Road trip to Scotland, fuel woes
 

Next month we are taking the Scooby on a road trip to the North West of Scotland.

We want to has some driving fun the Applecross etc. the spanner in the works may be the lack of Shell V Power anywhere north of Inverness.

Really don't want to be driving around like a granny because I am permanently low on fuel.

Considering ordering:

Millers octane booster, although 1 bottle only treats 20L, so would need three bottle per tank. I really don't want to carry bottles & bottles of the stuff around in the back of the car.

NF Nitrous formula from ASP seems a better bet as it can treat up to 300L of fuel although I can find nothing which gives more accurate dosage levels, to bring 95 RON up to 99 RON

Bardahl Octane Booster one 300ml can per 60L tank, so a few cans would allow me to drive wherever I can find 95 RON.

Any thoughts.

Oh I should say 2010 WRX STi completely standard, even down to the original engine!

Thanks in advance.

D

Just watch scotch corner there is a yellow camera van hiding along it just a heads up fella. You may not head that way but best have the info anyway.

Enjoy your trip it i done it friday morning.

Why do you have to fill with just 95, if caught short? Surely most other stations will sell a 97 brand?

If so, fill up with that after first adding a third of a bottle of NF to it, which is supposed to add 20 points or 2 full RON (per 50 litres), ergo making it into 99 RON.

Take 2 or 3 bottles, and you'll be good for 6 or 9 50L fill ups, respectively.

Jobs a good un.

P.S. Don't forget Tesco Momentum 99, too.

Alot of the filling stations only have 95RON out in the sticks :D

Did Applecross back in April on Scottish Scoobies/SIDC Highland Fling weekend.

Take some Millers or preferred booster, but 98RON available in Ullapool.

:thumb:

In that case, need to add two thirds of NF to 50L of 95. ;)

Thanks everyone.

Going to take a couple of bottles of booster, but following Don saying Ullapool have 98RON I found Ullapool filing station is supplied by a company called Gleaner Oils.

Gleaner supply a chain of filling stations in the Highlands & Islands of Scotland, I have emailed them hopefully they will be able to supply a list of filling stations which stock 98RON.

This probably means I shall head up the A82 rather than the A9 (Shell & Tesco available in Inverness)

Will post the list if / when I get one

I can now look forward to Applecross.

Thanks again.

D

:cool:

Did you get anywhere with this? I'm planning much the same for spring next , and my car is mapped for 99RON. I can cope with 98RON, but 95 is out of the question. Best I can see otherwise is to use use the Inverness area as a base, and head west. But I'd prefer to travel up the west coast.

Its Scotland not Mars lol ,Use Tesco Momentum 99 ron type in Inverness

http://www.tesco.com/storeLocator/pe...g-stations.asp

I have the shell app and tells you were the gatages are

Thank you. Now re-read the bit where I said that I knew about Inverness, but preferred to travel up the west coast. There question was not: where can I buy 99RON in Scotland, but where can I buy it north-west Scotland. Inverness is not in the north west, and is a fair way from where I plan to travel.

Gleaner's website shows the locations of stations and where super is stocked. In the northwest the stations offering super are Fort William, Kyle of Lochalsh near Skye and Ullapool. However, Gleaner super is only 97/98RON so still advisable to use octane booster.

Thanks. Edit: that map suggests that even they don't have any Super past the Great Glen.

Apparently, Gleaner fuels is some sort of Shell derivative. Did loads of research before I took me old scoob to (my now beloved) Isle of Mull.
Got loads of info from the company, they were really helpful.

Thurso 98 ron - Gleaner
 

Hello Gents, I can confirm Gleaner do 98 ron fuel in Thurso, (used last thursday in my Mrs' 330S) you'll need to use it as you won't get up and back to Inverness on a tank of vpower or Momentum!

Most stations up that way are 95 only unfortunately so ypu're best assuming you'll be running on 95 and planning your booster supply accordingly. I usually take at least half a dozen bottles of Millers CVL Turbo with me for just this reason as I'm not dictating my journeys based on where I can get super! Fort William and Kyle (usually) both have it if you're coming up the west coast. I know you said you're not going up via Inverness but for those who are planning to run past that neck of the woods it's the Tesco on the Nairn road that has it, not the Inshes one. The Ullapool Gleaner usually has it but north of there you've only really got Thurso as someone else said.

They may not have Super but it's useful to know that the Gairloch Gleaner and the Scourie fuel station are both 24hrs. The Ullapool Gleaner shuts at 9pm (possibly even 8pm on Sunday nights) so make sure you're fueled up early when possible. Fuel in Lochinver is also very, very expensive (£1.47+ for 95Ron) so you're probably best getting it from Ullapool and then topping up in Scourie on the way past.

Edited to add that I was up there at the tail end of July and used c250 litres in the 8 days I was up, the majority of which came from Ullapool with a splash & dash in Scourie one night and another on the way back home through Gairloch when I was a bit low (I was too late the night before to catch Ullapool). My car's mapped by AndyF on Tesco99/Shell Nitro but was running the Gleaner Super which I assumed was going to be 97 at best and then just stuck in a bottle of CVL for every 40L fill I was using. I think I was about 19mpg average from the moment I left home to getting back. Not cheap but great roads, epic weather and not much traffic.

As for speed cameras you should be ok most of the way but there's a spot they sit just past Bridge of Orchy and then sometimes in the turn in to the Glencoe ski centre too. North of there you'll occasionally find random cars in the Great Glen but these are usually in summer rather than early season. Another spot you may not pass but should be careful of is the A832 between Achnasheen and Contin. I've seen them sitting there at 4pm mid December when we've been heading back from winter climbing up there so it's not time of the year dependant. Fast bit of road so very easy to lose your licence on it if you get carried away. I tend to sit below 70 between Contin and Achnaseen no matter what time of the year.

If you get a chance, try the Diabaig road. Added incentive now a cafe's opened up there, although it does somewhat ruin the tranquility of the place.

Food recommendations:
Walled Garden (Applecross, and my preferred place there)
Applecross Inn
Shieldaig Bar & Coastal Kitchen (we'll happily drive an hour+ from the croft there and back)
Badachro Inn
The Ceilidh Place (Ullapool)
The Summer Isles Hotel (Achiltibuie)
The Kylesku Hotel
The Shorehouse (Tarbet, near Scourie)

My mate's also the Sous Chef at the Torridon Hotel so that place gets a recommendation too ;)

There are other places around which are very good but I've not actually tried, and there are others that used to be good but have gone downhill in recent years. I've had one of the best meals I've ever tasted in the Drumbeg hotel but the new owners have turned it from an outstanding restaurant to a pretty scabby bar. Disappointing. The same can be said for the Rhiconich Hotel. I know this is all a bit secondary to the fuel issue but there are three things I love up there; roads, climbing and great food. The first two give a great excuse to experience plenty of the third!