These are just some of the best driving routes around Scotland. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. The Cairnwell Pass is the highest main road in the United Kingdom, reaching an altitude of 670m (2199 ft). Trying to build a list of all the best driving roads in Scotland. It is the largest local government area in both Scotland and the United Kingdom as a whole. ... "The most beautiful A-road in the world", according to Telegraph Travel's Head of Print, Ben Ross. Cairnwell Pass Road Description. Pin it! The most tortuous, meandering, circuitous and deviant roads out there. It has perhaps the worst reputation of any road in Scotland and is the subject of a new BBC Scotland programme entitled Life and Death on the A9. It has been hacked back open several times in the past and route markers … It claimed another life as recently as last Sunday, the 25th of March 2014. Highland is one of Scotland’s 32 unitary council areas. The Devil's Elbow has been bypassed since the road was rerouted in the 1960s but can still be walked or cycled. The A82 is a beautiful road that slowly winds its way up along the shores of Loch Lomond before carving a thin line between the mountains of Glencoe. 2-3 days (2 hours 55 minutes driving time) Itinerary Bealach na Ba Road: One of the highest roads in Scotland - not for the faint hearted! Road trip Scotland: what you can experience on a tour of Scotland! Read more inside. Great Dun … Scotland's best scenic drives Save best scenic drives in scotland. And if you’re ready to start your Scottish adventure, we’d recommend 7 of the best road trips to take in Scotland. North Coast 500. Route: from Glenshee to Braemar. Read more. This list may not reflect recent changes (). Scotland’s answer to Route 66, the North Coast 500 is the grand tour of Scottish road trips. Running through the eastern portion of this magnificent landscape, the route owes its name to the highest public road in Britain, and boasts some of the wildest, most dramatic Highland scenery imaginable. the Bealach na Bà is just one feature on this road, being its highest point and site of several corries. Scotland’s longest and most infamous road is the 273 mile-long spine of the country. 106 likes. This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. Use the arrows to drag to fade between the old and new photographs. This 40km path can be walked only by the brave – it has fallen into disrepair and has been swallowed by the undergrowth at points. via A93. The road was also featured in the 1953 film Laxdale Hall. The historic mountain pass was built in 1822 and is engineered similarly to roads through the great mountain passes in the Alps, with very tight hairpin bends that … The Cairnwell Pass is a mountain pass on the A93 road between Glenshee and Braemar. North Coast 500 As Scotland’s answer to America’s Route 66, North Coast 500 is one of those iconic bucket list drives. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so. Learn how and when to remove this template message, Highlights of Scotland - the Bealach na Bà, Scotland: the Movie Location Guide -Laxdale Hall, Bealach na Bà, Hands on Events - organisers of Bealach na Bà cyclosportive events, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bealach_na_Bà&oldid=996612513, Articles needing additional references from December 2011, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 27 December 2020, at 17:26. This is a list of the highest paved public roads in Scotland.. Rank Height (m) Height (ft) Name Between Road number Type OS grid reference Which leads me onto the latest addition to to the list, which is very much in the same area. The land of the Scots – perfect for a little road trip! Best driving Roads in Scotland. When you think of a road trip you probably think of countries like Canada, New Zealand or Australia. The original photograph shows the Queen and Prince Philip negotiating this section of the road on their way to Balmoral. A mile south of the summit is the Devil's Elbow, a double-hairpin bend climbing at a gradient of 33 percent. The most remarkable of them is Ben Nevis (1344m), which is the highest not only in Scotland but in all of the UK. All pretty great countries but pretty far away too. At the cost of 3bn, Transport Minister Keith Brown clai… To tackle high fatalities, the road will be upgraded to a full dual carriageway. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Bealach na Bà is a winding single track road through the mountains of the Applecross peninsula, in Wester Ross in the Scottish Highlands. Pin it! It is St Duthac’s Road, named after a bishop who died in 1065. The Highest Road to Scotland. It was raised during World War II. For a fairly short yet breathtakingly beautiful and camera-worthy drive in the north west of Scotland, look no further than the zig-zag route known as the Bealach Na Ba. Top Gear shows you some of the best driving roads in Scotland. - See 941 traveller reviews, 527 candid photos, and great deals for Applecross, UK, at Tripadvisor. It has the steepest ascent of any road climb in the UK, rising from sea level at Applecross to 626 metres (2,054 ft), and is the third highest road in Scotland. the Bealach na Bà is just one feature on this road, being its highest point and site of several corries. In 1996, Highland Regional Council and the district councils were wound up and their functions were transferred to a new Highland Council. To best of my knowledge the highest tarmac road in Scotland (but not the UK) is on the Lowthers - a private road up to a radar station, with the start being near Wanlockhead. The pass follows the military road built by William Caulfeild in the 1750s and was used by drovers to take cattle and sheep to market. Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}57°25′58″N 5°45′9″W / 57.43278°N 5.75250°W / 57.43278; -5.75250. Widely regarded as one of the best driving roads in Scotland, the North Coast 500 route offers the ultimate Highlands road trip experience. The Earl and Countess of Seafield would be delighted to have you and seven of your friends as their guests for a spot of grouse shooting on … As one of Scotland’s newest routes, the North Coast 500 (or NC500 if you love a good acronym) has become increasingly popular with travellers, and for good reason. Spanning 90 miles of snow-capped peaks, rugged glens, outdoor adventures, cycling and delicious food and drink; the Snow Roads Scenic Route is a distillation of the finest elements of the Cairngorms National Park. Undiscovered Scotland entry on the Cairnwell group of Munros. From Scotland’s own Route 66 to an enthralling Sunday drive alternative, explore our guide to the most stunning Scottish road trips. Where is your favorite road? Even though it’s not a long stretch of road… The name is Scottish Gaelic for Pass of the Cattle, as it was historically used as a drovers' road. It borders Moray, Aberdeenshire, Perth and Kinross, and Argyll and Bute. Scotland's highest paved road (and the highest public road – Great Dun Fell is not open to motorists) is Cairnwell Pass, which rises to 670m. If the road looks familiar, it might be because James Bond drove it in Skyfall! Unfortunately, the road can get quite busy so you’ll have to contend with coaches, lorries and the odd boy racer. From famous road trip loops to lesser-known hidden gems – read on for 16 epic ideas for scenic road trips in Scotland. The road featured in several episodes of the television series Hamish Macbeth (much of which was filmed in nearby Plockton), which pictures it having a roadsign that indicates: "Narrow road - no more than three sheep abreast". Length of the route: 500 miles (805 km) Start and finish: Inverness. Starting in the sleepy village of Lochcarron, the A896 eventually turns into the Applecross pass as it winds its way – at almost Munro height – towards coastal serenity. Cairnwell Pass is the highest classified road and highest pass in Britain – but Scotland does boast an even higher climb at Lowther Hill. In the Scottish Highlands, you’ll inevitably come across a few mountain ranges. Route 1: North Coast 500 & Islands - 6 days. Find out more about Scottish driving routes and road trips and read our blog on 5 incredibly scenic weekend road trips. Looks like you’re planning a road trip through Scotland – go you! One of my favorite stops on this road trip was the Eileen Donan Castl… Scotland has its fair share of incredible roads to drive, and one of them has to be Cairnwell Pass. You can extend your road trip by combing it with one or more of … Read more. Bealach na Bà is a winding single track road through the mountains of the Applecross peninsula, in Wester Ross in the Scottish Highlands. For $2,900 a week, there’s a wonderful shooting vacation afore ye. Just keep your eyes on the road and don’t look down,” she cajoles. Glen Nevis: the highest mountain in Scotland; Length of road trip. Rootsy jumped onboard a Triumph Daytona 675 and covered 700 miles in search of Scotland's greatest roads. If you’re in the early stages you might find my guide to planning a trip to Scotland super useful. Pages in category "Roads in Scotland" The following 123 pages are in this category, out of 123 total. The A9 is often named as Scotland’s most dangerous highway but the dubious honour in fact goes to the A809 through Milngavie and Bearsden. Steep climbs, '… Richard Joseph. This page has been archived and is no longer updated. The Bealach, as it is known for short, is considered unsuitable for learner drivers and very large vehicles. Bealach na Ba is pronounced Bee-al-uch nu Ba(h). is the most scenic road in Scotland. Making the most of the wild beauty of the Highlands, the 500-mile loop starts in the northern city of Inverness before heading west to Applecross and then northwards towards Ullapool, before passing John O’Groats and back down to Inverness to finish. Best Scottish road trip for: castle-spotters, trendy travellers and coastal views. BBC © 2014 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. The most notorious section is an 80-mile stretch between Perth and Inverness. The Cairnwell Pass is the highest main road in the United Kingdom, reaching an altitude of 670m (2199 ft). Licensor www.scran.ac.uk. On the first day, we stopped at the Commando Memorial; a monument dedicated to the men of the original British Commando Forces. The historic mountain pass was built in 1822 and is engineered similarly to roads through the great mountain passes in the Alps, with very tight hairpin bends that switch back and forth up the hillside and gradients that approach 20%. If you’re yearning for the true flavors of Scotland, then the eastern region is the best place to have your road trip adventures. Highest point: 670 m (2199 ft) Operating times: open all year. The 70 km Bealach Beag event is in May, and the 144 km Bealach Mór is each September. Europe - 6 most scenic roads in Scotland - I have already been told by some that the road from Fort William to Mallaig (The Road to the Isles?) - See 941 traveler reviews, 527 candid photos, and great deals for Applecross, UK, at Tripadvisor. The route is often impassable in winter. East Scottish Trail. In recent years a pair of cyclosportive cycling events has been staged in the surrounding region, and over the pass. © Scottish Motor Museum Trust. Bealach na Ba Road: Highest road climb in uk, alright! 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