June travels to Scotland

**Pleater** · 9th May 15, 05:21 AM

Sat Navs have increased in ability and dropped in price each year just recently - I have found them so useful when travelling as they can direct you to the closest place to eat or nearest petrol station, I have had the one fixed into the vehicle and a hand held one for wandering on most trips in the past year or so. I tend to wander about towns looking at the changes in architecture and thinking more about the development of the different areas of the place, locating the old marketplace and coaching inn for instance, traces of bygone industry, and to be able to use the Sat Nav to give me a direct path to where I left the car rather than retracing my often erratic route saves time and worry.

I love maps - I have a set of small scale OS maps of the entire country, but the Sat Nav is a great addition to the enjoyment of the moment.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

**David** · 9th May 15, 12:58 PM

Its a beautiful part of the country, you will enjoy it. Skye is bigger than it looks on maps. There is a better view round every corner in the road. I'm not a hill climber but Sligachan is close to the Back Cuillin and there always seems to be a gathering of walkers/munro baggers at the hotel there. You could take the train from Kyle of Lochalsh to Plockton on the shores of Loch Carron. you have put me in the notion for a trip there myself.

**cessna152towser** · 9th May 15, 01:07 PM

I have found them so useful when travelling as they can direct you to the closest place to eat or nearest petrol station,

Sometimes the information uploaded on to them is hopelessly out of date though. I had a courtesy car last month and the Satnav flagged up the proximity of a Shell fuel station, which I know from local knowledge closed fifteen years ago, in 2000 when the main road was re-aligned.

**Pleater** · 9th May 15, 02:56 PM

Wow - that is bad.

My last hire of a van had a sat nav clever enough to take me around a road closed by a crash which could have only just happened - I saw the police car and ambulances going to it. A few minutes later the screen flashed up a diversion.

On the way we take to go to Bristol, however, the sat nav says to turn left and then right when it means to go across the roundabout - they aren't perfect, and one built into a car we had a while ago was totally off its trolley - but when they do work they can be handy, particularly for one who wanders around looking at porticoes and the way the bricks are laid and the windows glazed.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

**Jock Scot** · 10th May 15, 01:39 AM

I am glad to say that thus far, no sat nav, has got anyone within 10 miles of my home. I hope it stays that way!

**neloon** · 10th May 15, 02:23 AM

Agree with Jock - satnav's not much use in the north of Scotland.
Most people trying to reach us by satnav just outside Aberdeen end up in a field

.
On the other hand, we get endless late-night unwanted pizza deliveries that are intended for 5 miles away

Alan

**The Q** · 10th May 15, 01:02 PM

If the car you hire doesn't have a sat nav but you have a smartphone or tablet computer with GPS, down load "Navmii " the free one has adverts while you programme your destination but they disappear once the route is set. Its not perfect but is the best free navigator I've found. It has maps available for many countries.

**CameronCat** · 10th May 15, 02:40 PM

... satnav's not much use in the north of Scotland.

Sorry, gents; experience leads me to disagree with this one. Or you need a different satnav...some work really well.

We carried our Garmin -- "Bitchin' Betty" -- with us on our Haggis Hegira last Sept. It had updated UK maps on a micro-card (the US unit only came w/ N. American maps) and it worked an absolute treat on Skye and up to Thurso and on Orkney, plus guiding us round the inner workings of Aberdeen and Edinburgh.

Finding all the B 'n' B's was stone easy, and the unit's predictive abilities (mileage to next turn, est. time of arrival at destination, etc.) proved quite helpful several times. It was also nice to use it to predict upcoming sites or sights. We also used Betty when we went walkabout out of the car. Very handy there too.

Yes, we had other maps and directions with us but they were rarely hauled out. The only time I remember the GPS tripping us up was when it got the street numbers swapped odd-for-even and had us looking on right when the building was on the left. Same block though, and quickly sorted.

I can't speak for the on-board satnavs in any vehicle (or cell-phone nav programs) as I have no experience with them, but I can highly recommend taking your own if you have one. I would expect cell/mobile coverage to be a bit spotty in the highlands, though.

**brewerpaul** · 10th May 15, 03:27 PM

I appreciate all these thoughts on nav devices and such. Ill put something on my smart phone but Im old school and will mostly rely on good old maps and local information. When we did our bike tour we had a great map and some flip cards with directions and signage to watch for. Never had any problem so Ill look for outdoor or bike shops for maps and use my phone occasionally. Im going to get a sim card for local data and phone so that may help with the phone but I can always rely on my ability to look at a good map. Again thank you everyone for all the help and if you live near the areas we are going Ill be the guy in the rental trying to stay on the proper side of the road.......

**Pleater** · 11th May 15, 06:24 AM

Our sat nav has the voice of Yoda it says 'Your journey you may start. May the force be with you.' once it has calculated the route - rather reassuring I think.

Phone connection is not available everywhere, so relying on one for directions could be problematic, as - at least with my husband's phone - there is nothing downloaded to it, so when the signal goes it all goes.

Anne the Pleater :ootd: