Motoring Discussion > Route Advice - Skye to Northampton Miscellaneous
Thread Author: Bromptonaut Replies: 12
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New Mon 7 Jun 10 16:12 
 Route Advice - Skye to Northampton - Bromptonaut
Can anyone advise best (quickest) route from Uig (Skye) to Northampton?. Its return from a Hebrides holiday where the aim is to get from ferry to home and bed ASAP.

Leave Uig around 14:00. Three drivers so breaks not an issue.

The sections from Uig to the A87/A887 junction by Loch Cluanie and use of M74/M6/M1 are givens. It’s that bit in between that could possibly be improved.

I’ve habitually followed the A87 and A82 via Fort William to Crianlarich then either the A82 to the Erskine Bridge or A85/A84 through Callender to Stirling and the M80. This time we followed the Callender route (delays advised down Lomond side) and made exactly 12 hours including about an hour of stops.

Some have suggested using either the A887/A82 to Inverness or the A86/A889 with the objective of getting onto the A9 for a faster run south. However no mapping package suggests going anywhere near the A9 and I cannot see how the added miles on either route can be justified.

Thanks in advance!!
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Mon 7 Jun 10 at 16:13
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New Mon 7 Jun 10 16:21 
 Route Advice - Skye to Northampton - Auristocrat
We go to Skye each May and for the last few years have used the A84 through Callander and Stirling (where we stop overnight) and then the M80 . Most traffic still uses the A82 to Erskine Bridge so the A84 tends to be quieter.
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New Mon 7 Jun 10 16:25 
 Route Advice - Skye to Northampton - Mapmaker
>>The use of M74/M6/M1 is a given.

It shouldn't be.

At Penrith you should cross to the A1 by the A66. This avoids the Preston to Stoke section of the M6.

The A9 isn't that fast if you're in a long queue of caravans.


(FWIW Google reckons that going A9 adds only 13 minutes and 20 miles - but no doubt you've seen that too.)
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New Mon 7 Jun 10 16:44 
 Route Advice - Skye to Northampton - Bromptonaut
>> >>The use of M74/M6/M1 is a given.
>>
>> It shouldn't be.
>>
>> At Penrith you should cross to the A1 by the A66. This avoids the Preston
>> to Stoke section of the M6.

On this journey we don't cross the border until around 21:30 and it's usually a Satruday so Preston to MCR should be clear. However I'm not sure I'd have thought of A1/A66 and it would be worthwhile in the opposite direction if the traffic were as bad as on the way north on Friday 28 May.

Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Mon 7 Jun 10 at 16:45
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New Mon 7 Jun 10 16:55 
 Route Advice - Skye to Northampton - Mapmaker
On a Friday I'd say there's no choice. The A1 is a most gloriously underused road.
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New Mon 7 Jun 10 16:26 
 Route Advice - Skye to Northampton - Skoda
The crianlarich route is my default and i live just where the M74 begins to turn south, i.e. where you'd be looking to join it.

My friend (who's brother lives in Skye that we visit) swears by the M80 route. The roads are better on the M80 route but it's not as interesting to look at, its always been slower for us. I'm biased though... i love the route up through and past Crianlarich.

I'm not sure about the A9, to be honest it's not really a faster road past north of Perth heading for inverness (or the return route) long stretches of good quality road but single file with plenty of caravans and only goes dual carriageway every so often. That being said plenty of good places to stop but you've said that's not a concern.

My 2p worth :-P
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New Mon 7 Jun 10 17:26 
 Route Advice - Skye to Northampton - Iffy
Bromptonaut,

A viable alternative to M6/M1 is M6/A66/A1(M)/M18/M1.

I reckon there would not be a great deal in it.

So your original thoughts are spot on - it's the section across Scotland where the real time savings/losses will be made.
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New Mon 7 Jun 10 20:10 
 Route Advice - Skye to Northampton - BobbyG
Brompton, if it was me, I would keep an open mind until you are leaving. Depending on when your journey is, the roads you suggest are all prone to summer accidents that can cause horrendous delays.

A82 up past Loch Lomond can be terrible with roadworks although it is a nice drive if you are in no rush. Loads of roadworks just now (SPECS controlled allegedly) on the A/M80. If there is a breakdown or accident within them you are snookered. And similar on A9, the dual carriageway sections are OK but with a lot of foreigners taking this main road North during the summer, regular accidents are a common occurence and rarely (sadly) are they minor bumps.
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New Mon 7 Jun 10 20:17 
 Route Advice - Skye to Northampton - Bellboy
its a long way on a push iron
have you considered putting bike on the train? with yourself
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New Tue 8 Jun 10 09:21 
 Route Advice - Skye to Northampton - tyro
Do NOT use the A9.

For a start, Google maps suggests that it will take longer.

In addition, it's not usually a fast road, except in the middle of the night.

And if you were to go via Inverness, you would hit Inverness at about 5 p.m. And Inverness traffic at rush hour can be terrible. Going by Inverness would probably add a full hour to your journey.
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New Tue 8 Jun 10 10:28 
 Route Advice - Skye to Northampton - Bromptonaut
Thanks for advice so far.

I should have made clear that this annual journey is on a saturday so rush hour/weekday commercial traffic are largely absent. When we've crossed back to Ullapool we've found the A9 a fast run where the major problem was staying under the speed limit!!

I'm beginnig however to suspect it's a marginal case and that as Fort William's Morrisons provides a convenient feeeding and refuelling point I might as well stick with what broadly works.
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New Tue 8 Jun 10 11:33 
 Route Advice - Skye to Northampton - tyro
"this annual journey is on a saturday so rush hour/weekday commercial traffic are largely absent."

Saturday afternoon should be a lot better. Still, one never knows. Inverness traffic has been getting slowly worse over the past 10 years, and can be quite bad at the most surprising times.

When we've crossed back to Ullapool we've found the A9 a fast run

And of course going over the Kessock Bridge and straight south on the A9 is the quickest way of getting through Inverness. Coming in on the A82 means you have to go through the middle of town.

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New Tue 8 Jun 10 12:54 
 Route Advice - Skye to Northampton - Zhukov
I travel to and from Skye quite a bit and find that it is quicker to follow the signs for Ft William then take the A86 and cut accross to Dalwhinnie on the A9 and then on to Perth joing the M9 / M80 on to Glasgow.

The A86 is a great drive and at night the traffic is very light and not much heavier in the daytime. It gets quite narrow in bits as well.

Computer routes don't really suggest this way as on paper it takes longer but you will be spat out at Glasgow at the right side for heading south and the A82 is a drag at night as it is very limited for overtaking oppertunities.
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