# drive time Ambleside to Skye?



## Laurie (Jul 14, 2008)

One more for Lakes District and Scotland experts... I checked an online map who estimated this drive to take a bit under 8 hours, routing up on the west side of Loch Lomond - could that really be correct? Based on our prior experience I would have expected this to be a longer, slower haul. 

I'm just trying to figure out whether a week on Skye (private cottage) would be a good 2nd week to go with Lakes District, since 8 hours is close to our limit for a day's drive, and by the way is there a weather fairy who could give us a couple days of sunshine in June (2010) - or at least one, on the solstice?


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## Chrisky (Jul 15, 2008)

Which online map did you use? We found using www.theaa.com an excellent tool. Their routes were very good and travel times very accurate.


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## scotlass (Jul 15, 2008)

The motorway to Glasgow will be fast, provided there is no constuction.  After crossing the Erskine Bridge just west of the city, the roads are two lanes and are subject to slow drivers and lorries (trucks) and stopping to see the unbelievable scenery.  If you are taking the Loch Lomond route, you will eventually come to Glencoe which is steeped in history and eerily beautiful.   I would do it myself, but, as I write from the west coast of Scotland, I have to add that I am a fanatic on this country.


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## helenbarnett1963 (Jul 15, 2008)

*make the drive part of your vacation!*

I agree with scotlass - there's too much scenery and history in the west of Scotland to just simply drive thorugh it.

I would get most of the 'driving' out of the way and stop for an overnight soemwhere north of Glasgow, maybe even beside loch lomand, maybe at a B&B - many B&Bs are in incredibly beautiful places, and some are even in old historic houses or castles!.

then spend a whole day on the drive from loch lomand via Glencoe to skye - stopping to admire the scenery and at vistior centres to get a flavour of the history along the way.


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## nerodog (Jul 15, 2008)

*skye and mull*

Hey there... read your post... skye is beautiful ! Loved the trip and stayed in a B&B there  many years ago...might  that be an option...  looks like alot of nice places to stay by checking B&B 's in Skye...how about a stop  over at  Mull ?? Also very nice and to me worth a look.... congrats on getting a week in the Lakes !  AMbleside is very nice and centrally located in that area... havent seen the TS tho....  we also liked Hawkshead with all the tea shops, Beatrix Potters house and area... Grasmere is pretty and quiet also....


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## Laurie (Jul 15, 2008)

Chrisky said:


> Which online map did you use? We found using www.theaa.com an excellent tool. Their routes were very good and travel times very accurate.


Chrisky, I had used multimap, but this AA one is also very good and shows that drive to be about 7 hours, so I guess it can be done - thanks for the tip on this site.

We have been to Scotland once last year (TS weeks at Cameron House and Kilconquhar), and took one trip up thataway thru Glen Coe, with the funny guy Craig from Kilconquhar. Being on a tour, we didn't get to do some things I would have enjoyed - for one, there's a gondola near Glen Coe (anyone taken that?) - and I'm sure we'd stop on the way to admire scenery.  But when booking back-to-back weeks, sometimes we just like to get to our base within a day, and travel out from there. We have truly become accustomed to the timeshare way of travel.

nerodog, sounds like you've been everywhere beautiful! I did confirm the Quaysiders for location because northern Lakes looks more to our taste than southern. B&B's in Skye are possible, but in googling around I see that there are many self-catering Sat-Sat full-week cottages that work out to less cost per night and give us a kitchen - it's that timeshare-style-travel again.

We tried but didn't get to Mull last trip (just missed the ferry, didn't realize the ferry lot in Oban had no car parking), so perhaps we could take a day trip there from Skye. We'd also thought we might get to Skye for maybe an overnight last time, but it didn't work out, and drive times were way longer than they looked, even knowing to expect that. That's why I said to myself "We'll just have to come back someday."

This is all theoretical at this point, it's a bit weird to think about spending the money for a private booking for a week, as opposed to a TS! (Timeshares sure make it easier to not think about how much you're actually spending.)

Thanks all for your comments.


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## Keitht (Jul 15, 2008)

As others have already said, it is doable, but it would be a shame just to hammer past some fabulous scenery.
From Ambleside it's about 25 miles to the M6.  That will take about 40 minutes (give or take).  The next 125 miles are all either motorway or fast dual carriageway so should take 2 hours assuming no problems.  That leaves about 200 miles on 'normal' roads, much of it single carriageway i.e. 1 lane in each direction.  Despite it being the main road up the west coast it isn't a high speed trunk road.  If you average more than 40 mph overall on that road you will be doing well.  That means about 5 hours driving.
If you've been concentrating you will have added that up to nearly 8 hours driving, no allowance has been made for 'comfort breaks', food or stopping to take in the views.
I would certainly still head for Skye as I think it's stunning, but I would break the journey north of Glasgow and make it part of the holiday.


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## TomCayman (Jul 20, 2008)

I'd take a different route...from M74 head off to Stirling, then Perth, then A9 to Dalwhinnie, then cut across...faster roads 

Agree though that an overnight stop definitely worthwhile.

Highly recommend Old Pines at Spean Bridge....a little north of Fort William...great "restaurant with rooms"


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## Keitht (Jul 21, 2008)

Tom,

Whilst I agree that your route is probably quicker, it bypasses some of the most beautiful scenery in Scotland.  Driving alongside Loch Lomond and then, further north, the climb to Rannoch Moor and the view of Glencoe is well worth the longer journey time in my opinion.


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## TomCayman (Jul 21, 2008)

Keitht said:


> Tom,
> 
> Whilst I agree that your route is probably quicker, it bypasses some of the most beautiful scenery in Scotland.  Driving alongside Loch Lomond and then, further north, the climb to Rannoch Moor and the view of Glencoe is well worth the longer journey time in my opinion.



Fair point.....and totally agree re scenery...I'm pretty well travelled, yet that drive from Tyndrum to Glencoe never fails to take my breath away....making it again in mid-Sep and looking forward to it !


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## Laurie (Jul 21, 2008)

Folks who've done both routes - scenery aside, how much time do you think might be saved by going the longer way on the faster roads? Online maps send the inquirer up Loch Lomond. I ask only because we've seen most of the scenery - not that we wouldn't enjoy it again, but if we're wanting to get there the same day ...

Last year we made the trip up the west side of Loch Lomond between Cameron House and Tarbet several times! (Loch Fyne Oyster Bar became our favorite restaurant in Scotland, and Rest-and-Be-Thankful pass was one of my favorite spots.) Above Tarbet, that part of the road was very slow and  narrow, we did that part a couple of times, usually in a downpour (had to eat at Drovers Inn). We went thru Glen Coe 1x, but that was on a tour - not our favorite way to travel, I would like to see it again on our own schedule. Our route choice from Ambleside could depend on waking up that day and deciding whether we're more motivated to get there fastest, or go the prettiest way - it's good to know what to expect for times, and great to have 2 decent options.

Still theoretical - I'm having a hard time mentally committing to a private rental rather than scouting same dates for a timeshare exchange!


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## Keitht (Jul 22, 2008)

Tom's route is only about 30 miles longer.  To be honest I thought is was more than that.  His route is predominantly motorway and dual carriageway.  Allowing for the last section from Dalwhinnie to Spean Bridge being only single carriageway, as I'm not sure what it is, you could probably save 1 to 1 1/2 hours going that way.
The big problem with the Loch Lomond, Glencoe route is that if you get stuck behing something big and slow it can be very difficult to get past for miles at a time.


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## TomCayman (Jul 22, 2008)

Keitht said:


> Tom's route is only about 30 miles longer.  To be honest I thought is was more than that.  His route is predominantly motorway and dual carriageway.  Allowing for the last section from Dalwhinnie to Spean Bridge being only single carriageway, as I'm not sure what it is, you could probably save 1 to 1 1/2 hours going that way.
> The big problem with the Loch Lomond, Glencoe route is that if you get stuck behing something big and slow it can be very difficult to get past for miles at a time.



Do what I did last time, rent a BMW330i from www.gogetarentacar.com for a few days....slow moving traffic + 250+bhp = no problemo 

Oh, Dalwhinnie to Spean Bridge is single carriageway (ie one lane each way), but pretty fast the first half, though the main Spean Bridge to Inversnecky road is a bit slow in places.


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## Keitht (Jul 22, 2008)

Thanks Tom,

It's a while since I've been up around Fort William and Spean Bridge area so hoped they might have improved that section of road.  No such luck apparently.


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## scotlass (Jul 22, 2008)

Having driven the A86 last Thursday from Laggan to Spean Bridge, I would say it would be fairly straightforward driving although winding in some areas.  We ran into very little traffic so that helped.  When I first saw this post last week, I was in Scotland and asked a local about using the A9 to Inverness and then across to Skye vs. Loch Lomond, Glencoe, etc.  She said the A9 was way out of the way.  I hadn't thought about cutting across from Dahlwinnie which does make more sense.


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## Laurie (Jul 27, 2008)

Good info, thanks!

Speaking of Skye, it made a little slideshow/story featured today on Yahoo from Forbes, entitled "10 Astonishing Landscapes" -

www.forbestraveler.com/adventure/unique-landscapes-slide-1.html?thisSpeed=20000

or

http://www.forbestraveler.com/adventure/unique-landscapes-story.html


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