Would anyone like to join a 3 night trip to Scotland this year? Would like to go between last week in May and 3rd week in July or anytime in September once school has restarted. Tend to have the 1st night in Largs (good accommodation with secure garage and a nice Indian). Then either go as far north as Ullapool for the 2nd night and down to Moffat for the 3rd. Or sometimes just do 1 night in Largs and 2 nights in Moffat and take advantage of the quiet roads in the Lowlands. Usually go Wednesday - Saturday to avoid weekend traffic. 2-300 miles per day. Tend to set cafes as waypoints and just go at your own pace rather than try and keep everyone together. Then a meal and few pints in the evening. @Boothman and @PauloHRC have expressed an interest.
I would have but can only do the school holidays due to work commitments so going up for 8 days in the holidays
I've mentioned this trip to bazza but he says he needs to bring the car so he can fit all his girlfriends in
I could be tempted as it's been 10 years since the last one. I'm not fussed about the time of year as long as it's rideable weather, but I would prefer it to be a week long trip as I don't think you can cover much ground in 3 days.
People wishing to do longer or shorter could potentially dip in and out? We don't have to do the whole thing together. I've done longer in the past and I always find 3 nights and 4 days riding about right, but then I go 2 or 3 times a year some years.
I'll give the post until the end of the month and then put a whatsapp group together to arrange a date and get some accommodation booked.
Just as a vague plan, I have a 7 day round trip of the Highlands starting from Falkirk. I would appreciate any input changes that you would advise. Dates are TBC as I'll be putting it to my mates, but also open it up to people on here. Day 1 - Set off from Falkirk to Inverness (via Loch Tay, Tay Forrest and around the edge of the Cairngorms) 3 hr 40 min, 157 miles (not inc stops) Petrol station - TBC Hotel - TBC Day 2, Part 1 - The Black Isle Choose from the list of stops below = 1-3hrs depending on stops Robertsons The Larder Beauly Black Isle Brewery Ltd Clootie Well Fortrose Cathedral Chanonry Point Fortrose & Rosemarkie Golf Club Groam House Museum Fairy Glen Falls Trail Head Cromarty Brewing Co Cromarty Lighthouse Hugh Miller's Cottage Cromarty Courthouse Eco Ventures The Kirkmichael Trust https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/v...&ll=57.58819489349663,-4.253174599999962&z=11 Day 2, Part 2 - Inverness to just south of John O’ Groats (Up the East coast) Inverness –> Beauly –> Dingwall –> Tain –> Dornoch –> Brora –> Helmsdale –> Dunbeath –> Wick (37 miles south of John O’ Groats) 3 hrs, 119 miles (not inc stops) https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Inv...bfd!2m2!1d-3.093716!2d58.438936!3e0?entry=ttu Stops = Glenmorangie Distillery, Tain IV19 1PZ History Links Museum The Meadows, DORNOCH IV25 3SF (£4.50 entrance) Lunch @ The Coach House, Castle Street, Dornoch IV25 3SD Pulteney Distillery Huddart St, Wick KW1 5BA £15 tour, book ahead if possible. Closes at 5pm Petrol station - TBC Hotel - TBC Day 3 - Wick to Tongue (Across the North coast) Wick –> John o’ Groats –> Thurso –> Bettyhill –> Tongue 2hrs , 79 miles (not inc stops) https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Wic...91!2m2!1d-4.417472!2d58.4761469!3e0?entry=ttu Stops = Lunch @ Bettyhill Hotel, Bettyhill Hotel, Bettyhill, KW14 7SP Petrol station - Tongue Hotel - Borgie Lodge Hotel Day 4 - Tongue to Lochinver (The North West bit) Tongue –> Durness –> Scourie –> Drumbeg –> Lochinver 3hrs, 89 miles (not inc stops) https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Tongue,+Lairg/Durness,+Lairg/Scourie,+Lairg/Drumbeg,+Lairg/Lochinver,+Lairg/@58.3573436,-5.2091152,10z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m32!4m31!1m5!1m1!1s0x48901091a4694a0d:0x23c09c9832bbf91!2m2!1d-4.417472!2d58.4761469!1m5!1m1!1s0x4890395fe0758cdd:0x6e45ef344b056e4a!2m2!1d-4.7468816!2d58.5685565!1m5!1m1!1s0x4891d41cb00fc467:0x8ee8495476ea1b52!2m2!1d-5.1520635!2d58.3517727!1m5!1m1!1s0x488e29991a2be971:0x189d4c2c0a90ca41!2m2!1d-5.202242!2d58.243211!1m5!1m1!1s0x488e2fb0393e76ad:0xaa341e9a235885d0!2m2!1d-5.2426102!2d58.146225!3e0?entry=ttu Stops = Proper cliff to cliff zip wire https://www.facebook.com/goldeneagleziplines/ Or £10 boat through the Smoo Caves https://smoocavetours.com/ Lunch - the Shore House, Tigh Na Mara, Tarbet, Lairg IV27 4SS 01971 502251 http://www.shorehousetarbet.co.uk/ Petrol station - TBC Hotel - TBC Day 5, Part 1 - Lochinver to Ullapool (Down the West coast) Lochinver –> Inchnadamph –> Elphin –> Ullapool 1hrs, 36 miles (not inc stops) https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Loc...80d!2m2!1d-5.161313!2d57.895418!3e0?entry=ttu Day 5, Part 2 - Ullapool to Kinlochewe (Down the West coast) Ullapool –> Aultbea –> Gairloch –> Kinlochewe 2hrs, 76miles (not inc stops) https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Ull...c0!2m2!1d-5.2992261!2d57.604025!3e0?entry=ttu Stops = Petrol station - TBC Hotel - TBC Day 6 - Kinlochewe to Loch Ness/Fort Augustus (Down to Applecross, West to Isle of Skye, then East to Loch Ness) Kinlochewe –> Applecross (make sure SatNav takes the coastal road) –> Lochcarron –> Isle of Skye –> Loch Ness/Fort Augustus 4 hr 15min, 144 miles (not inc stops) https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Kin...cd6!2m2!1d-5.503079!2d57.397704!3e0?entry=ttu Stops = Viewpoint/Lunch - Applecross Inn, Shore St, Applecross, Strathcarron IV54 8LR Lunch - Saucy Mary Restaurant, Main Street, Kyleakin, Isle of Skye IV41 8PH www.saucymarys.com Castle - Caisteal Maol, Kyleakin, Isle of Skye IV41 8PL Petrol station - TBC Hotel - Loch Ness Guest House, Fort William Road, Fort Augustus PH32 4BQ Day 7 - Loch Ness to Falkirk Loch Ness/Fort Augustus –> Fort William/Ben Nevis –> Oban –> Falkirk 4 hr 48min, 182 miles (not inc stops) https://www.google.com/maps/dir/PH32+4BQ,+Fort+Augustus/Commando+Memorial,+Spean+Bridge+PH34+4EG/Camanachd+Cres,+Fort+William+PH33+6XZ/Oban/The+Falkirk+Wheel,+The+Falkirk+Wheel,+Lime+Road,+Falkirk/The+Kelpies,+Visitor+Centre,+The+Helix,+Grangemouth,+Falkirk/@56.5653562,-5.2735523,9z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m38!4m37!1m5!1m1!1s0x488f217df0825fd7:0xc31bf45a3b2d98aa!2m2!1d-4.682335!2d57.1430328!1m5!1m1!1s0x488ed3cc8b90e207:0x86130a48a85ee49e!2m2!1d-4.944084!2d56.897813!1m5!1m1!1s0x488eccb178e14ae1:0x173820461a6a7fe3!2m2!1d-5.1009944!2d56.8222124!1m5!1m1!1s0x488941d0d2ddf1c1:0x83dd4aff818fc237!2m2!1d-5.471047!2d56.415157!1m5!1m1!1s0x48887af9dfabf5ad:0x34e14841b9062c59!2m2!1d-3.840998!2d56.000782!1m5!1m1!1s0x48887977108eb923:0x3c856e4052cabcf7!2m2!1d-3.7556842!2d56.01924!3e0?entry=ttu Stops = Commando Memorial, Spean Bridge PH34 4EG Petrol station - Morrisons, An Aird Playground, Road, Fort William PH33 6XZ Falkirk Wheel & The Kelpies Petrol station - TBC Hotel - TBC
Disclaimer: This is only my opinion by the way and what I enjoy. When I go I tend to prioritise the roads and the riding above all else. I tend to ride 2-300 miles a day and I don't really go for the touristy attractions/visits etc. It's not much fun slogging round places in bike gear dodging American and Chinese tourists etc. I enjoy regular cafe stops but beyond that I'm there for the ride. If I've done one Distillery tour (I have) I've done them all. I've come to the conclusion that everything above Ullapool is worth doing once to tick a box but beyond that I tend to avoid it. Its very picturesque but its narrow and not very well suited to a Fireblade or any kind of sporty riding. You could combine days 3 and 4. Its fairly barron and remote up there, I'd be inclined to get most of that northern bit across the top done and dusted in one go. Ullapool is a nice place to stay and has plenty of choice for food and accommodation. You could do a lot more distance on day 5 (which would be day 4 if you combined 3&4) to maybe get you over Applecross and round Skye on that day. I'd try and finish your trip with a stay in Moffat, its basically the bikers capital of Scotland. There are some amazing roads round there and even has a biker hotel! Sure you won't go wrong mate.
Thanks Charlie. I've combined Days 3&4 to up the miles as I originally I wasn't sure how much you can cover in a day with the roads being narrow up in the Highlands. I'm torn between taking the Blade or putting an MOT on the Track CB500. Neither bike is ideal, although the CB500 would manage better on the harsh roads. I've opted with a start/end point of Falkirk as I have a mate there who would let me leave my van there if I use it to get 3 of us with bikes up that way, although there is still the option to ride from Lincolnshire. I can probably look to combine more of day 5 in to day 4, but assume if I take the Blade, how much is practical on a sports bike with a 120'ish mile range? So this roughly makes it:- Day 1 - Set off from Falkirk to Inverness (via Loch Tay, Tay Forrest and around the edge of the Cairngorms) 3 hr 40 min, 157 miles (not inc stops) Day 2, Part 1 - The Black Isle 1-3 hrs depending on stops Day 2, Part 2 - Inverness to just south of John O’ Groats (Up the East coast) Inverness –> Beauly –> Dingwall –> Tain –> Dornoch –> Brora –> Helmsdale –> Dunbeath –> Wick (37 miles south of John O’ Groats) 3 hrs, 119 miles (not inc stops) Day 3 - Wick to Lochinver (Across the North coast and North West) Wick –> John o’ Groats –> Thurso –> Bettyhill –> Tongue –> Durness –> Scourie –> Drumbeg –> Lochjnver 5hrs , 168 miles (not inc stops) Day 4 - Lochinver to Kinlochewe (Down the West coast) Lochinver –> Inchnadamph –> Elphin –> Ullapool –> Aultbea –> Gairloch –> Kinlochewe 3hrs, 112 miles (not inc stops) Day 5 - Kinlochewe to Loch Ness/Fort Augustus (Down to Applecross, West to Isle of Skye, then East to Loch Ness) Kinlochewe –> Applecross (make sure SatNav takes the coastal road) –> Lochcarron –> Isle of Skye –> Loch Ness/Fort Augustus 4 hr 15min, 144 miles (not inc stops) Day 6 - Loch Ness to Falkirk Loch Ness/Fort Augustus –> Fort William/Ben Nevis –> Oban –> Falkirk 4 hr 48min, 182 miles (not inc stops)
Started a WhatsApp group now to arrange a date for this. If you want to come or you're undecided and want to see more details or help decide a date then send me a message on here with your number and I will add you in. I'll update again at the start of Feb once a date is decided.
Dates for this will be 11th-14th Sept. Nights over are; Largs 11th, Ullapool 12th and Moffat 13th. Anybody wanting to join some or all of it feel free. Anybody local to those places wanting to come for a day out then thats cool too. Every man for himself on the accommodation.
A nice trip was had by all, @Boothman , @Manfred and @JonG in attendance plus myself and 1 non forum member. 3 Fireblades in total. The forecast was pretty poor but apart from a couple of short heavy showers on day 1 and day 4 on the M6 it stayed mostly dry for the rest of the trip and the majority of the decent roads were dry. It was quite cold though. First days ride started with Boothys Tiger failing to start but he got it going eventually and met us at the digs. Cracking riding once clear of the motorway. Largs was fun, first pub had £2 pints on Wednesdays, nice Indian followed and then G&Ts in probably one of the nicer Whetherspoons in the UK. Day 2 started with a very smooth ferry ride and a cracking ride through Argyll forest park to Inveraray and a coffee stop. More great roads up to the Green Welly and then the usual traffic over Glencoe and Fort William. Another shower avoided whilst in the pub at Invergarry and then a cracking ride all the way up to Ullapool via Strathcarron. Another great night in the pub with first rate entertainment from the local troubled accordian player. Day 3 was a long way down to Moffat, plenty of dry roads again and the A701 into Moffat was bone dry and playable. Another great evening with haggis lasagne in the pub and a very late night. The following day was just a scram for home mostly on the motorway Collection of everyones pics, should have taken more.
