I'm planning a short tour of Scotland with the G/F, starting on a Monday.
Here's my present thoughts >> map
I'm not looking to travel too far each day, I'm looking for scenery and an interesting ride, and nice places to stay at the end of the day I'm looking in Laterooms presently for accommodation.
Any suggestions for roads/places I should not miss?:
Your west coast section looks good, but you've stopped short of Ullapool!
Ullapool worth a visit, as is the road through Inverpolly Nature Reserve to Lochinver. Ullapool is a nice place for an overnight stay for sure.
I wouldn't bother so much with the Black Isle, and would try at all costs to avoid the A9 heading south. Go further east and down through Braemar, etc (unless the weather is cold and snowy)
Some cracking roads up the west coast and the scenery is brilliant too. Glencoe, on the way up to Fort William will take your breath away (if the mist has cleared!)
Take waterproofs!
Al
If I am ever on life support - Unplug me......
Then plug me back in..........
Like Blackal says, avoid your last day down the A9 unless your on a very tight timescale, full of suicide car overtakes and supermarket lorries at 40mph!!
Can I suggest on you way back down the following options:
south side of Inverness take the A96 west signed Aberdeen for 15ish miles (little bit boring), turn right at Nairn on A939 for Grantown on Spey, follow that all the way to Grantown and onwards to Tomintoul and over the famous Cockbridge -tomintoul road to Gairnshiel Lodge and onwards to Balmoral, take the A93 south from there all the way down to Perth and onwards to Edinburgh, check the weather on this one before you go like Al said
alternatively, if the weathers dodgy come south from Inverness to either Kingussie or Newtonmore, follow the signs for Fort William on the A86, thats a cracking road over to Spean Bridge, follow your steps earlier on in the week South to Crianlarich on the A82, then follow the A85 to Lochearnhead then the A84 south to Stirling and hop across on the M9 to Edinburgh.
Like I said avoid the A9 unless you really need to get to Edinburgh in a hurry, this roads cries out for dualling as its really the main trunk road North
Enjoy it what ever route you decide and if you have to come down the A9 take care for white vans with black rear windows, you know the ones!!
Yeah - agree totally with the above, especially the Dalwhinnie-Spean Bridge road............ an absolute corker!
The A9 should be viewed purely as a method of getting from A - B. Rapid progress can be made on a bike, however - but watch out for cars pulling out to overtake in front of you without checking their mirrors - flashing high beam all the way past is the order of the day.
Enjoy your trip, take loads of pics (and don't forget to have the bike in the foreground of all the shots.................. it's the first thing we look for )
Al
If I am ever on life support - Unplug me......
Then plug me back in..........
One question? Are the minor roads through say Inverpolly OK?
I'll change the start / stop points this evening.
Steve
That looks a grand route now, but as the others say check the weather forecast before coming over Cockbridge - Tomintoul and Braemar - Bridge of Cally. There is a reason why there are ski areas next to those roads
Your Wednesday route looks a bit short and your Thursday route looks a bit long. If you have the time the first half of the road from Fort William to Mallaig is a fantastic run as far as Ranochan but it then decends into a broken single track through the forest and only goes to Mallaig. So turn round and go back, making sure you stop off at Neptunes Staircase (fantastic piece of engineering) as you get back to Fort William.
The A87 from Invergarry to the Kyle is biking heaven (IMO) but watch out for the fresh air corners) culminating at the most beautiful castle in the world. Excellent place for gratuitus photographs with bikes in foreground.
The run up from the Kyle of Lochalsh to Ullapool is spectacular in places and bloody hardwork (especially if you do it at the end of a long day like I did). I have read many times that the road to Applecross (from Tornapress on the A896) is one that should'nt be missed and you can continue up the coast road which eventually brings you back to the A896 further north. Not done this myself (see above) so can't comment on the quality of the coast road. Promise to next time.
Fantastic part of the world. Just wish it was a bit nearer
Hi
Don,t poo your pants when the RAF boys creep up on ya!
The west coast is truly beautiful.
Have a great time and make sure you do some walking as well as riding.
gus
It's a good route you've got but just watch the weather forecast before you head to the west coast. It's bloody awfull at the moment. I travelled through to Inverness on Sunday from Aberdeen and was riding through snow and sleet. It was lying on the road just beyond Keith and I thought I was going to have to bail out and get a B & B. I would check the 5 day BBC weather very carefully as you may want to skip the west coast stretch if it's really foul as it can often be drier in the Eastern part of the country. The West is really no fun if it's pissing down. If you do decide to bail out of the West then you could build in some Perthsire glens like Glen Lyon or Rannoch as the roads/scenery are pretty good.
Thanks for the replies. The G/F is busy with assignments for her college course, so is unsure of going. I booked the time off work to suit her holidays
I'm looking in Laterooms presently for accommodation.
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