Planning our touring holiday for next year. Plan to start on the Black Isle head west across to Ullapool then track the Coastal road right the way round to JoG and back down to the Black Isle - around 350 miles.
Any advice or recommendations?
Any must see places?
Also does anybody know if there is a ridable path to Sandwood Bay to wild camp for the night (bearing in mind loaded touring bikes)
Cheers in advance
I did a lot of that coastline (offroad) earlier this year
The track to Sandwood was quite rocky in places, I was riding a fully loaded mountainbike with a big rucsac, and had to push for a couple of short sections.
However, you could get to Kearvaig by getting the ferry from Durness and riding the mostly good old road to the top of Kearvaig track. A five minute push will bring you to an amazing bothy and a stunning beach with cliffs, puffins etc. 
Teh minor road loops north and south of lochinver are great ( I have only ridden on a motorbike)
I am very fond of Durness on north coast near cape wrath
Enjoy - its great. Have you been up there before?
Yeah, thats the kind of advice I'm after. Cheers, keep it coming.
TJ - No first time that far north on the mainland. Did Hebrides last year and it was amazing.
I take it you are aware that towns marked on the map may be just two houses then with no facilities.?
Achiltibue is another fave place of mine
Camped at Achmelvic a few times
The beach at Balnakeil is a good one and there is a very odd hippy colony there - worth a visit
I was presuming as much about the towns. Mainly wild camping planed, lots of noodles packed if we can't find a shop and if you do find a shop buy a couple of days worth?
I was surprised how regular the co-op shops cane along in the Hebrides, can I bot expect the same in the far north mainland?
Co-ops in Lochinver, Durness and Kinlochbervie from what I remember.
There is a hostel in Inchnadamph which sells the (very) basics, and there was a shop in Scourie (I think, we drove through and I wasn't paying attention) near Kylesku.
If you need somewhere to dry out, I can definitely recommend Inchnadamph Lodge. Great place for a night or two and sounds in the right area
Sorry, don't know much about routes in the area!
As 13th says- Its not too bad in general just don't rely on every dot on the map having a shop.
IIRC the back road down loch hope is nice and the broch is a good one worth a visit if you fancy a detour.
its all great tho - duncansby head is a better end point that john o groats again IIRC
I've just been reading The Wild Places by Robert McFarlane. There is a chapter about Sandwood Bay / Cape Wrath where he mentions a bothy called Strathchailleach. Sounds like an amazing place to stay.
Smoo Cave, at low tide, is a must.
Spend a day or more on Skye
Hard to get to though, its in the middle of a HUGE bog. Watch out for the cat which lurks in the rafters too! 
Edit: Strathchailleach that is, not Smoo Cave
13thfloormonk - The cat is mentioned in the book! From what I read, the guy who last lived there was an ex riveter from Glasgow who washed up there after wandering aimlessly after his wife passed away and ended up living there on his own for about 30 years. Must have been a tough existence...
Haha, yeah, the 'squatter' James McRory Smith. I met a couple of folk when I was there, the guy who maintains the bothy (Bob) owns the cat, possibly the only bothy in scotland with a catflap!
Check my link above for a photo.
smoo cave +1 pretty cool and worth the trek, down and back up!!
there is a great cafe/bistro in Lochinver which sells the most pies, posh fillings not just the mutton, in the world mmmmmmmmmm its on the right hand side,just as you enter the village
Achmelvic can be good if the weather is great or really stormy. There is a building, of sorts, which has been built into the rocks by the shore,try and find it. Its pretty funky, well I think so
there is a good pub/restaurant at Kylesku, down by the slipway
The mountain cafe in Gairloch and the road out to the lighthouse past Big Sand.
The view of Slioch along Loch Maree.
The FBI in Ullapool (and the Seaforth for the 3-light disco). The Morefield also, for some of the best/freshest seafood in the world.
Kylesku Bridge. A marvel of modern design which somehow just looks "right" in its surroundings.
Stac Polly , and the view inland from the Inverpolly-Lochinver road. One of Scotlands most magnificent mountain-scapes.
The beaches all along the coast - Achmelvich, Sheigra, Sandwood.
Arkle and Foinaven.
Durness for Balnakeil, Smoo Cave and the beaches. Great camp site.
The magnificent sea lochs.
The Kyle of Tongue.
Edit: and what was said about being ready for a lack of civilisation. I mean, imagine heading north, following all the signs directing you to Laxford Bridge to get there and find....... a bridge.
Awesome advice and suggestion- cheers everybody.
Will be marking up my map this weekend. Esp the best pies in the world.....
Was looking at the map last night and marking up more 'must see' places. Def doing the bothy at Cape Wrath
We've decided to add Orkney onto the trip now with a few days over that way.
Now thinking about wild camping spots:
- any recomendations of any lovely spots to pitch out the tent up that way?
Pretty much anywhere is good for pitching your tent. You do know about the midges don't you?
Deffo Smoo Cave and Sandwood Bay. We planned to camp there, put up tent but after a few hrs we were midged out, truely evil.
Corrieshalloch gorge is on the main road to Ullapool
If you're taking the coast road to approach Lochinver from the south it's worth doing the loop round Achnahaird beach/Altandhu/Achiltibuie with views of the Summer Isles.
Also on that road to Lochinver is Achins bookshop/cafe at Inverkirkaig.
Going mid May - so midges should be okay. Only found them a prob once into June onwards
I've been thoroughly midged in May before!
The most important thing for the whole trip is going to the pie shop in Lochinver and filling every available space with their amazing pies. Its called the Lochinver Larder, on the right after you enter the village.
I know a great secret spot for camping a few hundred metres from the road a few miles north of Lochinver, let me know if you want it. Your own private beach and last time we were there we had porpoises, otters, seals and ravens hanging around with us.
Walked out to Sandwood Bay last April. There was a couple doing it on a tandem made out of scaffolding poles but they were defeated by sandiness.
There is a Spar type shop in Scourie.
Wild camping - pretty much anywhere really!
Mmmmmm.......Pie
YGM Bigjim
Sticking to the coast roads to try and ensure a breeze and May has always been for me far, far, better than June/July.
Bigjim - just checked your profile and cant see your email. Can you email me
Cheers
BigJim, funny you should mention that, I had my own private secluded beach to camp in near Lochinver, although I think it was a few hundred metres south of the village.
Rik, keep in mind the 'cat' bothy (Strathcailleach) is an hour's walk or so north of the beach, through fairly trackless bog. If you're going to go for it, go for the history and the totally isolated location, not the scenery or the proximity to Sandwood (its not exactly a quick stroll back to the beach). Kearvaig has the scenery, a beach, wildlife and is more easily accessible (short ferry journey from Durness, easy cycle through the firing range) but Kearvaig doesn't feel quite so... god forsaken
Stacks at Duncansby Head
Whaligoe Steps (take a basket of herring and a skirt)
ps Dunnet Head is further N (and probably less unpleasant)than JoG, but gey bleak (*nice brew spot a Brough/Little Clett bay)
Orkney - Scapa Flow Museum, Old Man of Hoy is (*nearly) mtbable (Moaness, dotted path W) (was YH at Rackwick), Ring of Brogar, Stenness, Maeshowe, Skara Brae,
13th floor - I was planning on the Kearvaig bothy rather than the Strathcailleach even if the cat bothy does sound ace.
Bit late in the year, but the biggest magic mushrooms I've ever seen grow all round the Stones of Stenness in Orkney. Yummy.
Take............
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me!
druidh - MemberTake............
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me!
Up the khyber?
Up the bealach, shirley?
Don't you call me Shirley!
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