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[Weaver]

There has been a dreadful 5-car crash in the main road north of Sligeachan heading towards Port Rìgh. A local man in a white van has died.

[burakkucat]

Link to the BBC News, Scotland: Highlands & Islands.

[psychopomp1]

Really sad news

Been a while since I was on Skye but a few weeks ago i was on the Applecross pass in the Western Highlands. Pretty scary road to drive on, which probably isn't helped by the Openreach contractors laying fibre near the top of the summit - one wrong move at the top and you can easily say goodbye to your life. Despite the stunning scenery I won't be coming back anytime soon!!

online photo hosting

[sevenlayermuddle]

Really sad news

Been a while since I was on Skye but a few weeks ago i was on the Applecross pass in the Western Highlands. Pretty scary road to drive on, which probably isn't helped by the Openreach contractors laying fibre near the top of the summit - one wrong move at the top and you get easily say goodbye to your life. Despite the stunning scenery I won't be coming back anytime soon!!

That’s a shame as I positively adore driving in remoter parts of Scotland.   It’s an opportunity to really indulge in driving skills, whilst also requiring appropriate restraint, and safe in the knowledge that most (*) other drivers are also suitably skilled and considerate.  A lot of the roads are single track, but visibility is often superb.  Passing places are well signed, and well provisioned, and generally used constructively.  Let alone the views and scenery, more appreciated by passengers.

The roads that scare me are the single track roads down south.   Planners always seem to have overlooked the need for passing places, or at least the need for signage.  And drivers seem to adopt the rule that “he who is in the biggest car, and driving the fastest, has absolute priority”.  I often breathe a sigh of relief when I get to the end of the road with door mirrors still intact.

*By “most other traffic” being skilled and considerate, I of course exclude the European camper vans, but at least they are recognisable at a distance.

[psychopomp1]

Don't get me wrong, living in North Scotland  - Inversneckie - I do enjoy driving on the rural roads. NC500 circuit being my favourite. However driving in the middle of peak tourist season on the very narrow and steep Applecross pass which is packed with camper vans/RVs is not my idea of fun. I may be tempted to do Applecross pass again in the Winter when its a lot quieter and I've got Winter tyres fitted on my A4. Hopefully by that time the residents of Applecross will have FTTC/P

[sevenlayermuddle]

Btw, love the picture.   Feeling homesick.   Might add Applecross to the route next time I’m on a Scottish holiday, though you’ve scared me enough I might do some research first.

My own all time favourite is the so called “Golden road” around southern tip of Harris.  So far as I recall it is mostly National speed limit but single track, very hilly and twisty, and you are unlikely to exceed 20mph for any distance.  Yet it is an ‘A’ road, A859.  Sheer driving bliss.

PS:  checking my facts, not sure from Google Maps, the A859 might peter out at Rodel, just before the good bit starts.

[Weaver]

I have stayed in Applecross and did the Bealach na Bà a lot of times. Had a 205GTI 1.9 back then, as my Mr2 had just been stolen. When I stopped driving I sold my Porsche 997S gen ii (2wd) for peanuts. Should have bought the 4wd version, which I also test drove but didn't quite like it as much, having had a 4wd car before I should have stuck with 4wd. Mrs Weaver has a Land Rover Disco 4.4 now, a huge monster. I now have a last model pristine MR2 mk1 1989 under a cover because I can't drive any more.

Last time i did the Nealach na Bà was in a 1963 land rover.

I have done that road where the crash happened hundred times, through the Cuilfhionn mountain range, including in the 997, in my Subaru flat 6 and so on. Used to go and visit a customer in Port Rìgh all the time and used to sometimes go with her behind her monster Audi.

There is one small bit where there might be a blind dip. Very small one. An uneven climb, then a very fast straight road, slightly undulating. There used to be four bad potholes at the top of the rise. good for taking out wheel rims at £1k, sue council.

Second hand account. from the post man who talked to mobile bank van who managed not to crash into the other cars, said one man driving white van, his sun following in another vehicle. Man died, presumably overtaking gone badly wrong, hit head on, don't know why on earth he did not just go off the road as ther is no problem at that point, know exactly where it was. `will have to ask Janet why. But today was highland games in Port Rìgh, busiest day of the year. Gridlock for hours on single track road to Port Rìgh as stupid buses got stuck in passing places, some went off road because they were trying to squeeze past other vehicles and got stuck in the moor. Probably Broadford hospital might be dealing with some, that is where the A & E is, right near me,  up there is a hospital in Port Rìgh too which is a lot nearer the accident, but no helicopter landing pad thereonly in Broadford,  it surprised the flew one man to Glasgow or whereever usually to the massive hospital in Inverness, which is 45 mins away in helicopter, having done that flight once due to fake heart attack.

[Weaver]

It is fantastic that the residents of Applecross are getting FTTC / FTTC. much harder to reach, over the Bealach na Bà than I am, as I am only about four miles from civilisation. From my road at the top, the Fireach Clach, I can see Applecross village across the bay in the distance. Abor Crosan or similar is the original name which git mangled into apple, like Leatherhead from Welsh. the local native speakers of Gàidhlig do not use that name though - it is A’ Chomraich - "the protectorate", or Comraich Maol Ruibhe.

Watch out if travelling on the North Road from Inverness to Skye / Applecross via Srath Carrann as there are unmarked police cars in the king, king straight where everything is doing 90+ mph. I got done by a brown volvo turbo when I was coming back from the airport in my Impreza some years ago. I think that was the last time I got done, was going home and didn't know about police cars following you. When stuck behind traffic, several cars went to overtake and I was last, at the back of the queue, so I was the one who got done. So the motto is do not have anything following you. The A9 is supposed to be bad with cameras now, have not done it since 2010 when I bought my 987. There is occasionally a hand-held radar gun in or near Broadford. So watch it if you come up or across from the east.

[sevenlayermuddle]

I drove A9 a couple of years ago and nobody at all seemed to be speeding, pretty rigidly enforced with average speed cameras.

I think they have also raised the A9 speed limit for HGVs, from 40mph to 50mph on the single carriageway bits, making it same as England and Wales.   Presumably this is meant to reduce frustration for following drivers, and also remove the tempation to overtake by making it harder to do so legally.   They have some impressive accident statistics to back up the improvements.

[Weaver]

I think Janet said that they have upgraded a lot of bits to proper dual carriageway so eliminating the overtaking and reducing the frustration. I have not driven it since 2010 and that was before the scary average speed cameras. I have not been downstairs for years, apart from going to hospital, and so am out of touch. A friend of ours has just come up to stay with use, from Perth in his Mitsubishi Evo, so can ask him what it was like. Janet was taken fir a test drive through the Cuilfhionn and she has since decided that she is becoming an OAP, not as brave as she was.

It is in the autumn, winter and before easter when it is all quiet and you can really enjoy the stunning roads. Someone else mentioned winter tyres. I had a set and an extra set of wheels too for convenience of course.

[sevenlayermuddle]

I’m a big fan of winter tyres, ideally on a spare set of wheels, as it eases the switchover and optimal wheel size may be different for summer/winter.   Not only do winter tyres allow you to get going without any need for four wheel drive, they also allow you to get around corners, and to stop again.   On frost or snow the difference is pehenomenal.  Even on sheer black ice, it’ll still slippy, but they are better than nothing.

That said, my own set reached end of life a few years ago, and I have not renewed them.   Insurers turned out to be very fussy, requiring me to notify them each spring/autumn when I swapped wheels over.   Initially, they even wanted to load the premium, but backed down after I put up a fight.   These days, I can nearly always just choose not to drive when the roads are risky.

The last couple of years I put my trust in Michelin’s “crossclimate”, which claims to be a summer tyre that also works in winter.   They don’t, they are nearly as rubbish in snow as any other modern tyres.   Can’t even get up my own driveway (1 in 5) on the michelins in snow, whereas with proper winter tyres I can cruise up easily, and even stop and start again halfway up if I wanted to show off.

[Weaver]

The thing is, I got winter tyres and wheels specified by the car manufacturer and supplied by a main dealer, so I regard them as standard equipment and in my case they would simply see me in court. Which might be a risky course of action from the point of view of my own best interest but it is a point of principle when insurers start taking the pee. 'A reasonable person' argument should be enforced upon them by legislation if necessary to prevent obnoxious small print from just becoming a load of landmines intended to give them a cheat way out of paying up. How they can moan about anything that improves safety and cuts their costs is beyond reason.

Braking is said to be a lot better on winter tyres when temperatures are low on dry roads, fromwhat I am told anyway. There was not much harm in running on winter tyres all year round in my case, because we don't get Death Valley type summers, Californian market, or even English temperature summers, not usually.

[sevenlayermuddle]

Don’t regard me as any kind of insurance expert, but as a personal unqualified opinion I’d say you have a very strong argument for your very reasonable approach.   In any event, many insurers (mine included) have agreed to a common statement, basically saying that winter tyres may be ok...

https://www.abi.org.uk/globalassets/sitecore/files/documents/publications/public/migrated/motor/abi-guide-to-winter-tyres-the-motor-insurance-commitment.pdf

I first fitted mine before that document was published, and so I did speak to them, years ago.  And having spoken to them they now have me on record, so I need to do as they tell me, even if it contradicts that abi document.

[Weaver]

I mean not only were they dealer fitted parts and manufacturer specced bring whatever rated for >180mph to guaranteed limits on circumferential expansion due to centrifugal acceleration, but they were actually recommended by the manufacturer and dealers had a campaign to promote their use on safety grounds and educate all customers that especially if you are going to drive at 180 mph vielleicht auf der Autobahn, in the cold then being able to brake is good good thing.

[Weaver]

A very healthy, encouraging number of no's in that table in the document.