Scotland's newest road trip 'unveiled' - but there's a twist to scenic route's launch
The #RP19 route around the Rosneath Peninsula was 'launched' this morning.
A new "ultimate" Scottish road trip was 'unveiled' today - but travel motorists were left disappointed after working out the twist.
The Lochside Press announced the short but sweet #RP19 - a 19.1-mile drive around the Rosneath Peninsula in Argyll and Bute. The route was 'launched' this morning in a bid to rival some of Scotland's most iconic drives like the North Coast 500 and Kintyre 66.
The road trip was said to take wind through picturesque locations such as Garelochhead, Mambeg, Clynder, and Kilcreggan. The scenic drive, according to the announcement, would offer breathtaking views of Gareloch, the Firth of Clyde, and Loch Long.
The supposed #RP19 trip was described as a circular route following the B833 and B872 roads managed by Argyll and Bute Council, with an added bonus of passing the Ministry of Defence's Coulport Road.
The route was said to have diversions, created for potential nuclear convoys, which only added to the absurdity of the announcement, with promises of clear signage to ensure a smooth trip.
The #RP19 was cheekily dubbed the shortest road trip in Scotland, with its entire route stretching a mere 19.1 miles – hardly enough to stretch your legs, let alone fuel a full road trip adventure.
And if readers hadn't twigged yet that it was an April Fools' joke, they surely got suspicious at the confirmation of a "reversing skills test" for anyone wishing to extend the #RP19 by taking in the single-track Barbour Road.
In the announcement, a spokesperson for the organisers said: “Our road trip may not be as long as the others, but it is slightly longer if you do it anti-clockwise. We expect everyone will want to do the circuit more than once.
"We’re confident it will transform the area and people will travel from hundreds of miles away to drive our beautiful 19.1 miles, spending their money without getting in our way. We’ve been working on this for hours and have got a hashtag and everything.”
The Lochside Press reported that the route was due to open on April 1, 2026, with a final jab about traffic lights on Shore Road in Kilcreggan finally being removed by then.
And the final nail in the gag's coffin was the fact that anyone wishing to help out was asked to contact the mysterious Olaf Priol - a name that, when rearranged, spells 'April Fool'.
This clever twist confirmed the prank and provided a playful nod to the timing of the announcement. The press release even included an email address for contacting Olaf Priol about the route, further adding to the tongue-in-cheek nature of the joke.
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Elsewhere, Cadbury joked that they had relaunched their iconic Creme Egg in liquid form. While Heinz debuted their Dubai Beanz - premium pistachio flavour, getting in on the Dubai chocolate trend.
And the team behind The Real Mary King’s Close claimed to have uncovered Edinburgh's largest ever rat underneath the Royal Mile.
There have been plenty of other Scottish-themed April Fools' hoaxes, most of which involve the Loch Ness Monster. From Nessie's body being 'found' to the discovery of the Loch Ness Crocodile.
And in 2003, then-Rangers manager Alex McLeish fooled some members of the press by revealing the club had signed 17-year-old Turkish player Yardis Alpolfo in a £5million deal - but the alleged teenage starlet's