There is so much to see on Lewis you will not do it justice in one day I kid you not. Maybe save Orkney for another time and spend as much time on Lewis as possible this trip- you won't regret it. Similarly to get the most out of Orkney you need to spend as much time there as possible - just a thought - but better to spend as much quality time at the sites rather than on the roads in between.

Joolio

>Day Two - drive from Penrith to top of Scotland & catch ferry to Lewis. Stop at Lewis
>Day three-at Lewis, stop at night
>Day four- Day traveling to Orkney-stop in Orkney
>Day Five - Orkney
>Day six- drive home, with option to stop overnight somewhere on way back.

if it's any use, I had to drive down to Preston from just above Perth to meet a client earlier this year, and it took me around 4 and a half hours. Penrith to Perth is motorway or dual carriageway all the way. I can tell you where the speed cameras are too if you like! ;)

the A9 goes all the way from Perth to Inverness, and is about half and half dual carriageway and single carriageway. Perth to Inverness can be done in 2 hours when you're pushing it, but give yourself 2 and a half to 3 to take into account holiday traffic and hold-ups for accidents (it is the "notorious A9" after all!)

Inverness to Ullapool I think can be done in about an hour and a half, although I'm not sure as I was about 14 the last time I did it (I wasn't driving!)

if you want to e-mail me (stones @ andysweet.co.uk) I can recommend places worth stopping on the way for breaks, tea, potty-stops etc

getting from Ullapool to Scrabster takes you onto the proper windy roads, and as others have said, doing Lewis AND Orkney (besides being incredibly greedy!) will limit your time in both places. I'd suggest doing one of them, and taking a slightly meandering trip back down south to see some recumbents in Aberdeenshire, and perhaps even some sites in sunny Perthshire (Sweet Tours are available!)

Cheers
Andy S