Touring Scotland

The bike I will be using is ready:

Hopefully give that section a look in the next month or so.

Any suggestions for an on/off road route from Inverness to John o groats? Just take the sustrans route?
Ideally would get to Ullapool for a day or two of climbing but that's a bit out of the way really.
Would have about 2 weeks to play with.

I'd start with this:

http://www.highlandtrail.net

There's a lot of good riding up around Cape Wrath/Durness too.

hello chaps,

some of you might be aware that i got Lymes disease doing the North 500 in May last year and I've been pretty debilitated since, for those that are planning on touring Scotland-or anywhere in the UK now really-please be careful and take precautions like packing a tick remover and antiseptic, as well as insect repellant and long trousers if you're wild camping-it might save you a lot of hardship later on. Some more info here: https://www.nhsinform.scot/healthy-living/outdoor-health/bugs-and-germs/lyme-disease

Also, this petition about the lack of awareness of what is now an endemic but under-recognised disease in Scotland in the UK finishes at Midnight tonight, if you could take a few seconds to sign it that would be much appreciated.

http://www.parliament.scot/GettingInvolved/Petitions/lymedisease

Thanks and happy touring!

Good to know, thanks for the advice. Tick remover and other bug products ordered.
Leaving for Scotland a week today, much excite. Doing John o groats to Edinburgh on sustrans 1&7 mostly and wild camping as much as we can along the way.

Hope you and your partner heal up fast.

Hello Explorers! I’m loving this thread and thank you to everyone who is posting about Touring Scotland. I’m looking for a nice ride to test out the waters of bike packing from Inverness to my home in Glasgow. Can anyone suggest a route (any experience of the sustrans route from Inverness down past Loch Ness to Fort William and through Lomond?) and places to pitch a tent? I’m new to bike packing and excited to give it a go!

The Badger Divide is great! I recently rode it from Inverness as far as Lochearnhead.

what a great name! what's the terrain like? MTB route?

Light off road. It's designed for gravel/adventure bikes. It's mainly easy trails and farm tracks, with a bit of tarmac. Rockiest bit was down the Corrieyairack pass.

ETA: By 'easy', I mean from a technical perspective. We hard to work hard for those miles!

sounds great fun!

Looks like incredible fun - i'd love to give it a go one day.

You can camp almost anywhere in Scotland, just be sensible about it - don't damage any crops, be clean and quiet, watch out for cows, etc.

Except for the east coast of Lomond, I think?

Would it be mad to tackle this on a canyon road bike?

yes

Has anyone done North Coast 500 route?

yup, did it in 4 days in 2015 - what do you want to know?

NCR7 also an option

I am looking to do it solo with wild camping. Looking at route there are enough hills to tackle. 50/34 - 11/32 is more than enough you think to tackle it? I am thinking to complete it in 6 days, not to rush too and explore a little bit.

I've just finished a 5 day trip round the North Coast 500. Unless you're dead set on doing the 'official' route I'd suggest missing out the Eastern section. I'd recommend following it West round and up to Tongue but then to cut south to Lairg and then work a quieter central route back to Inverness.

You could easily get the mileage similar and would avoid the busy A9 and it's poor road surface, impatient drivers and uninspiring views.

The West Coast offered some of the best riding I've had anywhere in the world, the fantastic weather I was lucky to have certainly helped too!

Strava? RWGPS?

I'm still away at the moment as I'm now riding back to London from Inverness. Can easily sort a quick RWGPS link when I'm back. It'd be a much nicer route in my opinion.

Hey @edscoble how was your trip? Looked like you had amazing weather.

would avoid the busy A9 and it's poor road surface

When I was living in Dundee, 25 years ago, all the Dundee cycling clubs used to avoid the A9 because of traffic. It can only have got worse subsequently.

Bizarrely the A90 was considered acceptable, even though it was a motorway in all but name...

Yeah it really wasn't a nice part of the route. Shame as the rest is pretty glorious!