Hi all,we are hoping to go to Skye next May,from the M74 should I take M8 via Erskine Bridge orA82 from Jctn 17 M8?. Any help or other ideas would be very welcome, many thanks.
Roads to Skye(part 2)
- Thread starter mistralse
- Start date
Hi there Denis. Glad to hear your coming up in may, its the best month, usually fine weather as the wind goes round to the East for 5/6 weeks (usually), and, theres no midges, but check it out yourself on....www.midgeforecast.co.uk.....it wont be showing results at the mo until the dreaded beasties return after the winter then its updated daily. If I was you towing a van through Glasgow, I would avoid the route signposted A82 as it takes you up Great western road and its 23 traffic lights and can be heavily conjested especially near rush hour and with a van on the back is like pulling teeth. I would def stay on the M8 motorway and cross over the Erskine bridge,its free and cuts out a load of hastle as the route is all 3/4 lane motorway. Also, check this site out for walks on skye, its bang up to date with maps the lot,we all use it up here.....www.walkhighlands.co.uk/.....enjoy
Thanks for the help and tips,the walks site is really good and I will make the most of it,thanks again.
Hi Denis,
Another option is to take the M73, A80/M80 to above Stirling then the A84 to Crianlarich which cuts out Glasgow completely as it can be a nightmare at times. If you still want to use the A82 then I would agree with Barkas and go via Erskine Bridge. Good luck whatever way you go.
William
Another option is to take the M73, A80/M80 to above Stirling then the A84 to Crianlarich which cuts out Glasgow completely as it can be a nightmare at times. If you still want to use the A82 then I would agree with Barkas and go via Erskine Bridge. Good luck whatever way you go.
William
Hi Dennis
we run Staffin Campsite in the North end of the Island, but we are also caravanners. The Loch Lomond road isnt the best, its a windy tight road so I'm not sure where you are travelling from. You could consider the A9 to Dalwhinnie and ain for Spean Bridge to take you here. I've a 21 foot van and 4x4 and tend to avoid Loch Lomond
Cheers
we run Staffin Campsite in the North end of the Island, but we are also caravanners. The Loch Lomond road isnt the best, its a windy tight road so I'm not sure where you are travelling from. You could consider the A9 to Dalwhinnie and ain for Spean Bridge to take you here. I've a 21 foot van and 4x4 and tend to avoid Loch Lomond
Cheers
I would agree with William's route.We live in the Glasgow area and the northern end of Loch Lomond is quite unpleasant when towing a caravan.
Many thanks for the info,I will be coming up from Wales initially so all options are open to me, my van is 23ft so I will probably avoid Loch Lomond ie take the Stirling direction,thanks again for your help.
Hi Denis,
I wouldn't rule out the Loch Lomond (A82) route if it was your prefered choice, i agree that the northern end is quite bendy with a few narrow places, but i towed our 26ft twin axle with a big 4x4 in October, and i felt very comfortable with it, plus the scenery (for your passenger!) is very nice.
I haven't got a great deal of experience towing, but would quite happily do that route again with the same outfit.
Cheers,
Lara.
I wouldn't rule out the Loch Lomond (A82) route if it was your prefered choice, i agree that the northern end is quite bendy with a few narrow places, but i towed our 26ft twin axle with a big 4x4 in October, and i felt very comfortable with it, plus the scenery (for your passenger!) is very nice.
I haven't got a great deal of experience towing, but would quite happily do that route again with the same outfit.
Cheers,
Lara.
hello ally,
do you run the c&cc site, if so we are venturing up there on april. when we travelled from wakefield west yorks up to fort william we did the stirling route, i did this on the advice of alot of fellow caravanners, and as i recalled we did the loch lomond route to oban on one occasion without the van on the back, and it was the coaches coming in the oposite direction that concerned me more than anything, so i chose to go the stirling route and it was fine,we cant wait to come to skye, we ar stopping off at fort william again for one night, then heading up on my favourite route up to skye, we did this last time without the van, as we left it at5 fort william and drove up for the day, and passed eilean donan castle, exceptional scenery. we are hoping to find somewhere to live when we come up, thats the purpose of the journey, oh dear i need to go now. its too long to wait till april.regards ED
do you run the c&cc site, if so we are venturing up there on april. when we travelled from wakefield west yorks up to fort william we did the stirling route, i did this on the advice of alot of fellow caravanners, and as i recalled we did the loch lomond route to oban on one occasion without the van on the back, and it was the coaches coming in the oposite direction that concerned me more than anything, so i chose to go the stirling route and it was fine,we cant wait to come to skye, we ar stopping off at fort william again for one night, then heading up on my favourite route up to skye, we did this last time without the van, as we left it at5 fort william and drove up for the day, and passed eilean donan castle, exceptional scenery. we are hoping to find somewhere to live when we come up, thats the purpose of the journey, oh dear i need to go now. its too long to wait till april.regards ED
I last used the Loch Lomond route in 1974 and it wore me out!
Since then it has always been the Stirling route.
However we were thinking of using it this year until ed's comments about the "big coaches".
I thought perhaps over the last 34 years they may have widened the road a bit?
We are staying for a couple of nights just outside Glasgow then up to North ledaig and then Island hopping. We yow a ta so I like as much room as possible , lol.
Cheers
Alan
Since then it has always been the Stirling route.
However we were thinking of using it this year until ed's comments about the "big coaches".
I thought perhaps over the last 34 years they may have widened the road a bit?
We are staying for a couple of nights just outside Glasgow then up to North ledaig and then Island hopping. We yow a ta so I like as much room as possible , lol.
Cheers
Alan
I wouldn't advise taking the Loch Lomond route with a twin axle and 4X4, we had a very nasty close shave with a coach last year - we really expected to see a gouge out of the side of our caravan from his wing mirrors. Fortunately all was well, as the mirrors had just touched the awning rail, so all there was was a black mark.
This all happened on one of the narrow bends, the coach was coming from the opposite direction! :O(
This all happened on one of the narrow bends, the coach was coming from the opposite direction! :O(
Wendy
You've convinced me I was correct all these years. The first caravan was 12 foot Sprite. I don't fance damaging our new TA. Anyway I find the Stirling route very pleasant and Callander is worth a stop for early lunch.
Cheers
Alan
You've convinced me I was correct all these years. The first caravan was 12 foot Sprite. I don't fance damaging our new TA. Anyway I find the Stirling route very pleasant and Callander is worth a stop for early lunch.
Cheers
Alan
totally agree with you wendy it was the coaches that did it for me, without the van on the back, i was in a 4x4, and scared the living daylights out of me, i dont have a ta but the van is 24 ft, on the end of a discovery. where do you stop off for lunch in callandar alan. we do have 2 dogs with us though, we normally pull into a layby and eat our sarnies. or the dogs do. ED
Ed
Usually a lay by just out of town or even in town if we can. A quick stroll around the shops. Plenty of places doing the Scottish Bridies etc. We try and get a homemade haggis too which is dead easy to cook in the caravan.
Cheers
Alan
Usually a lay by just out of town or even in town if we can. A quick stroll around the shops. Plenty of places doing the Scottish Bridies etc. We try and get a homemade haggis too which is dead easy to cook in the caravan.
Cheers
Alan
Hi Ed
No your probably heading for Buncree which is short of Skye by about 45 mins
we are at the north most tip
www.staffincampsite.co.uk
enjoy the break
safe travels
Guys
I'm travelling from Skye to Glasgow several times x month and you've all hit it on the head about the Loch Lomond route....especially with buses and lorries
Ally
Please do not go the route up the A82 Loch Lomond ! It is not just coaches that are a hazard, it is a dangerous road to drive on a good day. Another serious hazard is the logging trucks that use it like a race track. Be safe.
Kind regards
James
Kind regards
James
We go up the A82 with our van regularly and although the north end of Loch Lomond is narrow in places, as long as you are careful it's not too bad. The scenery is stunning
As has been said the section of the A82 around the north end of Loch Lomond is narrow and bendy but with a little car there is no reason why you can't tow a caravan using this road, which offers the best scenery by far. My experience is that the east route (A9) is more dangerous because of the high speed of the traffic on it, and it is also much less scenic. In fact driving the A82 may convince you that you doan't actually need to go as far as Skye. Glencoe is much more scenic than Skye.
I do agree with William that Glencoe is much more scenic than Skye and the road up to there is so special!! We are soon going up to Culloden and then on to Gairloch, so up the east side of Scotland but will be coming home via Loch Lomond as we want to visit Balloch.
Hi Denis, I agree with Barkas on the route to use. The only minor problem is that you will first cross the river Clyde on the Kingston bridge. There are exit slips just before and immediately after this bridge. From junction 15 stay in the lane adjacent to the outside (fast??)lane and follow signs for Glasgow Airport / Greenock. After you pass the M77 exit you can use the nearside lane. The Erkine bridge exit is around 2 to 2.5 miles beyond the Airport exit. At the airport exit get into the middle lane, as the nearside lane goes off at the next exitgate( S.P. Irvine) which you do not want. (You come over the R Clyde on the Kingston bridge and go back over the R Clyde on the Erskine bridge) Stay on the nearside lane on the Erskine bridge and that will swing onto the A82 north. Definitely a lot easier than negotiating A82 from Jctn 17 as this takes you through the north part of the city
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