I've done most of northern Scotland and never had a problem finding fuel - some of it has been expensive, but needs must.
The trick is not to play 'fuel warning roulette' and as soon as your tank is showing half full stop at the first station you come across and refuel.
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we do have filling stations up here you know
Ya, I know... but I'm bit worried about 25-26!
I don't know if there is any other nation on the planet who suspend their rail service on those days! Last 2 years I was in Sweden & Spain respectively during Xmas and was amazed to see that almost everything were running as normal on 25-26.
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Legally you cannot use jerricans for petrol unless they are the right colour and have the correct safety markings.
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The largest amount that you can legally carry/fill with petrol is 10 litres.
A 20ltr jerrycan is OK for diesel; but most ferries don't allow any spare fuel cans to be carried. An unleaded filling spout is a necessary extra and widely available.
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An unleaded filling spout is a necessary extra and widely available.
Lead filling spouts are soft, easily dented, and heavy to carry around. Use any old plastc funnel.
BTW this topic has been covered before. I think the conclusion was that you may be contravening the licensing regulations of the retailer if you fill up with more than their specified limit, but those limits do vary. Ferries may have their own regulations, and there is a law about storing petrol at home. But there did not appear to be any legal restriction on carrying loose petrol in a vehicle.
There may of course be regulations governing the places where it is permissable to pour/transfer petrol - eg not in a hotel car park perhaps.
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Lead filling spouts are soft easily dented and heavy to carry around. Use any old plastc funnel.
Who mentioned lead? Jerrycan flexible steel spouts come in NATO-standard size for filling Challenger tanks with diesel quickly and are therefore useless for the restricted unleaded fillers on cars; or the [more appropriate to the OP's stated use] stepped unleaded variety.
A funnel is no fun if the filler is near-horizontal and the Scottish wind is blowing at 40 knots.
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Who mentioned lead?
Whoosh...
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you could always buy a 10 litre jerry can and a spout to fit it if you need the reassurance but there will be a lot of filling stations open on the 26th even if it is only for a limited time
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Just stick a bit of ole hose in yer boot, stand can on roof an siphon it in!! nae sense in wastin pennies on fancy spoots an stuff laddie!
Billy
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Just stick a bit of ole hose in yer boot stand can on roof an siphon it in!!
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OK if you can time the sucking. ;-0
>>nae sense in wastin pennies on fancy spoots an stuff laddie!
I think I would buy a £2 plastic siphon cos I do not have any "ole hose."
I think it would survive one use before it dissolved.
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I am not a sucker!
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You don't have to suck. You can do it by immersing most of the hose in the can then sticking your thumb over the end and withdrawing the hose filled with petrol. With a bit of splashing and squirting you can insert the end of the hose in the filler orifice.
Funny how cars don't seem to have a discoloured area where fuel has run down the bodywork any more.
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Screwloose has a good point - have you ever actually tried filling your car in a 40mph wind from a jerry can (which gets kinda heavy if holding 10 litres!) and trying to hold a funnel in place at the same time as trying not to damage your paintwork?
Even forgetting the freezing 40mph wind (which you WILL get if you go up to the Sutherland area), does your fuel filler mean the funnel lies almost horizontally, meaning that you'll be lucky to pour petrol from the said very heavy jerry can (which will no doubt need two hands to hold) while balancing the funnel with you leg while trying to maintain your balance so as not to scratch the car, while puring petrol in at the rate of 1 litre a minute?
And then being so exhausted that you light a fag while you get your breath back, which sets alight the fumes that will have penetrated into the car duringt he 20 minutes or so it's taken you to fill up................ and hey presto - a new version of the Norhern Lights!
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An empty plastic drinks bottle with the bottom cut off is an ideal impromptu funnel!
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An empty plastic drinks bottle with the bottom cut off is an ideal impromptu funnel!
Of which petrol will melt.
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>> Who mentioned lead?
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Sorry, poor joke. Someone mentioned filling with unleaded. Obviously he referred to the petrol, but it could read as if he meant the funnel.
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i will repeat this only once
anybody who carries fuel in an enclosed vehicle for more than say 5 miles as its an emergency is a dammed fool
ask titch at morley auctions to show you his before and after photographs
Edited by Pugugly {P} on 18/12/2007 at 17:27
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if I may add my pennyworth to bellboy's comment - Ford Pinto anyone? If I run out of fuel due to my own carelessness a very nice man brings me some more.
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movilogo - what you need is to arrange in advance for a few of places to have a jerrycan of petrol for you, even if it is just 10 litres. If you fill up on the 24th, that should be enough to keep you going till the 27th.
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Thanks for your inputs.
I've revised my plan. I won't be too far from Glasgow on 25th (earlier planned Glasgow to Thurso on that day). So, hopefully I should be fine without jerry cans.
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Hope you have a good trip ;)
If you decide to go for it you could ring one of these places.
www.upmystreet.com/UK/findmynearest/travel-and-tou...l
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There is, or was, a relatively cheap filling station on the A80 north-east bound just after the end of the M73.
There's also a Tesco with "pay at pump" on the A85 at Perth, just off the A9.
Enjoy your trip.
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I should have added (but forgot) that there is a 24/7 automated filling station at Scourie on the A894 (main road) in west Sutherlandshire. One has to pay by credit card and there is a maximum purchase of (I think) £40. I have used it on one occasion.
See news.scotsman.com/ViewArticle.aspx?articleid=34982...2
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