On my recent travels thru Scotland I had the pleasure of using the A83 between Clachan and Tarbet. What a stunning piece of road. The weather was horrible at the time and its hard to get a look around when your driving and in a hurry for the boat but what a beautiful drive!

I have to admit that the A83 is one of my favourite roads in Scotland... but I am talking about it from the start at Tarbet, by Loch Lomond, all the way to Campbeltown! However if I was to highlight my favourite sections of this road, I would have to say the climb up through Glen Croe to Rest and be Thankful (although I would love to drive along the old Military Road there!) and the drive up (as opposed to down!) the west coast of Kintyre... especially on a clear day when the views over Islay, Gigha and not forgetting Jura are chust sublime!

After that my next choice of roads you just have to drive along would be the A82, crossing Rannoch Moor towards and then through Glen Coe... and the A830 Road to the Isles from Fort William to Morar (and Mallaig if you really have to go that far!) but on this last road its got to be the coast road from Arisaig and not the new stretch (unless of course you're racing a train! )

As you know Bruce I drove all the way from Campbeltown so I got the full valu of this enitre road and it was clear!!!

On a clear days its great! Although when you're driving apparently you are supposed to keep your mind on the road, not the scenery... that in itself is difficut enough, but its impossible when someone beside you is going "look at that" and "wow that is stunning"! Then again I could let Linda drive, but what would I see with my eyes shut as I feared for my life?

Oh dead. A low blow Bruce but I understand where your coming from only too well lol

Its ok Colin, Linda knows full well that I am a terrible passenger and its not actually a comment on her driving. The truth is there have only ever been a couple of people I have felt safe with when they are driving. One is my older brother... the other is me!

For me the A83 suffers fom being the only route available for a lot of through traffic. This means your chance of not spending much of the trip looking at the back of a lorry or caravan are not great.

But.... my best roads in Scotland are, like Bruce, the Road to the Isles, the A830 from Corpach to Mallaig; plus the A832 from Garve to Achnasheen (and on to Kinlochewe now it's been upgraded the whole way); the A835 from Braemore to Garve; and the A835/A894 from Ullapool to Rhiconich (the turnoff to Kinlochbervie).

Another , fantastic, i think is a more appropriate word this time is the straight road between Bowmore and Port Ellen which passes by Islay airport. Its exactly 7 miles long of perfectly straight road. No bends and very very little elevation change for 7 miles of it. Reminds me of roads in the deserts of America. But dont be fooled into thinking you can drive at 100mph on it. theres a few nasty bumps ready to send you into a marshey stop if your not careful!!!!!

The reason for the bumps is of course the lack of firmness of the ground its built on... and, if I am not mistaken, the reason for the straightness is due to its original intention of being a railway line with the B8016 (High Road) being the original road north from Port Ellen!

Didnt know that about the railway but why didnt they build all roads like this. Well all that they could possibly build. How many time do you get on a winding road and say why didnt they just carry on in a straight line when theres no immovable object in the way!!! You can see the land sinking underfoot but it is a great piece of road. I didnt get to go on the high road myself. Thought it pointless to be honest when maybe ya can see more from the A road.

We never travelled along the High Road, but then with so little time between Islay and Jura we didn't have much time to stray off the main road... other than visit a few distilleries and check out Kildalton and Finlaggan!

At Finlaggan I pulled into the car park and just turned around. Didnt look like much to see though maybe im wrong. A road i chose not to go down was the single track road on the east coast of Kintrye Close to Whitehouse I think it was. Guide says its a beautiful road looking at Arran!!!

Finlaggan is worth a visit only if you are interested in the Lords of the Isles/Clan Donald I guess! As for the east coast road of Kintyre, it definitely is worth it for the view of Arran... the logo for this site and forum was taken from the northern end of that road!

Damn! I knew i was missing something good.

This is taken at the junction of the road with the A83 close to Kennacraig. Looking at the ferry signs reminds me that in Campbeltown there are still signposts of the "IRELAND FERRY" but they are covered over with canvas. Its a long time to be holding your breathe!!!

The fact they are covered is an improvement over last year... anyone driving in to Kintyre would have been under them impresion that the Ireland ferry was still running!

Near where I live there is a retail outlet that has been closed for some time; most of the signs are still there, uncovered, directing you to it! If this had been Argyll & Bute then maybe those signs would be covered, but this is West Lothian and the council here prefer to mislead people!