Pictures: Scotland's most beautiful scenic drives
- Filed under:
UK travel Great British Drives
Share
Text Size
A
A
A
VisitScotland
The roads are relatively clear, the views are spectacular - and if your windows are wound up, the midges can't get you. From a single track route around Ben More Mountain to the joys of the Kintyre Peninsula, there's a lot to take your breath away in Scotland. Here are ten wonderful favourite scenic roads in Scotland - all recommended to AOL Travel by locals.
Scottish Scenic Routes
- The Pass of the Cattle (to Applecross)<p> If you like an element of danger with your driving, The Pass of the Cattle (or Bealach na Ba, to give it it's proper Gaelic name) is the road for you. Hairy at the best of times, and completely impassable in bad weather conditions, the rewards for successfully navigating it are twofold : stunning views out to the Outer Hebrides and down to the bay at Applecross and feasting on locally caught seafood and whisky at the eponymously named Inn. <a href="http://www.applecross.com/">applecross.com</a></p>
- Glenelg to Skye<p> The road bridge may be quicker, but there's really only one way to drive to the Isle of Skye and that's over the sea from Glenelg via the Glenachulish, the only manually operated turntable ferry in Scotland. Take the ten mile narrow, winding road down to Glenelg, stop at the Inn for a pint or a night and then head across the Kylerhea straits (spotting otters if you're lucky), the closest point between the island and the mainland. (nb the ferry runs from Easter to October). <a href="http://www.skyeferry.co.uk">skyeferry.co.uk</a></p>
- Ullapool to Lochinver via Achiltibuie<p class="p1"> Single track past the delights of Assynt, with Stac Polaidh and Ben More mountains rising out of the lunar landscape made up of some of the oldest rocks on the planet. On past the Summer Isles where the view opens out over clear Atlantic ocean and, ahead, rising above your destination of Lochinver, Suilven, one of the most iconic of all Scottish hills. <a href="http://www.ullapool.com/">ullapool.com</a></p>
- Rannoch Moor<p class="p1"> 50 square miles of uninhabited peat bog, moorland, lochs and lochans doesn't make for the most hospitable of landscapes so, unless you're a seriously hardy hiker, experience one of the last great wildernesses in Europe from the comfort of your car - driving across the western fringes of the moor on the A82. <a href="http://www.rannoch.org.uk/">rannoch.org.uk</a></p>
- Along the Kintyre Peninsula<p> As you drive along the A83 down the west side of the peninsula from Tarbert, much of the road runs directly alongside the Atlantic coast, with views out towards the islands of Islay and Jura. Stop a while to watch seals basking on the rocks and dolphins playing in the waves, and to stretch your legs on the miles of white sand beaches. <a href="http://www.kintyre.org/">kintyre.org</a></p>
- Through Glen Coe<p> Perhaps it's the ghosts of the infamous massacre in 1692, perhaps it's the way the mist rolls down the Glen, parting occasionally to reveal craggy, foreboding peaks, but this one will get you every time. Driving from Glasgow to Fort William, you'll pass through it, but if you want to stop a while, there's a visitor centre or you can spend the night at the Clachaig Inn. <a href="http://glencoe-nts.org.uk">glencoe-nts.org.uk</a></p>
- Perth to Aberdeen<p> The A93 is not only, at the Cairnwell Pass, the highest road in the country, it also encompasses two royal places (Scone and Balmoral), a ski resort (Glenshee), moorland and, bizarrely, the tallest and longest hedge in the world - the Meikleour Beech Hedge, planted in 1745. The average height of the hedge is 100ft and it's said that it grows towards the heavens as the men who planted it were killed at the Battle of Culloden. <a href="http://undiscoveredscotland.co.uk">undiscoveredscotland.co.uk</a></p>
- Fort William to Mallaig<p> If, like me, you blindly follow satnav directions for Skye, you may find yourself driving this road twice in one day, when you realise there is actually no ferry from Mallaig to Skye that day and you need to drive back to Fort William and up to the Skye Road Bridge. Luckily, this is one of the most beautiful routes in the world and well worth a double drive. <a href="http://road-to-the-isles.org.uk">road-to-the-isles.org.uk</a></p>
- Edinburgh<p> Due to the ongoing shambles that is the construction of the tram network in the Scottish capital, driving in the city is currently a nightmare, but otherwise, there can be few cities in the world which provide such stunning views as Edinburgh. Driving north east up Leith Walk, the Firth of Forth glitters in the distance; coming in from the west, Arthur's Seat welcomes you to the city, while all around town, glimpses of Edinburgh Castle will take your breath away. <a href="http://edinburgh.org">edinburgh.org</a></p>
- Gretna to Stranraer<p> The Scottish lowlands often get overlooked in favour of the more dramatic Highlands, but there is some equally stunning, if gentler, scenery around the Borders, not least along the coastline towards Stranraer. Head west from Gretna along the A75 (recently afforded the dubious honour of 'Second best driving road in the UK') and you'll pass through rolling hills and farmland, coastline and through Castle Douglas, a designated 'food town', and the pretty market town of Newton Stewart. <a href="http://visitdumfriesandgalloway.co.uk">visitdumfriesandgalloway.co.uk</a></p>
