Tips on planning a few days in Scotland in very early January?

I need some Scotland trip-planning advice please! We've decided to go on a last-minute trip to Scotland in early January. I was hoping to go up the west coast a little bit, and then head over to John O' Groats, before coming back down along the east coast. However, we'll only have around 5 days and the weather is bound to slow us as well.

So I'm now thinking one of two options...

Trip 1...

Manchester to Fort William
Stay a day or so here and visit the Ballachulish area as well as there's a couple of film locations I want to visit (I'm sad like that!)
Head to Skye for a couple of days
Head back down to Manchester

Trip 2...

Manchester to Edinburgh
Lossiemouth/Inverness area for a couple of days
John O' Groats and Sutherland area for a day or so, before heading back down to Manchester via, arm, somewhere

I think the first option would be less driving and therefore more relaxing, but I've always wanted to do the whole tourist thing and see Loch Ness and John O' Groats even though I've heard people say there are much nicer places to visit :eagerness:

I'll be in an AWD car and will most likely fit winter tyres for the trip, but if roads are closed, that won't help etc. Any advice is appreciated.

I went to uni in Glasgow and did various (camping and sofa surfing) trips around Scotland. Here are my recommendations (in no particular order):

-Anstruther
-Aviemore
-Oban
-Skye
-Glasgow

Unless you have a burning desire, I would avoid Edinburgh to be honest. Touristy, expensive. Glasgow is the real city and recently voted top European destination for 2016 or something to that effect.

If you're venturing up the west coast don't forget the Applecross peninsula (and the highest road in Scotland, proper alpine switchbacks) and Torridon..stunning

We went to Edinburgh between Christmas and New Year a few years ago and had a great time (even if the zoo did screw us around and mean we never got to see the Pandas!)

It was, though, very chilly, so wear something warm!

M.

I love both Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Head up the west coast from Glasgow past Loch Lomond on the A82 into the Trossachs then up to Fort William. Can't go wrong with that route and you will see some fantastic country. You might want to nip across to Loch Katrine and have a go on the boat. (think Rob Roy's grave is around there from memory) You'll swing past Glencoe ( amazing scenery) on the way to Fort William.

When I was last up there many years ago there was a marked forest trail drive in the trossachs national park near the visitor centre that we came across by accident and was magical to drive through.

Be warned that the road up to glencoe whilst well maintained can be near impassable at that time of year if its snowing ( they sometimes even shut the road). It will likley be pishing doon the entire time...and freezing.

Head for Stranraer and then hug the west coast all the way up, come back inland via Glencoe.

John O' Groats is grim although some of the beaches to the west of it are absolutely spectacular if you head back the long way.

With only 5 days unless the weather is very clear, I'd steer clear of anything relying on lots of driving - you can easily double the time you'd normally expect to travel anywhere in the highlands if there are any weather or traffic issues.

John O'Groats is really just a "I've been there" thing - not much else to see.

I'd go West coast, you could even head inland from Glasgow to Stirling on the way up as Stirling Castle and Wallace Monument are worth the look. then back across to the Trossachs, Fort William, Kyle of Lochalsh (Eilean Donan is a must - kitsch but undeniably picturesque), Applecross peninsula, Inverness then back down

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Originally Posted by Seamaster73

John O' Groats is grim

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Having started a cycle ride there a few years ago I would agree with this!

Remember that John O'Groats, despite being grim, isn't even the most Northerly point of the mainland, as most people mistakenly believe. If you want to visit the true location, it is Dunnet Head light house, which is a delightful short drive from Thurso.
The West coast is Superb IF (and it is a big if) you get the weather. It is notorious for it's Manchester like low cloud and rain. Get a nice day, and the area cannot be beat.

I wouldn't go further north than Inverness if I were you. In winter you will be lucky to have 5 hours of daylight and the drive to JoG isn't particularly scenic anyway. Wick/JoG were grim when I visited on the height of summer, can't imagine what they'll be like in January.
My advice would be Glasgow to fort William via trossachs, then you could go to Skye if you so desired failing which head to Inverness (great little city) and back down via Stirling.

You could tie in Fort William, to Fort Augustus, then down the Great Glen (Loch Ness) to Inverness.

I used to commute Inverness to Wick, which isn't a great road, and there isn't much to see. The Mrs, who is originally from the Highland area, dislikes that area so much that she refuses to go there!

I found Fort William disappointing, I'd stay nearby in Ballachullish/Glencoe area instead, it was a nice drive to Inverness and past Loche Ness but no more than a pleasant drive. I really enjoyed Oban so well worth spending some time there for fish and chips (the local chippy was reputedly the best in Scotland when I was there around 6 years ago), then off to Skye. I'd go to the Caingorms and take my ski's if it were me.

Enjoy!

My route would be:

From Glasgow, A82 around Loch Lomond, through Tyndrum, Glencoe and up to Fort William (Nevis Range gondola)
A830 to Arisaig, Morar (beautiful beaches) and Mallaig.
Back on yourself, A82 to Spean Bridge, Invergarry, A87 to Kyle of Lochalsh (Eilean Donan Castle)
B8083 to Elgol (superb view of the The Cuillin from Loch Scavaig)
A87 then A82 back to Spean Bridge, A86 to Newtonmore (Highland Wildlife Park, Cairngorms)
Back down the A9 to Stirling and home.

If you've got time you could add Inverness. I'd take the scenic route to the East of Loch Ness (B862) rather than the A82.

We've been many times in the winter and have never been stopped from going over Rannoch Moor although I appreciate they do shut the snow gates from time to time.

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Originally Posted by yumma

I found Fort William disappointing,

Enjoy!

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yes I agree the journey to it is its own reward. The place itself is somewhat meh.

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Originally Posted by Ellietwed

If you're venturing up the west coast don't forget the Applecross peninsula (and the highest road in Scotland, proper alpine switchbacks) and Torridon..stunning

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The bealach na ba will be closed that time of year

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Originally Posted by snowman

We went to Edinburgh between Christmas and New Year a few years ago and had a great time (even if the zoo did screw us around and mean we never got to see the Pandas!)

It was, though, very chilly, so wear something warm!

M.

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I visited the zoo at the weekend, I couldn't believe what the Pandas got for their lunch.

Was it Chinese take-away?

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Originally Posted by Captainhowdy

I visited the zoo at the weekend, I couldn't believe what the Pandas got for their lunch.

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Black pudding and bacon sarnies...same as everyone else in Scotland.

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Originally Posted by Omegamanic

Was it Chinese take-away?

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Nah, just 30mins like everyone else.

In early January plan some alternative routes.:eagerness:

Thanks for all the replies! Well, except for one but thanks for all the rest :eagerness: This has been a huge help. I'm now thinking of taking the advice regarding the west coast, and Glasgow sounds a much better option than Edinburgh for that reason.

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Originally Posted by andrewcregan

You could tie in Fort William, to Fort Augustus, then down the Great Glen (Loch Ness) to Inverness.

I used to commute Inverness to Wick, which isn't a great road, and there isn't much to see. The Mrs, who is originally from the Highland area, dislikes that area so much that she refuses to go there!

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Not a great road but at that time of year better than the most of the other roads mentioned! and there are plenty of idiots who see going north an issue.


OP, Check out the North Coast 500 route and stick near the coast to miss any Snowey stuff at that time of the year, its the higher inland stuff that gets hit.
If the A9 north of Perth is OK head up to Inverness then the 500 but head for Fort William and south not back to Inverness. Probably too much driving but the west coast nort of FW is where it's at, stunning.

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Originally Posted by Gordon76

In winter you will be lucky to have 5 hours of daylight

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This, this and this again.

It'll remain dark until nearly 0900 and be pitch black around 1530 so seeing much apart from others cars' headlight is pretty restricted. You have been warned!

Follow Mr.D's suggestions above, forget everything else, just go that route.

In addition, then carry on to Skye, and an absolute must if you have another day to spare after Skye, is get the ferry at Uig, over to Harris and down to Luskentyre.

Then the same reverse route home with a stop off in Inveraray for fish and chips.

Dont waste your time with any other northern destinations or the east coast in your timescale, nothing worth seeing.

And avoid Fort william and Aviemore that are mentioned above by others, they are both s/holes

My dad lives in near Dunnet Head... even I don't go and see him in early January :-)

I think it has been covered, go a little bit west, but don't plan going too far up due to light/weather restrictions. I would even plan for a bit of Lake District as a fall back, just in case the weather is too bad as it was for me a couple of years ago. I did a photo tour of Scotland a few years ago in my Merc which is still a thread on here somewhere but that was in summer.

Jon

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Originally Posted by GraniteQuarry

This, this and this again.

It'll remain dark until nearly 0900 and be pitch black around 1530 so seeing much apart from others cars' headlight is pretty restricted. You have been warned!

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Thanks but this is actually good for me, as part of the reason I want to get up there is for photography.I'm used to 4am starts with sunrise so 9am suits me down to the ground :eagerness:

Do take a sharp crisp wide angle lens - looking forward to the pics :)

Personally, at that time of the year I would stick to exploring the south west, Wicker Man country, which is always a little warmer with its weird micro climate.

My two simple tips:

1. Give yourself 50% extra journey time. If you think it'll take an hour, allow 90 minutes.

2. Take plenty of paracetamol with you. You'll probably have a headache every day from the constant use of the wipers.

I know I should be looking for a kinder climate but I also just fancy this type of trip, so it'll be Scotland for sure. I'll do my best with the photos :eagerness:

I drive up that way to go snowboarding at Glencoe and Nevis a fair bit during the winter and it's actually pretty rare that you will get impassable roads in January. You are far more likely to see snow in late February or March from my 15+ years experience of driving up that way in winter. Only once have I done the journey in a 4wd and last year was the first I had winter tyres (on a RWD car) and I've never had to abandon the car or the journey. Worst snow I ever had to drive in was on the East coast. It was still doable, it just took several hours longer.

In saying all that. it would still be wise to have a plan B that doesn't involve driving up through the mountains just incase. Weather up here is unpredictable at best.