# How does everyone plan their trips? - Scotland



## ched999uk (Jan 31, 2011)

We are looking to plan our first trip in our MH, quite fancy seeing some of the Scottish coast including John'O Groats. Any tips on places to visit/avoid.

Do people book all the site before they go or just wing it? How many miles do you drive a day?

I have a sort of route but that goes up to John'O Groats then west round the coast to Ullapool, Skye and then Oban. Are we missing something?

Any help and advice would be very handy.


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## dovtrams (Aug 18, 2009)

If you really must go to JOG just to say you have been all well and good but it is a bit of a dump. Go along the top coast and have a couple of nights at Durness, beautiful site on the cliff tops overlooking the sea. There are landrover trips to Cape Wrath from there and worth taking time to see the Smoo Caves. You can then go down to Ullapool from there.

Have a good trip.

Dave


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## ched999uk (Jan 31, 2011)

Cheers, we are thinking of staying at the CC site west of JOG. We are going so we can say we have been  but also maybe have a trip to Orkney.
My provisional route goes through Durness so maybe we will stop over there.

Thanks


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## aikidomo (Jan 8, 2008)

Hi
We tour for at least 2 weeks at a qo, we use campsites and out of the way spots.
Google Earth is really handy along with the wild camp sites available on it.
Use the Web to its full extent both before for planning and during a trip, remember there are many private campsites also , not just the Caravan Club and CCC.
Cost it. Diesel is expensive, so have a Fuel bubget this will allow you to control your mileage we aim to stop a few days at a main destination planned before hand and a day at a stop over, on our way, if the journey is over 200 miles or 4 hours traveling.
Make sure that your liesure battery is in good nick, I always take a portable power pack as well, works the television whilst parked up without a hook up, also great in an emergency, they do happen.
If you ever get stuck for an overnight stop visit the industrial area of a near by large town, often well sign posted, you will nearly always find a spot , often frequented by lorries.
Good luck in your travels and above all enjoy the experiences they will be plentifull .
Clive


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## H1-GBV (Feb 28, 2006)

From Blackpool to JOG as a first trip seems a bit ambitious - I hope you've had a shake-down first!

Some of the best places are not on main roads - are you happy with the length - width of your machine?

We travelled up to Skye then across to Inverness in late July and had very little problem getting on to CCC or CC sites at 6 hour notice (only Luss at Loch Lomond was full).

Check CC for THS - always cheap and friendly - Gordon


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## cronkle (May 1, 2005)

We were up there over Easter and as has already been mentioned fuel is expensive. 

If you are going up the east side first i suggest that you fuel up at the Tesco in Wick. It's on the JO'G road out of the town. There are few petrol stations after that - a couple in Thurso - but prices do start to rise. 

We paid £1.60.5 in Scourie! (but definitely did not fill to the brim)

I personally think that doing the coast anti clockwise is the best way as you are not spoiled by the west coast before you reach the east coast. The east is is beautiful but could well be upstaged by the west.

Best bit around the coast for me is between Durness and Ullapool and inland it is at on Loch Navers with a CC site at Grummore. I find it spectacular but others may see it as desolate.

Watch out for the wild life; particularly the deer as they can be a bit kamikaze.


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## grenwelly (Aug 7, 2007)

We are planning to head north in two weeks time
Will decide route night or two beforehand depending on weather forecast. West coast first if weather is looking good otherwise will start on east side.
Unlikely you will need to book unless its a bank holiday and you are stopping somewhere like Callander area where some of the sites get full at peak times. Further north we don't bother
J0G not much there but Duncansby head just down the road a bit has some great sea stacks and is well worth a look.
One of our other favorites is Sandwood bay though not a road for a big van 8O 
Nice camp site at Scourie
We also are keen on the area around Aviemore, village itself is ok (much improved on a few years ago) but area is great for lots of outdoor stuff 
Fill up with fuel at Fort William or Inverness as it gets a lot more costly further north


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## grizzlyj (Oct 14, 2008)

Hi

Avoid John O Groats, and Auchterarder campsite perhaps unless some dosh has been spent. I didn't realise till we got there that the only reason JOG is there is for the tourists, no geographical significance at all as far as I'm aware! You can buy several old types of English 10 and 20 pound notes for some reason though, like 5 years old?!

Jan/feb 2009 we went anti clockwise too, a good plan. You could go via Hadrians Wall, Edinburgh then up, finding small dead ends on the map as often as possible. It was winter when we went though so few people outside to bother us! We had a good explore of the Hebrides too, as just before they had adjusted to ferry prices a long way down!

The north coast is stunning. So much so we returned to Farr Bay last April to get married on the beach  Then (in a hire car , our camper had some work being done) we went to Orkney and Hoy which was well worth it for all the ancient bits like the Dwarfie Stane, Skara Brae and Maeshowe, even the Martello Tower where we had the undivided attention of the very knowledgable guide.

Some diary and pics here of our trip if you're interested;

Scotland 2009 http://www.moglet.co.uk/page29.html this page and onward

Orkney 2010 http://www.moglet.co.uk/page106.html Click pics left/right


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

If your going all that way you must do Orkney which is an hours sail from near jog. Cracking little site at stromness but a few wild spots as well scara brae is well worth seeing. If your really feeling adventurous then the Shetland islands is a 6 hour hop from Orkney. Done both and Orkney twice. wild places. If you get to Orkney go to the airport and get a cheap flight round the islands on a 10 seated for about £30. Superb. The airport at north ronaldsay is a track from the rocky sea front and a hut at the end. Well worth a look


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## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

Holiday planning.
None unless we are going to a specific event.
On the continent we tend to go to where the weather forcast is best.
Thats the beauty of a motorhome.

Dave p


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## Hezbez (Feb 7, 2009)

You can do a day trip to Orkney without having to take the motorhome. Expensive but very good;

http://www.jogferry.co.uk/maxi.htm

A visit to the Queen Mum's residence at Castle of Mey is interesting. Left very much the way she used to use it - things like her blue coat and dog leads for walking her corgis still lying over the back of the chair;

http://www.castleofmey.org.uk/


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## patnles (Oct 26, 2006)

Hezbez said:


> You can do a day trip to Orkney without having to take the motorhome. Expensive but very good;
> 
> http://www.jogferry.co.uk/maxi.htm
> 
> ...


I too can recommend the Maxi Day Tour to the Orkneys. It is well worth the money.
Lesley


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## thegamwellsmythes (Jul 29, 2008)

We've just come back from the same trip anti clockwise around the north coast.

We stopped off at Rosemarkie on the Moray Firth for the dolphin spotting on the way up. 

Then a night at Wick. Not a pretty place but th ecampsit eis OK and Tesco was £1.40.9 for diesel. Fill up here and it'll get you a long way back to civilisation.

Durness is lovely as others have said, plenty of other quiet spots around th enorth though.

Ullapool is good too. We got a day trip ferry over to Stornoway which on a sunny day is really nice.

PLenty of good stopping points, doesn't take much planning until Ullapool as there is basically one road. More choices after that. Careful if you want to go to Applecross. Not been myself but I hear there is a very tricky road for motorhomes on one of the routes in.


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## grizzlyj (Oct 14, 2008)

thegamwellsmythes said:


> Careful if you want to go to Applecross. Not been myself but I hear there is a very tricky road for motorhomes on one of the routes in.


Thats all part of the fun surely?!


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## CandA (May 1, 2005)

Hi

Planning - only necessary if you want to stay on a club site in the UK. In mainland Europe we never book sites and have always found somewhere to stay. Scotland is glorious and hopefully will always have space. Orkney is very special if you get chance to go.

Other planning - I like to read novels by authors from the country we are going to; this helps get a feel for a place. For Scotland I have just read Findings by Kathleen Jamie; not a novel, but a beautifully written book of observations. For novels, George MaKay Brown will certainly make you want to visit Orkney.

Happy camping
CandA


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## gassy (Jul 21, 2007)

Hi,we are going up to JOG and going anti clock wise Thurso /Durness to Ullapool , and wondered if this road is suitable for towing a car behind m/home. 
Thanks, Keith


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## thegamwellsmythes (Jul 29, 2008)

We didn't tow but it's a pretty good road considering where it is. 3 cars constitutes a traffic jam.

There are some single lane bits but just the last bit to Durness and first bit away from Durness. Not much really.

I would have thought you'd have no problems. Plenty of passing places to duck into as well.


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