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Fancy this, probably next year now realistically, because of the current "situation".
When is the optimum time to go? I'm retired, so can pretty much go whenever I like. Not sure yet whether Mrs Bloke will be on pillion, if she is we'll be looking at B&Bs, if I'm on my todd I might mix it up a bit with some camping.
Looking for the best mix of OK weather, fewest midges and least crowded (moon on a stick territory, I know)! How is September after the kids go back? What is campsite and b&b availability like then? If not September, when?
I know there have been some issues recently with overuse and limited infrastructure, so I'm keen to tread lightly and avoid pissing off the locals. I'm guessing that means proper camp sites, not wild camping, spending a few quid in the pubs and shops and not littering and laying cable in the parking spots!
Anything else to be aware of?
Ta in advance 🙂
May and September are great times to tour in Scotland, and because of that it can get busy...but a local way up Norths idea of busy differs from most of us South of the border.
It is very easy to plan normally...let alone when you're retired. If you MUST do the NC500 then fill your boots, but there are as nice, far quieter roads up there. Accommodation can be an issue, especially in the NW but a bit of planning solves that (i.e a longer/shorter days ride than usual)
Thanks Dave and thanks for the PM, mega useful!
o tread lightly and avoid pissing off the locals. I’m guessing that means proper camp sites, not wild camping, spending a few quid in the pubs and shops and not littering and laying cable in the parking spots!
It could mean spending money off the designated route and spreading the love a little.
But it mainly means don't drive/ride like a dick. Get some real experience of driving/riding tens and tens of miles of single track tarmac in a community minded way BEFORE you arrive and don't come and learn on our roads and also don't think it's a race track play thing or you are on the film set of Top Gear/ Grand Tour. Also, the HILARIOUS comedy outfits or the gumball run mock up stickers don't impress - we saw them all yesterday too. Keep it on the down low.
And passing places are for passing not stopping for photos no matter how awesum the view.
Convert....absolutely spot on.
But is mainly means don’t drive/ride like a dick. Get some real experience of driving/riding tens and tens of miles of single track BEFORE you arrive and don’t come and learn on our roads and don’t think it’s a race track play thing or you are on the film set of Top Gear/ Grand Tour.
Fair dos. I think I can manage that. I'm a 56 year old with an advanced riding qualification who has been riding for decades, including a few Scottish tours (though not the NC500). I will likely have precious cargo on the back seat in the form of my wife of 30 odd years. I'm sorry if other motorcyclists have coloured your judgement, but we are not all dicks, honest!
I’m sorry if other motorcyclists have coloured your judgement, but we are not all dicks, honest!
Just be ready for one of the 'other sort' to come around every ben in the opposite direction, or up your backside.
May and September
I’d second this, usually the two best months up here. Few things worse than a midge in your helmet.
Good advice from convert and Dave and I'd add that planning fuel stops is quite important too on a bike. There are unmanned fuel stations here and there and probably enough manned ones open to keep things moving but you can't expect just to stop at the next Tesco for petrol, that might be a wee bit far.
Few things worse than a midge in your helmet.
😆
Good point re fuel 👍
I've looked at the NC500 before, and pretty much have been put off to honest. Granted, great scenery - but lots of negatives so have decided to give it a miss.
To suggest something different, take a look at the Canary Islands. And Slovenia comes highly recommend also.
I went last year in first week of May. No midges, no tourists. Weather was cool, sunny and only one day of showers. I was in a car, so that was not a problem. Only traffic I saw were other motorbikes and sports cars touring round. Id hate to tour round in the summer stuck behind campervans / caravans, it would be an endless que. End of April, early May we had the road to ourselves a lot of the time. You do need to book accomodation in advance and fill up when you pass a petrol station. I would also do it anticlockwise, that way the views get better and better so you finish on a high.
I’ve looked at the NC500 before, and pretty much have been put off to honest. Granted, great scenery – but lots of negatives so have decided to give it a miss.
What has put you off? And were you planning on a 2 wheeled or 4 wheeled trip there?
Do it! It's so nice up in the far NW of Scotland. Some nice hotels, amazing roads, fantastic views. Any time between May and Sept is good in my experience. Single track road congestion is never really a problem on a bike, most folk are pretty good about letting you past at the next passing place etc. The only irritant I found last time I was up was a great big queue of cars travelling together on the Applecross peninsula. Obviously when you travel as a bunch of 4+ cars then passing places don't really work very well.
When folk talk about 'learning how to drive on singletrack roads' I always assume that they're talking about car or motorhome drivers rather than motorcyclists - although I could be wrong. It's easy to forget that there are singletrack roads all over the country it's just that in the NW of Scotland they're the rule rather than the exception. Take your time and be courteous, that always works for me.
If you're taking your better half I can recommend booking in at the Kylesku Bridge hotel for one of your nights, nice rooms and lovely seafood. The food at the Applecross Inn is great too.
As mentioned further up the thread you don't need to follow the route slavishly, there are other brilliant places to ride up there too. The road from Tongue down to Lairg is particularly amazing.
Don't pass a filling station without stopping is a good rule to follow.
As you're retired it might be nice to spend a few days over the trip. It's perfectly possible (and fun and not at all antisocial speedwise) to get from Inverness to Kylesku in a day then Kylesku to Fort William the next on a bike. But you might not get the opportunity to stop at a lovely looking beach or somewhere nice to have lunch if you do.
Bear in mind that you will get rained on at some point.....
Thanks all, some superb advice here. Although it's a while since I ventured north I have done some MC touring in the Highlands and Islands before including a few of the NC 500 roads, before it was called that. I've just never stiched it all together and missed stuff like Bealach na Ba and a lot of the Cairngorms. Also, many years ago I lived in Edinburgh for a short while with a job that took me all over Scotland including the islands, so I'm not completely new to motoring there. The NC500 looks a great route, but I've been a bit wary before because of some of the bad press. I think a lot of that is down to attitude though. I'm going for the scenery, not to get my knee down on every corner and recognise it's a home and place of work for a lot of people, not a theme park for me.
I think a lot of that is down to attitude though. I’m going for the scenery, not to get my knee down on every corner and recognise it’s a home and place of work for a lot of people, not a theme park for me
With that attitude you'll be just fine 🙂
I've ridden the entire area many times over the years but never bothered with an organized route. I reckon you would be missing too much if you stuck to that NC500 thing.
Just go North and tour. You'll never be disappointed.
May is good as is Sept but anytime really. If the midges are out you can't avoid them.
I'd also try and fit in a trip to the Hebrides. That's an almost life changing ride.
Cheers, I've done some of the Inner Hebrides but do fancy exploring more of the outer islands. Also had a work trip to Shetland years ago and loved it, would love to take the Mrs back on the bike.
What has put you off? And were you planning on a 2 wheeled or 4 wheeled trip there?
I'd be on a bike. I think the main reason is the bad press that bikers seem to get - although I'm very much like the OP in that I'd be coming to enjoy the fantastic environment, not blasting around like a nutcase and treating the roads as a race track.
But after reading this thread I may well reconsider 🙂
A far more interesting route is Arran - Kintyre - Oban - Mull - Ardnamurchan - Mallaig - Skye - Harris - Lewis - Stornaway - Ullapool - Lochinver via Inverpolly - Clachtoll - Drumbeg - Durness - Kyle of Tongue - either return down the west via the NC500 or back down via Lairg. John O'Groats is a shithole and the A9 south unpleasant in comparison to the west. Timing-wise, 2nd and 3rd week in May before the bank holiday week.
I reckon the best way to get round the NC500 is a motorbike. You're fast enough not to be molested by traffic coming from behind and agile enough to deal with oncoming dimwits who don't understand the use of passing places.
Keen to see comments on this
as I am also mid 50's with a Mrs of 30 years and looking to do the exact same thing next year (covid allowing).
and I'm the same BTW, no knee down screw the nuts off it here, more sedate touring for the views and experience
Skye looks nice but is crap and unwelcoming. Best bit about it is the road to and from the bridge.
Re, the A9 South on the East coast. The section down to the Black Isle is an utterly awesome road.
South of that is soul sucking.
Durness is the nicest place on the North Coast.
Chippy in Lairg is great, always stop there
May is a good time to go - but don't slavishly follow the nc 500. You miss out on some favourite bits if you do
you just might, wave if you do, I'll be pottering along on a Triumph Street Scrambler 🙂
I will also be pottering on a Triumph Tiger 900 GT pro!
Fingers crossed the zombie plague doesn't piss on our cornflakes!
I will also be pottering on a Triumph Tiger 900 GT pro!
Nice, that's the next one on my list, (what I mean is in addition the the Scrambler, just don't tell the Mrs 😉 ) mainly because they do it in a low version, which suits my ickle legs.
Do you like it?
I love it. Still in the honeymoon period, I've only had it for a few weeks but it's awesome. If I'm not riding it, I'm thinking about riding it. If you do fancy one, try the standard bike first. The seat has 2 height positions. I'm only 5'9" and can almost flat foot it in the high position and can even bend my knees a smidge in the low setting. It carries it's weight very low too, it's very comfortable and easy to manhandle on and off the bike.
Good advice above and although I'm not up there anymore, some of our most welcome guests were bikers on tour.
IME there was a fair % of locals who made the wannabe NC500 racers look positively tame!
I'm 5ft 4" with a small 27.5" inside leg, that's why the low version appeals to me. But I'll try the standard on in the low seat position as well for comparison
ta