I'm taking the van from Hoddom Castle to Lochness Shores, any advice on the best route A9 or A82.
Cheap (ish) fuel at Morrisons in Dumbarton and Fort William if going the whole way on A82 - or Tesco Perth and all the supermarkets in Inverness if using the A9 -I would avoid the A82 up the side of Loch Lomond as Clive says. It is narrow very twisty often with stone cliffs at the side. It is also used by timber lorries whose drivers assume you can get out of the way, they can be very intimidating if you meet them at the wrong spot.
The A82 is a bit more scenic, but very slow and you have something like 250 miles to travel. If you have all day then you can use the A82, but take the motorway to Stirling and reach the A82 via Callander to get to it. It should not take any longer and is far safer.
The A9 is quite scenic itself and the Drumochter Pass as you near Inverness is worth the trip to me.
Also be aware that once you clear Glasgow fuel becomes far more rare so do fill up when you can. I can give you some details of this if you need.
i think you have made the right choice ....Thank you all for your advice, I think I'll take the A9 route and leave the A82 for sight seeing.
That's a very time-consuming junction to get off and then back on again - and expensive fuel.There are motorway services at the junction of M80 and M9 near Stirling which saves coming off at Perth.
In the overall scheme of things the time is minuscule. We’ve used it several times and I would say it’s far less time than the two fuel stops in Perth or even Cumbernauld.That's a very time-consuming junction to get off and then back on again - and expensive fuel.
In the overall scheme of things the time is minuscule. We’ve used it several times and I would say it’s far less time than the two fuel stops in Perth or even Cumbernauld.
Some satnavs use latitude and longitude co-ordinates for destinations.You can get the co-ordinates for the site entrance and that will get you right there.I usually employ" find latitude and longitude" to get me where I want to go - it hasn't let me down - so far !Access and SatNav Advice - Don’t use a satnav to access this site.
Approaching on the A9, turn off at Raigmore Hospital and follow the south ring road (B8082 Sir Walter Scott Drive) until you see a roundabout with a green Loch Ness Monster on it. Turn left on to the B862 to Dores, and join the B852 to Foyers along Loch Ness. As you approach Foyers, you will see on the right hand side what was the old hotel (now called Foyers Lodge). Turn right 100m further on behind the No Entry sign, which is signposted for Lower Foyers and follow the signs to the campsite. Approaching from the South, leave the A82 at Fort Augustus and follow the B862 to Whitebridge. Approximately 1 mile after the Whitebridge Hotel, turn left on B852 to Foyers. Approximately 1 mile after Foyers Stores turn sharp left to Lower Foyers and follow signs to site.
Most satnav settings will give options for fastest route or shortest route. When I first had ine I set it to shortest route to south Leicester. It ignored village by passes and I saw the back lanes of Burford as it even ignored the Main Street; the back lanes being shorter. Although since the whole town was a 30 mph area it may still have directed me down the back lanes even when set at Fastest Route settings. Hence why I check very carefully when I’ve got the alloy box behind.If a site gives instructions for a route then that is the route to take. Sat navs are mostly going to route you down the shortest route but it may not be suitable so they are best avoided if the site instructions suggest an alternative route. If there is a warning about a route being unsuitable, only idiots ignore it.