Our First Trip To Scotland
first things first, as a newbie can I say hello to all CC members..
Now that I'm now a member I've taken the plunge and booked our place at Bunree in June.
we're setting off on the Friday late afternoon/early evening and stopping overnight at Tayside and then continuing onwards sat morning.
I've always taken our holidays in Devon and never been north of the Midlands.
so I have a question,
has anyone been there and if so what realistic travel time did it take to get there and is there anything I should know about the journey.
I'm pulling a swift 584 with an Antara 163 auto.
any advise would be gratefully received.
Comments
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Welcome to the C C in General & to CT in particular,
Lots of info for you young Caravanners, but I would
keep clear of the A82 alongside Loch Lomond. It is
a great area but the road is very twisty & carries
some hefty lorries & coaches. The roads are much
like those in Cornwall and definitely not race tracks.
You can make steady progress but north of the
Clyde == Forth Central belt there are no motorways
so speeds can be limited depending on your driving
style.
I reckon after the Holiday you will sit back and reflect
on your time up there, then you will start thinking of
your next trip Reet oop North
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We "natives"are friendly, so no need to worry!
Would agree with avoiding the Loch Lomond-side road if you have anything bigger than a medium sized van. Though in June you will not bein high season.
Roads are slower up here, especially the tourist routes.
Go with an average of 40mph and you will not go far wrong.
Hope you have a great trip!
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thanks you for the advice, I like the young caravanner part lol. myself and wife are both in our late 40's and been caravanning for 15years.
I'm glad you mentioned the A82 as that's the way I was planning.
think ill need to examine the alternative route you've suggested.
my car isn't the most economical in it class, how's the fuel stn situation are there plenty on route once your off the beaten track or should I fill her up sooner rather than later.
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West Midlands to Tayside around 7 hours but traffic heavy Friday afternoon going to the Lakes and Blackpool for the weekend, so may hold you back. Allow 3 / 4 hours Tayside to Bunree . Note if going back on a Sunday you get the same traffic heading back in the afternoon, and we always aimed to pass the Lakes before Noon.
David
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Took us 7 hours from the Wirral, including stops, on a Saturday. You will probably know that on a Friday afternoon, the M6 is solid, slow moving traffic, often at a stand still at Stoke and through Cheshire. It clears north of Preston. The A1/M1 may not be any quicker as that gets jammed around Leicester and through Derbyshire [at least]. It'll take you at least 7 hours plus stops from the Midlands, assuming you can get out! We tended to drive overnight as caravanners and as motorhomers when travelling on Friday. Our first trip and first experience of towing was Kidderminster to Brora overnight. Having breakfast when the dawn arrives and looking over the hills is a joy.
The A82 along Loch Lomond is a narrow A-road with plenty of rock faces for the unwary. It is also the route taken by heavy lorries and tri-axle coaches. It was bad enough in a 6m motorhome [we are a bit wider than a caravan] so I would avoid that route even though it will add more miles.
It's worth it because Bunree is a lovely site in a great location. We were there last June, before the midge season. It is, however, only a stepping stone to even more glorious places such as Kinlochewe and Altnaharra.
Enjoy, and welcome to the CC.
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Welcome to CT and have a wonderful trip to Scotland. If you are an intrepid traveler - it is really only from Tarbet to Ardlui/Inverranan that is the bad stretch of the A82 and it is difficult with huge timber lorries and overhangs - about 8/10 miles. They are improving it all the time but along the loch side its hard to see how they can widen any more! I am not familiar with Tayside - so not even sure if you would have traveled that way anyway? I think I would travel up to Stirling and then across. (With family between Ardlui and Crianlarich it is hard for me to miss that road and my caravan isn't huge even if quite wide). Good Luck.
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I've picked a point near to Glasgow on the motorway. You've got the idea about Loch Lomond so just pick up this route to avoid it. https://goo.gl/maps/emNc4L6XBWR2
Have a great trip, and welcome to Scotland. :-)
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I presume Tayside means Loch Tay/Killin area? So you are on a good route for Bunree via Crianlarich the next day. It's quite a scenic route over Rannoch Moor and the drop down through Glencoe. If we're heading to Scotland we start off as early as possible, usually 5-6am to get through the worst of the M6 traffic. As said you should do it in 7 hours, from the border it's 2 hours plus to the Stirling area and not too far to Loch Tay from there, the roads start to narrow but there are stopping places. Have a good time.
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If traveling on a Friday I would be tempted to have the first night somewhere short of Tayside probably an overnight at Strathclyde Park. Bunree is then perfectly feasible from there if need be although Killin if that is where you are looking at for a few days is easily reached from Glasgow.
I have never done the Midlands to Killin but frankly I think seven hours including stops is possibly optimistic. From Birmingham it is about 350 miles and after Stirling you are on single carriageway roads where you will average far less than the motorway.
I did Chester Fairoaks to Strathclyde Park last year on a quiet October day and that took just over five hours. If it is busy I would allow eight to Killin, although a lot might depend on where in the West Midlands you are starting from. Certainly from Chapel Lane to Strathclyde Park I would be looking at seven hours.
Things should be easier getting in and out of Strathclyde Park now as the underpass on the roundabout at junction 5 of the M74 has now opened and traffic should be far easier there.
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We were at Bunree in 1998. Remember you are not allowed to erect an awning on the lochside pitches so those behind can still enjoy the view. It was the view I remember well. When we got there we were lucky enough to get a lakeside pitch the day was fine and sunny. We felt very luck being at the front to have an uninterupted view. Next day and for the rest of the week all we saw was rain and cloud cascading down the mountain side opposite. Oh well, that is Scotland.
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We have done this road many times as we live in Tayside, just off the A9.
When going South we go from Perth heading over to Glasgow area then down to Carlisle motorway/dual carriage way, towing takes about 3 to 3.5 hours at a steady pace. Once North of Perth it is much slower going as the road continually goes from single to dual carriageway (be careful) going through Glen Coe again be careful and watch your caravan mirrors, its a place where people often get their mirrors hit (us included)
Bunree is a lovely site (although we prefer Oban's North Ledaig) much less midges there compared to Bunree, so be prepared and bring some midge repellent, if you forget don't worry the wardens usually have plenty.
I wish you well and have a good time in Scotland, as others have said travelling time is slower but that just gives you a better view of the countryside so enjoy.
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Thinking about it Englethwaite Hall might be a better stop over on the first night if you are setting off late afternoon. It has the advantage of no gate if you arrive late, so you can get a pitch whatever time you arrive, and it is cheaper than any other on the route.
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hi folks thank you all for your feedback, I have to say I made a slight error in my information. we're stopping off at TEBAY services on the M6 not Tayside as previously quoted. I guess this is going to throw some of the info you've offered.
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thank you all for your feed back regarding my travel to Bunree much appreciated.
ok so lets jump to June, I've made it to Bunree.
what about the midges I'm hearing horror story's about midges. but you all speak so highly of Bunree and you keep going back. so are they as bad as I'm hearing, I guess its seasonal thing we'll be there 1st week in June..
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Midges usually appear when the weather warms up, sometimes it might just be a mid morning or early evening hatching. They don't like cold but they do like damp warm conditions. If you're on site very early in June you might not hit the temperatures that midges like. I can't remember being pestered by midges on Loch Linnhe having had lots of visits to the area but no doubt someone will say the opposite!
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The Midges aren't keen on wind either - so you could easily be lucky if you are loch side - I was lucky mid July and hot on the west side of Loch Lomond as it was windy! If you have all the repellants and the after bite care you will be fine and ENJOY!
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As brue and Pippah45 said midges like it warm still and moist, now this winter hasn't been terribly cold but it has been warmish and wet, so it could be a bad summer for the little gits, on the other hand it might be a cool spring so no midges. I've been to Bunree a few times but I much prefer North Ledaig at Oban, and as they are not that far away from each other 35 (mls) if it looked like being a warm still spring/summer I would probably choose to go to North Ledaig, there is usually a bit more of a breeze there so much less of the midge. Take the repellent and after bite stuff, you never know you might not be bothered by them, I'm not too bad but they loooove the OH
early June isn't the height of the midge season in any case so even if there are some it shouldn't be that bad. 1 -
Great Place Scotland, We Did the Inverness site, Culloden was fab
The drive got better as you got further up.
Loads to see and do, we were lucky with the weather, BBQs most days. A rare down pour, but far better than we expected.
Have fun
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I don't know which part of the West Midlands you're from but we travel to Scotland every year from South Cheshire. The M6 can be a pain at the moment with extensive roadworks but we usually have an intermediate break at Strathclyde Country Park site (about 240 miles). From there it's an easy journey by A84, A85 and A82 to Bunree via Callander and Tyndrum (cafe, toilets and fuel) and plenty of time to enjoy the spectacular views on Rannoch Moor and through Glencoe. From past experiences, to avoid midges, we avoid West Coast in June, July and August - you'll learn!
At Bunree, the views across Loch Linnhe are superb and superior to the views from the North Ledaig site. If you're lucky you'll get a loch-side pitch but don't worry it's only a stroll from anywhere on the site. If you can't get loch-side, I'd avoid the very back row - again to lessen the possibilty of attacks from midges. There's a small brook along the fence which can be stagnant in dry spells but if it rains, the dormant, little beggars are disturbed and will get you! Happy holiday!
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Hi and welcome. I'm sure you will enjoy Bunree, I;m not a fan but I know I'm in the minority. A quick suggestion. once you get settled have a drive around to Arisaig and drive along the low road, not the new one, and check out the beaches and sites along the coast, honestly they are truly spectacular. Our favourite is Invercambie but right next door is a CL which looks fantastic also.
Also if you are heading further North with The caravan its worth noting that the car park behind the main supermarket in Fort William, I think its a Morisons, is fine for caravans (its also right next to Aldi.
Enjoy
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