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GoatandTricycle-
When you say off road what are we talking?
It's a real mixture. Some is tarmac, some is easy gravel, some is a little bit rough.
I did it on 28mm tyres - the exact same ones I had for the TCR in 2019, in fact. Most of it was rideable with care on them. For a few bits they were clearly a stupid option, and I walked a couple of small descents because wrong tyres plus hardly anyone about plus no phone signal (plus lack of skill on my part) meant that if I did come off and hurt myself it could be a problem.
There's a GNT thread on here with loads of info, and link to a blog with some great pics.
https://www.lfgss.com/conversations/351273/?offset=25#comment15824564
frank9755
My plan started off as NC500 but it evolved as I did more research. So I did this - apart from on the last day, I ran short of time (or decided I wanted to get to hotel for 5pm rather than 10pm) so had to miss out the last couple of off-road sections, and head for Inverness from Rosehall.
The more I researched it, the less keen I was on the east coast bit so that was first to go. Then the north coast, which I'd always wanted to do from looking at it on a map, started to sound a bit marginal too. Then I discovered the GNT, and thought I'd come back that way.
I only had three and a bit days, with more time I would have tried to get to Cape Wrath and done more of the GNT sections, then maybe a bit more of the north coast. I wouldn't bother with the east.
Definitely do the 'wee mad road' bit by Lochinver and Drumbeg. It's hard but an experience, and fewer camper vans than the main road. A lot of the west coast section is main road, so there's a fair bit of traffic.
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/33729983
Sectioning it up is not an issue if you are camping. I was so didn't think about hotels, etc. But obviously things are pretty spread out.
It sounds sacreligious on the NC500 thread, but I preferred the inland bits to the coast. Partly the solitude but the scenery was more majestic. The coast is wonderful and worth doing once but it does get a bit same-y after a while. Maybe that was because I did the west coast in a day and a half, which doesn't really do it justice