# Land's End to John O' Groats by car **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 2, 2012, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lands-end-to-john-o-groats-by-car/617627 "2012-04-02T20:26:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Caractacus\_Pott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@Caractacus\_Pott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caractacus_Pott)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lands-end-to-john-o-groats-by-car/617627/1 "2012-04-02T20:26:43Z")
A few years ago [in this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=529030), I asked for suggestions for a “quick” drive from Land’s End to John O’Groats. For reasons I’ve forgotten, I never made the trip. Ironic. Now that I don’t live in England, the trip’s a go. To avoid the May Bank Holiday, mid-May looks like the time and I’m allowing most of a week. The question is what are some good sights to see? I haven’t checked the schedules yet but a county/country fair is definitely on the list. I’ll adjust my travel dates to make a good one. Other than that, I know I’ll be passing a million interesting places and need help deciding what to see. Some things I’m interested in: historical sites including ruins that aren’t _too_ ruined; unusual architecture; and beautiful landscapes such as farms, lakes, shores, and rolling hills. Oh, and whichever Waitrose the queen will be shopping for spotted dick in, that’d be peachy. Bonus points if she’ll be in her housecoat and pink fuzzy slippers. ---
**Author:** ![PaulParkhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@PaulParkhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulParkhead)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lands-end-to-john-o-groats-by-car/617627/2 "2012-04-02T22:04:11Z")
I only know about the Scottish part of this - I’m only really familiar with eastern England and western Scotland. The suggestion I have is to take the A82 once you pass Glasgow, rather than the faster A9 route to Inverness. It is a beautiful road, taking in Loch Lomond, Glencoe, and the Great Glen including Loch Ness. It has moorland and hills, a few castles and such here and there, and plenty of places to stop and enjoy the view. I also love watching the small boats go through the five lock “staircase” at Fort Augustus as they enter/exit Loch Ness at its southern end. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lands-end-to-john-o-groats-by-car/617627/3 "2012-04-02T23:55:26Z")
“From Land’s End to John’a’Groats There is no bell can better my note.” (from The Nine Taylors by Sayers; nothing of substance to contribute to the OP, but I like that little verse. ) ---
**Author:** ![JWT\_Kottekoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@JWT\_Kottekoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JWT_Kottekoe)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lands-end-to-john-o-groats-by-car/617627/4 "2012-04-03T02:00:31Z")
Here is [Google’s suggestion](http://g.co/maps/crsj3) for a quick drive from Land’s End to John O’Groats. It’s a mere 3.8 miles with not much to see on the way, except for a view of the 405 freeway. You did mean Los Angeles, didn’t you? > [@](#): > > Land’s End Properties > 3670 Mountain View Ave > Los Angeles, CA 90066 > > 1. Head northwest on Mountain View Ave toward Charnock Rd > 0.4 mi > 2. Take the 2nd right onto Palms Blvd > 0.9 mi > 3. Turn left onto S Sepulveda Blvd > 1.4 mi > 4. Turn right onto W Pico Blvd > Destination will be on the right > 1.1 mi > > John O’Groats Restaurant > 10516 West Pico Boulevard > Los Angeles, CA 90064 ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lands-end-to-john-o-groats-by-car/617627/5 "2012-04-03T09:54:09Z")
> [@PaulParkhead](#): > > The suggestion I have is to take the A82 once you pass Glasgow, rather than the faster A9 route to Inverness. The A9 is quite scenic as well, but I definitely second this. ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lands-end-to-john-o-groats-by-car/617627/6 "2012-04-03T11:47:25Z")
You could detour slightly and go up through the Lake District. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lands-end-to-john-o-groats-by-car/617627/7 "2012-04-03T11:56:14Z")
I’ve done this. Not quick as I was back-up car for a friend who was riding a bike. Highlights were the lochs, Chester, the Lake District, then nothing really until we got to Chepstow, then Dartmoor, then Cornwall. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lands-end-to-john-o-groats-by-car/617627/8 "2012-04-03T12:22:04Z")
Hilariously I see I answered the other thread too. My first answer was better. Though I think I can’t tell Carlisle from Chester. ---
**Author:** ![nudgenudge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9f8e36/32.png) [@nudgenudge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nudgenudge)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lands-end-to-john-o-groats-by-car/617627/9 "2012-04-03T13:07:12Z")
If it were me, I would avoid the motorway network as much as possible. For example, the Bristol to Manchester-area stretch - the boring option would be M5/M6, probably much quicker as long as you don’t hit one of those horrendous jams between Birmingham and Manchester. But I’d go round the west side of Birmingham. Lots of rolling hills and pretty towns like Ludlow and Great Malvern along that route. The roads are still pretty good, so it wouldn’t be too slow. From the Lake District north, I’d be tempted to cross over to the east coast in the English/Scottish border region, just because that stretch of coast up to Edinburgh is beautiful. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lands-end-to-john-o-groats-by-car/617627/10 "2012-04-03T13:08:00Z")
following up on **PaullParkhead’s** suggestion, if you take that route, I found the Duke of Argyll’s castle at Inverrary well worth a visit, if you’re interested in that sort of thing. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lands-end-to-john-o-groats-by-car/617627/11 "2012-04-03T15:37:29Z")
That would be a detour but definitely scenic and it would also give you an opportunity to have some grub at the Loch Fyne Oyster restaurant. ---
**Author:** ![Caractacus\_Pott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@Caractacus\_Pott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caractacus_Pott)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lands-end-to-john-o-groats-by-car/617627/12 "2012-04-03T19:56:17Z")
**PaulParkhead** , **Floater** and **Northern Piper** , A82 past Glasgow. Lots of natural beauty, check. A Scottish castle, check. Possibility of seeing the Loch Ness Monster, check. Loch Fyne Oyster restaurant, on the list. **jjimm** , I wondered if you’d post the same suggestions. I’m not sure about the Lake District. Isn’t that infested with coaches full of OAPs this time of year? **nudgenudge** , I like your thinking. Help me with some routing away from the M5/M6 between Birmingham and Manchester. Also how would I cross to the east coast to Edinburgh? Google isn’t helping. Thanks for your suggestions and please keep 'em coming. ---
**Author:** ![nudgenudge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9f8e36/32.png) [@nudgenudge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nudgenudge)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lands-end-to-john-o-groats-by-car/617627/13 "2012-04-03T21:38:24Z")
> [@Caractacus\_Pott](#): > > **nudgenudge** , I like your thinking. Help me with some routing away from the M5/M6 between Birmingham and Manchester. Also how would I cross to the east coast to Edinburgh? Google isn’t helping. Many different routes you could take, but with up to a week to play with I think you can afford to lean toward “scenic” rather than “fast”. So, off the top of my head, if it were me, from Bristol I’d take the M48 over the Severn estuary then head north into the Wye valley. (Possible diversion, Hay-on-Wye, but it’s right out at the extreme west of the route and you’ll probably be too early for the celebrated Hay literature/arts festival). Then the A40/A449 to Malvern, a spa town set in scenic hills. Continue north through Worcester, then the A449/A442 to Bridgnorth and Ironbridge gorge, with several museums attesting to the area’s importance in the early Industrial Revolution. The A548 goes north from here through Much Wenlock, with its slightly cheeky claim to being the birthplace of the modern Olympic Games, to Shrewsbury, which I admit I’ve only been to once but I seem to remember was pleasant enough. Then the A49/A41 through Shropshire and Cheshire. More quaint towns, but you might be getting sick of “quaint” by now. Chester’s worth a look, but quite touristy. I’d then take the M53 to Liverpool and up through coastal Lancashire (A59 or coastal roads). There are not that many routes east-west across northern England, because of the Pennine hills. The main ones are the A66/A685 from the Kendal or Penrith areas, or the A69 from Carlisle. If you want to skip all the OAPs in the Lake District, an alternative more southerly route with maybe slightly fewer pensioners and caravans would be through the Yorkshire Dales. Emerge somewhere like Harrogate or Ripon and take the A1, or again coastal roads where more scenic, all the way to Edinburgh. ---
**Author:** ![Caractacus\_Pott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@Caractacus\_Pott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caractacus_Pott)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lands-end-to-john-o-groats-by-car/617627/14 "2012-04-04T03:56:47Z")
Thanks. That helps. I’ll map it out and see how it works. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lands-end-to-john-o-groats-by-car/617627/15 "2012-04-04T04:17:29Z")
> [@JWT\_Kottekoe](#): > > Here is [Google’s suggestion](http://g.co/maps/crsj3) for a quick drive from Land’s End to John O’Groats. It’s a mere 3.8 miles with not much to see on the way, except for a view of the 405 freeway. You did mean Los Angeles, didn’t you? Heh. So I’m not the only one who read the title and thought “first an outlet mall, then dinner?”