4 Day scotland tour - Advise

[Frautzi]

Hi I'm planning my Scotland tour in the first week of august. I'm just wondering from anyone who’s done Scotland before if the mileage is not too excessive between day 2 and 3.

Day 1 Warrington to Inverness, M6 to A7 then forth road bridge A9 to inverness 377.1 Miles. This isn't a problem as I know it’s fairly strait forward M6 and A roads.

Day 2 Inverness to Ulapool via JoG across to durness then down to ullapool 277.5 miles , Is this section doable in a day I’m in no rush but don’t want to be pushing it to get to my digs late in the day

Day 3 Ullapool to Taynulit via applecross and possible Skye for a nosey (235.5 miles without Skye) again I don't want to be balls out getting to my digs.

Day 3 Taynulit to warrington via Dumfries roughly 330 miles , i'm fine with this as the last 100 miles are motorway.

I'm a steady rider, just after some advice / reassurance that days 2 and 3 are planned reasonably well. I’ll be setting off as early as possible on all three days in order to make good of the long days.

Cheers

Jay

 

[RedRick Esq.]

IMO
Yes it is easily doable as the traffic will be very light and you should have nothing barring disaster to hold you up

 

[sven]

Yes, I've done similar routes loads of times, but I always take the A93/A939 to/from Inverness as the ride through the Cairngorms is fantastic. The A9, on the other hand, is very tedious.

 

[columbus]

The A9 from Dunblane to Inverness now has SPECS cameras for the whole length. If you are crossing the Forth road bridge and going up the M90 I'd come off at Perth and head up via Blairgowrie and Glenshee then cross over to Carrbridge and go onto the A9 from there. It's not the worst part of the A9 and the route is much more scenic with a good assortment of places to stop if you feel like it. It wouldn't add much mileage to the overall day but timewise with the A9 cameras it may not be much different at all.

Inverness to Ullapool via John O'Groats is an easy run just make sure you fill up with fuel in Thurso. There are pumps at Bettyhill, Tongue and Durness but opening times are day dependant and expensive. Then again if your on a GSA sized tank you'll have no problem

 

[DC]

agree with the comments …~Day 2 inverness to ullapool across the top via J O G is spectacular , but a lot of it is single road from Thursk…. allow time to stop and look at the white sandy beaches at places like Durness

We do Scotland every year but leave it till the first week in sept ..this is when the kids return back to sch , so there are fewer holiday makers in Caravans blocking any routes. August is also the peak time for Midgets ..and they breed like no where else on earth up there

 

[mcinlb]

'Midgets' , are they smaller than dwarfs and what's so different about their breeding in the North??????

 

[Blackal]

Day 1 - Warrington to Oban, via Lochgilphead/Ardrishaig.
Day 2 - Oban to Ullapool via Invergarry, Dornie, Loch Carron (then choose between Applecross, Kinlochewe or Garve) to Ullapool.
Day 3 - Ullapool to Glencoe, via Kylesku, Durness, Tongue, Altnaharra, Lairg, Beauly, Drumnadrochit.
Day 4 - Glencoe to Warrington, via Tyndrum, Callander, Stirling - and back down the Motorway.

(the above is just a quick idea)

Al

 

[Frautzi]

IMO
Yes it is easily doable as the traffic will be very light and you should have nothing barring disaster to hold you up

Fantastic cheers

Yes, I've done similar routes loads of times, but I always take the A93/A939 to/from Inverness as the ride through the Cairngorms is fantastic. The A9, on the other hand, is very tedious.

ok thanks for that

The A9 from Dunblane to Inverness now has SPECS cameras for the whole length. If you are crossing the Forth road bridge and going up the M90 I'd come off at Perth and head up via Blairgowrie and Glenshee then cross over to Carrbridge and go onto the A9 from there. It's not the worst part of the A9 and the route is much more scenic with a good assortment of places to stop if you feel like it. It wouldn't add much mileage to the overall day but timewise with the A9 cameras it may not be much different at all.

Inverness to Ullapool via John O'Groats is an easy run just make sure you fill up with fuel in Thurso. There are pumps at Bettyhill, Tongue and Durness but opening times are day dependant and expensive. Then again if your on a GSA sized tank you'll have no problem

. Great just what I was after

agree with the comments …~Day 2 inverness to ullapool across the top via J O G is spectacular , but a lot of it is single road from Thursk…. allow time to stop and look at the white sandy beaches at places like Durness

We do Scotland every year but leave it till the first week in sept ..this is when the kids return back to sch , so there are fewer holiday makers in Caravans blocking any routes. August is also the peak time for Midgets ..and they breed like no where else on earth up there

.

Day 1 - Warrington to Oban, via Lochgilphead/Ardrishaig.
Day 2 - Oban to Ullapool via Invergarry, Dornie, Loch Carron (then choose between Applecross, Kinlochewe or Garve) to Ullapool.
Day 3 - Ullapool to Glencoe, via Kylesku, Durness, Tongue, Altnaharra, Lairg, Beauly, Drumnadrochit.
Day 4 - Glencoe to Warrington, via Tyndrum, Callander, Stirling - and back down the Motorway.

(the above is just a quick idea)

Al

Great rout of which I wii keep for next time, the main point of which I forgot to mention is its the second part of my lands end to JoG so I need to include JoG.

Great advise all thanks very much

 

[MAR.600]

day 2

Hi I'm planning my Scotland tour in the first week of august. I'm just wondering from anyone who’s done Scotland before if the mileage is not too excessive between day 2 and 3.

Day 1 Warrington to Inverness, M6 to A7 then forth road bridge A9 to inverness 377.1 Miles. This isn't a problem as I know it’s fairly strait forward M6 and A roads.

Day 2 Inverness to Ulapool via JoG across to durness then down to ullapool 277.5 miles , Is this section doable in a day I’m in no rush but don’t want to be pushing it to get to my digs late in the day

Day 3 Ullapool to Taynulit via applecross and possible Skye for a nosey (235.5 miles without Skye) again I don't want to be balls out getting to my digs.

Day 3 Taynulit to warrington via Dumfries roughly 330 miles , i'm fine with this as the last 100 miles are motorway.

I'm a steady rider, just after some advice / reassurance that days 2 and 3 are planned reasonably well. I’ll be setting off as early as possible on all three days in order to make good of the long days.

Cheers

Jay

Day 2 . May be a struggle. Its along way
some of it single track. And then photo stops
weather? . It will be a late one , if not booked into digs pre book . Rooms get snapped up quickly.
Have a good one
m

 

[AndyT]

If you are going so far up can you not stay a few more days as its great up there and seems a shame to be blasting up and down motorways/boring roads on days 1 and 4.......just a thought

 

[Frautzi]

Day 2 . May be a struggle. Its along way
some of it single track. And then photo stops
weather? . It will be a late one , if not booked into digs pre book . Rooms get snapped up quickly.
Have a good one
m

Hi MAR all my digs are booked now Inverness,Ullapool, Taynuilt. I will keep in touch with the digs as the day progresses.

If you are going so far up can you not stay a few more days as its great up there and seems a shame to be blasting up and down motorways/boring roads on days 1 and 4.......just a thought

Andy i would love to spend a few more days up there but i have a young family and 3 night 4 days is all i can spare for now, plus i'm off the Cyprus two days after.

I suppose the main point about getting to JOG is getting in the way of missing out on some great parts of the highlands but its one of those things i want to do, All the places i'll miss this year will be on the list next year, and those i miss next year and the year after, etc.

Great advise thanks for posting

Jay

 

[Blackal]

Jay, I understand your desire to include JoG, but with such limited time available -

I wouldn't include that shitehole in my itinerary

I suspect after leaving there, you'll at best think: "Well - it ticked a box"

Have a great trip, though !

Al

 

[Frautzi]

Jay, I understand your desire to include JoG, but with such limited time available -

I wouldn't include that shitehole in my itinerary

I suspect after leaving there, you'll at best think: "Well - it ticked a box"

Have a great trip, though !

Al

Al your dead right but i know if i don't tick the box it will drive me mad....

 

[alan29]

If youi are up there go to Dunnets Head - superb.

 

[JoeBiff]

Rode your planned route a couple of years ago.
Your Day 2 itinerary will be nigh purgatory trying to cover that distance along the north and west coasts of Scotland.
They are some of the most beautiful roads and you'll be riding just for the sake of covering distance IMHO.
Good luck, though.

 

[brut33]

I’m doing a Scotland trip in spring/early summer. Got some great tips from this thread…

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showth...-report-on-a-short-trip?p=4006221#post4006221

 

[sofnolime]

I know that your 1st day is already a big day, and I appreciate how hard it is to change and idea once you get it into your head. But, I would get off the A9 at Perth and pick up the A93 through Glenshee onto Braemar and once north of there back over to Inverness. It is a much more interesting road, still fast and flowing and there are no average speed cameras. Not that they should bother you anyway

John

 

[Pablo1]

Day 1 - Warrington to Oban, via Lochgilphead/Ardrishaig.
Day 2 - Oban to Ullapool via Invergarry, Dornie, Loch Carron (then choose between Applecross, Kinlochewe or Garve) to Ullapool.
Day 3 - Ullapool to Glencoe, via Kylesku, Durness, Tongue, Altnaharra, Lairg, Beauly, Drumnadrochit.
Day 4 - Glencoe to Warrington, via Tyndrum, Callander, Stirling - and back down the Motorway.

(the above is just a quick idea)

Al

have to agree, much better route great roads, if you have a garmin i dont mind putting a mapsource route together for you
sorry just read follow on posts

 

[Frautzi]

Rode your planned route a couple of years ago.
Your Day 2 itinerary will be nigh purgatory trying to cover that distance along the north and west coasts of Scotland.
They are some of the most beautiful roads and you'll be riding just for the sake of covering distance IMHO.
Good luck, though.

They are beautiful roads designed for riding, covering distance is a necessity of riding beautiful roads, I don't see any other way around it. I'm used to covering distance and long hours in the saddle due to owning lambrettas 600 miles in a weekend at 50mph Coast to Coast every year since 2008. I've just never been that high up and just needed to be sure it's feasible to cover them roads in a day. 7am to 5,6pm

I appreciate the reply

I’m doing a Scotland trip in spring/early summer. Got some great tips from this thread…

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showth...-report-on-a-short-trip?p=4006221#post4006221

yep great thread.

I know that your 1st day is already a big day, and I appreciate how hard it is to change and idea once you get it into your head. But, I would get off the A9 at Perth and pick up the A93 through Glenshee onto Braemar and once north of there back over to Inverness. It is a much more interesting road, still fast and flowing and there are no average speed cameras. Not that they should bother you anyway

John

. yes I've altered my rout to take that road as a couple of other people suggested it. s

have to agree, much better route great roads, if you have a garmin i dont mind putting a mapsource route together for you
sorry just read follow on posts

Cheers Pablo

 

[columbus]

I've just had to do the A9 from Dunblane to Inverness and back. It was never the best of roads but now with all the cameras it is the most monotonous stretch of Tarmac I have encountered. I would go so far as saying it is now more dangerous as the boredom breeds tiredness. It was so bad the driving was split four times for a journey I have done hundreds of times and at times never needed to stop let alone change drivers.

I'd defiantly avoid it now especially on a bike.