Touring Scotland

Yeah, folks are walking around the highlands bleeding all over the place from clegg bites apparently. And they don't just fly off if you brush at them, they cling on until you properly dislodge them! Supposedly the warm weather has brought them out in force

I wonder if that's something we can predict quite as far as end of August? I'd love to book tickets this weekend.

Are you planning to camp or stay in bunkhouses or what?

I wouldn't worry about insects either way :) despite the constant complaints they're a mild annoyance at worst. If they're really bad you'll have to sit in your tent or somewhere indoors instead of outside at sunset but that's about all.

Was thinking tenting, mostly. Not excluding one night in a B&B, but yeah: wild camping and close proximity with the aforementioned annoying things.

Just back from a short trip north again. Wasn’t a Cycling trip, but I managed a day out riding the little roads south of Loch Ness. Weather extremely hot so midges weren’t that bad during the heat of the day. Beautiful little roads as quiet as Applecross used to be twenty years ago! Worth a look, lovely little lochs tucked up there. Some decent climbs and good descents.

Yep, was brutal this weekend for them.

Them and the heat made the climbs on my MTB loop purgatory on Sunday.

@bsb as @frankenbike says don't let the insects put you off though, they really are a minor encumbrance

Can confirm horse flies in the East Cairngorms are really bad at the moment too.

Every time I stopped on Saturday I was inundated.

Whilst blasting sun may result in more horseflies it also keeps midges away so thankfully we're not getting both at the same time at the moment :)

I've actually cancelled our trip. Don't think this level of annoyance will give us the right impression of Scotland. We'll come in September or October instead... once the insects are gone?

Oh man, it definitely sounds more horrific than it actually is. Personal favourite time for touring in Scotland is April or October, less insects and less tourists so a bit cheaper/quieter ;)

Also, if you're on the East Coast the midges aren't a thing. Don't let it put you off anyway-it's not much different to dealing with mozzies in some respects... it's just that you can have freak, cataclysmic days where if you're unprepared it's a nightmare. I'm thinking of when I worked on a film set on Skye and we all had gloves/hoods etc on and one guy got off a van from Glasgow wearing shorts with no spare clothes... Savaged by thousands of tiny beasts.

Sacrificial protection!

Like @übé®_grübé® says, it's a bit like calling a trip to France off because of mosquitoes! September or October will be good as well though, could also hit up a few days of the Fringe at the end of August as well

hehe, you do not want your first week-long bike tour to be in Camargue in July/August, though.

I think we'll have a great time a bit later in the season :)

Called off your trip! Noooo!

Cor that's a bit nuclear!

@übé®_grübé® is spot on though, April and October are normally sweet as a nut for many reasons.

If anyone needs a stove for a trip I'm getting rid of a couple cheap - rather see them used than sat in my loft. MSR Pocket Rocket and Dragonfly in the classifieds.

Is it worth getting all the way to the top? It's an extra 100+ miles

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IMO - no. Didn't think the riding along there was quite as nice as the rest of your route!

@Wyshniukas if you want to add an extra couple of days and hop on the ferry over to Orkney then yes. or do some Puffin watching.

Went there several years back, quite bleak doing that part, was very run down, i compared it to the falklands after the paras had been through which didn't go down well with other half.
The area has had investment since i went :)

Thanks @gillies. I am thinking as well towards shorter version but have time to stop at few places more rather than push all time.

@853Superfly I will make it short and simple, have to return on time for the train, otherwise it will be cycling all the way to London :D

Did a similar route to your shorter option earlier in the year, was ace, I think the longer bit is unecessary.
Day 1 - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/28053454

Day 2 - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/28053456

Day 3 -https://ridewithgps.com/routes/28053455

Day 4 - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/28053457

Day 5 - https://ridewithgps.com/routes/28053458

Did it with mates, some driving and setting up camp one day, and riding the other, I rode days 1 and 4, driving duty days 2 and 3, all of us did day 5 for the lolz.

have fun, it's ace round that way!

Any word on the current state of the insect infestation? Will be doing a few days hiking the week after next.

I'm in Aberdeenshire (Torphins/Banchory area) and out with the dog most days, nothing to comment really, have found a couple of ticks on the dog, not a huge flurry of midgies or anything and have been out camping a couple of times. Got a few mozzy bites wild swimming a few weeks back. Supposedly horse flies have been enjoying the warmer weather!

Thanks! Doesn't sound so bad, then!

Supposedly horse flies have been enjoying the warmer weather!

That's what I've been hearing, so though I'd check in. I've been on a few tours in Scotland but never had a really hard time of it. Was camping in Finland a few weeks ago and it was mosquito hell (although I've seen it worse in Canada).

I would recommend anyone to do Scotland and NC500 route. After meeting few riders, it seemed that I am the only one doing clockwise. I think it worked perfectly for me. I am thinking to explore Scotland more as the trip with Caledonian Sleeper train is very smooth and you arrive in decent shape.

On the last minute I did change cassette for 32 at the back and it helped a lot on those steep and never-ending hills. It only got easier once the panniers started to lose all the food I have had for a week. I did hit an issue on the first day and lost one day. Descending into Applecross my rear wheel decided not to hold and it blew 3 spokes, made it impossible to ride so had to get a lift next day back to the first train station in a van, get back to Inverness, get a new wheel (Sunday last train was 3:49PM, dahhh, sleep over and get first Monday train). So I made a shortcut around Applecross on the third day and carried on with the rest of the trip. Lovely people, great scenery, mushrooms, berries, salmon, other riders. I met a Canadian who is kayaking around Scotland (flew in, bought a kayak and just went for it) and going back home afterwards.
Midges were not that bad apart on day 3, stop near water and grass area. I did survive.

Day 1, https://www.strava.com/activities/1765576040
Day 3, https://www.strava.com/activities/1770732609
Day 4, https://www.strava.com/activities/1772291279
Day 5, https://www.strava.com/activities/1774378021
Day 6, https://www.strava.com/activities/1776910800
Day 7, https://www.strava.com/activities/1778780016

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