# scotland touring



## tony_debs (Mar 5, 2009)

hi,were off to Scotland in may for 17 days.i have been told the west coast is the best for scenery.we want to travel to john o grotes,but after that no idea.
we like small towns and villages within walking distance from camp sites.any ideas would be realy welcome.
ps we are taking our bernese dog with us.thanks again 
Debbie.


----------



## TerryL (Feb 19, 2009)

Go to John O'Groats if you really want to but there's nothing there once you've photographed the signpost. Thereafter go west around the coast then drop down - you're right the West Coast is far more spectacular. Try to have at least a few days on Skye, in May it should be glorious and the rhododendruns will be in full bloom. Plus it's too early for the midgies!

Sites are plentiful and often are small and friendly, but why not try wild-camping? Lots of opportunities, we always do (but also have the odd day on a site for the "housekeeping").

Be plenty of ideas to follow or scan the Scotland Forum for more.

Terry


----------



## boringfrog (Sep 22, 2006)

Durness is V nice Campsite


----------



## barryd (May 9, 2008)

As said. John O Groats is pretty dire and a long way if you only have 17 days. Much better to do the West coast and maybe an Island some justice. Arran, Mull, Skye and anywhere up the west coast is lovely.

Cant tell you about campsites as I never use them. Especially up there.


----------



## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Loads of places to wild camp on the west coast and around the lochs

John O groats is barren, but hey its once in a lifetime

Are you going up or down the Westcoast???

it is truely spectacular
Mind you, so is the great glen and much of the East Coast

it's all beautiful and if you hit lucky with the weather

it's hard to beat  

aldra


----------



## tony_debs (Mar 5, 2009)

thankyou for the replies,we are travelling from tamworth staffs.we went to lands end about 5 years ago,so thought we would get the photo while on holiday in Scotland.(as you do)
looking forward to the scenery ect,
debbie


----------



## Sprinta (Sep 15, 2010)

I believe (probably mistakenly) that JOG only exists as a waypoint to get to the Orkneys as apart from the harbour there's nothing else to go there for. 

I've been to JOG several times but only as an end point for Lands End to JOG trips.

Which reminds me of my first trip, I started at Lands End and added my details to the log book they kept at the hotel. There was an entry from a lady saying how she was hoping to be able to get to JOG in a couple of weeks....................

I arrived at the JOG hotel about 16 hours later ( :wink: ) and left a message to the same lady, I often wonder if she saw it and what she'd made of it :lol: 

I then turned around and set off back to Lands End............

I forget the actual numbers, but I think I did LE-JOG-LE in just over 32 hours and 1800 miles on a 900cc Triumph in 1993. For which I won the Tourco Trophy awarded by the LE-JOG Association - I wonder what happened to that club?

No way would I attempt it again today, far too many speed cameras :roll:


----------



## Grandma (Jan 25, 2006)

Did a round trip a few years ago in my old autosleeper rambler. Petrol not diesal. Up from the midlands on the Great North Road to JOG. Over to the Orkneys, back to mainland, west along the top then down the west coast,back up the Great Glen to Inverness where my daughter was living at the time. Beware that the milage was far more than we expected and top up on fuel often as garages are very far apart. We were running on almost empty at one point! Also fuel is very expensive up there. Beautiful scenery though.
Spending Xmas up there this year at Strathpeffer, cheating though as going with Shearings coaches.


----------



## selstrom (May 23, 2005)

If you are going that far it would be a shame to miss Orkney.

On visiting Scotland it is better to choose itinerary nearer the time when you can see the weather forecast as the west or north coasts are not the place to be if it is wet and windy.
The area between Inverness and Aberdeen is one of the driest in the British Isles.


----------



## papaken (Nov 21, 2010)

If you want a nice trip forget JOG try up to Inverness then to Durness then down to Applecross then down to Kyle of Lochash onto Skye. Off Skye by ferry to Mallaig and along the road to Back of Keppoch, Arasaig and then down to Fort William and south home.  
Check out the run from Applecross through the Pass of Cattle on utube though just in case you have nervous passengers. :lol:


----------



## GROUNDHOG (Mar 7, 2006)

Lizard Point and Dunnet Head are actually the most southerly and northerly points in mainland GB and agree with all the previous not much at JO'G but worth seeing if you have gone that far!

Please please have a little go at wild camping if only for one night, the best night we ever spent was in a tiny layby halfway across a bridge near Tongue between a loch and the sea, fabulous and apart from one fisherman hardly a soul about.

Great place for motorhoming if the weather is right!! We will certainly go back and spend more time in Wester Ross, tried to do too much last time.

Have a great time.


----------



## Brian-the-Snail (Dec 1, 2011)

Hi Tony_Debs,

We did a similar trip this August, started from Stanley County Durham up to Falkirk to do the Wheel then looked at Weather forecast and decided up East coast across the top and down West coast the Weather turned and had 5 days of rain but still loved it.
Wild camped 19 out of 24 days only going on site at Dunnett Bay CC for 3 nights to get the van looked at by the Ford garage in Thurso, went to JoG turned around and left they wanted £10 for a picture of that sign post ( ouch ).
We also went on site at the Clachan CC site at Killin because our Wild camping spot was a building site.
The West coast was spectacular but the East coast was lovely too, recommend camping here 56.761447,-2.425157 your dog will love it.
One tip, fuel prices jump by minimum 5p/litre up the top so keep your tank topped up for that part.
We are members on the Wild Camping forum and all of the spots we used came from there.
Do your own thing, you will have a great time , enjoy.
Next time for us is :toothy7: Island hopping. :blob:
Clive


----------

