Member Since: 03 Apr 2010
Location: Surrey
Posts: 268
Taking our new Discovery HSE to the Highlands & Islands
We’d had our Scottish holiday planned for months – a trip up to Assynt in the far NW of Scotland, plus 10 days in the Outer Hebrides. A trip we tend to make each year, sometimes twice.
It has always been the expectation we’d be heading away in our 2010MY D4 HSE, approaching 90k on the clock, but a series of things combining meant we suddenly had a brand new car delivered 10 days before we were due to head away. A combination of some service bills being due later in the year which would be high, a very good deal from Harwoods Croydon to make up for my previous smoky motor, and the exact car we wanted being available from stock. It was meant to be!
So with only 200 miles on the clock, we headed for Lochinver in Sutherland to start our family hols.
Here’s a few picture highlights to share:
Parked up next to Kylesku bridge. Such great 'driving' rounds in these parts, all taken below 3,000 revs as we're still running in!
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Outside the lovely Aichins bookshop alongside the Inverkirkaig river, we found ourselves parked next to this Camel Trophy pretender. Wonder who’s get the furthest off-roading – his ride height and tyres, or the D4’s technical gubbins?
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And finally, after year’s of holidaying up here, I heard about something called Hermit’s Castle, and set about trying to find it. Thanks to Google, and some persistence, we came up trumps. Well worth a visit – built in the 50s by an architect who reportedly spent 6 months building it, only to stay for one weekend, and never return. A truly remarkable and tiny castle which many of the locals don't even know about, hidden in a tucked away bay overlooking the sea. The smallest castle in Europe too!
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After Lochinver, it was off to the Uists in the Outer Hebrides, via the Cal Mac ferry from Uig on Skye.
And in no time at all, the split tailgate played a part in many a picnic lunch. How can LR want to get rid of this? NO!!!!!!!!!
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And a chance to try ‘extended mode’ for the first time, for genuine reasons:
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Stunning views out over this North Uist beach. We love it up here – if you go to a beach and there’s someone already there, you move on to the next one. Too busy!
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Checking out the new new wind farm on South Uist. You can drive right up to and under the turbines – quite imposing when they are turning at a fair rate of knots:
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Spot the odd one out, down on the pier front on Berneray. Not sure who or why they are lining up old Discos down here?
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Drove down this lovely little lane, and over the peak was this guy. HUGE! Thankfully he let us pass by without any trouble…! But I have genuinely never seen a Highlander this big before.
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And then it was time to head out to one of our fave places. The tidal island of Vallay – you wait for low tide and then head out across the beach, which the sea has literally just vacated, and make land on the island the other side. Never seen another ‘tourist’ heading out there before, but just as we departed, this Discovery 2 was on its way, so we followed it through the standing water:
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Stopped for a spot of lunch half way across:
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Not quite so successful flying my Husban X4 drone though - the 25mph winds were a bit much for it!
Love it when the sat nav shows you driving through the sea…
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The once occupied island of Vallay is famous for the mansion house of Erskine Beveridge, which was sadly left to ruin after he died. Amazing architecture and well worth inspecting if you are over this way:
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Never met the owners, but parked up next to the Discovery we’d watched go over ahead of us:
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Exiting the gates of the island, to head back out to 'sea':
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Looking back at the house on Vallay:
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A few donuts, keeping the revs under 3,000 mind you!
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Once back on land, there’s a freshwater loch just down the road which you can drive into to rinse the underneath of the car. Plenty of tyre tracks going in and out, so can only presume the local farmer does the same each time he comes back from tending his cattle on Vallay!
And finally, back at the house, time for a full soapy wash by hand to get all that salt off the bodywork – and have her looking like new again. Plus a further under chassis rinse with the hose, just to make sure.
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We have had a truly fantastic trip up to Sutherland and the Uists. Places we know well, but love to come back to each year. Can whole heartedly recommend them if you are looking for a UK road trip. We haven’t had the greatest of weather this time, but having the new wheels to play with has more than made up for it. And our young son even had a drive on the grass roads - he didn't do bad, for just 19 months old, and was grinning the whole time.
As for the weather, you can’t have endless sunshine in Scotland every single holiday! No one is that lucky…
Admin note: this post has had its images recovered from a money grabbing photo hosting site and reinstated 747_JK
"Moab is my happy place"
2019 Land Rover Discovery 5 HSE
2015 Land Rover Discovery 4 HSE - SOLD
2010 Land Rover Discovery 4 HSE with a serious smoking habit - SOLD
Last edited by 747_JK on 3rd Jun 2015 9:36 pm. Edited 1 time in total
3rd Jun 2015 9:22 pm
Red Merle
Member Since: 30 Aug 2014
Location: Liskeard
Posts: 7441
Thanks for taking the time to write such an interesting report!
That sound like just our kind of holiday 2011 - 2015: 3 x FL2
2015 - 2017: 2 x D4
2017 to date: FFRR SDV8
2023 to date: 2 x FL2 as “second” cars 🙄
2021 to date: Hinckley built ‘14 Triumph Trophy 1200
2022 to date: Hinckley built ‘14 Triumph Trophy 1200 & sidecar!
(One of only two known to exist in the world!)
3rd Jun 2015 9:32 pm
Gareth Site Moderator
Member Since: 07 Dec 2004
Location: Bramhall
Posts: 26782
Great trip! Now you have let the secret out.....
3rd Jun 2015 9:34 pm
Fitzy73
Member Since: 09 Feb 2014
Location: Truro
Posts: 2407
That certainly looks stunning and something we would very much like to do.Andy
3rd Jun 2015 9:57 pm
Ceekay
Member Since: 17 May 2009
Location: Bury
Posts: 2089
Great post just love the highlands and beyond D4 HSE Lux MY16 Club Waitomo
D3 HSE MY06 missing her still…
3rd Jun 2015 10:44 pm
747_JK
Member Since: 03 Apr 2010
Location: Surrey
Posts: 268
Thank you, glad it's been if interest. Had fun taking the pics!747_JK
"Moab is my happy place"
2019 Land Rover Discovery 5 HSE
2015 Land Rover Discovery 4 HSE - SOLD
2010 Land Rover Discovery 4 HSE with a serious smoking habit - SOLD
3rd Jun 2015 11:36 pm
galwaygreen
Member Since: 30 Oct 2011
Location: plymouth
Posts: 6525
crackin..thanks for sharing
4th Jun 2015 12:37 am
DigitalJunior
Member Since: 22 Nov 2008
Location: Cumbria
Posts: 4401
Re: Taking our new Discovery HSE to the Highlands & Isla
This would make an excellent contribution to the annual Calendar
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Admin note: this post has had its images recovered from a money grabbing photo hosting site and reinstated
4th Jun 2015 9:19 am
Scottbrad
Member Since: 20 Dec 2014
Location: Newcastle upon Tyne
Posts: 230
Great post. I've been Google Mapping the locations as I'd love to do a similar trip. Those beaches on North Uist look spectacular.Cheers Scott.
4th Jun 2015 9:42 am
ronp
Member Since: 29 Nov 2006
Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 15275
Very nice write up and pictures.
Enjoyed that momet away .... now back to my work ...... always on the road less travelled 🚧
< ‘tis but a mere scratch …….. it’ll polish out.
4th Jun 2015 10:15 am
wizbongre
Member Since: 26 Oct 2013
Location: Liverpool
Posts: 699
Amazing. Been too long since I've been to decent parts of Scotland (business trips to Dundee just don't count!) Makes me want to get back up there even more.Cheers,
Gareth
'57 D3 2.7 TDV6 HSE gone and soon to be forgotten!
‘15 D4 3.0 SDV6 HSE Luxury
'64 Audi A6 3.0BiTDi Quattro S-Line Black Edition with lots of toys
4th Jun 2015 12:32 pm
Chickenlips
Member Since: 28 Apr 2015
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 14
This looks like a great trip. Thanks for sharing
4th Jun 2015 2:17 pm
mark the spark
Member Since: 22 Jun 2011
Location: southampton
Posts: 2532
great looking trip
thanks for sharing MY05 SE D3 Manual my first LR what a car
MY10 HSE D4 auto
MY14 XXV more buttons than the spaceshuttle
4th Jun 2015 2:23 pm
Hairy Dan
Member Since: 19 Jan 2011
Location: Co. Durham
Posts: 12319
Great trip and nice photos Cheers Ian
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4th Jun 2015 8:20 pm
motolite
Member Since: 18 Mar 2013
Location: Sydney
Posts: 931
The best photo for me? The one of your family enjoying the tailgate
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