Following
years of wishing and waiting, I finally purchased my 1989 Toyota MR2 Mk I Coupe
in October 2005 and spent most of the winter restoring and preening my beauty
ready for summer 2006.
As the summer now draws to a close I thought I would share with you my 500 mile north
of Scotland trip, taking in coasts, lochs and mountains on the way.
Accompanied by my wife Susan, we left a dreary Huntly, Aberdeenshire on Friday the 15th
September and headed North on the A96. By the time the first hour of our journey
was done we had reached Elgin and were on our way to the highland capital of Inverness.
The weather had changed for the better and the sun was with us and would
continue for the remainder of the trip.
Once at Inverness we carried on over the Kessock Bridge
and onto the A9 until our cut off at Connon Bridge onto the A835.
We followed the A835 past the Dam at Aultoguish through the hills heading for our
overnight stop in the West Coast town of Ullapool (this is the most romantic town in Scotland according to the papers).
A835 Connan Bridge to Ullapool
We arrived late afternoon in Ullapool to a beautiful summer’s day and quickly found
Assynt House, a lovely bed and breakfast owned by Mr and Mrs Hammersley, which
had views of the coast at one side and hills to the other.
Once the essential car wash and dry had been done (essentials provided by the Hammersleys),
we took ourselves down to the water front and enjoyed a cool beer outside the
Ferry Boat Inn overlooking the harbour and an enjoyable evening was had.
Next morning following a hearty Scottish breakfast we set off on our trip round
North West Scotland. We continued on the A835 to old Drumrunie Lodge where we followed the coast
road past Loch Lurgainn and then on to the B869 through what can only be
described as some of the most beautiful roads I have ever seen. The single-track
made no difference as they were quiet (apart from the odd sheep) with plenty of
passing places.
This road joins back onto the A837 and we continued our Journey through Durness arriving
in Tongue by late morning.
B869 Great Photo Opportunity
Following a picnic lunch we joined the A836 taking us away from the coast and through the
hills and lochs of the highlands. We proceeded through Altnaharra and Lairg. By
late afternoon we followed the B9176 (known as the mountain circuit) and enjoyed
the stunning view over the Dornoch Firth on our way down to Dingwall and back
onto the A9 to Inverness.
We really did not want the day to end so continued on the A9 for a further 30 miles and
into the Cairngorm Mountains to Aviemore. This is the home of skiing in Scotland
but can also be busy in the summer with hill walking and mountain biking.
This would have been an ideal location for a stop over but is difficult to find
accommodation unless pre-booked and we were not that organised.
We continued our Journey on the A95 following the whisky trail through Dufftown and
Craigellachie and A920 back to our starting point in Huntly.
We had covered 500 miles in some of the best country the UK has to offer in 2 glorious days.
This is what makes owning and working to keep these classic cars all worth while and a
dream come true.
Unfortunately due to the distance involved it is very difficult for us to attend many events
but if you all decide to do a Scottish tour next year give us a shout, we would love to join
you.
Shane and Susan Watt
Email: shaneandsusan@tiscali.co.uk
