50 Greatest UK Tours — Classic Cars

[ 50 Greatest British Drives]
50
GREATEST
BRITISH DRIVES
From a Sunday morning blast to a week-long adventure,
the British Isles’ roads offer a lot more than you might
think. Here’s our pick of the best to try in 2023
Words NIGEL BOOTHMAN Photography VARIOUS
We all long for great European
driving destinations – Alpine
passes, the French Riviera,
the Mille Miglia route – but
it’s easy to forget about our
many great driving roads
here on the British Isles.
Whether you want a week-long holiday in
wild, empty mountains or an afternoon
blast to escape the urban sprawl, there’s
far more to enjoy than you might think.
Britain and Ireland are evenly blessed
with great drives, as you’ll see from the
highlights listed below for each region.
In addition to drive-it-yourself route
guidance, we’ve included some organised
trips from expert tour operators. But
for every route, we’ve given distances
together with a guide to time taken –
factoring-in stops for meals, coffee, or just
a dazzling photo opportunity.
Time to make plans for the year ahead...
Secluded lanes
are pure joy in
a classic – and
we’ve got loads
Some of the
world’s most scenic
roads are in the
Scottish Highlands
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[ 50 Greatest British Drives]
SCOTLAND
North Coast 500
516 miles, three to four days
The north coast of Scotland has gone from
a secret joy to a widely promoted driving
destination. As a result, the quantity of camper
vans in summertime can dampen the spirits, so
try an out-of-season adventure and benefit from
the reduced hotel rates. Sacrifice something to
the weather gods before you set off.
Lewis & Harris – Hebridean adventure
70 miles, Stornoway to south Harris & back,
but allow days to explore
Go further than Wester Ross for true escapism,
to the Outer Hebrides. Wild and windswept
most of the time, but surprisingly Caribbean in
sunny weather, the Isles of Lewis and Harris are
one landmass divided by a mountain range that
offers one of the most spectacular and leastknown
driving roads in the UK.
Applecross and the Bealach na Ba
420 miles, two days, Glasgow to
Applecross and back
A short day’s drive from Glasgow – past Loch
Lomond, through Glencoe and onto the A87
towards Skye, then right for Lochcarron to the
A896 and the turn-off for the mighty Pass of
the Cattle, or Bealach-na-Ba – a tortuous and
vertiginous single-track road with awe-inspiring
viewpoints in good weather. On the other
side lies a night’s rest and an amazing seafood
dinner at the Applecross Inn. Do it over again,
backwards, on the next day. Or…
Loch Ness loop and the Corkscrew
50 miles, two to three hours
Leave Inverness south on the A82 and keep
an eye out for monsters, before an aboutturn
at Fort Augustus. The single-track B852
winds prettily north to Inverfarigaig, where an
anonymous side-turning leads to the tightest set
of hairpins in the country – the Corkscrew. If you
make it to the top, follow the road all the way
past Loch Ashie back to Inverness.
Isle of Skye
50 miles each for northern and southern
loops from Portree, half a day
Maybe not a Mecca for high-speed, flowing
roads – though the route from Bracadale to
Portree is challenging – but for views through
the windscreen, a lap of Skye taking in sights like
the Old Man of Storr and the Cuillin Ridge takes
some beating. Avoid school holidays to dodge
the swarms of rented motorhomes.
Small ferries, small islands
350 road miles, give it five or six days
A car tour of the south-western Scottish islands
offers empty roads and stunning scenery but also
various journeys on tiny ferries – get a feel for
holidays of 60 or 70 years ago. Start in Glasgow,
head for Arran, the Isle of Gigha, then back up to
Kennacraig for Jura, Islay, Colonsay and Mull.
Who says you
can’t Mexican
wave in a car?
Compete in an
event or just
enjoy the drive
Enjoy a stop off
at historic places
along the way
Southern Uplands Part One
Round trip from Dumfries; 85 miles,
three hours
Southern Scotland is like the Highlands, but with
smaller mountains and fewer tourists. The roads
are just as good, though – and you’ll often have
the place to yourself, so try an energetic zig-zag
through the three passes over the Lowther Hills:
the B740 Crawick Pass, the B797 Mennock Pass
and the A702 Dalveen Pass.
Southern Uplands Part Two
Round trip from Moffat; 75 miles,
two to three hours
Starting in Moffat, climb the A701 to the Devil’s
Beef Tub (a reputed slaughtering site for cattle
thieves) and keep going to the right turn at
Tweedsmuir for the vertiginous Talla-Linfoot
A fine way to
give the Alvis
a good airing
road, passing two reservoirs and emerging at St
Mary’s Loch. Head back to Moffat on the A708 or
extend the run to Selkirk, returning on the twisty
B7009 and B709.
Scenic Scotland, 17/5/23 to 26/5/23
1200 miles, nine nights
This tour takes in many of the exciting and
challenging roads and locations in some of the
Scottish runs mentioned elsewhere in these
pages, along with much more besides. £2999 pp.
See classictravelling.com
NORTH OF ENGLAND
Darlington to Edinburgh
The A68; 137 miles, four hours
Jump off the A1 at Barton Park Services towards
the A68, which soon reaches the spectacular
tops of Weardale, Wolsingham Moor and on to
Corbridge, and then the Roman roller-coaster of
Dere Street before the Cheviots and Carter Bar.
The same road will take you all the way to the
Edinburgh City Bypass.
Kielder Forest Drive
Kielder to Bamburgh; 83 miles, half a day
How 20mph can be great. This loose-surfaced
toll road links Kielder with the A68 at Byrness, a
12-mile climb to 1500ft with breathtaking views.
It allows a loop past Kielder Water and down
to Bellingham, then on north-east to Rothbury,
Alnwick and the superb Northumbrian coast.
Forest of Bowland
Lancaster to Burnley; 37 miles, two hours
This often-ignored Area of Natural Beauty can
be approached from all sides, but make sure
you take in the 1000ft pass over the Trough of
Bowland, between Marshaw and Dunsop Bridge.
Off the Slaidburn Road towards Clitheroe is the
old Waddington Fell hill climb; then beyond the
Ribble Valley, try the striking Pendle Road and
Barley Lane over Pendle Hill.
Lake District passes
91 miles (without the Kirkstone),
four to five hours
For steep mountain motoring, these are
England’s best. Wrynose and Hardknott are on
the same road out of Little Langdale; then either
turn back to Ambleside to tackle the Kirkstone
pass on the way north to Ullswater or loop west
through Egremont to the three northern passes
– Whinlatter, Newlands Hause and the most
impressive of the lot, the Honister. Just don’t try
it on a busy Bank Holiday…
Barnard Castle eye-test
95 miles, three to four hours
Try this spectacular loop of the deserted North
Pennines. From Barnard Castle take the B6277,
pausing to admire High Force, then turn right
across to St John’s Chapel, and left to Nenthead
and Alston. Follow the A686 all the way through
Bearsbridge and take the B6305 to Hexham.
Then it’s the B6306 to Blanchland, the Meadows
Edge road to Stanhope and the B6278 back to
Barnard Castle.
Yorkshire Dales
140 miles, all day (with time for a long lunch)
An epic. Clockwise from Harrogate: A59 to
Blubberhouses, turn right to Greenhow Hill, left
onto the B6265, left on New Road to Barden,
follow Barden Road into Skipton and out on the
A65. Right at Gargrave to Malham, then past on
Cove Road, left on Henside Road, right at the
T-junction with Silverdale Road all the way to
Halton Gill. Turn right down to the B6160, then
north to Buckden. Left on Beggarman’s Road all
the way into Hawes, then north out of Hawes
Hit the north
with a drive past
Bamburgh Castle
and over the Buttertubs pass. Right and down
Swaledale to Reeth, then to Leyburn, Masham,
Ripon and back to Harrogate.
Peak District passes and dams
50 miles, two to three hours
A loop with a diversion, starting in Glossop.
Take the A624 to Chapel-en-le-Frith, then the
Sheffield Road to Rushop Edge and the deep,
steep-sided Winnats Pass, on to a turn north
on the A6013 at Hope Valley. Then there’s
the impressive Derwent Valley Dams road up
the side of the water and back, before the
magnificent A57 Snake Pass back to Glossop.
MIDLANDS
Three hill climbs in a day
94 miles, three to four hours
Head west from Prescott Hill in Gloucestershire
to Tewkesbury, Ledbury and then Bromyard to
Shelsley Walsh, the world’s oldest motor sport
venue in continuous use. Then the roads get
better still; Tenbury Wells, Ludlow and then into
the Shropshire Hills at Craven Arms. Dodge the
busier A49 and head north to Loton Park Hill
Climb via Minsterley.
Lincolnshire, from Fens to Wolds
86 miles, half a day
Starting in Stamford, you’re into table-flat
Fenland scenery beyond Spalding. Up the A17
and A52 to Hubbert’s Bridge, then north on
the arrow-straight B1192 to the Bubble Car
Museum or the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight
at Coningsby. Horncastle is your gateway to
the Wolds’ soft contours, with maybe a stop at
Cadwell Park before a fish supper in Cleethorpes.
Organised tours
help you find
the best routes
Some organised
tours feature access
to private land
Midland Auto Club tours
Various, usually one day
The Midland Auto Club organises touring events
for their ‘Sports and Classic’ section for members
only, but also the MAC Classic every two years,
a major event with four starting points, which
is open to non-members. The next one is to
be held in 2024. See shesleywalsh.com for
membership and other details.
Welland Valley Wander, 12/8/23 (TBC)
100 miles, one day
Charity run for the Leicestershire and Rutland
Hospice. ‘Interesting places, interesting route,
interesting cars. A tour through Leicestershire,
Rutland, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire
finding hidden England.’ Loughborough Car Club.
£TBC, wellandvalleywander.co.uk
The East Midlands ‘Tick’
52 miles, one and a half to two hours
Resembling a backwards tick-mark traced on
a map, this is a great summer evening blast
starting in Bingham for Waltham on the Wolds,
then south on the A607 to Melton Mowbray and
out the far side on the B6047 all the way down to
the A6. East on the A6 to the curvaceous B664,
which you follow right the way into Uppingham.
Bicester/Silverstone motor sport loop
35 miles, one to two hours
Start from Bicester Heritage with all its many
historic motoring businesses, then up the
A4421 past Tingewick to Silverstone, where the
interactive museum is worth a look if there’s
nothing on track. Back down the fast A43 past
the Mercedes F1 headquarters at Brackley, then
turn off on the B4100 back to Bicester.
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[ 50 Greatest British Drives]
There are tremendous pubs: The Black Horse at
Cranham, Fostons Ash and Laurie Lee’s old hangout,
the Woolpack in Slad.
Get out as soon
as the good
weather arrives
Navigation
rallies add
challenge
Dartmoor National Park
81 miles, three to four hours
Wild open country aplenty, and sweeping roads
to enjoy. Start with the B3312 from Exeter to
Moretonhampstead to Yelverton and then finish
a triangle to Tavistock and either Princetown or
Two Bridges, carrying on down the B3357 and
B3387 to Dartmeet, Widecombe, Bovey Tracey
and back to Exeter.
Take a Triumph
through a ford...
or vice versa
Cat & Fiddle loop
28 miles, 1-1.5 hrs
The eponymous pub at the top of the Cat &
Fiddle pass has re-opened for refreshments
following a refurb and the road that runs
past it is fabulous if you avoid the traffic and
speed cameras. From Macclesfield, take the
A537 towards Buxton, then come back down
the A54 (equally stunning) to Algreave. Finally,
chill out along the woodland lanes through
Wildboarclough back to the A537.
WALES
Evo Triangle
110-mile round trip from Oswestry, half a day
Reach this road-testers’ favourite via the
enjoyable B4391, west of Welshpool or Oswestry.
Keep going past the top of Bala, turn right at
Fron-goch and then left onto the A5. The triangle
starts at Cerrigydrudion; stay on the A5 to
Pentrefoelas, right onto the A543 all the way up
to Sportsman’s Arms, right again onto the B4501
and back to the A5.
Brecon Beacons & Black Mountain Pass
120 miles, four hours for all routes in a loop
from Abergavenny
There are lots of tempting routes across South
Wales’s Brecon Beacons. We’d pick the B4560
between Llngynidr and Garnlydan, the A470
between Brecon and Merthyr and the A4067
from Abercraf to Sennybridge. But they’re all
understudies to the mighty A4069 Mountain
Road, Brynamman to Llangadog.
North Wales Expressway to Anglesey
Chester to Holyhead; 85 miles, two hours
(or much longer with stops)
Can a dual carriageway be a great drive? If it
has dazzling views of sandy bays and ancient
castles, and it tunnels through mountainsides,
yes. What’s more, it links Chester with Snowdonia
and Anglesey. Once over the bridge, turn right
for Beaumaris or follow the Expressway to
Holyhead… and a ferry to Dublin?
Portmeirion tour, 2/7/23 to 6/7/23
Various day trips, four nights
Staying in the magical Italianate village of
Portmeirion, this event sets off to different sights
Enjoying your
car with likeminded
people
each day, with every trip involving some of the
superb driving roads west Wales has to offer.
£1475pp. See countrylanetours.co.uk
Welsh Coast and Valleys 500,
June & September ’23
500 miles, seven days
A long and beautiful route running from
Llandrindod Wells in the heart of Wales right
round the Gower, Pembrokeshire. Snowdonia
and Anglesey to Llandudno. Running twice in
2023 with Scenic Car Tours at £799 per person.
See sceniccartours.com
NORTHERN IRELAND,
EIRE, ISLE OF MAN
Isle of Man TT course
37.73 miles, at least 16 minutes 42 seconds
Why should the bikers have all the fun? Away
from TT week, the Isle of Man returns to normal
and the Tourist Trophy race course reverts to
being open public roads once more. Stretches
outside the larger towns of Douglas, Kirkmichael
and Ramsey are smooth, fast, scenic and
enjoyable – none more so than the mountain
section of the A18 over Snaefell.
Causeway Coastal Route, Belfast-Derry
130 miles not including inland loops, two days
Like Scotland’s North Coast 500, this trip from
Belfast to Londonderry has its own website and
is much promoted. It features a succession of
impressive sea views with the option to turn
inland for various scenic loops, or stop at many
Maybe catch
some on-track
action on the way
attractions including the remarkable Giant’s
Causeway. See causewaycoastalroute.com
Mourne Coast Route
102 miles, one day
Head the other way out of Belfast for North
Down, the Ards Peninsula, County Down’s coast
and the mighty Mourne Mountains, via the little
ferry across the mouth of Strangford Lough.
Newry is your end-point
.
Waterford, Killarney and the
Ring of Kerry Tour, 5/6 to 11/6
500 miles, four nights
Includes return ferry travel from either Fishguard
or Holyhead, four nights in hotels and a proper
roadbook to cover five days of touring the best
scenery southern Ireland has to offer. £899pp.
See sceniccartours.com
Tour of Ireland, 3/6/23 to 11/6/23
500-plus miles, eight nights
Upscale tour around the coast of Ireland picking
out the best roads, scenery and hotels. Price and
itinerary was still to be confirmed as we went to
press, but check classicgt.co.uk
SOUTH-WEST ENGLAND
South Cotswolds
30 miles, two hours (not including pub lunch)
Ideal for older, slower cars – if they can climb
hills. From Nailsworth, tackle the hairpins of
‘The W’ onto Minchinhampton Common, then
through Stroud and out for a loop through
Painswick, Cranham, Sheepscombe and Slad.
Cheddar Gorge to Ilfracombe
80 miles, three to four hours
After the stunning trip through Cheddar Gorge,
head west and pick up the A38 and then the A39
at Bridgwater. You’ll skirt the Quantock Hills, but
the really good bit starts at Porlock Hill, once a
serious test for any car. The stretch from here
to Paracombe is fast, technical and satisfying.
Ilfracombe makes a pleasant overnight stop.
Cornwall’s Atlantic Coast
30 miles, one and a half to two hours
Heading to west Cornwall? Get off the A30 at
Redruth, heading up to Portreath. Take the coast
road (B3301) to Gwythian, dodge Hayle on the
bypass and turn off to St Ives. From here to St
Just, the B3306 is one of the most spectacular
roads in the country, with clifftop ocean views
and sinuous bends.
Devon Tour, 18/4/23 to 23/4/23
549 miles, five nights
All around one of the prettiest counties in
England – expect seaside and moorland
and everything in between. £TBC. See
classictravelling.com
The Corinium Run, 30/4/2023 (TBC)
120 miles, one day
Classic ‘Touring Assembly’ and economy fun-run
around the south Cotswolds from Cirencester
Car Club Ltd. £90 per car including lunch and
dinner. cirencestercarclub.com
Spring Motoring Weekend,
West Somerset, late April 2023
Various day trips, four days
Hotel-based four-day trip around the West
Country, taking in the Haynes Motor Museum as
well as Cheddar Gorge and other pleasant routes.
£775pp. See erlevents.com
Tour of the Cotswolds, September 2023
115 miles, one day
Cleeve Motorsport Club runs an annual scenic
tour through Cotswold routes, starting and
finishing on the edge of Cheltenham. Around £70
per crew, full English breakfast and buffet supper
included. See cleeve-motorsport-club.co.uk
or call 07970 154696
Mendip Vintage and Classic Tour,
May 2023 (date TBC)
70 miles, one day
A leisurely tour culminating in a magnificent
static display of 160+ classic cars on the
Cathedral Green in Wells, Somerset. Raising
money for a different charity every year. See
candhmotorclub.co.uk or call 07771 851095
The Bluebell Run, Forest of Dean,
14/5/23 (TBC)
120 miles, one day
A Touring Assembly is an event organised by
a Motor Club in which a group of older or
interesting cars follow an easy route around
beautiful countryside. A road book of instructions
is usually provided. This one features a maximum
of 60 cars and ‘older’ is defined as at least 20
years of age. It covers the Welsh Marches and the
Forest of Dean, a little-explored region for many
drivers. Approx £85 per crew, including lunch and
dinner. See rossmotorsports.co.uk
SOUTH EAST ENGLAND
New Forest, Winchester & Stockbridge
93 miles, half a day
Any route into the New Forest can enjoy a stopoff
at the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu,
but the Forest roads are fun too – just mind
the dozy ponies. Loop from the A3090 through
Romsey to Winchester, then up to the A30
and west towards Stockbridge. It’s along here
that every Gordon Keeble was road-tested to
130mph from the factory in Eastleigh. Carry on to
Salisbury, then back down the A36 and into the
New Forest again.
London to Snetterton and
the North Norfolk Coast
290-mile round trip from London, a weekend
From north London, escape to Cambridge on the
M11, then take the A11 through Thetford Forest to
Snetterton. If there’s no sport on, take a seaside
loop to the north: cross-country to Swaffham,
Fakenham, Wells-next-the-Sea, Hunstanton,
miss out Snettisham and Dersingham, on to
Narborough and back into Swaffham.
South London to South Downs
175 miles, start early on a Sunday
Flee down the A3 to Petersfield and through
South Harting, up what was once a hill climb
course to Chilgrove and on to Goodwood.
Up to Midhurst, Haslemere, the A3 and back
to town if time is short, or west on the A272
through Petersfield to West Meon, Warnford and
Winchester to come back up the A31.
High Weald Loop
80 miles, half a day
Take the A21 from Sevenoaks past Tunbridge
Wells, then left at Flimwell up the A268. Left
on the A28 to Rolvenden, then do a clockwise
loop through Woodchurch, Hamstreet, Snave,
Brookland, Rye, Broad Oak and Cripps Corner,
Hawkhurst, and the A21 back to Sevenoaks.
Regis Tour and Picnic, September 2023
100 miles, one day
A tour around West Sussex and beyond. Entry
costs around £100 for a crew of two including
breakfast butties and coffee/tea, entry to the
lunchtime mass picnic venue plus a cream tea
and then a hog roast to celebrate the finish.
Contact Kevin Lawrence, 01243 824086
London to Brighton Classic,
Kit and Sports Car Run 4/6/23
55 miles, one day
Three different events in one here: a classic car
event, the kit and sports car run, and a ‘modern
classics’ event too, ensuring that just about
anything more than two decades old can take
part; £120 per car. See classicmotorevents.co.uk
Credit Crunch Special, 23/4/23 to
25/4/23 (TBC)
Various day trips, three to four days, Norfolk
Ian Glass’s affordable touring weekend is now
in its 14th year, offering three days and three
nights of touring and visits, based in a single
hotel, this time in West Runton, Norfolk. £495 per
person including dinner, bed and breakfast. See
countrylanetours.co.uk or call 01824 790280
Best of UK and
Ireland is waiting
to be explored
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