Highland petrol stations

[rce]

Planning for our summer trip to Orkney, have a route plan for going North with petrol stations at suitable intervals (wife's bike is on limit of range around 130 miles).

Coming back I don't really have a route in mind, if weather good may extend the holiday over towards West Coast.

Now the problem finding all the little petrol stations dotted around, does a map exist or Garmin loc/gdb of the petrol stations ? I know the garmin has petrol stations but not sure how up to date it is and would prefer not to find out a station is shut when we are sucking fumes to get there.

Worst comes to worst rough locations would help then I can check on Google.

 

[roddy]

you could always look on the websites for Esso, Shell etc..... and they'll have a list of there petrol stations.

you can pick yir own route then, personnally it's never been a problem your still on mainland Britian after all

 

[Deleted User O]

130 mile tank range you will only run out if you do not fill up regularly as with anywhere in Englandshire.
Ask G.C. spotted pushing a GSA up the M1

500 miles is Fort William to Kyle of Lochalsh, Garve ,Ullapool, Scourie,Durness, Tongue, Wick, Thurso,Brora, Tain, Inverness

Thats at least 1560 miles worth of fuel Unless your traveling through the night there won't be a problem.

Forget the scare mongering in here just go and enjoy and don't forget the skin so soft

Lugs managed it on an HP2.

Cheers Johnny Skye - twinned with - Mars

 

[buellzebub]

Have a look here, there are loads of other POIs too, all free. I also subscribe to their speed camera updates.
HTH
Mick

 

[G.C.]

I bungee a spare 5 ltrs onto a pannier.

Peace of mind as much as anything else, purchased from a marine store.

130 mile tank range you will only run out if you do not fill up regularly as with anywhere in Englandshire.
Ask G.C. spotted pushing a GSA up the M1

It had been a long week, I blame Cookson

 

[Klanky]

If you're coming off the Orkney ferry at Scrabster there's fuel a mile away in Thurso.

Heading West you've then got fuel at Bettyhill (shop hours only) and then Kyle of Tongue and Durness - although someone stated that Durness and Tongue were shut on Sunday when they went through...I'm sure I've filled up there myself on Sundays. Worth double checking.

Also fuel at Scourie, Lochinver and Ullapool.

 

[Coolcarbon]

Heading West you've then got fuel at Kyle of Tongue and Durness - although someone stated that Durness and Tongue were shut on Sunday when they went through....

Yup, been through there a few times and it's been shut on a Sunday, last time with Mort a couple of years ago...headed south down the A836 and finaslly found one open just before Lairg

 

[Deleted account 190920001]

Google maps has fuel stations in it, you can also plan a route on it as well but I don't know if Garmin can load the route as I don't use Garmin. Just zoom to a level that shows the area your interested in and search fuel station and it will highlight them all for you.

 

[Tinytim]

If you're coming off the Orkney ferry at Scrabster there's fuel a mile away in Thurso.

Heading West you've then got fuel at Bettyhill (shop hours only) and then Kyle of Tongue and Durness - although someone stated that Durness and Tongue were shut on Sunday when they went through...I'm sure I've filled up there myself on Sundays. Worth double checking.

Also fuel at Scourie, Lochinver and Ullapool.

Don't rely on Kyle of Tongue for fuel.

Due to forgetting to fill up at Lochinver on the way to Durness and beyond, by the time I got to Tongue I was running on fumes and it was 10 to 5 in the afternoon. The petrol pump outiside Arkwrights tin shed of a "shop"( yes, THE)had a handwritten sign saying "No Petrol until tomorrow"
The miserable old coont serving in the "shop". ( I call it a shop but I have never seen such a sparsely stocked place in all my life), once he'd finished having a long chat about an old footpath to a couple of walkers, and ignoring the fact that I was so obviously perspiring with worry, fekkin soaked from the unexpected rain whilst continuously glancing at the clock above his head finally turned to me with a quizzical "what the fook do you want" look on his face.

" I know ya got no petrol....but I'm running on fumes and want to know where's the nearest quick and what time does it close?"

The coont obviously knew, but playing to the "audience" ( me) he rubbed his chin and studied the ceiling before saying "Bettyhill the noo,,,12 miles east along the coast...look sharp, he closes at 5.15 "

The next 12 miles were the scariest I've had, freewheeling down hill but wanting to hurry up. Finally made it to Betthill corner shop at 5.15, Phew !

Told the owner there and he laffed and said "that old coont never has any petrol cos he "dusnae" pay his fekkin bills...I bet he told ya he'd been as busy as hell yesterday right? Yea, right...Ya wannaa brew while I fll her up?"

Top Man at Bettyhill...

Bad Man at Tongue.....

 

[GSmonkey]

Toured round there on a Honda with about 100mile range. Never had a problem. just fill up regularly as suggested.

 

[Mr K]

It's Scotland not feckin Siberia FFS!

 

[MysteryB]

It's Scotland not feckin Siberia FFS!

Second that!!!

 

[Klanky]

Don't rely on Kyle of Tongue for fuel.

Due to forgetting to fill up at Lochinver on the way to Durness and beyond, by the time I got to Tongue I was running on fumes and it was 10 to 5 in the afternoon. The petrol pump outiside Arkwrights tin shed of a "shop"( yes, THE)had a handwritten sign saying "No Petrol until tomorrow"
The miserable old coont serving in the "shop". ( I call it a shop but I have never seen such a sparsely stocked place in all my life), once he'd finished having a long chat about an old footpath to a couple of walkers, and ignoring the fact that I was so obviously perspiring with worry, fekkin soaked from the unexpected rain whilst continuously glancing at the clock above his head finally turned to me with a quizzical "what the fook do you want" look on his face.

" I know ya got no petrol....but I'm running on fumes and want to know where's the nearest quick and what time does it close?"

The coont obviously knew, but playing to the "audience" ( me) he rubbed his chin and studied the ceiling before saying "Bettyhill the noo,,,12 miles east along the coast...look sharp, he closes at 5.15 "

The next 12 miles were the scariest I've had, freewheeling down hill but wanting to hurry up. Finally made it to Betthill corner shop at 5.15, Phew !

Told the owner there and he laffed and said "that old coont never has any petrol cos he "dusnae" pay his fekkin bills...I bet he told ya he'd been as busy as hell yesterday right? Yea, right...Ya wannaa brew while I fll her up?"

Top Man at Bettyhill...

Bad Man at Tongue.....

I must have been going to a different petrol station in Tongue for the past eight years, then.

 

[Zundapp]

It's Scotland not feckin Siberia FFS!

On a Sunday, after teatime, there are big bits which may as well be Siberia for petrol...

 

[DavidHale]

Don't forget to take yer helmet off when you fill up...

 

[Klanky]

Don't forget to take yer helmet off when you fill up...

Aye, the staff run off shrieking into the hills if you don't.

 

[wully]

Aye, the staff run off shrieking into the hills if you do

Fixed F.O.C.

 

[rce]

Thanks guys, some useful suggestions and as expected some not so useful

I started with Google maps and did notice not all petrol stations shown round here so having to use street view to confirm.

Filling up every 50 mile just cause you pass a petrol station is a bit of a pain, sods law says if you don't fill up you will be on fumes. A86 in Englandshire needs some planning and wife's bike came close to running dry last time we came down that way from Scottieland.

In the past I have used the find nearest petrol station feature on a sat nav (I had a Chrysler that had a range of 150 miles) and ended up at what must have been the owners registered address (his home) not the petrol station.

Skin so soft (blue is best apparently) sat in cupboard ready.

Mate says he will fill the wife up if she is desperate from his bigun

 

[Tinytim]

I must have been going to a different petrol station in Tongue for the past eight years, then.

My apologies ya Clannish bastid....in that case, go to the other petrol Station in Tongue....

 

[Klanky]

My apologies ya Clannish bastid....in that case, go to the other petrol Station in Tongue....

No worries.

Seriously though, I've been a 'regular' at that place for a long time now - I'll runout to Tongue and then cut back home via Altnaharra or go via Duress/Ullapool/Lairg and have never had any problems at all. The guy always speaks and I've never heard anyone mention him running out of fuel...maybe I've just been lucky.
And the shop has always been reasonably well stocked. You have to bear in mind that it's a small shop on the edge of a small village in a rural community - and there's another shop in the village centre...hardly going to pack it to the gunwhales with unsellable stock, are you?

Regarding what the numpty in Bettyhill told you - I'd take anything they say with a pinch of salt. They can't piss straight let alone give you a straight answer


Back to the real issue:

RCE, bear in mind it's 140 miles from Thurso to Ullapool round the North West route, so with a bit of jiggery pokery with a can or one fuel stop you'll be fine.