Driving from Southeast to the Outer Hebrides... anyone done it?

[starrynight123]

Hello,

My dh and I are thinking of driving from just outside NW London to the Outer Hebrides, and wondered if anyone else has done this trip and has any advice?

We've - obviously! - checked the distances, ferries etc and had the car serviced, so that's all fine. Also, we both enjoy driving and tend to swap every 2 hours or so.

It is just the sheer length of the journey and figuring out how far we will be able to drive so that we only need to do one hotel/b&b before we arrive at the Hebrides.

Any advice would be very welcome!

Okay, that is very helpful to know about the Ullapool ferry. Bigger and more stable sounds good to me. Still nervous - read terrified - of the extra hour on it.

For me, I'm involved with some work on Stornoway from next Thursday to Saturday (leaving on Sunday). I have been there before, but I flew and this time I really wanted to drive.

The scenery is not so important during the drive up - I just want to get there as soon as possible.

If you do run into problems finding accommodation in Stornaway/getting a ferry crossing, you could do an awful lot worse than go to Arran, which is not nearly as far, and absolutely beautiful. Scotland in miniature, as the Tourist Board has always said. The main ferry runs from Ardrossan in Ayrshire to Brodick on the east cost of Arran - takes just under an hour. From Lochranza on the north coast of Arran there is another car ferry which runs a shuttle service over to Argyll (I think it takes about half an hour) and you can drive up the west coast that way, heading to Islay and so on if you like. I've not done it myself, but I imagine it's lovely but slow.

Good luck!

You can get outside on the Ullapool ferry and wander around. You sail past the Summer Isles and out into the Minch. If it's calm, it's spectacular. We saw porpoises the last time we were on it. Even if it's rough, I feel much better out in the fresh air and away from other people and cooking smells.

Cross post - I see now you have to go to Stornaway - but Arran is worth remembering for another trip.

Okay, so I think I'm being swayed to go on the Ullapool ferry. It does sound more sensible. I guess I can take fistfuls of seasickness tablets.

I'm in Glasgow and know the west coast well
Agree go Ullapool Stornaway
And go the route poppy suggested

Why someone mentioned going via Aviemore ?? I'm not sure

One important point
You need to book the ferry asap
Can get very Full as in no more car spaces in summer

Check calmac website

We've done it. Early start from SE, overnight in Glasgow, then straight up the A9 to Inverness then over to Ullapool. Faster up the A9 than West Coast. Great big ferry, cooked breakfast then sit out on deck and enjoy the view of the islands!

Honestly, you won't need seasickness pills for the ferry...

I hope you can stay longer after the work's done as it's a long way for such a short time. You'll wish you had longer!

Okay, Ullapool - Stornoway it is, via the route PoppyPopcorn suggested.

I'll book the ferry tomorrow.

Quite excited about the trip now! Was quite apprehensive before and wondered if it was doable. But, so glad to find that others have done it and some have enjoyed the journey too! Only thing I'm anxious about is the ferry, but hopefully the 2.5hours will be entirely uneventful. Here's hoping.

Thanks so much everyone for your help!!

Snuper, sadly we will have to leave on Sunday, or Monday at the very latest.

I'll only be at events on Thursday and Friday night, plus Saturday afternoon, so I'll have the time in-between to do things like visit Callanish which I missed the last time I was there. In an ideal world, I'd have a week or two there, but sadly not this time. I wish the flights weren't so expensive, otherwise my dh and I would just fly and we would have longer there.

I mentioned Aviemore as it is on a9 and coming from the South I'd get to Ullapool on the a9/a835. I was suggesting Aviemore as it's doable in a day from SE England. Then it's an easy trip from Aviemore to Ullapool.

It's only my opinion, but I've done it several times (we tried SE to Fort William, then FW to Uig but that was a killer as FW to Uig is a long drive)

OP - I'm glad you're coming round to Stornoway ferry - it's by far the most sensible option if your destination is stornoway itself.

If I were you, reading your requirements, and I've done this journey lots, with two of you sharing the driving I would head for Inverness. Stay there. Get the morning ferry from Ullapool.

The crossing is longer but it's a bigger boat and usually sails even in bad weatherand, you'd be unlucky to get a bad north westerly in August.

I do that drive regularly. The fastest I've ever done was 7pm to 5.30am for the 7am ferry, but that was an emergency. With two drivers I wouldn't bother overnighting. Good luck getting on the ferry, it's a busy time of year.

I like Callanish best in the evening when the centre is closed, and there's often no-one else around... Carloway Broch is also worth the visit.

Have a lovely time.

I would go up Skye (uig - tarbert) then come back on the stornoway ferry. Both crossings should be fine at this time of year unless you're incredibly unlucky.
On Lewis I would definitely head out to the reef and ardroil sands. Very beautiful.

Book your ferries fast, especially the Sunday return. Outer Hebrides are vvvv popular this year after a lot of TV exposure and weekend ferries are the most popular. There was some murmurings on the local FB page about them all being full a few weeks back but you can always try for a standby ticket and the ferry guys are fabulous at squeezing as many vehicles on as they can. That said, they're not miracle workers so get to the port v early to be first in the standby queue.

Hope you enjoy it, the Outer Hebrides are truly beautiful and I'd love to be going up there.

If you can manage to get all the way to fort William on the first leg, it means you have leeway with travelling to uig. You don't want to get stuck behind traffic or with an unexpected road closure and miss your ferry (almost had that happen to me before) the premier inn isn't bad.

YY to booking ferries asap. Island is buzzing with tourists right now.

Sorry to hijack this thread but you all sound very knowledgeable about the area. We're planning to drive up to the West Coast later in the year and would love recommendations for a hotel/guest house/ B and B somewhere around the region north of Glasgow to break the journey. We'd ideally like somewhere with a family room although not essential. Somewhere with fantastic food, cosy log fires and comfortable rooms. We've travelled up the East before and had lovely overnight stays but can't seem to find the equivalent for the West coast route.

Just to echo what PPs have said. We do this trip several times a year.

You'll easily get to Inverness if you set off early. We set off early and stop north of Birmingham to have a huge breakfast. Our next stop is at Tebay. After that we just have a quick pee and petrol stop north of Glasgow. So,our route is M40, M42, M6 inc the toll road, M74, bypass Glasgow, M9, A9. You have the advantage of long light nights at this time of year.

Take care on the A9 though especially the northern part south of Aviemore. You need your wits about you as it isn't dual carriageway. Sections are but only a few miles at a time for overtaking.

It can be disorienting as in parts you can't actually see the other carriageway as you're in an elevated position and the other carriageway is out of sight. So you need to be on the ball and know whether it's single or dual carriageway. Lots of fatal head on collisions where drivers forget it's no longer dual carriageway. There can also be speed freaks on the road. Police regularly catch drivers doing 122/138mph..

Something else to bear in mind going to Ullapool. The tourist board have done a great job of marketing the North Coast 500 road trip. www.northcoast500.com. It's a scenic, Scottish version of Route 66, a 500 mile loop starting and ending in Inverness. There's a lot of holiday traffic on the road anyway and even more now with Nc500. You get groups of anything from campervans, motorbikes, Ferraris. I've been up west in April and looked in my rear view and thought oh that looks like a Ferrari in the distance, pulled over only for a fleet of high end fast cars go,past.

For stopping in Inverness, there's a Holiday Inn Express on the outskirts. It's a good place to stop and easy to get across the bridge from there in the morning. There's a pub just a 2 minute walk away called the Snow Goose that does good pub food.

Have you considered flying to Inverness and hiring a car? Might be worth checking out costs of both options inc a hotel stay and fuel costs.

Btw, we always come back south in one go and don't stay overnight. Reason being the roads get better the further south you go and once you get to Birmingham you might as well keep going.

My dad is an islander. At this time of year the ferry should be pretty calm however pretty busy. I'd defo do the stornoway ferry as I don't find the Skye roads pleasant.

Also don't forget the Scottish Tourist Info places are SUPERB and will book for you on the day if you get them in time i.e. before they go home.

The A9 is a nightmare. In addition to the 55mph, the variable duals, the fact you get stuck behind lorries with their limited mph when it's single carriage, tractors and caravans and tourists gazing slowly at Blair Atholl waiting for Braveheart to emerge..the unmarked police cars.. you name it. But I'd still do it in pref to the awful roads on the west coast where you get behind a Shearings coach full of happy pensioners tootling along on a tiny track with a caravan coming in the other direction when you are desperate for a ferry.

Colleagues used regularly to do Westminster to Bonar Bridge in 13 1/2 hours. That's prob an equivalent run as the road beyond Inverness used but to be brill to Bonar Bridge. They used to set off at 8.30 pm, take four packets of extra strong mints, three flasks of coffee, swap drivers every 2 1/2-3 hours and go for it.

• not instead of but i.e. the road to Bonar bridge was shocking in places..

Yes drove to near Glasgow, next day Falkirk and Kelpie then onto Oban. Ferry to Barra.Next day down to Vatersay and stayed on Uist. Next day stayed on Harries. Next day stayed on Lewis. Ferry Stornoway to Ullapool and stayed at Pitlochry. The landscapes are beautiful and each island has a different character. Watch planes land on Barra. See wild ponies and lots of birds and seals. Recommend reading the history. Suggest visiting the black houses and museums. I hope you have good weather. I booked all ferries and hotels in advance. These islands are magical, nearly forgot Callanish stones. Visit isle of skye if you like Scotland on another trip

Agreed Arran is worth a visit and not so far to travel