Blat route suggestions based in Argyll, Scotland

[Paul D]

In a couple of weeks the planets look like they might align and I may be able to take the C7 up to Argyll, Scotland whilst working up there for a couple of weeks.

I used to live in Glasgow so I know many of the roads in the area but I am looking for suggestions for up to 200 ish mile routes for the few days off I might get whilst I'm up there. I'm looking for driving experiences not slow roads to good views.

So far I have two in mind:

Arrochar - Crianlarich (love this road if you get a clear run) - Fort William - Spean Bridge - Laggan - Pitlochry (anything better than the boring A9 for this bit?) - Killin - Aberfoyle - Faslane - Arrochar (also love this road along Loch Long, proper rally special stage).

Inverary - Dalmally - Oban - Lochgilphead (another favorite road) - Inverary (used to do this loop in my old hot hatch when I was younger)

Questions:

I've never been south of Lochgilphead; do the roads go to singletrack? Worth a drive to Cambeltown?

Anything worth driving south of Greenock if I get the ferry across from Dunoon?

I don't know the area to the east of a Glasgow-Callander north-south line; any bucket list roads around  there without going all the way across to Perth etc?

 

[SM25T]

Head a bit further north .... Ballater ... Cock Bridge ... Tomintoul ... Grantown. The Old Military Road is stunning.

 

[East Kent AR]

If you know the general area, you will know where the petrol stations are. Do you know which ones sell E5 fuel, assuming your 7 needs it. Take it into account when route planning.

Piers

[W33SVN]

My usual loop (100 or so miles) You can obviously join / leave at any point. 
 

A826 from Aberfeldy (amazing old military road)

right at A822 to Gilmerton (amazing old military road)

right on A85 through Crief / Comrie  / St Filans / Lochearnhead

right A85 to LIX Toll

right A827 through Killin / Kenmore (quite bumpy alongside Loch Tay)

you're back to Aberfeldy 

[W33SVN]

Glencoe / Ranoch Moor stunning, but usually very busy 

[W33SVN]

A shorter, more twisty, but beautiful route too (20 miles or so)

Aberfoyle North on A821 (Duke's Pass) (I often do this back and forth a couple of times on this run) - Loch Katrine a great stop on the other side of the pass.

Right A84 to Callander

Right A81 to Lake of Menteith

Right A81 at Rob Roy Hotel 

Back in Aberfoyle 

[Paul D]

Perfect, thanks for that!

[David Brown]

#4/#6 Aberfoyle, Duke's Pass, Lochearnhead, Killin, Kenmore, Aberfeldy, Sma' Glen, Crieff. Did this on Thursday, if you only do one don't miss this. Loch Long route great if you get it empty but about only one passing place. If staying near Glasgow, take an evening run for Fish & Chips in Inveraray. Great road south of Lochgilphead, call in to Crinan, down to Campbeltown back up to Tarbert take the ferry to Port Avadie then over to Hunter's Quay and ferry over to Gourock. 

[Paul D]

I finally managed to do a two week work trip with the C7 in the last couple of weeks and thought I'd drop a few notes onto the end of this thread for anyone else that finds it when searching.

I was based near the village of Strachur on Loch Fyne.

[Paul D]

Fuel in and around Argyll.

E5 was a lot easier to come by than I expected, the only place that let me down was the Green Welly Stop at Tyndrum which I was a little surprised by as the amount of bikers that were there on a sunny Saturday lunchtime you would have thought they could sell as much Super unleaded as they could get their hands on. 

E5 confirmed available at the following places (May 2024):

In Argyll and Highlands:

• Dunoon BP
• Cot House Jet (near Dunoon)
• Helensburgh Esso
• Dumbarton Morrisons
• Campbeltown Esso
• Fort William Morrisons (although they had run out when I was there, hence went to Esso)
• Fort William Esso
• Lochgilphead Esso

Travelling there and back:

• Moffat Esso
• Sanquhar independent

I confirmed no E5 only E10 at the following places:

• Strachur filling station
• Arrochar Gulf
• Tyndrum Green Welly Stop

Edited May 23 by Paul D

[Paul D]

Routes / roads.

Just like in Dorset, getting out early paid off with quiet roads. Add some excellent weather over a long middle weekend meant I got about 1200 Scottish miles in, and just over 2000 miles including the English parts (two days each way doing as many roads on my hit list as possible).

Scottish highlights (many as described in the thread above):

• Dukes Pass North of Aberfoyle (so good I turned round and did it again the other way), a quintessential Caterham Seven road
• A816 Oban to Lochgilphead (still my favourite road anywhere in the UK)
• A82 Tarbet to Inverarnan (another historic favourite, did it twice)
• A702 Dalveen Pass (nice and quiet even at midday on a Friday)
• A815 along Loch Eck
• A814 Garelochead to Arrochar (my old commute 25 years ago, got all four wheels off the ground just like old times, but wasn't as quick as I was in my Escort in my fearless twenties!)
• A86 Spean Bridge to Laggan
• A889 Laggan to Dalwhinnie
• B842 Campbeltown to Carradale (but the rest of the Kintyre pennisula roads weren't worth it just for that one)

A822 Sma'glen was probably great but I was stuck in traffic and its too twisty to overtake for most of it.

Take care about the average speed cameras along the A85 either side of Crianlarich.

I was amused by the racing line painted guidance into corners on many of the roads; for motorbikers with more HP than talent!

Edited May 23 by Paul D

[Paul D]

I don't really rate Glen Coe as a great drivers road - mostly it's too straight - but go early enough on the right day and it's still brilliant.