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Hi All,

Some pals and I are off to John'O'Groats in early June. Its going to be 3 nights 4 days ride starting from Middlesbrough/Newcastle stopping at Pitlochry the first night, on to JOG's then back down to Killin via the west coast for the final night, then home. I havent done much travelling up the east side of Scotland before and a mate of mine says theres not many petrol stations along the A9 past the Cromarty Firth. Can anyone confirm this and give us some pointers where to find some stations to keep us going.

Cheers Cobbster.

PS, Googled this one to death but can't get many answers.

Cobbster,

(They don't have Google up there! )

I used to live in Thurso and travel the road about 3 times a year now, so.......

After you cross over the bridge at the north end of the Black Isle, there is a service station (24hr I think) at the Skiach (Turn off over the Struie). If you have time - take the Struie road (B9176) to Bonar Bridge and head up from there. The Struie road has been unused for the most part since they built the Dornoch bridge, but it has been resurfaced and is great. Remember to stop for a photo as you drop down onto the Cromarty Firth. If you take the above route, you will bypass Kildary and Tain, though.


There is a petrol station between Ardgay and Bonar Bridge (on that route)

There is a petrol station at Kildary, Tain (North end of the Tain Bypass), Golspie (think it's still open - don't rely completely on Golspie), Brora, Helmsdale, Thurso, Wick.

Not really a shortage, but you should fill up at Inverness or Kildary (just set back from the A9) as it is cheaper than the robbing bastards in Caithness.

It's only about 110 miles from Inverness to Thurso, so you shouldn't have a problem.


Oh - A9 is great for getting where you want to go, but is boring (and can be dangerous in summer).

Watch out for camera van at The Mound (a long causeway just south of Golspie) It is just after all the twisty bits, so is tempting to zip past any traffic.

The east coast-ish route is good if you head up by glenshee/Braemar, but I would recommend that you head up via the west coast, or up Loch Ness at the very least.

Include Crianlarich, Tyndrum, Ballachulish, Fort William, Fort Augustus on the way to Inverness.

Don't expect too much at John O Groats, unless you are planning on buying your mum a jumper

Ullapool great for an overnight stop and the roads up the west coast are great now.

Have fun



Al

There is new Tesco with petrol station in Wick next to the airport. This means fuel prices (at least in Wick) are on a par with Inverness.

Not too many petrol stations along the north Caithness / Sutherland coast so fill up in Thurso and you should get to Ullapool on a tank. Suggest you do not leave it too late to fill up as most petrol stations are not 24 hours and variously close for the night by 2000 to 2200. A835 Ullapool to Muir of Ord is a fast sweeping road which, with a short detour links you nicely onto the A82.

The A9 south of Inverness is fast but boring. If you take the A833 through Beauly to Drumnadrochit you can bypass Inverness and link up onto the A82 (Loch Ness / Great Glen and when you past get past Fort Willliam you then head into Glen Coe). The A82 is a classic and one of my favourite A9 detour rides when heading south.

Seeing Wicker's post reminds me.........................

Give Wick a wide berth - go via Thurso

Al (running for cover)

Wick is a lovely place to ride through. I will not hear a bad word said about my home town

wicker wrote:Wick is a lovely place to ride through. I will not hear a bad word said about my home town

Wick - twinned with Beirut

Al

Hi chaps,

Can't thank you both enough for all the information, special thanks to Al for the map with petrol stations on, how good is that?

Thanks, Cobbster

Don't over-do the praise, it comes for free with his Garmin

Cobbster wrote:Hi chaps,

Can't thank you both enough for all the information, special thanks to Al for the map with petrol stations on, how good is that?

Thanks, Cobbster

Wow! You mean they are actually there??

Na-ah - wouldn't want you to be stranded. If you have the time - go up via the west coast (Fort William, Dornie, Ullapool, Kylesku to J'o'G) and return down the A9 to Inverness. The road improvements on the A9 north of Inverness has created some fantastic high speed bends , but doing it in both directions isn't worthwhile when there is so much to see on the west coast.

As reward for the info.................. can you visit my barking mad mother, who is in a home near Dounreay - put in a good word for me and suggest that she buys me another bike

Stevie - Done that road hundreds of times - Garmin phoned me up to find out where the filling stations were

Al