NorthSouth & Ninja

I did look at the costal route - how far west did you go - out to Loch Fyne and then north from there?

IIRC, (I havent got my map on me) I followed loch fyne all the way to the top along the eastern coast, then crossed about 3 - 4 miles of land, then continued to follow the coast up, until I got to Oban

It was so easy, even I could do it. ;)

VFR coastal to Oban
 

I do the trip frequently from Glasgow. Best route I usually find is (get your 1:250000 out) to the west of Bute, then north up Loch Fyne to Lochgilphead, where there is a low level route along the north of the Crinan Canal toward Shuna Point on the island of Shuna. Thereafter follow the coast to Oban. Beware that there are TWO marked runways 03 and 01 (I think). Don't make the mistake of lining up on 03 when 01 is the 'main'. Doh !

A stunning alternative if it's not too windy is to head for Islay then go low-level north via the West coast of Jura. If midweek, WATCH OUT for low-level (200-500feet) fast jet activity in the Sound of Jura, around Colonsay, Loch Linnhe, Sound of Mull. Anything from Hercs to F15s, Tornadoes and Harriers. If you see one ..... watch out for his wingman, and they often play around in 4 ships. Quite often your first sif=ghting is of the shadow across the ground .. yes it does get beautifully sunny up here ... particularly on the 80k vis days behind a cold front :)

In general westerly winds watch out for turbulence on the east side of the hills, sorry 'mountains' (for the southerners ;). Arran can be particularly bumpy above 2000' on the east coast if the wind is 20kts or more. Below 2000 it's usually smooth (2/3rd of height of hills). Well that's my rule of thumb.

If you want to get a FIS on the way up, it is worth knowing that the R/T transmitters for Scottish Info on 127.27 are at Tiree and at Lowther Hill (by Abingdon on the M74). So anything below 1500' is dodgy two-way in that area due to the hills of Argyll, except around Tarbert/Tighnabruich where you can get two-way at 700 feet (line of sight with Lowther) ;) Insider knowledge.

The only other thing you need to remember (and this is VERY VERY important). When flying into Oban you MUST read the airfield information charts properly and take special note of UK Air Pilot GEN section. In the Addendum to Appendix B, para 2.4 it clearly states - Due to high ground in the vicinity of Scotland, pilots approaching from the South must check before entering Scottish Airspace, or prior to point of first landing, that they have the correct airfield pressure setting and correct weight and balance of biscuits on board. Failure to comply with these simple instructions can lead to embarassment when the kettle at Oban mysteriously malfunctions (at point of maximum thirst) and is thence withdrawn from use under The Argyll Enterprise Regulations - Schedule B - Operation of Unlicensed Electrical Equipment by Untrained Personnel in Class G Airspace (sub section Jammy Dodgers)

YOU have been warned !! :ok:

Thank you PH-UKU for the information packed post - great stuff and much appreciated.

I'm reading up on the Jammy Dodger regulations as I type... :ok:

Ahhhh...... Oban and the jammy dodgers. Haven't been for a while, hope to get there again soon.

On the note about how the weather changes across Scotland. Left Plockton the other day in heavy showers and 30 knots of wind for Inverness where the sun was shining and the wind a little more benign. Not very comfortable in the mountains but nice ground speed!