United Kingdom to United Kingdom
No ferries, no vignettes, and some of the best single track driving in Europe waiting at the end of the A9.
Direct
850 km
528.2 mi
Scenic route
1050 km
652.4 mi
Days
2
about 8.9 hr direct
Tolls
£5
one way, per car
The drive
London to Fort William or Inverness is about 850 km. Most people do it in one very long day, but breaking it in the Lake District or Northumberland turns the transfer into part of the trip.
The moment the drive changes is Glencoe. From there the roads stop being about progress and start being about the driving itself.
The Highlands ask for fuel planning more than money. Stations get scarce north of Ullapool and many close early.
May, June and September. Midge season peaks in July and August.
Worth the detour
Glen Coe, Scottish Highlands
Glencoe Road
A sweeping run through Rannoch Moor beneath the brooding Buachaille Etive Mor.
9.4 / 10 · 30 km
Applecross, Scottish Highlands
Bealach na Ba
Britain's highest road climbs via hairpins to a wild moonscape pass above Applecross.
9.9 / 10 · 18.5 km
Wester Ross, Scotland
Applecross Coast Road
A lochside single track with views straight across to Skye and the Cuillins.
9.4 / 10 · 25 km
Sutherland, Scotland
Kylesku to Durness
A remote NC500 highlight of sea lochs, switchbacks and empty moorland roads.
9.3 / 10 · 45 km
Where to break the drive
Lake District
Hardknott and Wrynose if you want to break the run properly.
Glencoe
The gateway to the north west and worth a night on its own.
Applecross
Over the Bealach na Ba, with the inn at the bottom.
Questions
About 850 km, roughly 528.2 miles, by the most direct route. The scenic version described here runs closer to 1050 km.
Around 8.9 hours of driving on the direct route, which most people split over two days. The scenic route takes 2 days without rushing.
Budget about £5 one way per car in tolls, vignettes and crossings, before fuel and hotels.
May, June and September. Midge season peaks in July and August.
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