Scottish Highlands and Isle of Skye

[andrewblair]

Can anybody advise me on a trip around the highlands in Scotland? Planning a few days beginning of June. Cheers


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[Temporaryescapee]

Yes, will post a link from my pc tomorrow. Ridden it twice, its stunning (covers highlands, not specifically Skye but easy to detour to Skye as route passes by).

[Tim Cullis]

I'd encourage you to get take the ferry to Harris, see http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...scotland-77073

[Austin]

Originally Posted by andrewblair

Can anybody advise me on a trip around the highlands in Scotland? Planning a few days beginning of June. Cheers


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A few more clues about where you are starting from, how long your trip is, what sort of thing you like, bike, style of accommodation, etc etc would help. I also see on another thread you know about the NC500 - that would be a good start. Nevertheless and assuming starting somewhere south of Glasgow.....

Dumfries and Galloway esp Galloway forest park is good and is a relatively quiet part of Scotland.

Ferry to Arran for a night or two then off the other side to Kintyre.

Head north keeping close to the sea until you run out of options at Durness. You won't be disappointed. On the way you have options to take ferries onto several islands or to make the islands part of the trip - look at Cal Macs hopscotch tickets. Again the islands won't disappoint either.

At Durness take a right and head half away along the north coast and take another right at a Tongue, Bettyhill or Melvich and then generally south to Inverness. Unless you really want to go there ignore a John o groats.

Head east along the moray coast before aiming for the Cairngorms via Tomintoul to Braemar or Ballater (royal dee side). And then south and west towards Pitlochry, blairgowrie and Crianlarich. Then south around Loch Lomond and Glasgow.

There's loads of variants on the above. West is generally best though IMHO.

[Temporaryescapee]

Originally Posted by Temporaryescapee

Yes, will post a link from my pc tomorrow. Ridden it twice, its stunning (covers highlands, not specifically Skye but easy to detour to Skye as route passes by).

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?m...Yk&usp=sharing

I stayed mainly in youth hostels - Tongue and Glen Prosen are especially nice and agree that the north west (Gairloch, Applecross Pensinsula and up to Tongue) are especially good.

[Walkabout]

Originally Posted by Temporaryescapee

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?m...Yk&usp=sharing

Glen Prosen .................. especially nice

And hardly known outside the local area.

[andrewblair]

Thanks for the feedback. I'm going up for a taster with my partner first before planning something like the nc500. For this trip I was going to rent a Yamaha tracer from Edinburgh and head up to the isle of Skye and explore the area- has anyone gone this way before?


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[Russki Guzzi]

Originally Posted by andrewblair

Thanks for the feedback. I'm going up for a taster with my partner first before planning something like the nc500. For this trip I was going to rent a Yamaha tracer from Edinburgh and head up to the isle of Skye and explore the area- has anyone gone this way before?


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A couple of years ago I went Glasgow, Glencoe Pass [a must-do], ferry to Skye, couple of days there, Kyle of Lochalsh, then up around North coast with some diversions inland. Really you can’t go wrong: it was just varying degrees of fab. The best of the best is west and north-west: I went on to John O’Groats, but it’s nothing special. It’s very worth diverting inland from the coast: some of the inland single track roads are awesome by bike.

[Austin]

Originally Posted by andrewblair

Thanks for the feedback. I'm going up for a taster with my partner first before planning something like the nc500. For this trip I was going to rent a Yamaha tracer from Edinburgh and head up to the isle of Skye and explore the area- has anyone gone this way before?


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Good choice of destination. Skye is mind blowing especially the north of the island (Quirang) and the south (Cuilins). It's also a good ride to get there from Edinburgh - route planning is easy enough as in reality there are only 3-4 ways to get north and west - just avoid too much on the A9.

I won't suggest any "secret" places on Skye to visit (there aren't any - it's too popular a place for anything secret) just do a lap or two of the island and work it out for yourself from various guides you can find in advance or pick up there; although I would say the road down to Glenbrittle and the Fairy pools is worth a visit, as is the distillery at Carbost and the crab shack just above it.

Camping, hostels, huts, glamping, B&B and hotels of all grades are all all over the place - Glenbrittle campsite is a good location although at the end of the road and nothing much there except the views, solitude, peace and calm ( and probably midges so take deet). Decent hostel at Flodigarry too in the north.

I plan to be on Skye myself briefly at the end of May on the final leg of a tour of Outer Hebrides and on my way to a bike meet at Strontian - check out the ADVScotland forum "out west rally". If you can be flexible with dates I am sure you would be more than welcome.