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Post by Firefox on Feb 3, 2014 9:59:38 GMT
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Post by billieblue on Feb 3, 2014 10:08:45 GMT
Me
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Post by Firefox on Feb 3, 2014 10:23:32 GMT
Yes me too I'm a late riser. 9.30 to 11.00, but don't usually go to bed till about 3.00am.
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Post by onion on Feb 3, 2014 11:02:54 GMT
Hi all , I'll go with this as well + the island hoping, I like the west coast but have never been to the islands , I do get up before carol & vern but ill last the pace at night Ching Ching
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Post by Firefox on Feb 3, 2014 11:11:02 GMT
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Post by marymc on Feb 3, 2014 11:30:22 GMT
I might join you for a few days on this one especially if onions going to be up first to make breakfast. I am supposed to be going to Moniave folk festival near Thornhill Dumfries on Fri 9th -sun 11th May it would be nice if you could call in on your way up. Im am sure you would enjoy it. I have got a ticket for The Bearded Theory Festival starting on the 22nd May so I will have to get back for that. I would like to do the Islands but will have to see how it goes.
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Post by Firefox on Feb 3, 2014 12:07:50 GMT
I have done this map, Mary, which I hope helps. It is not set in stone, just suggested, but we would probably be at Oban about the 17th/18th/19th and then do the Islands 18th to 25th. So you could come up until Oban and then that would leave you plenty of time to get back for Bearded Theory. If anyone has any suggestions to the route feel free to add. Possible excursions at extra cost to Mull or Jura, but I have a feeling what is shown will be plenty if not more than plenty for the time.
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Post by billieblue on Feb 3, 2014 12:09:33 GMT
Hi Vernon where did you get the map/route from or have you devised it. We have to go to Skye! I could do it alone if need be would muchly prefer to do it with others. I'm glad that we're sterling to plan, getting all excited now......Tom will be pleased as he's been waiting for this
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Post by billieblue on Feb 3, 2014 12:10:06 GMT
Posts crossed!
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Post by marymc on Feb 3, 2014 12:12:21 GMT
I don't know what other people think about this idea. I think it would be a shame to rush through the route you have suggested Vernon. Especially the Kintyre Peninsula it is a lovely drive down to the Mull of Kintyre and Campbeltown it has plenty of places to park up and it was fairly quiet when I went a few years ago. I agree Applecross and Torridon are fantastic but it would be a shame not to spend a bit more time exploring, doing a bit of walking and chilling around the islands and surrounding area. I am not sure what the Island Hopper costs but the added expense of driving up to Applecross would add to the cost, which seems to be an issue for some people. If anyone wants a mountain fix the drive back down from Oban via the Rest and be Thankful to Inveraray and Arrochar to Loch Lomond would satisfy that.
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Post by Firefox on Feb 3, 2014 12:14:39 GMT
Hi Vernon where did you get the map/route from or have you devised it. We have to go to Skye! I could do it alone if need be would muchly prefer to do it with others. I'm glad that we're sterling to plan, getting all excited now......Tom will be pleased as he's been waiting for this No problem. Skye is part of the itinerary. Would suggest 2-3 days there. It depends if we want to stay in Glencoe, or other places people may want to stop. As I said, could also do Mull or Jura by booking another ferry, but in all honesty that may be too rushed. Edit: marymc Carol definitely wants to do Skye, as we missed it last year. So if we do Skye, may as well do Applecross. We also missed Torridon area and could have spent more time on Applecross peninsula but were constrained by possible festival influx at Applecross. ( Island Hopper cost depends on length of van and passengers but approx £200 for one person and van <6m )
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Post by billieblue on Feb 3, 2014 12:18:54 GMT
Whereabouts is Arisaig, Mary. Went there years ago and was amazing. Was once voted into the top ten beaches in the world!
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Post by marymc on Feb 3, 2014 12:23:29 GMT
If you want to go to Skye Carol I am up for going there too, I have been quite a few times but that could be another suggestion for a trip. As I said in my previous post it is a shame to rush through places and not take time to enjoy the journey just to reach a destination.
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Post by cardmaker on Feb 3, 2014 12:36:24 GMT
Hi,we are up for the touring bit but will leave the islands for now and I want to go to the Scottish Highland meet so will head off there when you all leave for the islands. Really looking forward to this because Scotland was top of my list of travelling this year
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Post by gaz on Feb 3, 2014 12:40:43 GMT
sod that mary sleep in till late quick breakfast rush off in a cloud of dust fly round the lanes to the next pub for the night ...what could be better if angie would let me..... doubt she would be in a rush if she seen a seal or a dolphin we could be therre all week
my feet are too itchy to stand still to long i yearn to travel ...i gather no moss but would love to take ang to the moray firth to photograph the dolphins porpoises and seals n polar bears tho ...they float by on stray icebergs but she doesnt believe me
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Post by gaz on Feb 3, 2014 12:47:34 GMT
Arisaig looks a canny place billieblue gonna check that place out some time never heard of it before...nice one
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Post by Firefox on Feb 3, 2014 12:48:32 GMT
It will also be possible to join us at Fort William or Oban, if people wanted to cut down on Diesel costs going too far north for example.
Based on what we did last year going up to Thurso, we will probably be saving at least £100 on fuel, and also once we get to Oban, the touring diesel wont be great the second week, as the boat will be doing most of that for us. So although we are spending on a ferry hopper ticket, the cost will only be about £50 more than last year.
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Post by Rubbertramp on Feb 3, 2014 13:00:57 GMT
I'm in! Hope this is going to be flexible.....very flexible, like last year? I'll second what's been said about Kintyre....cycled all round it three years ago. Fabulous place! www.kintyreway.com/
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Post by marymc on Feb 3, 2014 13:13:55 GMT
sod that mary sleep in tillinlate quick breakfast rush off in a cloud of dust fly round the lanes to the next pub for the night ...what could be better if angie would let me..... doubt she would be in a rush if she seen a seal or a dolphin we could be therre all week my feet are too itchy to stand still to long i yearn to travel ...i gather no moss but would love to take ang to the moray firth to photograph the dolphins porpoises and seals n polar bears tho ...they float by on stray icebergs but she doesnt believe me You could have the best of both worlds Gaz, you could lie in, Ange can get up go seal spotting and walking with her camera. Everybody HAPPY. Then move on.
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Post by Firefox on Feb 3, 2014 13:22:51 GMT
If you want to do Arisaig, it is a bit out on a limb, so would suggest additional ferry from Skye Armadale to Mallaig. Extra ferry cost, £35 but you save 80 mile back and forth trip from Fort William, and some time too. See Green alternative below.
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Post by stonedaddy on Feb 3, 2014 13:27:25 GMT
Meeeee please. Tour any way round, stay anywhere we can fit, eat smokies if anyone knows where they do them. I go where the Wild Goose goes. I may even carry on and do the tour you all did last year up north at the end of our allotted time of our tour. I did try last year but slipping clutch cut it short. Ooots mon lets go .... .... Tom ....
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Post by billieblue on Feb 3, 2014 13:38:03 GMT
Shall we arrange a mini meet for our convoy? Obviously somewhere as equidistant as possible ( excluding Rubbertramp's neck of the woods!)
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Post by Firefox on Feb 3, 2014 13:45:55 GMT
I don't mind a meet for this but if we have a rough itinerary, some things can be decided on the tour itself. If not everyone wants to do Islay/Arran and have the extra ferry cost, they can leave at Oban, tour down the Mull and we could meet up at near Kennacraig/Tabert area for a day. See yellow route below:
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Post by donkeytoo on Feb 3, 2014 14:32:23 GMT
I'm in! Hope this is going to be flexible.....very flexible, like last year? I'll second what's been said about Kintyre....cycled all round it three years ago. Fabulous place! www.kintyreway.com/Irish man thought mull o kintyre was getting a flat on the motorway
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Post by robmac on Feb 3, 2014 15:24:27 GMT
Meeeee please. Tour any way round, stay anywhere we can fit, eat smokies if anyone knows where they do them. I go where the Wild Goose goes. I may even carry on and do the tour you all did last year up north at the end of our allotted time of our tour. I did try last year but slipping clutch cut it short. Ooots mon lets go .... .... Tom .... I'll ave some of that Tom, Arbroath Smokies, lovely jubbly. Count me in.
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Post by Firefox on Feb 3, 2014 16:38:26 GMT
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Post by landydriver on Feb 3, 2014 20:00:44 GMT
Kyle to Fort Willian is a bit boring.... Better to go the green route along A830 Mallaig - Glenfinnan - Fort William road more touristy stuff Glenfinnan Monumen, harry potters (Glenfinnan)viaduct - time it right you'll see the steam train, Neptune's Staircase at Fort wiliam or if you have time to kill www.westcoastrailways.co.uk/jacobite/Jacobite_Details.html If you wanted to see Fort Willian - Kyle on the way up you could cut accross the A86 from Dalwhinnie on the A9 up through Fort Augustus to Invermoriston give you a chance to monster hunt You wouldn't miss much on the Inverness - west road it is rather boring aswell.
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Post by Firefox on Feb 3, 2014 20:27:10 GMT
Kyle to Fort Willian is a bit boring.... Better to go the green route along A830 Mallaig - Glenfinnan - Fort William road more touristy stuff Glenfinnan Monumen, harry potters (Glenfinnan)viaduct - time it right you'll see the steam train, Neptune's Staircase at Fort wiliam or if you have time to kill www.westcoastrailways.co.uk/jacobite/Jacobite_Details.html If you wanted to see Fort Willian - Kyle on the way up you could cut accross the A86 from Dalwhinnie on the A9 up through Fort Augustus to Invermoriston give you a chance to monster hunt You wouldn't miss much on the Inverness - west road it is rather boring aswell. Yes, I was thinking of doing Kyle to Fort William in a days travel and not really stopping, we went that way last year. It's not totally boring - Eilean Donan Castle, for example, which we missed last year has nice views across the lochs, but I would prefer to pay the £35 on the ferry go via Mallaig and Arisaig which looks a really great stretch of coastline and I haven't been there before.
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Post by billieblue on Feb 3, 2014 20:44:45 GMT
Am getting soooooo excited just reading about it! There's a folk festival at Moniaive, near Dumfries on 9th, 10,and 11 th too. Would be a great start to the holiday but probably not practicable. So who is on this convoy then besides me, Vernon, Tom, Mark and hopefully Anne?
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Post by Rubbertramp on Feb 3, 2014 20:47:35 GMT
but I would prefer to pay the £35 on the ferry go via Mallaig and Arisaig which looks a really great stretch of coastline and I haven't been there before. This Bottom bit of Skye isn't pretty but quite wild though.....mostly moorland. When you get to the end of the A851 the right turn to the bridge isn't pretty either but.....has the treat of Saucy Mary's Bar and Lodge at Kylakin with plenty of overnight parking across the road.
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