paharr Posted February 13, 2011 Share Posted February 13, 2011 Hi My wife and I are real newbies .. having recently bought our first 'van .. a Sussex Duo .. ( .. a van conversion similar to the AS Warwick .. 6m in length and 2.3m wide) .. For it's maiden voyage we will be taking it to the Isle of Skye .. somewhere we have both always wanted to visit .. When carefully checking out the map whilst planning our trip .. it would appear there are some very narrow roads on the island .. My query is .. are there any that our motorcaravanning colleagues are aware of .. ( .. bearing in mind the size of our van) .. that we should try to avoid ..? Many thanks for your help and guidance Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rupert123 Posted February 13, 2011 Share Posted February 13, 2011 paharr - 2011-02-13 5:13 PM Hi My wife and I are real newbies .. having recently bought our first 'van .. a Sussex Duo .. ( .. a van conversion similar to the AS Warwick .. 6m in length and 2.3m wide) .. For it's maiden voyage we will be taking it to the Isle of Skye .. somewhere we have both always wanted to visit .. When carefully checking out the map whilst planning our trip .. it would appear there are some very narrow roads on the island .. My query is .. are there any that our motorcaravanning colleagues are aware of .. ( .. bearing in mind the size of our van) .. that we should try to avoid ..? Many thanks for your help and guidance Peter A lot of the roads on Skye are like the whole NW corner of Scotland, narrow with passing places. However because there are very few things, like dry stone walls, this is not a problem and providing you look ahead and co-operate with others you will be fine. Incidently a good article in March MMM Magazine about Skye which will give you an insight. Some good campsites, do not know about camping in laybys etc we do not do it but others may help here. Incidently it may be wise to post this thread in the main motorhome forum a lot more people read that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbarian Posted February 13, 2011 Share Posted February 13, 2011 Hi paharr, welcome to the forum. We went to Scotland for a six week tour in Sept. Oct. 2008 and included a trip to Skye. Unfortunately the campsite was closed, but we stayed three nights and 'wildcamped'. First and last nights were on a car park at Broadford opposite the Skye Police Station and a row of shops with very nice fish and chips! There is a fair sized supermarket close by as well. The other night we spent in a gap in the cliffs on the North West corner of the Island. One of the quietest and most peaceful nights we had, I think we counted four vehicles passing by from 6pm to 8am. If it is very windy they do close the bridge over the Kyle of Lochalshe which is the only way on to the Isle! Hope this helps, enjoy the trip. barbarian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rupert123 Posted February 13, 2011 Share Posted February 13, 2011 Barbarian - 2011-02-13 5:39 PM Hi paharr, welcome to the forum. We went to Scotland for a six week tour in Sept. Oct. 2008 and included a trip to Skye. Unfortunately the campsite was closed, but we stayed three nights and 'wildcamped'. First and last nights were on a car park at Broadford opposite the Skye Police Station and a row of shops with very nice fish and chips! There is a fair sized supermarket close by as well. The other night we spent in a gap in the cliffs on the North West corner of the Island. One of the quietest and most peaceful nights we had, I think we counted four vehicles passing by from 6pm to 8am. If it is very windy they do close the bridge over the Kyle of Lochalshe which is the only way on to the Isle! Hope this helps, enjoy the trip. barbarian Ian their are at least half a dozen sites on Skye I know of and three ferries in addition to the bridge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted February 13, 2011 Share Posted February 13, 2011 Hi Peter and welcome to the forum. Have no fear we have been to Skye many times always with coachbuilt vans and I have never yet found a road where I couldn't pass or turn round - however some were quite tight and care is needed - and experience helps. Have you considered taking your van to an empty car park and practising turning and reversing it - that's what I did many years ago? You could use empty plastic milk containers full of water as markers that way no damage when you get it wrong! However I dare say that by the time you've negotiated your way through the Highlands to Skye you will have built up a lot more natural confidence! Midgies are a bigger menace than the roads! Don't worry - just go for it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted February 13, 2011 Share Posted February 13, 2011 Hi paharr A lot of the roads in NW Scotland are single track, with passing places, but as long as you take your time, and look ahead to see people coming in the opposite direction, you should have no problems. The traffic is much lighter up there. Have a good trip p.s. and we've not often seen any midges ! ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted February 13, 2011 Share Posted February 13, 2011 Welcome. If you're not used to a vehicle of such a size, you'll no doubt have to get used to it and build your confidence, but there is little to worry about on Skye (other than possibly a few very minor dead-end roads which shouldn't attract you anyway). There are a few (much less than when I first visited) of the "main" roads that are still single track, but if you take it easy, and use the passing places for what they were intended, then you'll be OK and also get the chance to see the scenery as well. TBH, I'd much rather drive on a single-track road with passing places, than a narrow two-way. Parking in a minority of places can be a problem even in a car (Elgol, for instance, is worth visiting but was always a problem in the past - but haven't been for some time). White-van man gets almost everywhere, so in reality not a lot of problems. Skye (and much of the NW of Scotland) is absolutely amazing when the weather is good, and pretty abysmal when it isn't. It's worth taking the chance, and I hope it is good for you. Enjoy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted February 13, 2011 Share Posted February 13, 2011 Mastering the art of reversing back along a hilly narrow twisty lane is definitely a bonus worth achieving and it has made my touring life so much easier and relaxed because I know that wherever I go forwards I can get out backwards and because of this I am not afraid of no through roads - well not as afraid as I used to be anyway! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbarian Posted February 13, 2011 Share Posted February 13, 2011 Hi Rupert, I bow to your greater knowledge and thank you. Only been the once to Skye and apart from Broadford kept away from the towns. I really should do my research before setting off on these trips!! As the saying goes, a little knowledge can be dangerous! :$ :$ To paharr, I apologise for any confusion I may have caused, but the good news is this forum has such a wealth of knowledge that most questions are answered fully, all mine have! I did look at some Ferry Operators for the Islands, but not Skye, in the Tourist Info. places but they all seemed to be very expensive and I must admit going on a ferry to Skye never occurred to me. The bottom line is do go to Skye, it is a great place to visit, we never had any problems with the roads or traffic in our Swift Sundance, Scotland is very welcoming. barbarian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paharr Posted February 14, 2011 Author Share Posted February 14, 2011 Hi Many thanks for your help and guidance on this matter .. I have printed off your reply and placed it on our Skye file ..! Thanks to you we can now feel much more comfortable about the trip ..! Cheers paharr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macca59 Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 Thanks to all too We have found all your comments usefull as we are planningon going to Skye in July. Hope you have a great time paharr maybe we will meet :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 IIRC there was only one road we came across that might cause problems, and then only for larger coach builts, that was the mountain road from Staffin to Uig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 colin - 2011-02-14 9:11 PM IIRC there was only one road we came across that might cause problems, and then only for larger coach builts, that was the mountain road from Staffin to Uig. I don't think it's that bad a road, Colin. Whilst it's single track, and has a couple of good bends on it at the steepest part, there is plenty of clearance, and through these you can see reasonably well to the next passing place. If you're at all into walking, it's worthwhile doing as it gives the easiest access to the Quirang, which is fairly unique in landscape, and is an easy stroll from the top of the road. I had a quick look on Google Streetview to see if it had changed much (it hasn't), and I note there is a Trigano 'van conversion in the car park at the top of the bends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackfingers Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 Not knowing your starting point, but one thing worth a mention is the lack of petrol stations. Do keep you fuel tank topped up. Once above Glasgow (or Edinburgh) the garages are few and far between - if you are used to them every few miles like us softy southerners. Do visit Uig if you can, nice simple campsite there with great views, the ferries to Harris, and a super little brewery by the pier. Ian L. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.