Personal favourite has to be Newlands Valley near Keswick, traffic willing. Also Fort William to Skye (Southern 6 car ferry, not Mallaig) route, then on to Portree.

Got a week off in July, looking for something new....

Cheers,
Steve.

 

Try and get November off and do the Tour d'Ecosse, the roads done on that are awesome.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!!

 

Practically anywhere in North Wales, but watch out for cops

 

The Snake Pass (from Bamford nr Sheffield to Glossop)

 

Cat & Fiddle Pass between Buxton & Macclesfield is one of my personal favorites, from here you can easily get on to the snake pass as well. Nice little run.

 

West Coast of Scotland. Without doubt, the best places to drive in the UK.

Nearly empty roads most of the year, fantastic scenery, and it goes on for mile after mile.

My own favourites are (south side of Loch Ness via Dores, Torness), the single track road from Lairg to Laxford Bridge (on a busy Saturday, we encountered 4 vehicles in an hour in both directions!) and from there down to Ullapool. Some of the bext mixture of roads and scenery to be had in the UK in terms of driving pleasure. As the roads are relatively empty, you can drive enthusiastically for long periods at a time, and not have to slow down/overtake cars every few seconds.

Another favourite is the road from near Kyle of Lochalsh, over to Strathcarron, and from Lochcarron through to Shieldaig/Torridon, also taking in the Applecross peninsula.

Those who have driven these roads will know what I am talking about, those that haven't will claim that there are better roads to drive on elsewhere

However, the road I'm looking forward to driving the most this year, will be the TT circuit on the Isle of Man - see www.sidc.co.uk/iom.htm The Isle of Man Government are kindly closing the mountain section for us on the Sunday morning, so we'll not encounter any other traffic on this fantastic section of tarmac

John

 

Snake Pass, via the strines. Lovely route, but best done late on a summers night with little traffic around. Theres the strines inn half way round so you can stop for a quick coke :-)

Most of the roads through the Lake District are good, particularly the A591 and A592, but don't go on a hot day you'll just get stuck behind caravans!

A172 to Stokesley on the egde of North York Moors ia nice high speed (60mph of course) road.

Lastly, defo not least, the A640 that runs between Huddersfield and Rochdale - it used to be the only route across to Manchester before the M62 was built, but now it is pretty much totally deserted. Nice run with some nice twists n turns. - I always take this route in preference to the M62 :-)

 

Wales! nuf said

 

Agree with JohnS, staying by Loch Carron this August, most evenings will involve a drive to the Applecross Inn for dinner
C

 

Get yourself to brekon (wales) simply the best, mile after mile after mile of mountain top open road, the track rairly goes out of view so you can use both lanes if you want, its a fav track for bikers on Sundays, unless its wet, then she`s all yours


Ooo did i mention the drop dead stunning scenery, and NO hedges along most of the roads, just open fields either side, so if you do spin, you just get a little dirty.


Used to live 20 min form there, and drove it every night in the summer on my bike, simply stunning, the speed you can use through the corners is amazing when you get to know the road, as you can see there is nothing coming for miles and just blat the apex.

Just dont hit a sheep, they will kill a scooby , dred to think what it would do to a bike

 

Good to hear about driving in Wales, I've only really done Snowdonia and didn;t rate it, too many walls and hedges, couldn't see any distance and was very limiting.
Chuck

 

any road while the England game is on I reckon!

 

By common consent it has to be WALES then.

Especially the middle bits til they put bloody cameras everywhere.

Chip.

 

Not too bad on the IOW. No fixed cameras either... (yet)

 

Depends on where you are really, down south Wales is hardly a sunday spin !

Hit the Surrey / West Sussex boarders up as far as Dorking towards london and heading out towards chichester or any costal town, Brighton, bognor, southampton etc... should ensure a good drive. I recommend the A25 between woking and reigate, the A281 - Guildford to horsham, and the A29 Dorking to chichester and any side roads you care to bother with off of any of the above.

Although if ya can do it Wales is definately an amazing place to drive through !!

Phill

 

Howden to Scarborough road, Whitby to Pickering (as shown in EVO), and of course a quick blat through the Limehouse Tunnel from Wapping to Canary Wharf.
All good fun!!

 

Chuck,

give me a shout before you go. Might be tempted up for a beer one night

I've got a week's holidays in the area (just a few miles form the start of the Applecross road) in July

John

 

anyone else tried hardknock / rhino's pass in the lake district?

1 in 3 i think for about half a mile...

 

Lincs lots of good and empty roads over here !


steve

 

steve,
Sorry mate, i did not check ur profile and you are in Derby !

LOL, surrey not so usefull then, just in case your lost ay !!

Cheers,

Phill

 

JohnS,

I totally agree with you re: the NW Highlands! I used to live in Kinlochewe (10 miles east along Glen Torridon) and have to say the roads are magnificent . I wasn't old enough to drive while I lived there (14 years) but I've been back up in my Golf GTI16V and can't wait to get the Scooby up there (maybe this year?).

My parents still have a house up there so if anyone is interested in staying there I could do you a deal .

See http://www.torridon-mountains.com/lochduich/index.htm

I've got some better photos taken recently with a digicam which I can email if you want. Trust me, I you like driving holidays this is the place to go!

Jamie

 

Krankyd,

Hard Knott - Yes its an enjoyable bit of road - I've often trecked up there after work for a burn - it's even more fun in winter when all the 2 wheel drives get stuck!!

Its best at around midnight, full moon etc etc.

Used to take TV & Video up there and watch horror movies... spooky stuff!

 

Wow, thanks guys.

I think my limited mileage policy just went out the window.

krankyd - didn't like Hardknot & Wrynose (spelling, whatever!), high stone walls, too many HGVs coming the other way and lots of reversing! Then again, with a couple of sindwinders mounted on the roof....

Dear Bank Manager,
About my insurance premium...

Steve.

 

Spent a week and a bit in Scotland driving all around the West Coast. Some of it is absolutely magnificent. Unbelievable.

Would go back but the drive up is knackering and I need a relaxing holiday.

Maz.

 

Fair comments guys - gotta try Wrynose & Hardnot. The two most difficult and greatest passes in The Lakes. Just a bit boring if you're stuck behind a Fiesta or the like. But, given a clear road, a Scoob's the dog's whatsits.....

 

Still think Newlands back towards Ullock (?) is better. Got 58 mph on the speedo on my mountain bike from the car park at the top. That's once I got back up off my @rse and caught up with it of course...

 

Western Scotland gets my vote, utterly incredible, and so much more of it than Wales, and best of all no Welsh to contend with when you stop for lunch/dinner/hotel ;-)

Only downside is the 400 miles of motorway to get there.

Do they still have those trains that you can put the car on in london and then unload it in Scotland? Remember them as a kid but havent seen or heard of them for years.

 

Not particularily a plug for sidc bash, but try the Isle of Man. No speed cameras, the TT circuit and no speed limits outside the towns and villages. That's right, no maximum speed limits! Beware though, speed in restricted areas and get caught and you will seriously dent your bank balance - it's just not worth it. There is also a charge of 'furious driving' if you baloon about and endanger others.
Keep this in mind and enjoy the roads that men and motors have been waxing lyrical about.
Ken

 

Corney Fell road north - towards Whitehaven, brings you out just north of Bootle on the A591, go round the S bends by the farm, and then take the small white on the right just where the A591 goes 90 left. Follow the white to the end, turn right at the T junction, go over the river, and turn right at the King george 1V (used to be called the Tattygarth in my dim and distant), it's now run by a relative, the beer and food are excellent - truly. This road is the Hardknott / Wrynose road, and will eventually bring you out in Ambleside. If you do the whole lot it's about 50 miles of intense technical driving that will exercise car and driver.

DON'T do it in school holidays, the roads will be packed with the world and his dog

 

I think Wales especially around Brecon as stated earlier. Also in the Gower.