Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms Best roads to drive a Morgan sports car

Thanks for the link Manxmog, some good routes there. If I manage to try them all I will have been a happy Mog owner.

Thanks also for the tip about ferry to Belfast via Douglas, interesting, I haven't tried or even heard of that crossing.

Flowman, one way or another I hope that you have a great trip! Certainly the Antrim Coast Road has to be one of the finest roads in the British Isles.

In relation to the England-IOM-N.Ireland route it is not publicised by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company. I reckon that they are crazy for not doing so. The Island is excellent for a stopover of say 3 or 4 days (more of course!!!). For motoring enthusiasts it has the TT course which in some parts does not have a speed limit (but watch the bends and the walls) and a lot of other fine roads. It also has a number of very interesting national heritage sites, some good museums, wonderful coastal scenery and glens and lots of paths plus 365 days of sunshine p.a. (hmmmmmm). The landscape for such a small place (35 miles X 15 miles) is very diverse. If you like old trains we also have a 19th century steam train that runs in the summer over about 15 miles and a 100 year old electric tramway that goes a similar distance.

On the ferries as I mentioned you would need to talk with the IOMSPC directly to get the proper fare - using their one way fares on the website comes up with horrendous costs. I would recommend that you use the website to check what a return fare to say Heysham would be on the days you wanted and then call them to ask for the through ticket - also don't let them charge you for not booking on-line - just say that their system doesn't offer the route so you have to do it person to person.

Overall this would mean that you have to pay for 3 ferry trips not 2 as you would still need to get back from NI - but if you have the time and fancy a bit of a different experience its worth thinking about.

PS: the ferry sailings to Ireland are only available from Spring to September.

Excellent! Thanks Manxmog, I'll let you know how we get on....

Lovely road 20 minutes from me but favoured by bikers and Police so beware

How did you Tour of Scot-landers like the road from the Erskine Bridge, passed Jackie Stewart's old family Garage at Old Kilpatric, Lock Lomond side, over 'The Rest and be Thankful' and on to Crinan via Inveraray & Lochgilphead?

I used to drive it every Monday & Back on Friday from Glasgow Airport for too many years, but all the way to Campbeltown.
Its a great drive provided you don't meet any wayward Sheep or Deer or too many trucks.

There really are some cracking roads around despite the growth in car ownership.

Comments here made me think that actually there still are a lot of great places to go in the British Isles. One's like the Meon Valley, Mid Wales (most of Wales), the Marches, Dartmoor and Exmoor, the Lincolnshire Wolds, the Cotswolds, the Yorkshire Dales, North York Moors, the Trough of Bowland, the Eden Valley, parts of the Lake District out of the tourist season, most of Northumberland and of Scotland(!) and lots of Ireland too.

Having a Morgan makes me think much more about the driving 'experience' when car+landscape+a nice day = maximum driving pleasure

I have no idea which road that was (no co-driver so just hanging on to the rear bumper of whoever was in front) but most of the roads on that side were superb! Having driven extensively in France, and in Switzerland and Austria, the Scottish highland roads were definitely more fun

Now all I have to do is look that up and 'save' in the old memory

I have never done that sort of touring, so I suppose that it is one of the draw backs of driving in the middle or end of a convoy

One of the beauties of the old road (its been straightened and widened now) along side Loch Lomond, was where we regulars new where to look across the loch and assess if there was any oncoming traffic, early. Then we would scare the pants off of the tourists by passing them at speed on the outside of a blind curve around the rocks.
The local record, C/town to Glasgow Airport was 2hrs 10min for the 138miles. My best was only 2hrs 20.
There were a few accidents, needles to say driving fast like that, when the first choice of direction change is 84 miles north of C/town.
A Local friend's Rally Driving wife'c car bent a big Jag amidships as he pulled out of a blind hotel drive.She was fine and the Jag people only shook up, due to her full harness and cage.
Another rolled his company Marina trying to pass a lorry and ran out of road. The weekend he picked the car up rebuilt, I was passenger when another old guy pulled out of a blind woodland cottage and gave us a choice of hitting it broadside of going in a deep rocky gully. We hit him slow motion after a hundred yard slide on the damp tree lined road, reducing the bodywork of both cars somewhat. Again, thankfully, no one was hurt.

Wow Frank, never realised you were into Banger racing

It's good to see your 'signature' bearing some good news

Best drive I ever did (in my Cooper S) was from roughly the Coniston area to Inverglass on a Sunday. Roads are single carriageway but quite broad, twisty in parts but plenty of straights to open the taps. Great visibility, overtaking opportunities were plenty and it seemed to be unpoliced (no NIPs in the post, anyway!).