Big Scottish Road Trip 2018! (14-16 Sept)

[Shagrington]

Come on people, this is the best thing you'll do in your RX-8 and you get to do it in great company and stunning scenery.

[DavyL]

Newbie, would like to put my name in for Scottish road trip, thanks

[GreySilver Beast]

List updated on behalf of Ben - Events Team

[Shagrington]

Hi and DavyL. Get your hotel rooms booked as soon as you can - there didn't seem to be a load left when I booked mine. See you in September.

[DavyL]

Woohoo, rooms booked , looking forward to meeting you all and the drive

[Shagrington]

Well done it'll be good ... again.

[CTID]

Any view on either heading up or back from the Southern side of the M25 in a single trip?

It's something I'd love to try but taking a week off almost to do it at a time that the daughter will be in school is unlikely to fly with the wife whilst I may be able to sneak a long weekend. Google Maps suggests around 14 hours from here which doesn't sound too bad until I think back to how much fun the trip to York was once we encountered slow traffic on the A1 and that trip was only about half the distance. I'm imagining the way back may be easier with Edinburgh being several hours closer to home than Inverness.

Cheers

[DavyL]

Hi CTID, roads should be quieter as schools off, just remember A9 is a bleep of a road unless you reach it after rush hours....

[Ainmhidh]

Is the A9 still full of speed cameras too? If so, don't bank on too much making up time there, even without traffic!

[Shagrington]

The A9 is all average speed cameras ... I made my average up on the bits of dual carriageway after following lorries going slower for any distance.

Any view on either heading up or back from the Southern side of the M25 in a single trip?

To be fair I do make a week of it coming from the southern side of the M25, but I really take my time getting there and back and it should be very do-able taking less time than I do. Those of us coming from the south spend Thursday night at Falkirk Travelodge. From where I am Google Maps suggests 7 hours 39 minutes to get there (457 miles). It does mean a very early start on the Friday to get up the A9 to Inverness for the 10am start.

Sunday night we make it back to Falkirk and Monday is spent driving home again for most ... like I said, I really take my time and add a couple more overnight stops on the way home because I can.
On the last two NC500 road trips I left home Tuesday afternoon just to get round the M25 without having to worry about traffic jams etc and stopped over with a friend a bit south of Cambridge in Hertfordshire, then at a hotel at Teeside airport on Wednesday night (it was near Scotch Corner, so about half way there), before meeting up with the rest of the English contingency and heading to Falkirk on the Thursday. I did the exact reverse on the way home stopping at Teeside airport on the Monday night then spending a good part of the day getting in the way at Rotary Revs before heading back to my friend's place in Hertfordshire on the Tuesday, then home on Wednesday.

This year I don't know if my friend in Hertfordshire will be available with the spare room, so I may go straight to Teeside airport on Wednesday and straight home from there the following Tuesday.

I reckon you could leave home early on the Thursday to get to Falkirk and get home late on the Monday if you are OK with that one long stretch each way. Do it, you won't regret it - as I've said before this is the best thing I've done in my nearly 12 years of RX-8 ownership.

[CTID]

Thanks guys, looks like I'll try and swing the time off with the family then then. Heading up on Thursday sounds good.

[Broron]

Well Rex boy's thats ma rooms booked so will see you all in September ,
I'll need to find a nice hat Shaggy

[Shagrington]

Good man we can have a 'my hat's better than yours' shoot out.

[ChrisHolmes]

When I saw the price of a slice of bread, about 80p, on the ferry in Norway this morning it reminded me of Rons comment at lunch in Kyleskue in 2016!

[Craig M]

When I saw the price of a slice of bread, about 80p, on the ferry in Norway this morning it reminded me of Rons comment at lunch in Kyleskue in 2016!

Silky thigh comes to mind if memory serves me correct

[Craig M]

C'mon folks, get signed up for this.
It has got to be one of the best bits of driving you can do in an 8 with wonderful scenery and company.

[geofftl1000r]

Jessica is keen to do the trip so I will check the holiday planner at work and if I can have the time off.
We will be travelling from Gatwick area if anyone wants some company for the ride up/down.

[Shagrington]

I'm heading up a day or two earlier, taking my time with an overnight stop here and there, but I'm sure we can sort out somewhere and some time to meet on the way.

[geofftl1000r]

Well the calendar at work is empty for those dates so I have emailed my boss for 4 days off, Thursday, Friday & Monday, Tuesday. Hopefully that will be enough?
Just need to sort some hotels.

[Shagrington]

Excellent and yes that should work - leave very early on Thursday and aim for Falkirk Travelodge for that first night.

[geofftl1000r]

Unless anyone else is driving up with us on the Thursday morning we will probably leave Wednesday afternoon to get above the traffic chaos that is London and the M25. So a Thursday night meet sounds great

[Shagrington]

I'll be at my hotel at Teeside airport on Wednesday night and heading up to Falkirk from there on the Thursday. The last couple of times we've managed to get those coming up from England together at some point on the way, I'm sure we could sort out a rendezvous somewhere again and head to Falkirk together from there ...

[geofftl1000r]

I do like a good convoy

[geofftl1000r]

Hi all,
Jessica has been searching for hotels but since we don't know how far we will get on the trip up and down, we will just wing it.

Friday we are booked into Mill View B&B, Ullapool
Saturday we are booked into Breadalbane Suites, Wick
Sunday we are not sure what's happening so we may be heading south and find somewhere depending on how far we get.

[Shagrington]

If it helps, on Sunday I'll be heading back to the Travelodge at Falkirk. On the last couple of trips we've got there after dark but with enough time to go and find somewhere to eat.