Driving ambition
two ferry crossings, via Arran. That combination of inaccessibility and exposure to Atlantic weather means that only dedicated tourists arrive. Thus the new Kintyre 66 marketing (wildaboutargyll.co.uk/ visit/kintyre-and-gigha/the-kin tyre-66), which last year launched its 66-mile loop down one side and up the other.
The Mull’s two coasts are quite different. The exposed west side, which carries most of the Mull’s road traffic, has views out to the offshore island of Gigha, with Islay and Jura further out. This is a place for hardy souls in sturdy houses, plus the occasional static caravan park.
Mostly it is shaved by the wind, although there’s a great beach for surfers at Westport. Campbeltown, the handsome main town, sits over on the east side towards the tip of the peninsula, at the head of a sheltered inlet. From the size of its houses it was clearly once very prosperous, and it still attracts good crowds for its music and whisky festivals. There are three distilleries in town.
From here, the road heads back up the east coast in a more challenging, but spectacular, rollercoaster ride. Particularly worth stopping at is the beach at Saddell, complete with its 16th-century castle, where McCartney’s Mull of Kintyre video was made, and now has an Antony Gormley metal man staring out sea from the rocks.
Where to stay: Beyond Saddell is Carradale, a secluded settlement with a neat little fishing harbour and a generous beach of its own. Here there’s accommodation for all budgets, and the best is Carradales, a lavishly refurbished Victorian guesthouse with a well
The North East 250
There’s something for every Scotland-fancier in the North East 250 (northeast250.com). Coast and mountains, castles and cities, fishermen and royalty. And being on the eastern side, the weather is often less brutal – and the midges fewer – than elsewhere.
The 250-mile circuit is anchored by the granite city of Aberdeen, centre of Scotland’s oil industry. From here the coastal road heads north through Peterhead, the busiest fishing port in Scotland, home of considerable wealth, although it is mostly well hidden.
Further north and east are more diminutive fishing ports on the coast of the Moray Firth, including tiny Pennan, made famous by the film Local Hero.
Also famous out in the Firth is a resident population of bottlenose dolphins, with dedicated boat trips and a visitor centre at Spey Bay. From here the route turns inland to head up the Spey river, famous for its salmon fishing, for the popular long-distance trail the Speyside Way, and for the whisky distilleries that line its length, such as Glenfiddich, Glenlivet, Knockando and Tomintoul.
When it reaches the Cairngorms, the route slides south to Royal Deeside, location of Balmoral Castle, and ultimately to Braemar, which every year hosts its famous Highland Games. The latter is a gathering of clan chiefs, usually on the first weekend in September, and attended by members of the Royal Family staying at Balmoral.
Where to stay: The wooded glens of Speyside are between the Cairngorms and the Moray Firth. The family-run Delnashaugh Hotel sits within the grounds of the Ballindalloch Estate, and has rooms from £120. delnashaughhotel.com
The Moray Firth has a resident population of bottlenose dolphins