Scotland Tour

[Cousin Jack]

I can’t go anywhere (yet), but I can plan!

So here is the draft plan – comments? Especially from people who have done some or all of the route.

Staying at decent pubs/hotels overnight, I am way too old to slum it in tents. Again, suggestions welcome.

It is a draft, anything can happen, or perhaps I won't go, but planning a trip helps the boredom

Background
Plenty of touring experience but have a new and smaller bike, so still not really sure it is a suitable choice for massive mileages. I think it will be OK, but I would rather discover it isn’t within the UK. That also solves the very real problem of Covid, which may make some countries unwise or just plain unreachable. At this stage it is just me, I'm quite happy to ride by myself, I often prefer it, I can go as fast (or slow) as I like, and get to stop where I want to. OTOH if anyone else wants to join me I would be happy with that too. No dates yet, perhaps late May? Or September?


Day 1
Cornwall to Warrington/Runcorn, A30/M5 to Gloucester, M50, then mostly via the A49 in Wales.

Day 2
On to Ayr, via M6 then A75 to Stranraer and the A77 coast road.

Day 3
Ayr to Ardrossan, ferry to Campbelltown, and then A83 and A816 to Oban.

Day 4
Oban to Mallaig via the Coran ferry, and a wander around the Ardnamurchan peninsula.
Memo to CJ -there is only ONE petrol station on the whole of the peninsula, at Mallaig. And it closes at 5:00pm. DAMHIKT

Day 5
Ferry to Skye and a good wander about.

Day 6
Over the bridge, and off to Ullapool, via Applecross and Poolewe.

Day 7
Ullapool to John o’ Groats

Day 8
Backtrack to Tongue, then down the A836 and A9 to Inverness

Day 9
Inverness to Penrith/Kendall via A9, M8, M74 and M6

Day 10
Home via M6/M5/A30

Comments?

[JackyJoll]

The only bits I know much about are your days 7 and 8. You’ll do that quite easily.

[wheelnut]

I would ride to mallaig rather than ferry from Oban. You’re missing some good roads if you don’t.

It doesn’t really fit in with your route but I like the ferry to Skye from glenelg.

On the west coast, stick to the coast as much as possible. The roads around lochinver are brilliant.

About 220 miles per day is comfortable up there

[cheb]

There's a lot more places with 24hour pay at pump machines now.

Do you want my list of places I've eaten at and would eat at again?

[Scootabout]

Personally I would try to avoid motorways more than your route seems to, although I appreciate you have a lot of miles to cover. And I'd definitely try to work in the A939/93 via Braemar (& check out the Linn of Dee there) - it's an excellent route.

[wheelnut]

And I'd definitely try to work in the A939/93 via Braemar (& check out the Linn of Dee there) - it's an excellent route.

Yep, come back that way. Avoid the the A9, it’s an awful road.

[Druid]

Like Scootabout I would try to avoid motorways if possible

Day 1
Over the Severn Bridge then up the A466 to Monmouth, Hereford and pick up the A49 there

Day 3
Campbelltown to Oban is excellent but be careful, my mate wrote off his VFR and broke his femur just south of Lochgilphead

Day 4
Wheelnut is right, Oban to Fort William is good, Ft William to Mallaig is brilliant

Day 5
Skye is fabulous

Day 9,
Avoid the A9 it's awful as Wheelnut says. A939/93 as Scootabout suggests is much better

Sounds like a good trip lots of miles so hope you have a comfortable seat on your bike. You have a VTEC don't you, ideal tool for the job.

[Kneerly Down]

If you, or anyone else, does the Glenelg ferry, do pop in and say hello!

No.1 son will also have exciting news about his expanding chocolate empire soon.

Fully agree with comments about avoiding the A9 if possible.

[Cousin Jack]

There's a lot more places with 24hour pay at pump machines now.

Do you want my list of places I've eaten at and would eat at again?

Yes please.

The pay at pump machines are good news too. I explored Ardnamurchan on a Bonnie T100, small tank and no gauge. Went to reserve so headed back to the main road, turned to Mallaig because it was closer that Fort William, and then found at 4:50 that they had shut early. A very twitch ride back to Fort William on fumes.

[Cousin Jack]

Thanks guys.

I have spent several car trips and 1 bike trip on the west coast. This was an attempt to fill in the bits I have not done yet, so I have missed out some spectacular bits deliberately.

I am going back to Skye on a bike, I hope I enjoy it. I've been twice in a car, the first was a disaster (crap hotel and crap weather) so was cut short. The second was OK (good hotel and good weather) but the roads were very busy and we missed large chunks of the north end.

[Beancounter]

If you, or anyone else, does the Glenelg ferry, do pop in and say hello!

For some reason I always thought you lived north of Inverness.

@Cousin Jack - agree with what others have said about the A9 and also what Wheelnut says about riding from Oban to Mallaig.

[Beancounter]

Thanks guys.

I have spent several car trips and 1 bike trip on the west coast. This was an attempt to fill in the bits I have not done yet, so I have missed out some spectacular bits deliberately.

I am going back to Skye on a bike, I hope I enjoy it. I've been twice in a car, the first was a disaster (crap hotel and crap weather) so was cut short. The second was OK (good hotel and good weather) but the roads were very busy and we missed large chunks of the north end.

I've only been to Skye a couple of times, the last time being 2016. My memories are similar to yours in that it's stunning but busy.

[Kneerly Down]

For some reason I always thought you lived north of Inverness.

Nope...a quarter degree south and 1 and a quarter west.

West is Best!

[Bigyin]

Like others have said avoid the A9 as its got massive sections of average speed cameras set for 50 mph

When i went to John O Groats in 2019 i took the A9 on the way up and spent most of that part swearing at myself for taking that route. I turned right at Inverness and took the A82 past Spean Bridge (Commando Monument), Ben Nevis, Glencoe and all the Lochs back to Glasgow then you can hit the Motorways if you just want to cover ground on the way back

On pics from last year i think the council have cleaned up the post and removed all the stickers that were there when i went



Enjoy the trip and the amazing roads, hope the weather isnt typically Scottish

[JackyJoll]

Like others have said avoid the A9 as its got massive sections of average speed cameras set for 50 mph

Are there 50 mph limits in place on the A9, other than for HGVs?

[Bigyin]

Like others have said avoid the A9 as its got massive sections of average speed cameras set for 50 mph

Are there 50 mph limits in place on the A9, other than for HGVs?

There was in 2019 when i went, i am sure someone more local can confirm if they are still there. Even the 60 limit stretches made any overtaking a gamble with the cameras with processions of cars and caravans stuck behind HGV's

[Druid]

Thanks guys.

I have spent several car trips and 1 bike trip on the west coast. This was an attempt to fill in the bits I have not done yet, so I have missed out some spectacular bits deliberately.

I am going back to Skye on a bike, I hope I enjoy it. I've been twice in a car, the first was a disaster (crap hotel and crap weather) so was cut short. The second was OK (good hotel and good weather) but the roads were very busy and we missed large chunks of the north end.

I've only been to Skye a couple of times, the last time being 2016. My memories are similar to yours in that it's stunning but busy.

I was in Skye last August bank holiday and it was pretty quiet once I got off the A87. Of course it's not a bank holiday in Scotland, and covid might have had some effect.

[harum-scarum]

Day 3
Ayr to Ardrossan, ferry to Campbelltown, and then A83 and A816 to Oban.Comments?

Consider riding on to Gourock, and the ferry to Hunters Quay. The A815 up beside Loch Eck is a gem, then round Loch Fyne to Inveraray (top drawer chippy and a fantastic whisky shop), rejoin your proposed route at Lochgilphead and then north to Oban. Brilliant riding...

Day 4
Oban to Mallaig via the Coran ferry, and a wander around the Ardnamurchan peninsula.
Memo to CJ -there is only ONE petrol station on the whole of the peninsula, at Mallaig. And it closes at 5:00pm. DAMHIKT

Do this. The naysayers know not the route of the Corran ferry. The Ariundle Centre, turn off right in Strontian, serves the best cake. I once came round a blind corner in this neck of the woods and was confronted by a Vietnamese pot-bellied pig and six piglets in the middle of the single track road. Expect the unexpected! Ardnamurchan lighthouse is one of the four corners - westernmost point of mainland Britain. There is petrol at both Strontian and Kilchoan.

Day 6
Over the bridge, and off to Ullapool, via Applecross and Poolewe.

This is motorbike heaven. I have planning envy.

Day 7
Ullapool to John o’ Groats

Turn left to Achiltibuie about 10 miles out of Ullapool, pass Stac Pollaidh (little mountain but shapely and brutal), and turn right for Lochinver. Single track roads, but fantastic scenery. Unless you need JO'G for sentimental reasons, skip it as it's a shithole. Try Dunnet Head instead - another of the four corners (northernmost) and I saw Killer Whales at play from the clifftop viewpoint.

And for the homeward leg to be honest I'd do all this in reverse. The righthand side of Scotland is not much fun on a bike, compared to the left. Most of all, I wish you weather luck. I always reckon that if it doesn't rain half the time you've had a result

[Dodgy69]

I went on the Mallaig to skye ferry. Pulled in at Glenfinnan viaduct as we were early. Got talking to the carpark man ( bike owner ) and advised on booking ahead. Phoned up and the next ferry was fully booked, had to wait a couple of hours. Valuable time wasted.

I thought the road from ferry port on skye to the main bridge back to mainland was pretty shite, but the great roads weren't far away.

[mangocrazy]

Other than to say 'I've been there' there's not a lot to say about John o'Groats. The closer you get to it, the more boring the road is from my (admittedly imperfect) memory. If you're planning on staying overnight in or around Inverness, I can recommend Torguish House - very biker friendly and great people. 6 or 7 of us stayed there a few years back for 3 or 4 nights and every evening the owners ferried us to a local (and very good) eatery, and more importantly collected the inebriated remains at the end of the meal.

I'd also spend some time exploring the Cairngorms. Excellent and largely empty roads.