Highlands

[GetCarter]

The road heading east from Shieldaig towards Kinlochewe.

[GetCarter]

[Peanut Gallery]

GetCarter said:

Two brilliant pics

Brilliant pics, thank you!

Must get back - having kids trims the car driving for fun wings a touch! - thank you for the pics until they are old enough to do stuff up there and we can make hols of it again!

[Marquezs Stabilisers]

Those are superb pictures!

[MikeGTi]

jock mcsporran said:

A few from last weekend.

Great pics--is the top one Fort Augustus?

Also loving the last one

[TameRacingDriver]

I must admit I loved driving over the Skye Bridge, great views!

[GetCarter]

TameRacingDriver said:

I must admit I loved driving over the Skye Bridge, great views!

As we're on bridges, here's my latest of the other one up here:

[Jermy Claxon]

Another beauty! What shutter speed did you need to capture the carpark without a line of GT3s in it?

[GetCarter]

Jermy Claxon said:

Another beauty! What shutter speed did you need to capture the carpark without a line of GT3s in it?

Ha... It was called 'Not in summer'

[TameRacingDriver]

GetCarter said:

TameRacingDriver said:

I must admit I loved driving over the Skye Bridge, great views!

As we're on bridges, here's my latest of the other one up here:

Wow that looks fantastic

[vaderface]

TameRacingDriver said:

I must admit I loved driving over the Skye Bridge, great views!

I am the absolute opposite, I am not good with heights.
Hate that bridge with a passion, first time we went to skye years ago i checked the bridge on google maps.
Never realised it is in two parts, got a shock when i went over the flat part then seen what looked like a bloody rollercoaster
for the second part
For some reason iam ok driving it from the skye side, just not the Lochalsh side.
When we go skye i let the Mrs drive.
Yes i am a tart

[thegreenhell]

vaderface said:

TameRacingDriver said:

I must admit I loved driving over the Skye Bridge, great views!

I am the absolute opposite, I am not good with heights.
Hate that bridge with a passion, first time we went to skye years ago i checked the bridge on google maps.
Never realised it is in two parts, got a shock when i went over the flat part then seen what looked like a bloody rollercoaster
for the second part
For some reason iam ok driving it from the skye side, just not the Lochalsh side.
When we go skye i let the Mrs drive.
Yes i am a tart

You should try the Glenelg ferry. The views and the driving on both sides are far more interesting than the bridge.

[vaderface]

thegreenhell said:

You should try the Glenelg ferry. The views and the driving on both sides are far more interesting than the bridge.

Would love to but we tend to visit april/ october as its a lot quieter. Less camper vans.
Ferry not running then.
Yes do like the drive over to Glenelg.

[TameRacingDriver]

vaderface said:

TameRacingDriver said:

I must admit I loved driving over the Skye Bridge, great views!

I am the absolute opposite, I am not good with heights.
Hate that bridge with a passion, first time we went to skye years ago i checked the bridge on google maps.
Never realised it is in two parts, got a shock when i went over the flat part then seen what looked like a bloody rollercoaster
for the second part
For some reason iam ok driving it from the skye side, just not the Lochalsh side.
When we go skye i let the Mrs drive.
Yes i am a tart

Yes you are a tart but this did amuse me To be fair, I'd be interested to see Mrs TRDs reaction to this bridge as she doesn't like heights either!

[P675]

Hi all, I was wondering if the Highlands experts here could rate my plans for a trip in May. For some background I did the NC500 on my motorbike last year, camping in a different place every night. I did the route with some sightseeing, even hiking a bit on the way around, in 3 days. I was quite knackered by the end, my energy would be gone by the afternoon after taking the tent down and packing away early every morning. I did the same thing in Ireland this year over 2 weeks and was even more deader by the end of the first week.

So for this trip I'd like to camp in one place and do day trips instead, to sample the best roads for fun fast riding, and also some of the random lanes where you feel like you're in the middle of nowhere, stopping for droning and photos on the road. I won't do things like walk to Sinclair Girnigoe in my full bike kit or get to the high point of Knockan Crag this time. I'd like to have maximum time on the bike without the time pressure of getting to the campsite and pitching the tent all over again.

I'm planning to camp in Contin near Inverness as I've stayed there before, which will take an entire day to get to, then 4 days of riding out and about, with another day reserved for back home, I may go the long way back hitting Glencoe, Kielder, Pennies, Yorkshire Dales.

Please let me know if I'm missing any good roads on these routes, before I commit to creating .gpx files for the satnav

Day 1:


Day 1 - North-East 7-8 Hours 300 miles
Contin Camp
A834 to Dingwall
Evanton
B817/B9176
Turn Right A836 at Fearn Lodge
Ferry Point for Photo? Left before A9 roundabout
A9 Across Durnoch Bridge
A949 at Clashmore
Back on A836
Falls of Shin
Turn back to A836
Lairg A839
Follow to A9 The Mound
Gospie left to Backies
Right at Crossroads to Balnacoil
Follow road back to A9
Left at Lothbeg Looks rough but good scenery, alternative left at Helmsdale
A897 North
Turn Right to A836 towards Thurso
John O Groats
A99 South
Right To Camster Cairns at Occumster
Follow road to Watten
B870 to A9
Left A9 Towards Inverness
Follow back to Contin

Day 2:

Day 2 - North 10 hours 330 miles
Contin Camp
Bonar Bridge
Altnaharra A836
Right turn crossroads after bridge B873/B871 to Bettyhill
Syre follow B871
Right turn A836
Keep going to Bighouse turning, turn around
Follow A836/A838 to Hope
Left turn to Altnaharra
Follow back to A836 crossroads
Left turn to Tongue
A838 to Hope again
Balnakeil Church
A383 to Rhiconich
Right turn B801 to Droman Pier
Back to A838
Right turn Ardmore, go down and come back
Left turn Lairg A838
Follow A838 long way to A836
Right turn Bonar Bridge
Back to Contin

Day 3:

Day 3 - North-West 7-8 hours 240 miles
Contin Camp
A835 to Ullapool
Continue A835
Left turn Achiltibuie
Summer Islands Viewpoint
Turn around, through Achiltibuie
Keep going to car park small car park' on google
Turn around
Turn right to Ullapool
Turn left to Lochniver
A837
Left turn to B869 Clachtoll/Stoer/Drumbeg
Left turn to Stoerhead Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Loop back to B869, turn left
Drumbeg
Left turn A894 to Kylesku
Kylesku Bridge
Scourie
Left turn for Fanagmore
Loop back to A894, turn right
Allt Chranaidh Waterfall
Right Turn A837 Lochniver
Turn around at Lochniver Junction and come back
Continue A837
Advreck Castle
Right Turn A835 Ullapool
Knockan Crag
Follow A835 back to Contin

Day 4:

Day 4 - West 9-10 Hours 284 miles
Contin Camp
A835 towards Ullapool
Left turn A832 at Corrieshalloch Gorge
Right turn to Badralloch
Go to end and turn back to A832
Right turn to Mellon Udrigle
Go to end and turn back to A832
Right turn B8021 at Gairloch
All the way down to Lighthouse then turn back
Right turn at Kinlochewe for A896 to Torridon
Right turn into Torridon, go to end and come back
Right turn to Applecross Coastal Route
Investigate road to Hartfield, right turn before Applecross Bridge
Applecross
Applecross Pass back to A896
Left turn to A896 turn back at Coastal Road Junction
Right turn Church Street in Lochcarron
All the way down to Ardaneaskan viewpoint, turn back
A896 / A890 / A832 / A835 Back to Contin

I'm repeating roads a few times but I really want to get around everything while I'm up there. I would have liked to do Skye, Harris, Uist, but the ferries make it awkward, I think I'd be better off staying on Harris on another trip for that. Also I've driven around Skye 4 years ago, and don't remember thinking I'd love to ride my bike here. I've only got the 4 days anyway so I have a day to recover at home . Any thoughts welcome!

[Patrick Bateman]

Maybe it's only because I look at this as someone with a thimble for a bladder but that looks like an insane amount of distance to try and cover whilst enjoying the trip.

[Blown2CV]

are there two achnasheens?

[hiccy18]

Nah, just Google maps being daft. IV22 is Achnasheen so if you pindrop anywhere with that postcode it displays "Achnasheen".

[jock mcsporran]

MikeGTi said:

jock mcsporran said:

A few from last weekend.

Great pics--is the top one Fort Augustus?

Also loving the last one

Yeah, Fort Augustus, used to be my home from home as a teenager so I stop off occasionally.

[Mr Tidy]

GetCarter said:

TameRacingDriver said:

I must admit I loved driving over the Skye Bridge, great views!

As we're on bridges, here's my latest of the other one up here:

I enjoyed driving over the Skye bridge too.

I'm going to Scotland next May so I'd love to know where this other one is!