My Scottish Holiday.

[Orchismic]

Man and van are going wild in the Highlands!

I'll be embarking on my annual Grand Tour of Greater Caledonia on Sunday 28th February and returning Friday 5th March. Imbetween the drive-by shoot (strictly digital still and movie cameras only!) I'm hoping to bag an opportunistic Munro and visit as many really interesting places as I can. I'll be bed and breakfasting in the back of my van on a route from Ben Lawers to Oldshoremore Bay.

Are there any members of the Forum who might recommend any photogenic scenic routes, vistas, old trees, rock formations, river courses, stone circles, castles, brocks and publicly accessible SSSI's that may be overlooked by the Scottish Tourist Board?

And anyone who wants to meet-up I'm able to squeeze a convivial introduction in, too!

[Walter Cuff]

Sorry we cannot join you but at nearly 81 yrs old afraid my limbs are not quite up to it. However I can recommend you walk from Oldshoremore Beach over to Polin Bay you then have the option of a return the way you came or up the road
from Polin and round to Oldshoremore. Happy holiday.

[Tringa]

Don't know which route you want to take so this is a wide ranging list -

Glencoe, Glen Nevis, Steall waterfall, Neptune's Staircase, West Highland Line railway, Five Sisters of Kintail, Pass of the Cattle, Applecross, Torridon, The Black Isle

Having a van gives you great flexibility, but given you have one week why not concerntrate on one area? It is very easy to spend the best of the weather travelling - I have done it often - and I reckon its about 200 miles from the Ben Lawers area to Oldshoremore, so there and back is the best part of a couple of days.

Dave

[ChrisJB]

With such a wealth of superlatives, it's difficult to know where to atsrt with Scotland, but off the top of my head try these:
If you want a reasonably easy Munro, try Ben Lawyers itself. The car-park is suitably high above O.D to lessen the climb. Nearby is the rather good ancient yew tree at Fortingall and a splendid ash by the roadside in Glen Lyon (a stunning drive), just north of Ben Lawyers.
If you get chance, have a bash up round Torridon too, Munros to die for (Ben Alligin, Liathach and Beinn Eighe), but they look really tough. Not so far away is the Pass of the Cattle (Bealach na Ba) over to Applecross. From the top of the pass is an easy stroll along a good track to the top of the mountain with the mast on. Ptarmigan are quite easy to find on the walk to the mast. And Applecross is delightful, with a cracking ale-house with good grub as well.
Have a good time and show us your photos when you get back.

Regards, Chris

[diggleken]

Totally agree with Chris, best place in the world Scotland, partic west coast and outer isles (maybe another day!) but depends too on what you are trying to do - its a bit early for Ben Lawers rarities, purple saxifrage is earylish though - try the route up round the first summit and the pass rather than the tourist route right up - and explore the meadows, you never know. Ptarmigan there too.
If you like BIG trees, check out Perth tree country via google.
Distilleries????
Enjoy and let us know how it went.
Cheers
Ken

[caernerch]

baleach na ba to applecross is impressive - even the road sign is unique. go up (or return) via w. coast through Ullapool to kylescu which is overlooked by quinaig (the well bucket) a great chunk of rock and the modern bridge over the sea loch there is very photogenic.
regards
caernerch

[Orchismic]

A big, massive thankyou to Walter Cuff, Tringa, ChrisJB, diggleken and caernach for all your kind comments and suggestions. I'm really looking forward to this journey despite casting a prudent glance onto 4 inches of snow (again, sigh!) here in the High Peak.

[eigg head]

If you are heading for Oldshoremore Bay, you won't be far from Sandwood Bay, which is a four mile tramp over the moors by a decent track. Sandwood is a scenic icon with the beach, dunes, lagoon and great sea stack at one end.
Also recommend the road out to Diabaig on north shore of Loch Torridon - narrow and twisting but brilliant views all the way, plenty of deer too.
And the view of Suliven from Elphin, or even better above the Inverkirkaig Falls (good straightforward walk starting by bridge over River Kirkaig.
But my best advice would be don't spend all week driving!

[Orchismic]

Thank you, eigg head. Strangely enough I've just been ogling Suliven on Walking Scotland's website.

[Tringa]

One other hill to consider is Stac Pollaidh, a bit north of Ullapool.

There are or were, some years ago, some problems from erosion, but it is a very short walk to one of the most spectacular viewpoint in the far north west.

Dave