Most of you will know my circumstances if not read here

All I want to do is ride my bike so that Is what I am going to spend the summer doing. My vague aim is to ride to Bilbao via southern Ireland so obviously the first thing I do is head north!

Planing has been very difficult – decision making is hard and looking more than a week or two ahead seems impossible but…….. First leg is going to be a loop around the highlands to test head legs and arse starting in Dunkeld on Sunday heading up by loch Ordie and out to the north then taking the estate road to Fealar lodge, White bridge, Braemar then north through to Loch Builg and Tomintool then glen Brown over towards Aviemore. Thats as far as any detailed plans go. I am going to be pootling so Aviemore ish around wed / thurs?

After that over to the great glen, maybe the great glen way, fort William, and back towards Edinburgh

Second leg will be over to Stranraer for the ferry to NI and ride down to see pals in southern Ireland

Third leg will be ride to one of the north sea ferries, over to the Netherlands to see family then south for the Med!

En route I would like to meet as many STWers as can be coaxed out of the woodwork. Beers when in towns or ride along with me for an hour or a day. I also want to know your “do not miss” bits of local trail and / or other route advice.

I will be easy to spot on the trail – riding my gentlemans adventure bike sans helmet, towing a bob trailer and flying a Saltire I would so love to meet up with folk and promise not to argue with anyone! Anyone Aviemore / Fort William way dare to be first?

Sadly you’re not coming to South UK it seems, but it sounds epic!

Dunno Weeksy – certainly not for a while but I do have folk to visit down south at some point – maybe leg 4 🙂

From Ireland I might get a ferry to south wales to go and annoy Molgrips 🙂 then ride back north somehow. Its all very vague

Not on your route, but wishing you a great adventure. 👍 😃

If you’re coming through the Derby/Nottingham area, give me a shout

southern Ireland

Also Dude “Southern Ireland” is not the preferred nomenclature. Ireland please. Or The Republic, or Eire.

I never get that right but I used southern ireland because my destination is on the south coast – in the same way I would say southern england

🙂

I never get that right but I used southern ireland because my destination is on the south coast – in the same way I would say southern england

It is forgivable, even if accidentally offensive. 🤣

Glencoe here, loads going on but would love to hook up if I’m not chasing round the central belt looking after old folk!

No sure if we’ll cross paths in person but theres a sculpture of mine in Stranraer you can wave hello to 🙂

Not sure this has come up on your research but the Wild Atlantic Way has some spectacular scenery

Wild Atlantic Way

Edit – as per our recent messages, if passing the toon let me know, am in Ireland for next month, doubt you’ll be passing donegal before I come back but again shout if near.

@tjagain – just say County Cork, County Wexford etc.

It will avoid awkward conversations

Sounds incredible, bon voyage, not on route I’m afraid.

Ta northshoreniall

Anyone know the score with wild camping in Ireland?

Have a good trip, TJ. If your route home is via England, I look forward to seeing you. I’ll take you canoeing as a break from riding.

If you ever make it to Cheshire I’d love to meet up. I’ll bring a pack of dogs and a few helmets 😀

Anyone know the score with wild camping in Ireland?

My understanding is that it’s technically illegal but mostly tolerated if done discretely. That’s based on internet research for canoe trips, not experience.

Third leg will be ride to one of the north sea ferries, over to the Netherlands to see family then south for the Med!

You’re going to be disappointed when you find out Bilbao isn’t on the Med 😀

If you overshoot and make it to Madrid let me know, would be great to meet you in person.

so:
Edinburgh, loop of Eggland, over to Ireland, onwards to Netherlands, south to the Med, west to Bilbao.

my advice, more beer.

then to make the route map easier on the eyes, my suggestion is Edinburgh, Netherlands, Med, Bilbao, Eire, Eggland. This is based on not reading the OP or any advice already offered and recommending something that suits me better – in true time honoured STW fashion.

Go TJ!

Sounds quite an epic adventure. Enjoy!

Lolz

I know where you live Drac :evil grin:

Adventure of a lifetime! May the puncture gods avert their gaze from your endeavour.  You’re not headed my way, but if that changes happy to ride a trail or two and swig a beer.

Where in Ireland re you heading? there’s at least a couple of us on here who know Kerry, specifically Iveragh, well and there’s some spectacular scenery off the tourist routes there.

Wild Atlantic way is good shout, friends of ours did similar route to yours Scotland to WAW eventually to cork iirc they only camped the once and that was because they felt they ought to use the tent.

Wild camping, don’t see much down near us but if you ask the land owners id say most would let you pitch a tent, as usual it’s a small minority who get remembered – chatting to a farmer by a lake we go to for paddle boarding last year and he was most vexed by fire pits being dug and people crapping next to his turf reeks.

Kilo. I think my pals are south of Bantry. I will be arriving in larne so diagonally opposite ish I think. I have no idea of route other than the west coast is the nicest apparently. Meandering down gravel routes and wee roads is the aim

It looks like you won’t be, but if you’re passing through the Peak or South Manchester way then there’s a bed and/or beer available for you Chez IHN

South of Bantry will get you some great riding. Larne along the north coast around to Donegal and then keep heading south!
Not much gravel but plenty of very quiet lanes and more and more greenways which may be worth researching.

If you are coming though thé Massif Central in France, beers and bbq waiting.

I know where you live Drac

If you end up passing through I know many a pub to meet up.

Testing posting photos from postimage

If you travel along the French side of the Pyrenees in French school term time PM me.

Sounds like an epic adventure.
If i see you, I’ll give you a friendly toot de toot toot on the horn.
I drive for citylink/megabus.
That looks like an excellent setup btw 👍👍

If you travel along the French side of the Pyrenees in French school term time PM me.

Got a friend to visit in that part of the world

Return via Harwich and into Ipswich and we’ll go ride some cheeky sans polystyrene head coverings. We have beer and a bed, there’s a dog too but he will ignore you once you’re through the door. (Tested on another dog averse friend who was pleasantly surprised at the disinterest).

If you are passing Southampton, either on the way there or back or just in general, give me a shout and I will buy you a herbal tea and listen to your story

County Down coast road is lovely, some lovely back roads down the Ards Peninsula across on the Portaferry/Strangford ferry. Coast road to Newcastle/Mournes then onto Kilkeel/Greencastle. Carlingford ferry to Greenore in North Louth.

Sorry this is a bit of a brain fart and all over the place. Depending on how you come over from Edinburgh I’m happy to tag along or come out and do a leg, obviously work dependent but I’ll do my best.

If you come over via the canal then most likely you’ll be passing me directly assuming you aim for Ayrshire when you come off at Erskine, alternatively the route to Ardrossan/Troon via the ferries is great from Gourock (Glen Striven is a horror of a climb out, you always pay somewhere). If you want pure scenery then ferry hopping is the way to go, you’ll be pretty much doing the five ferries but if you want to press on (plenty of time to see it another day) then the back roads from Erskine to Kilmacolm then the unmade road to Brisbane Glen are probably your best bet. Still scenic, direct and little traffic. Avoid the A78 north of Largs at all costs, it’s a horrible road to drive never mind cycle. From Largs you can get by on paths outside of the towns all the way to the edge of Stevenston then there is the 77 all the way to Ayr (and Stranraer) which is 99% off road. IIRC nobeer gave you advice for south of Ayr or was that someone else? Worth keeping an eye on the Arran ferry as it will be relocating from Ardossan to Troon at some point during the summer which cuts out the North Ayrshire bits (not a great loss IMO)

There are of course other ways to do it if you came down from FW towards Oban and Argyll then down Kintyre to Arran.

Hi TJ if you are passing by North Cork and fancy a gentle spin around Ballyhoura give me a shout, or if you need any help/repairs etc in the vicinity let me know. The wild Atlantic way and various greenways as  above is a good shout and west coast is way nicer than East Coast imo.

If you’re passing through Hull (used to be ideal for the ferry, perhaps not so much now post P&O) then drop me a message, I’ll buy you a beer. Can’t offer much by the way of local trails (and what we do have would be a pain with a trailer) but we have a massive bridge.

If you end up on Arran you’ll have company and a bed for the night if needed.

Welcome at mine, Newtown stewart…