If you are driving from Glasgow to Tarbert, it will not take you 7 to 8 hours - it's only just over 100 miles! Of course you may wish to make frequent stops at interesting locations - the Loch Fyne Oyster Bar is one, as is Inverary. I have travelled that route many, many times on my way to Tarbert and it takes, without a stop, around three hours. Elizabeth (from Islay and now living in Glasgow)

I stand corrected - to a degree. I should have said that the 7 hours guesstimate travel time included stops with some leeway for road and weather conditions. You are familiar with the roads and know where you are going and are familiar to the scenery around you so you focus on getting from A to B without distractions. Things like roundabouts are easy for you but can be a bit daunting for someone who's driving on the "wrong" side of the road and never experienced them before. For a novice unaccustomed to both UK autos and UK roads including signage, and the awesome scenery, it takes much longer than a local driving the route. Also as newbies to Scotland, we tend to drive slower than the locals and to stop and start again either to stop for a tourist break, take pictures, eat lunch, ask for directions, etc. Add to the mix possible road construction/repairs (like we experienced the last visit) and probable rainy roads, and we'll definitely take more time than others more familiar with the roads. Getting out of Glasgow from the airport was the worst part as far as we were concerned. Had either of us been driving alone the first visit, without one of us acting as navigator studying the map constantly, getting out of Glasgow alone would have taken much longer. Personally if I were driving alone, especially the first time in UK, I would do as Helen Blair suggested and bus to Islay and rent a car there. I'm a cautious soul and prefer to err on the extra time side. A cousin from Canada thought she could make the ferry easy on the same day - and ended up sleeping in her car overnight since she didn't have B&B reservations and hit Tarbert during their Regatta when accommodations were impossible to find. Cheerio Sue Visser Ontario, Canada ----- Original Message ----- From: <ElizMcAuslan@aol.com> To: <SCT-ISLAY-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, May 22, 2006 4:08 AM Subject: Re: [SCT-ISLAY] I'll Be Visiting Islay & Need Driving Tips If you are driving from Glasgow to Tarbert, it will not take you 7 to 8 hours - it's only just over 100 miles! Of course you may wish to make frequent stops at interesting locations - the Loch Fyne Oyster Bar is one, as is Inverary. I have travelled that route many, many times on my way to Tarbert and it takes, without a stop, around three hours. Elizabeth (from Islay and now living in Glasgow) ==== SCT-ISLAY Mailing List ==== Find out who has books and research data pertaining to Islay at the Virtual Library: http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~steve/islay/library.htm

YESSS! Last weekend we had an Oyster Bar breakfast of poached smoked Haddock with a poached egg on top, accompanied by a pile of brown bread toast and butter and coffee..... a gastronomic delight. Glasgow to Kennacraig in four hours including leisurely breakfast and photo stops. Iain -----Original Message----- From: ElizMcAuslan@aol.com [mailto:ElizMcAuslan@aol.com] Sent: 22 May 2006 09:08 To: SCT-ISLAY-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [SCT-ISLAY] I'll Be Visiting Islay & Need Driving Tips If you are driving from Glasgow to Tarbert, it will not take you 7 to 8 hours - it's only just over 100 miles! Of course you may wish to make frequent stops at interesting locations - the Loch Fyne Oyster Bar is one, as is Inverary. I have travelled that route many, many times on my way to Tarbert and it takes, without a stop, around three hours. Elizabeth (from Islay and now living in Glasgow) ==== SCT-ISLAY Mailing List ==== Find out who has books and research data pertaining to Islay at the Virtual Library: http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~steve/islay/library.htm