Quick Tour of Scotland - Advice Please

[ListerofSMEG]

I'm off to Bonnie Scotland for a week to break my touring cherry in may!!

Apart from the obvious JOG, Glencoe, Spean Bridge, Loch Ness, can anyone give me a few tips for things to see/visit that may not be in the tourist guides? You fellow tossers have all been everywhere so must have brilliant knowledge.

I wont be able to visit distilleries & partake of the freebies as I understand there is a zero tolerance on drinking & riding, but are they worth a look just for the hell of it?

Any info will be gratefully received

 

[AberdeenAngus]

Not zero tolerance but pretty close. Limit is approx half what it is in England, and if you get banned up here it applies to whole of the U.K. So be warned.
I really wouldn't bother with JOG.
If you got limited time and the weather is decent, head West. You won't regret it.
Do a search. Tons of recommended routes already posted.
Hope you have a cracking time.

 

[phooey]

JOG big no point in going. Nowt to see or do and boring ride to get there or away. Scotland tour? Awesome roads all over the place ( JOG excepted ).. Don't neglect roads round the Solway firth to Stranraer the Queens Ride road, what the heck you could ride for 2 weeks just in the Borders and be entertained. Whatever you choose to do you will not run out of fantastic biking roads up here. Enjoy.

 

[boatman]

If you have time and if the weather is CLEAR the loop up over the pass of the cattle down to Applecross is a must

 

[AndyR34]

Travel up the west coast (FW, Skye, Ullapool and Tongue - don't get the sticker...) then return via the cairngorms (Lecht, Cockbridge, Braemar etc.).

We're truly spoiled up here.

ENJOY (& post lots of photos!!).

 

[Roadrash Rider]

I'm off to Bonnie Scotland for a week to break my touring cherry in may!!

Apart from the obvious JOG, Glencoe, Spean Bridge, Loch Ness, can anyone give me a few tips for things to see/visit that may not be in the tourist guides? You fellow tossers have all been everywhere so must have brilliant knowledge.

I wont be able to visit distilleries & partake of the freebies as I understand there is a zero tolerance on drinking & riding, but are they worth a look just for the hell of it?

Any info will be gratefully received

8 of us are heading up for our by annual fix on the 19th May, up through dales and Cumbria over the forth then over the hill to Dunkeld, second day wind around the lochs and up to Strathcarren past the commando memorial and that ruddy highlander castle, staying two nights at Strathcarren hotel third day from Strathcarron, you can do Skye and the pass of the cattle, we have many times, or this time day three is going to be about 250 mile of the NW 500 coast route then back to Strathcarren. Fourth day back down via Oban and an absolute stonking 35 miles of the most undulating and twisty B road finishing with a ride over the mountain dropping down into Moffat. Final day back down into England via back roads to Kelda water and through the dales to Barnard Castle. If you want to tag along or say hello we are Staying at Royal Dunkeld Thursday night Strathcarren Hotel Friday and Saturday and the Ble what's it arms hotel in Moffat on the Sunday.

If not and you fancy the routes instead I can get Redrick to send you the Garmin routes.

All the best RR

 

[ListerofSMEG]

Thanks for the invite Roadcraft, but I'm going up on the (Friday) the 13th until 20th. The visit to JOG is just for the photo more than anything as I live only 100 miles from Lands end I may make it a JOGLE-ish.

I wasnt sure what the western side had to offer apart from Applecross to be fair. I may give Skye consideration if I have time. I've booked 2 nights in the railway carriages at Rargt

 

[Phil-H]

JOG is a crap, tacky tourist trap but it's gotta be visited once hasn't it
Much nicer are Dunnet & Duncansby heads so do visit them at the same time.

The run over the Cairngorms is fantastic - Blairgowrie, Braemar, Grantown on Spey (vise versa if going clockwise).

The Applecross loop is definately worth doing & Clen Coe never fails to impress unlike the Green Welly at Tyndrum.....

If you have time, take a trip to Ardnamurchan & Sanna bay.

Enjoy the trip, you can't go far wrong up there

 

[GeorgeM]

the A9 from Tain northwards is a nice bit of road ,plenty of other places to stop than JOG , just watch out if the sand/grit hasn't been swept from the roads since winter.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[brut33]

I've been advised to ride the NC500 anticlockwise. When on the A9 travelling north take a left at Lothbeg.
It's an unclassified road that links up with the A897 that brings you out at Melvich. This cuts out the top NE section of the route (JOG).
Anytime now I will go for it pending a decent window in the weather.

Advice given by a local chap from Glenshee. I'm a great believer in making use of local knowledge.