination, the offspring are full of beans while parents just want to collapse into bed!!

If we stop overnight (Travelodge-type place) it's usually somewhere around Crewe or Lake District and that makes an easy drive the next day.