glasgow to inverness by car - how long

[Fish the Mod]

Want to go to Loch Ness over a weekend but all flights from London dont get into Inverness until early afternoon. I can get flights to Glasgow early Saturday morning. How long roughly in time is the drive from Glasgow to Inverness

[redcrx]

the AA's routeplanner says 170 miles (3hrs 44mins)

[EcclesCake]

Why not look at flying to Aberdeen? I used to find it a fair bit cheaper than Inverness.

[lumination]

google maps says 3hr and 23mins.

[EcclesCake]

It's a while since I've done it but I think the AA are being ambitious and Google foolhardy. Once you get beyond Perth it can be very slow going as there are speed cameras, morons and tractors to contend with. Once you get into the depths of nowhere you then have to contend with mad pheasants blocking the road en masse.

Five hours is a realistic journey time including a loo break.

[Dris]

I live just a few miles from Perth -its a 3hr drive to Inverness from Perh.Least an hr + from Glasgow to Perth.
I believe a straight run would be just short of 4hrs-you dont get a straight run on the M8 nor the A90.Plus the A90 is a nighmare road -goes from dual carriageway to single lane in obscure places and you can be fooled into thinking you are still on dual carriageway.
Well worth it though !!!
Patience is the key.

[WesterRoss]

As I live in Gairloch on the West Coast I do this trip regularly.
You need to allow at least 4 hours. There are miles of roadworks just outside Glasgow with speed limited to 50mph, if you are lucky!
Not too bad after that until you hit the roundabout at Perth,
At that point the A9 switches between dual and single carriageways. The biggest problem is commercial traffic. It is not easy to overtake on the single carriageways so everybody goes mad when they get to a dualled section. That is why it is a very dangerous road with many fatalities each year.
Don't consider Aberdeen as an alternative, the A96 is just as bad. All single carriageway and 100 miles to Inverness. Three to four hours also.
Best to fly Friday night to Inverness.
Hope this helps.

[Dris]

ooops -just noticed I said A90 instead of A9 -what a twit.Rest verified and elaborated on by WesterRoss -good advice.(not sure if any help though as OP hasnt been back on !)

[SeaJayPea]

But why not make the drive part of your trip? If you come out of Glasgow Airport and head for the Erskine Bridge (on the M8), you'll finish up on the A82. That goes to Inverness, via Glencoe and Fort William, all the way along Loch Ness and passes through Drumnadrochit where most of the tourist stuff about the Loch is. (Do beware, it can be a bit tacky). It's a really nice drive and there won't be too much traffic at this time of year. It's more or less the same distance as the M8/A9 route and has the advantage of taking you directly to where you want to be.
Enjoy