12/18/2023 0 Comments 48 state road trip planner![]() Next, putter along the valley floor to the Wensleydale Creamery Visitor Centre at Hawes to stock up on Wallace and Gromit’s favourite cheese, before plunging over into Reeth and looping back to your start point via Jervaulx Abbey. Set off on the A59 from Harrogate towards the historic market town of Grassington before boomeranging back to Aysgarth Falls, a wide, multi-tiered falls that’s perfect for a hazy summer ramble. When heading through fields of summer grasses over the Buttertubs Pass from Wensleydale to Swaledale, the road twists and turns like a thrashing snake. Here the mix of A- and B-roads create a daisy-chain link between some of the most beautiful villages, waterfalls and rolling backdrops in northern England. In Yorkshire, the roads move from moor to dale through centuries of dark medieval history, once a backdrop to the War of the Roses, the bloody struggle between the royal houses of Lancaster and York. ![]() Once you're on the road, sea-view Harbour Quay in Wick (private accommodation) and the Shiskine Pod (think: cute wooden chalet with blow-away views) in Gairloch are good bets. You'll find plenty of accommodation options here, but for sprawling grounds, airy rooms and a luxury spa, treat yourself at Kingsmills Hotel before your road trip. ![]() Where to stay: Straddling the banks of the River Ness, Inverness is the hub of the Highlands. Outside of summer, you’ll have the route to yourself, when even a witches’ brew of winter clouds couldn’t dampen the drama or Highland spirit. Need to know: Accommodation options are few and far between, so book in advance. It could scarcely be more isolated or awe-inspiring - there's a reason this was featured in our reader survey of the most beautiful places in Scotland.īest for: Escaping urban life and enjoying unexpected traffic jams, courtesy of wayward Highland cows and stags. Here, it reaches a crescendo below the impregnable peaks of Loch Maree.įinally, the road reaches the brilliant Bealach na Bà, which loops up and over the Applecross Peninsula like a piece of gigantic spaghetti. Even the name is a doff of the cap to The Proclaimers.Īlong the way, the road becomes a symphony, building note after note, bend by bend, from its rallying start through the east coast villages of Dornoch and Wick to Aultbea, Poolewe and Gairloch on the savage west coast. Skirting the coast from Inverness and the Black Isle, past the seaboard crags of Caithness, Sutherland and Wester Ross, it offers up gothic ruins, rugged fairways, historic castles, shingle-sand beaches, tiny fishing hamlets and peaty whisky distilleries. This circular route is a greatest hits of Scottish icons, stretching across 805 km of back roads. Take out breakdown cover and keep the emergency number handy. It also pays to pack a first-aid kit and some non-perishable snacks, just in case. Make sure you've got all your car documents on hand, as well as a spare tyre in the boot. ![]() If you're taking your own car, it's worth a trip to the garage before you leave to check it's in good shape. Be sure to check charging points along your route, or – if you're car isn't electric – fill up the tank before you leave. Better still, hire an electric car and help protect the pristine landscapes you're driving through. If you've not got a banger of your own, that's no problem: there are plenty of rental companies offering competitive deals. It's important to prepare carefully for a road trip – it's no fun being stuck roadside because you've run out of fuel, or getting a puncture with no spare wheel.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |