David Jenkins
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| posted on 23/3/07 at 03:27 PM |
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Rant - I hate on-line route planners!
I'm going to a place near to Nairn in Scotland in a couple of weeks. Although I have a reasonably good idea of my route, I thought I'd
try out a couple of route planners to get some idea of mileage. Note: the "crow fly" route is straight up the east coast of Britain.
Google Maps - no, I don't think I want to go via Birmingham, Stoke, Manchester, Glasgow... 608 miles.
RAC - shortest route - no, I don't want to go along country roads via places like Bury St Edmunds, Thetford, Kings Lynn and so on, even if
it's just 530 miles.
RAC - quickest route - partially along the route I expected, but then diverts to near Glasgow. 575 miles - but vaguely plausible.
My route - taking a couple of days, stopping to look at selected scenery along the way - A12, A14, then A1 all the way to Edinburgh. I'm sure I
can work out a route from there...
A few weeks ago I wanted to go from home to Barton Mills to meet up with the East Anglian locosters. Obvious route is A14 to Bury St Edmunds, then
take a short and direct road straight to the destination (a few miles). Every route planner took me via Newmarket and back up another major road -
doubling the distance for the last bit of the journey.
Unbelievable.
DJ
BTW: Don't suggest a GPS system - apart from one or two journeys a year I have no need for one.
[Edited on 23/3/07 by David Jenkins]
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ecosse
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| posted on 23/3/07 at 03:31 PM |
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North of Edinburgh is easy, just follow the speed cameras all the way  
Cheers
Alex
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flak monkey
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| posted on 23/3/07 at 03:34 PM |
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Autoroutes fairly good for getting a rough idea, but i tend to find going back the good old map is the best way.
My dad reckons that GPS systems will make congestion worse in the long term. As everyone will be taking the same routes everywhere. Probably some
truth in that! Where as if you pick your own route, you can go whichever way you fancy.
A14, A1(m) is the way we go up to Scotland.
David
Sera
http://www.motosera.com
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iank
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| posted on 23/3/07 at 03:36 PM |
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You get a sensible route on goggle maps
if you put Newcastle upon tyne in as the first destination, followed by Nairn.
580 mi (about 14 hours 43 mins)
--
Never argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level, then beat you with experience.
Anonymous
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David Jenkins
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| posted on 23/3/07 at 03:44 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by flak monkey
A14, A1(m) is the way we go up to Scotland.
That's the plan - probably including Newcastle! 
I want to go along the coast next to Lindisfarne, through Berwick and so on, so there will be diversions off the main route!
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iank
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| posted on 23/3/07 at 04:59 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by David Jenkins
quote:
Originally posted by flak monkey
A14, A1(m) is the way we go up to Scotland.
That's the plan - probably including Newcastle!
I want to go along the coast next to Lindisfarne, through Berwick and so on, so there will be diversions off the main route!
Was just suggesting it as it forces the route along the east coast.
If you get the time do the whole coast road up to Bamburgh rather than the A1(M) much more interesting drive. Are you going in the 7?
--
Never argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level, then beat you with experience.
Anonymous
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Fozzie
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| posted on 23/3/07 at 05:02 PM |
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Ooooo Nairn!
Thats where t'other halfs rellies live...... excellent roads around there! 
We usually fly up to Inverness then hire a car from there, but this year we are driving up in the VXT, and have the same dilemma as yourself. 
So...... we will probably go up one side and come back the other...... as we have found route planners 'quickest' route, isn't
always the fastest..
ATB Fozzie
[Edited on 23/3/07 by Fozzie]
'Racing is Life!...anything before or after is just waiting'....Steve McQueen
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David Jenkins
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| posted on 23/3/07 at 05:05 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by iank
Was just suggesting it as it forces the route along the east coast.
If you get the time do the whole coast road up to Bamburgh rather than the A1(M) much more interesting drive. Are you going in the 7?
That's almost exactly the route I'm after - and I do want to go via Bamburgh (that's the castle on the mainland near the Farne
Islands, isn't it?). It's a simple coast-road diversion through Seahouses & Bamburgh...
Definitely in the tin-top, not in the 7! Too much wet stuff up there, and it's got no windscreen or roof - not forgetting the bum fatigue
caused by uncomfortable seats...
cheers,
David
Fozzie - sightseeing here and there - the plan is to take 3 days up and back so that I can get to see some scenery.
Best thing is that we'll be staying with my brother and his family in a place in the countryside just south of Nairn, so cheap accomodation!
(but I expect that I'll be taking them out for a meal at some time).
[Edited on 23/3/07 by David Jenkins]
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iank
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| posted on 23/3/07 at 05:13 PM |
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Yes http://www.bamburghcastle.com/ the finest castle in England (not that they sell it hard). Alnwick castle is also very good and the gardens are
worth a visit.
--
Never argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level, then beat you with experience.
Anonymous
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scottc
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| posted on 23/3/07 at 05:21 PM |
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Yep I agree well worth a visit to Bamburgh castle, and fish and chips at Seahouses has to be on list.
Make sure you check the tide times if you go to Lindisfarne
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Angel Acevedo
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| posted on 23/3/07 at 05:34 PM |
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70 odd miles difference is not much for 3 days travel, make your route fun by making it varied, straights, curvey, sightseeing, obscure etc....
Beware of what you wish.. for it may come true....
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David Jenkins
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| posted on 23/3/07 at 07:02 PM |
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The alternative (i.e. too long) route suggested by the route planning website would have put me on some of the worst roads in the UK...
And a 600 mile journey is huge by UK standards!
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Guinness
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| posted on 24/3/07 at 08:05 AM |
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David
My own personal route, from Newcastle to Edinburgh would be via either A696 / A68 or A697 / A68.
It's worth noting that the M6 / M74 from Carlisle to Glasgow is about 100 miles, and as it is three lane motorway for the majority of the route,
sparsley policed and very lightly trafficed, can be covered in about an hour! Which is why most route planners incorporate that section into the
route.
On the other hand from Newcastle to Edinburgh via A1 or either of the two routes above is 120 miles, mainly single carriageway and from as soon as you
cross the border into Scotland there are cameras approximately every 8 feet until you get to Edinburgh! This makes it difficult to cover the 120
miles in anything less than 3 hours!
Anyway, if your chosen route comes past Newcastle, you are more than welcome to call in for a cup of tea. I won't charge you motorway service
station prices either!
If you are going up over the weekend, in the locost, we might be up for a bit of a blast up to the border too!
Cheers
Mike
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rusty nuts
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| posted on 24/3/07 at 08:59 AM |
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David make sure your not on the Cambridge/Huntingdon section of the A14 between about 7.30 - 9.30 am and 4.30 -6.30 pm . You won't be going
anywhere!
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CairB
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| posted on 24/3/07 at 10:15 AM |
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You may find the aviation museum at Bamburgh castle worth a look, I did.
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David Jenkins
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| posted on 24/3/07 at 10:36 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by rusty nuts
David make sure your not on the Cambridge/Huntingdon section of the A14 between about 7.30 - 9.30 am and 4.30 -6.30 pm . You won't be going
anywhere!
Not my favourite bit of road anyway... but thanks for the tip...
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Peteff
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| posted on 24/3/07 at 11:41 AM |
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AA routeplanner makes it 582.3 miles
AA
yours, Pete
I went into the RSPCA office the other day. It was so small you could hardly swing a cat in there.
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