Adventure Bike Rider Forum

Already planned my trip to Scotland for 2017. N.C. 500, lap of Skye, compulsory trip to Applecross.
Looks like Scotland is going to be a popular destination this coming year, started booking my hotels/ B&B's in November, and struggled to get accommodation for May in some locations. A friend of mine who runs a motorcycle touring business also struggled to get the accommodation he wanted for September 2017!!

No one has to sell Scotland to me, it's a great place to ride a bike (thumbs)

motorbike wrote:...here is a wee idea to get you all going cal mac ferries.

I was thinking about a bimble over to the outer hebs this year, never been there yet.
Also need a trip to THE PIE SHOP again

Bluebird wrote:Already planned my trip to Scotland for 2017. N.C. 500, lap of Skye, compulsory trip to Applecross.
Looks like Scotland is going to be a popular destination this coming year, started booking my hotels/ B&B's in November, and struggled to get accommodation for May in some locations. A friend of mine who runs a motorcycle touring business also struggled to get the accommodation he wanted for September 2017!!

No one has to sell Scotland to me, it's a great place to ride a bike (thumbs)

No doubt the NC publicity is making it busier and more expensive but plenty of places to stay off the NC route. Hope to get up a few times this year and try some of the more obscure ferrys.

Rats, dang and blast it all. I've been in Scotland for 27 years but it seems the cat is well and truly out of the bag now. I could try and claim "Move along now, there's nothing to see here ... you'll just get wet, cold and miserable ... or eaten alive by the dreaded midge" (I'm sure it's true that it's only the females that bite ....) but ... after 27 years I still love exploring it. I took my son round the NC500 clockwise in 2016. (I'd done more or less the NC500 anti-clockwise in 2011) ... and it is stunning. We had glorious sunshine during a few days in the Summer Isles (Achiltibuie) and the usual wind and rain at John O'Groats etc ... but that's Scotland. I'd second the advice to move inland when looking for digs ... for example there's a good B&B in Altnaharra run by Mandy and Lindsay. Book the evening meal there as well as there's not much else out there - or you'l have to travel a fair bit for food at the end of a long day - not what you need. You'll probably get to watch deer wandering across the garden while scoffing pudding .... A lot of cyclists stop there on the way by. And as for Applecross, it's still one of my favourite parts of Scotland. There is now a well appointed hostel where the old hunting lodge was and it is a reasonable, manageable 15 min walk to the Applecross Inn ... a beer scooter gets you back all the quicker.

Its a horrible place full of horrible people so dont come

Cheers Allan

Up there in July wild camping for a week doing the NW500 & surrounds, likely trench footed & eaten to death by midges, but will be worth it (thumbs)

Hmmm... always had a trip around the top at least once a year. Roads and scenery always magnificent... but felt disappointed in Ullapool this year, the Morefield Motel being the exception with lovely food and ales.. Ceilidh place seems to have gone trendy...Ferryboat too...

Is Wales the new Scotland for the antisocial tourist

herman wrote:Because I am 20mins away from the ferry to France. B) Does anyone ship from Southampton to Glasgow? :silly:

I am also 20 minutes away from a ferry to France......for those who know it the Brittany Ferries Pont-Aven.

Sadly leaving Saturday lunch time I can get to South West France and Spain by ferry/road faster than to Cornwall [which I also recommend] or Scotland and not only that, the 14 hour overnight ferry to France is cheaper than the 3 hour ferry across the Irish Sea unless its late June/July/August which is too hot down there for the bikes anyway. The result of this was a recent plan with a friend to take the bikes and go down for a week in April as well as our planned September trip.

BUT I have been to Scotland and to the Western Isles, Stornoway, Tarbert, Portree, Staffa, Iona and lots more as well as Edinburgh and the festival and couldn't speak highly enough about any of them. All fantastic and an excellent welcome wherever I went. I will do another trip up that way but its 4 1/2 hours for me to get to Larne, not too bad, and then the ride up to the Highlands which is where I would want. That's not too bad when I think about it and it will be another trip.

I love wild camping and one absolute essential is a good stock of Citronella candles and nightlights. I hate midges and you meet them everywhere but these things really are the business. Always have a little tray of the nightlights and lit around the tent and more importantly under a tarp will really keep them away. You also get 'Zip' ones at 2 or 3 in a pack, I would bring them too. Keep the pack open but unlit [obviously...] inside the tent porch and you won't get them in there either.

Scotland should be on everyone's list. The Outer Hebrides is a must do trip and have done that one. Don't believe all the bull about Scots, that's rubbish propaganda to keep the place unspoilt and lovely.

I'll be up in Kinlochleven end of April for the best pre65 trial in the world been going for 25+ years and it's got a lot more popular with spectators in the last few years so you've to book early these days always somewhere with vacancies but if you want somewhere specific it needs planning but that's popularity for you!!

I'm thinking of Scotland some time this summer. Up to Fort William, across the Lecht and down the other side.
Plan is to wait for a forecast of a few days of fine weather and then book hotels etc it's a bugger being retired!)
Do I take it that everywhere will be booked up by packs of German BMW riders?