Holm, Scotland to Wemyss Bay, Scotland
When I planned the itinerary for the Scotland trip, I knew we’d eventually need to drive south. While debating the best way to do this, we agreed to do most of the drive in one long day. Google Maps estimated around 9 hours, so I knew we were in for the adventure.
Drives of this length in the United States are normal. I have been on the road for 10 to 12 hours plus in a day many times, so this distance seemed doable. I also knew that I had Wayne as a secondary driver, so I figured that we would be in decent shape. Also, thanks to the long days of the early Scottish summer, I knew we’d have daylight on the drive to our destination.
For the first leg of the journey, we had to catch the first ferry of the day from St. Margaret’s Hope. If we missed the 7:45 ferry, our next option off the island was at 11:30, which would have meant arriving much later in southern Scotland. The first part of the drive was a pleasant 20-minute drive across the Churchill Barriers and five islands. The good thing about the ferry was that it broke up the driving, let us grab breakfast, and still let us cover some miles.
We arrived back in Great Britain around 9:00 AM, but knew we needed to head south. Much like the long drive north, there weren’t many places to stop, so the best thing to do was start subtracting the miles. Could we have stopped and taken in some scenery? Sure, but instead we tried to get as close to Loch Ness as possible before making too many stops. With only a stop to buy some Diesel fuel and a pull-over for a kid who had to go potty, we drove pretty hard to the town of Drumnadrochit, where we stopped for lunch and a quick visit to Urquhart Castle.
The castle was a great stop on a very busy day in the Scottish Highlands, but we needed to continue heading south. For a long time, we continued down the A82 parallel to Loch Ness. We drove through the town of Fort Augustus and south through the Highlands, where we made another stop at the Commando Memorial. The Memorial is a great tribute to the elite troops who first trained near this area. Next, we reached the town of Fort William, another place to stop, but we decided to keep heading south, sticking to the A82. The drive from Glencoe to Loch Lomond is one of Scotland’s most scenic, and visitors should take advantage by pulling over at least once or twice to enjoy the scenery that makes Scotland a bucket-list travel destination.
Still, we needed to push onwards, and we made our next stop at Loch Lomond. By now, we all could use a little time to use the restroom and stretch our legs. Loch Lomond was a great park and a great’ destination, but unlike the people having picnics, we knew we needed a bite to eat. After a hard day of travel, we opted for some authentic Scottish food: McDonald’s. Seriously, on a road trip, it’s perfectly fine to reach for something familiar or comforting. We also knew we could get in and out of McDonald’s and keep driving south. For now, we had to drive east towards Glasgow before we could cross the River Clyde. The rest of our drive was through the Glasgow suburbs to our final destination of Wemyss Bay. With over 320 miles of driving and a full day of driving, we were very happy to check into our Victorian-era Airbnb on the Scottish coast.
We made the drive because we had to, but ultimately, it was a lot of driving for one day. However, when you plan your own trip, you have to ask: would you rather take your time and spend the night in multiple locations, or push through and spend multiple nights in one location? Both approaches have advantages and disadvantages, but while the drive was gorgeous, I would have liked to spend more time at some of the locations. When travelers plan their own itineraries, it is important to build a trip around their preferences.
