Scottish Highlands driving holiday - recommendations please

[ElizabethinherGermanGarden]

The boyfriend has watched The Grand Tour and fallen in love with the route driven in the programme referred to as the PENIS 287 🧐

Having got over being mildly annoyed at the stupid acronym, I'm actually quite excited about it. The scenery is like nothing I've ever seen. We'll be stopping in the Lake District on the way up, possibly going through the Cairngorms to Inverness and then driving around the coast clockwise, going to Lochcarron, Ullapool, Durness, Thurso and then back down through the Highlands to Inverness again.

Can anyone recommend any lovely hotels, pubs, views, villages, things not to miss? I'm happy to demand detours to make sure we see/stay in beautiful places.

More to the point, can anyone recommend a really good midge repellent?

Hello! I'm looking at this from the opposite p.o.v - my partner's done a Highland Road trip before and found the times and distances to be immense, so we're considering taking the Caledonian Sleeper to Scotland and then hiring a car maybe at Fort William or trying to get to the Western Isles.

Interested in any tips too - especially dog friendly as we have our lovley old girl with us.

I haven’t heard of this route but the North Coast 500 is incredibly popular.
Smidge midge repellent is very good!
Have a wonderful trip.

We’re spending a week on a loch near Loch Lomand, but I’ve just got the terms and conditions through for taking pets and it’s ridiculous so the excitement has been taken away.
Will be watching this thread with interest of places for us to go too! 😊

I spotted this article in a drs waiting room magazine - it lists the website for the route etc but I didn't have much time hence the slightly iffy photos

Oh and Avon skin so soft - best midge repellent in the world. DH works outdoors and uses it and I always have with success when out with him!

You shouldn’t miss driving through glenvoe - it’s very atmospheric. Applecross is lovely and you get great food at the applecross inn but the drive over the bealach na ba is pretty scary.
@chrispratt - Loch Lomond much further south but driving to Inveraray is very nice and the George Pub does good food

Just an aside, if it's Easter weekend then the Scottish surfing championships are on at Thurso which can be fun to watch a bit of.

Shamelessly following as doing this in June

Haven't done the route (but may it looks amazing) but can recommend the Hilton at aviemore especially if you like some outdoor activities, and I've stayed in a b&b in fort William

skin so soft is quite good as a midge repellent but nothing will defeat the bitey wee bastards. Stay away from still water on calm evenings....

If you'd consider going up the west coast rather than via Inverness, then you could see Glencoe, Eilean Donan Castle, Plockton, and take a wee detour to Skye.

I'd recommend seeing Corrieshalloch Gorge (Fort William), Inverewe Gardens (if you like spectacular gardens) and Smoo Cave (Durness).

You may find the midges are not too bad on the coast (and they hide when it's windy, which is often). Just stay away from wooded areas and still water.

We went a couple of years ago and I’d recommend going to Fort George.

Thank you all so much! Really helpful ideas. Applecross and Glencoe look beautiful and the midge repellent recommendations are great. I remember reading now you mention it that the Marines use the Avon moisturiser.