Adventure Bike Rider Forum

Once again thanks all for the time, effort and hospitality put in to this thread. I sincerely hope to have a meet with you on the way.

I think I have enough "road material" to cook up a nice biker stew now. Earlier in the thread there were some recommendations regarding castles up by Inverness. Are there any other suggestions towards things to see (I definately would wish to pay The Royal and Ancient St. Andrews a visit (just to have a peak - my girlfriend doesn't play and this will have to wait for some other time) if it is on the way!)

Thanks again

Right. I'm slowly getting in the planning stages of this year's trip. I'm working myself round Map Source and have a few follow up questions:

It looks like we'll be taking the anti-clockwise route from Newcastle.

1) From Edinburgh is there any point in taking the path towards Peterhead? Or do we just head up for Inverness?
2) From Inverness is there any point in heading up for John 'O Groats or Durness or do we head straight across to Applecross?
3) On The Isle of Skye what would you recommend seeing or which way riding?
4) I'm a real sucker for the single malt. Are there any disitilleries in particular you would recommend? (My absolute favourites are Oban, Laphroaig, Lagavulin and Talisker - but there's so many out there!) Laphroaig and Lagavulin are going to be too far to pay a visit so I'm thinking Oban and Talisker would be good chioces??

Thanks once again for your invaluable input!

PeterT wrote:Sounds like a plan.

Now.... just as my opinion was that Ayreshire and Galloway are lovely places but I would skip past them to get to the Highlands if I was pushed for time (I would kick Cate Blanchett out to let Gwyneth Paltrow in). So too I would skip Thurso and Durness and head straight from Inverness to Ullapool if pressed. The roads up there are great and the coast dramatic in a different way but the Wester Ross Coastal Route south from Ullapool trumps it, for me.


In the same way, I wouldn't advocate skipping the lakes to visit my own stomping ground, the Eden Valley, which is beautiful and quiet

If you have the time you should do it all. IMO

Sounds really great! Where does the Wester Coastal Route run sputh from Ullapool? Round Gruinard Bay?

You are still welcome at Takoda, Kirkby Stephen if you travels take you South into Cumbria.

Paul

El Dudeness wrote:Right. I'm slowly getting in the planning stages of this year's trip. I'm working myself round Map Source and have a few follow up questions:

It looks like we'll be taking the anti-clockwise route from Newcastle.

1) From Edinburgh is there any point in taking the path towards Peterhead? Or do we just head up for Inverness?
2) From Inverness is there any point in heading up for John 'O Groats or Durness or do we head straight across to Applecross?
3) On The Isle of Skye what would you recommend seeing or which way riding?
4) I'm a real sucker for the single malt. Are there any disitilleries in particular you would recommend? (My absolute favourites are Oban, Laphroaig, Lagavulin and Talisker - but there's so many out there!) Laphroaig and Lagavulin are going to be too far to pay a visit so I'm thinking Oban and Talisker would be good chioces??

Thanks once again for your invaluable input!

Whiskey shop in the Royal Mile Edinburgh 500 malts I think,the Mile is the street coming down from the castle esplanade.
I would'nt go up to Peterhead its pretty flat an featureless in that corner and if the weather is bad its really bad up there.I would go through the highlands A93 Braemar, A939 Granton on Spey rather than up the A9
There's nothing to see at John O'Groats but the coast road south from Gairloch is very scenic.
There is a 30 min Ferry crossing from Kilbeg on Skye to Mallaig on the main land search Caladonian Mac brayne.

Ok. Sounds like St Andrews and the golf course is a 'must see' - as does castles, Isle of Skye and the Talisker Distillery. Is there a particular reason for visiting Peterhead, do you need 'to do' Edinburgh Castle ?

Is there any others on a list of 'must sees' that should be factored into any suggested routes ?

You arrive in Newcastle, leave via Harwich and have 5 days in between - correct ?

If so, the way it looks at the moment is you can spend 3 days in Scotland on a flying visit, Stop with Paul and Maria in Kirkby Stephen on the third night. Have a day going down through the Dales and Peaks and get far enough south on the forth night to be within striking distance of Harwich on day five.

I of the strom wrote:Ok. Sounds like St Andrews and the golf course is a 'must see' - as does castles, Isle of Skye and the Talisker Distillery. Is there a particular reason for visiting Peterhead, do you need 'to do' Edinburgh Castle ?

Is there any others on a list of 'must sees' that should be factored into any suggested routes ?

You arrive in Newcastle, leave via Harwich and have 5 days in between - correct ?

If so, the way it looks at the moment is you can spend 3 days in Scotland on a flying visit, Stop with Paul and Maria in Kirkby Stephen on the third night. Have a day going down through the Dales and Peaks and get far enough south on the forth night to be within striking distance of Harwich on day five.

The ferry from Harwich goes late afternoon doesn't it? You can easily get from Kirkby Stephen to Harwich in 6 hours if you cut across and through the Dales then go straight down the A1 or if you want to see a bit of the Peak District add another hour but my suggestion would be to see more of the Dales and drop the Peak District unless there's something you particularly want to see.

The important thing is to have alternative plans so if the weather is crap anywhere you can still find somewhere else you want to see and make that ferry. I'll probably get a few people telling me I'm wrong but in my opinion there's nothing south of Derbyshire worth worrying about if you're leaving from Harwich and apart from a few limited parts there isn't much for the road rider in the Peaks.

El Dudeness wrote:Sounds really great! Where does the Wester Coastal Route run sputh from Ullapool? Round Gruinard Bay?

See if this works

google map

I added the ferry ride to Malaig. South of that there are a few good camp sites. Skye can be dreadful for midges, Arisaig less so. The ride to Fort William from there is all single track and runs close to the railway line used for the Hogwarts express. You could make it from there, round the lake district and to Takoda in a day.

edit. Just has a look at the Arisaig-Fort William road on street view. They've driven a new road through! Shame, I liked the old one.

Just make sure you pack the camera for plenty of pics in your ride report - I'm really looking forward to reading what you thought of the UK roads and culture.

James691 wrote:Just make sure you pack the camera for plenty of pics in your ride report - I'm really looking forward to reading what you thought of the UK roads and culture.

Better take them on the move as you'll have little time to stop