I have heard a lot said about wonderful sweeping fast roads devoid of traffic up in the far away remote parts of Northern Scotland and got thinking that we have a few far flung members in those parts who never get to a meet up, so lets take one to them! I'm planning to meet up somewhere around Kyle of Lochalsh/ Sheil Bridge and then a group head off on the much vanted Road To Applecross village, listed in TG magazine as one of the top 10 roads to drive before you die! Now I know that after Easter this area gets pretty busy with tourists but before Easter many B&B's are still not open for business as it is wintery still. As the drive to get there is several hours from my home I thought how about having some feeder groups coming in from the rest of Scotland or even points further south....... Now I don't know the area, or what accommodation is available. In season there are loads of B&B's as this really is tourist land, it is also caravan and coach land! As I am in the fortunate position that I won't have to go to work for nearly 4 months I thought maybe a midweek drive north and a weekend meet up at say Eileen Donan Castle or Kyle of Lochalsh/ Plockton then head off to Applecross.
So anybody interested in a trip out the week after Easter? It's just a plan at the moment and this is to gauge interest.
I've also posted this on the other Range Rover forums in the family RRsport L320 and L494 and Evoques to involve some of their far flung owners too.
The dates are not fixed as I am on holiday and apart from late April and most of May when I am in the south I can run this to suit the majority 2018 Mini Countryman Cooper S E All4 PHEV in Melting Silver - it’s whisper quiet in EV and polluter modes

Sounds a great idea Tim...long time no see,hope you are keeping well and I believe you're now back into the Sporty brigade too  The forums premier drug dealer and human trafficking consultant


Range Rover Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8, Range Rover Sport HSE 3.6TDV8, Audi S8 V10, Jaguar XKR Conv, Jaguar XJS V12 Conv, Land Rover Disco 3, Lexus LS 400 MkIV, Lexus LS400 Mk III.

I might be up for that, but it depends on when it will be
If the schedule turns out to be when I am here . then I am in

Hi Jim, yes back in an L494 HSE Dynamic and loving it. It was bought as a replacement for my 2nd Evoque that was a lovely car until there was a gearbox software upgrade that caused it to pull away in it's crawler 1st gear and send the revs through the roof destroying 3 lots of DFP senosrs in a matter of weeks. On the last occassion I called my friends in Lonodn and asked what they had in the way of RRS2's and they said "well you won't like one of them s it is Black so we won't offer it. What colour would you be looking for and what options?" I told them Corris Grey and not worried about the options so long as delivery is fairly quick. There was a 6 to 8 month lead in time in March last year........... so "How would delivery in two weeks time do then? The car goes into build tomorrow so you cannot change the spec but it has 22" wheels and privacy glass and is meant to be for one of our directors! But your name is on it if you want to put a deposit down now" "Done, but please add the following dealer fit accessories please, front and rear stainless bash plates as well" 2 Weeks later on 28th March 2015 I drove it oout of the showroom in Barnett and north to Stirling! My first Evoque was a cracker, I loved it and should never have changed it to the 9 speed version only 18 minths into ownership. The finish on the 2014MY £55,000 Dynamic Plus Lux with every extra except smokers pack I replaced it with was lovely apart from never ending rattles that the first one never suffered. To cure one rattle LR wanted to remove the front screen, headliner and Panoramic roof............... the two major strength bits of the car outside of the actual bodywork! I declined as I felt that the car would never be the same again and might even end up twisted.............. It was unusual too in that it was probably unique having Zanzibar paint with Black Contrast Roof, Black pack (now called Stealth Pack) and the Tan and black interior with the Recaro sports seats. But I'm made up with the RRS2. The 3.0ltr SDv6 has amazing Torque and can't half shift, makes the old 3.6TDv8 Sport I had feel slow yet it has brilliant fuel consumption!
Zanzibar in the sunshine and the Tan interior

Click image to enlarge

Drove the Bealach Na Ba road in November last year, wouldn't be keen to do it again  Got - 2017 SDV8 Autobiography in Loire Blue
Had- 2008 TDV8 Vogue SE in Java black
Had - 2007 S/C in Stornoway Grey

I took a 7.5m motorhome over that road to apple cross once , (there was a half decent camp site at Applecross with a restaurant in a polytunnel)

Travelling west towards Applecross, The fiat "Ducrapo" engine was a bit warm when we got to the top. We chickened out and went home via the northern coastal route instead

Do we have any dates yet? Got enemies? Good, you have stood up for something in your life.

Never regret growing old, it is a privilege denied to many.

We came down from Ullapool over the pass of the cattle last week, still a lot of snow up there with the odd snow plough sitting in a layby waiting for more snow.

We spent the night on Skye and SWMBO refused to let me go back over the pass on the way home so had to go home via Achnasheen.

She can be real scaredy-cat sometimes!

Mind you, the sight of one of our Navy submarines in the test area made it a worthwhile detour.

Mike

Sounds like a fab trip... There is a 500 mile route too... Now that would be a nice lazy week

The 500 mile route is this one: https://www.northcoast500.com/home.aspx. Another club I am with is currently discussing doing that route (next year) and I like the idea, we may even do it solo before then. Any reports / recommendations welcome. Norman

Current LR: L405 Vogue TDV6 (MY 2014) Aintree Green/ Ivory interior
Past LR: L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 (2002); Discovery series1 V8 (1995)

Well, as someone who lives on the road that makes up the 500 route I can confirm that (if you get the weather) it is a stunning place to live and visit.

If the weather is crap and the midges are out then a) you won't see the scenery, and, b) when you do eventually get out to view the scenery, the midges will drive you back inside again

Just be careful while in the FF, it's the same road that herds of majestic Ferrari's, Porsche's and Lamborghini's seem to use as a test track.

Mind you, there are few plod around too.

It's something else hearing an Italian sports car at full chat coming down a glen (looking for windscreen cleaner)

Mike