NC500 Recommendations

Bob

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Evening all,
I’m planning to do the NC 500 in May and am after any recommendations of places to stay and the best thing to see on route please.
Cheers
Bob
 
Might want to move the thread? Also, have a wee look for similar threads in the Scotland section.
 
How long are you planning to do it for ? 2 days, 4 days ? Solo, with wife or in a group. What sort of places do you want to stay in? Posh/Cheap. (we stayed at Achiltibuie Hostel last year and a group turned up then rode off when they'd seen it was a basic hostel....albeit in an amazing location...their loss!) How many miles riding a day?
The best thing to do really is to do a bit of googling incorporating the likes of booking.com and their mapping to show where properties are.
You don't have to stick withe NC500 route, you can detour for other bits off the route.
Half the fun is the planning
 
I thought I'd give this post a bump rather than ask the same question. I have my route (usual NC500, anti-clockwise with the water on the right), and while I've concentrated on the roads and have my accommodation stops I would like to hear about any 'must see' stops en-route. While I've been to Scotland's West coast many times, I've never been north of Inverness.

Planned route attached.
 

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Looks like the route above misses out Dunnet Head, the most northerly point on the UK mainland. Try to get a "I love Tongue" sticker in Tongue :D Smoo Cave near Durness and Knockan Cragg are interesting if you like geological things. There's a nuclear submarine jetty at Aultbea, details here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loch_Ewe, not seen it in use ever though.
 
One of my favorites is stop off at Kylesku Bridge car park, great viewing point plus x-boat memorial. Other parts of West Ross often bypassed include Mellon Udrigle beach (turn right at Laide) the gun emplacements and information board on Loch Ewe (past Aultbea village on the left on the way to Ormiscaig (only a five minute detour from main road) and the North Atlantic Convoy memorial at Cove at the entrance to Loch Ewe.
 
If you fancy a detour from Perth you could head for Blairgowrie and then through Glenshee to Braemar, Ballatar and then over the Lecht heading for Tomintoul, Granton -on- Spey and then the A9 just north of Aviemore. It's a beautiful run!
 
Hi redsmartie - I’d echo the suggestion to go from Perth to Aviemore via Blairgowrie, Braemar and Tomintoul. Brilliant road.
The A9 is no fun.

If you’ve got time I’d suggest Oban (67) to (68) down round Lochgilphead and Inverary.
Though the shorter Oban, Loch Awe, Tyndrum road is a stunner when it’s quiet.

Enjoy.
 
Thanks for the suggestions.. I'll flag them along the route on my planner.

I've had the suggestion on the alternative to the A9 before and have noted it in my book (need to add it as an alternative route via Basecamp for the Nav). We are doing Inverness in a one'er from Manchester so I was going to see how we are doing for time and how our buttcheeks are holding out (one of us in on an S1000R).

I've done the Lochgilphead on a previous visit a couple of years back on the way to Mull of Kintyre. It is a nice run but again, with it being the final long run home I'm happy with the route back and I do love the run over the tops from Loch Awe to Inveraray. I've been going up there at least once a year to visit friends since the early 80s.
 
If you fancy a detour from Perth you could head for Blairgowrie and then through Glenshee to Braemar, Ballatar and then over the Lecht heading for Tomintoul, Granton -on- Spey and then the A9 just north of Aviemore. It's a beautiful run!

i agree
 
If you fancy a detour from Perth you could head for Blairgowrie and then through Glenshee to Braemar, Ballatar and then over the Lecht heading for Tomintoul, Granton -on- Spey and then the A9 just north of Aviemore. It's a beautiful run!

If you do decide to go this way bear in mind that the bridge at Gairnsheil Lodge will be closed as from the 14th May for 2 weeks. An alternative is to carry on to Dinnet the turn left and that road to Tomintoul.
 
If you do decide to go this way bear in mind that the bridge at Gairnsheil Lodge will be closed as from the 14th May for 2 weeks. An alternative is to carry on to Dinnet the turn left and that road to Tomintoul.

I’m conscious that I’ve hijacked this thread and while I was looking for stops that would be mutually beneficial to the OP

That said, I leave on the 12th of May so that’s not a problem


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I’m conscious that I’ve hijacked this thread and while I was looking for stops that would be mutually beneficial to the OP

That said, I leave on the 12th of May so that’s not a problem


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Then enjoy the ride! One other thought for you to consider is when you reach Grantown-on-Spey head for Nairn then head for Inverness instead of joining the A9 above Aviemore? That to is a great run along with cutting out the A9 which is a pig of a road!
 
Then enjoy the ride! One other thought for you to consider is when you reach Grantown-on-Spey head for Nairn then head for Inverness instead of joining the A9 above Aviemore? That to is a great run along with cutting out the A9 which is a pig of a road!

Tell me if I’m being lazy by asking and not calculating the route but is this alternative come with an additional time premium and if so how long?

Extra hour? More? Less?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Tell me if I’m being lazy by asking and not calculating the route but is this alternative come with an additional time premium and if so how long?

Extra hour? More? Less?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

1hr 15 from Grantown on Spey via Nairn to Inverness far better roads and scenic to boot.
 


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