Many locals in the west of Scotland wonder why so many British people bother going abroad for their motoring holidays when the Road to the Isles, a stunning route that delves north from Glasgow in search of the Scottish islands, is right on the doorstep. The 150 mile (225 kilometres) drive from Scotland's largest city to journey's end at the small fishing port of Mallaig takes in an epic sweep of scenery that matches anything found on the continent.

Ask half a dozen Scots where Rathad nan Eilan - the Gaelic name for the Road to the Isles- begins and ends and you are likely to encounter conflicting answers. For purists it is only the last stretch of the A830 from just outside Fort William to Mallaig, but for others it is all the way from Glasgow north on the A82, and then the run-in on the A830. The best plan is to take the longer route as there is more to see and do.

Road to the Isles

Shaking off the tower blocks of Glasgow's suburbs and the rusting shipyards of the Clyde estuary, the A82 soon opens up views of Loch Lomond, Britain's largest stretch of freshwater, and a National Park since 2001.

There are numerous places to stay and daily cruises up and down the loch, as well as the recently opened Loch Lomond Shores, a visitor centre with cafes, shops, and restaurants that boast panoramic views of the loch, and the hulk of Ben Lomond in the distance. The A82 curls around the west bank of Loch Lomond, as the east is the preserve of walkers tackling the West Highland Way.

Fifty miles from Glasgow the village of Crianlarich makes a convenient break for anyone planning to tackle the whole drive in a day. On the road out of the village is the Green Welly Stop, with its souvenir shops and petrol station - a good place to stock up on anti-freeze during the colder months. The road to the Isles stays open for the most part, throughout winter, but if there are any snow closures they are usually just north of Crianlarich on the bleak expanse of Rannoch Moor.

Rannoch Moor is unlike anywhere else in Britain, a vast plain that rumbles into the distance in a collage of peaty bogs, heather and looming mountain peaks. Keen walkers will want to spend at least a couple of days in and around Rannoch, but visitor facilities are sparse to say the least, so more casual visitors may just want to stop for a picnic or a short walk. By the summit of Rannoch you are now over seventy miles from Glasgow, and have climbed 1,141 ft. since the drive by the River Clyde.

Waterfall at Glencoe

From Rannoch the A82 drops down through Glencoe, regarded by many Scots as the finest glen in the land, and it is hard to disagree on a clear day, when the precipitous rock walls hurl seawards and the road seems to disappear as it descends far below. Glencoe was the scene of an infamous massacre in the seventeenth century when the Campbell clan slew their MacDonald hosts, and today at the Clachaig Inn, just off the A82, a sign still bars unwanted Campbells!

Fort William is only fifteen miles away now and the landscape opens up with Loch Linhe, a long and narrow sea loch, ushering drivers towards the biggest settlement since Glasgow.

Crannog Seafood Restaurant

Fort William is a bustling place and a rail terminus with daily services to Glasgow, and even sleeper services to London. First built as an English garrison town, today it is a popular resort with plenty of pubs, restaurants and shops, as well as the most northerly McDonalds restaurant in Britain, and the only one with a menu written in Gaelic. The highest mountain in the British Isles, Ben Nevis, hovers above, and can be scaled on a good summer's day by most moderately fit people, though local advice should always be sought and the right back-up gear carried.

The award winning Crannog Seafood Restaurant on the waterfront is perfect as a lunch stop for those looking for a more leisurely break.

Loch Sheil

A short drive from the town centre and the A82 leads on to the A830, for many drivers the most spectacular stretch of the Road to the Isles. The highlight is Glenfinnan, a stunning setpiece sixteen miles from Fort William that recently starred in the latest Harry Potter film. Hulking Highland peaks skulk around, and in the middle is the silvery sinew of Loch Sheil, which ripples through the glen and out towards the sea.

A single stone figure of a Jacobite warrior is all that is left to commemorate the day in 1745 when Bonnie Prince Charlie rallied the massed clansmen for one last great campaign south.

Sands at Morar

From Glenfinnan the road cuts towards the coast and soon the pristine beaches of Morar and Arisaig appear. The beauty of the sands at Morar was memorably captured in the film Local Hero, but there are seldom more than a couple of people wandering along one of the most stunning beaches in Europe. This is an ideal spot for a picnic with only the sweep of seafront and the distant islands of Rhum, Eigg and Muck for company.

The Road to the Isles' final flourish comes with the arrival in Mallaig and a first glimpse of the Isle of Skye, Scotland's largest island, and one of the most popular.

From Mallaig it is possible to catch a ferry to Skye or, for those really looking to get away from it all, delve into the remote Knoydart Peninsular, one of Europe's last real wildernesses where there are no cars, but there is Britain's remotest pub to snuggle up in between rambles. Whatever you chose to do, make sure to enjoy freshly caught fish with chips by the harbour in Mallaig first, as you watch the fishing fleet come in, and congratulate yourself on discovering the truly remarkable drive that is the Road to the Isles.

Robin McKelvie