NC500

Willie12 · Jun 14, 2020

Hi Gsers.
Possibly thinking of doing the NC500 for the 1st time, see people recommend doing it anticlockwise? Any good tips/info on how many days to allow to do it and places to stay on route? B and Bs etc, I know all abit up in the air with this covid 19 but looking ahead.
TIA

smirky · Jun 14, 2020

It’s getting as busy as €uck bearing in mind these are often single track roads, you’ll find mr Ferrari and mr Lamborghini out playing, police love it also

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H.R.H. · Jun 14, 2020

Sounds like Stelvio

Scooter Boy · Jun 14, 2020

Was speaking to a guy yesterday up from Edinburgh on a Yamaha Tracer he was doing the NC500 this weekend :blast

Wild camping and had everything he needed in a rucksack :blast

My only advise would be not to do it over a weekend if posssible,it will be too busy to be enjoyable.

gerarddwatts · Jun 14, 2020

Certainly better anticlockwise.

Micky · Jun 14, 2020

Wubberwillie said:
Hi Gsers.
Possibly thinking of doing the NC500 for the 1st time, see people recommend doing it anticlockwise? Any good tips/info on how many days to allow to do it and places to stay on route? B and Bs etc, I know all abit up in the air with this covid 19 but looking ahead.
TIA

Welcome to all things UKGSer Wubberwillie :thumby:

Great user name by the way ... and congrats on coming straight in as a subscribed member

Just use the search facility for NC500 .... loads of posts and info

Go do the Wild Atlantic Way in Ireland. The NC500 tries to copy it and fails in so many ways ...

All the best

:beerjug:

Edit ... ah, you're from Belfast and might have heard of the WAW

Deleted account 220319001 · Jun 14, 2020

gerarddwatts said:
Certainly better anticlockwise.

What makes you think it's better anticlockwise ?

gerarddwatts · Jun 14, 2020

Cabby said:
What makes you think it's better anticlockwise ?

Errr! Because its better anticlockwise? Get all the boring bits finished and then enjoy the west.

Deleted account 220319001 · Jun 14, 2020

gerarddwatts said:
Errr! Because its better anticlockwise? Get all the boring bits finished and then enjoy the west.

ok settle doon

ShakeyBMW · Jun 15, 2020

The sheer number of T-shirt shops popping up on the route is a clue to what to expect. Itks a cash injection for the local tourist economy but it was far more enjoyable before it got the NC500 tag.

Northern jock · Jun 15, 2020

Regardless of the hype it's still stunning countryside and roads. Worth going down sideroads, stopping in wee places off the route, doing more than just rushing round it, take your time.

Posh Pete · Jun 15, 2020

Unless you want to tick the box / buy the tee shirt, consider simply riding up the Atlantic coastline to Durness. You can also take in a couple of islands en route via Calmac. Come again and do the east coast section with a foray over to Orkney. Maybe Shetland too. Relax and enjoy.

ShakeyBMW · Jun 15, 2020

Posh Pete said:
Unless you want to tick the box / buy the tee shirt, consider simply riding up the Atlantic coastline to Durness. You can also take in a couple of islands en route via Calmac. Come again and do the east coast section with a foray over to Orkney. Maybe Shetland too. Relax and enjoy.

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Zackly

smirky · Jun 15, 2020

Posh Pete said:
Unless you want to tick the box / buy the tee shirt, consider simply riding up the Atlantic coastline to Durness. You can also take in a couple of islands en route via Calmac. Come again and do the east coast section with a foray over to Orkney. Maybe Shetland too. Relax and enjoy.

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Another vote for dis option plus the “middle road” from Helmsdale to bettyhill is a remote one

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Kaybe · Jun 15, 2020

Here is what it looked like before we had all the traffic.
https://www.ukgser.com/forums/showt...thness-and-Sutherland-etc?highlight=helmsdale

Yes there really was no other cars / buses etc.

Since then been up a few times, only this time gone up the west coast to Durness, along to Tongue and and back down again via Lairg.
Go round via Lochinver, Drumbeg, Scourie etc
Based myself in Inverness.
Allowing for breaks etc can do in 8hrs. About 250-300miles, easy, relaxed riding on a GS.

Posh Pete · Jun 15, 2020

Kaybe said:
Here is what it looked like before we had all the traffic.
https://www.ukgser.com/forums/showt...thness-and-Sutherland-etc?highlight=helmsdale

Yes there really was no other cars / buses etc.

Since then been up a few times, only this time gone up the west coast to Durness, along to Tongue and and back down again via Lairg.
Go round via Lochinver, Drumbeg, Scourie etc
Based myself in Inverness.
Allowing for breaks etc can do in 8hrs. About 250-300miles, easy, relaxed riding on a GS.

I can beat that. My first memory of the nw is from a family holiday when I was ooooh - 6 or 7? An ex army tent and all of us piled into an Austin A40 and camped at Achmelvich. Saying that, the road out to Achmelvich has changed precious little since then. First chance I get, post lockdown, I'm heading up there.

Deleted account 220319001 · Jun 15, 2020

You still got that GS Karel ?

John Armstrong · Jun 15, 2020

First time I did the circuit of the north coast of Scotland was anti-clockwise. The east coast part is less scenic than the west, but plenty to see in-spite of that. And after Douneray the scenery just gets higher and higher. I tend to head inland of the north coast now, onto the very very quiet roads.

bristolsaint · Jun 15, 2020

gerarddwatts said:
Errr! Because its better anticlockwise? Get all the boring bits finished and then enjoy the west.

This is the reason not to do it. Bits of it are boring. Make up your own route, perhaps using advice that already exists on this siteIn my opinion, the Western Isles are definitely worth it, as is Wester Ross and the Fort William to Mallaig road past Glenfinnan Viaduct. There are so many good bits to Scotland that, other than box-ticking, avoiding the NC500 and the crowds of wobbly boxes that inhabit it is the thing to do.

I've only done bits of WAW, but that would be high on my list for the future.

Welcome to the forum and enjoy the ride, whichever choice you make.

Deleted account 220319001 · Jun 15, 2020

bristolsaint said:
There are so many good bits to Scotland that, other than box-ticking, avoiding the NC500 and the crowds of wobbly boxes that inhabit it is the thing to do.

.

I'm afraid to say there is no way of avoiding crowded roads anywhere in NW Scotland nowadays, unless you're in the midst of lockdown as we still are. Yesterday made me very aware of how many tourists visit there now going through Glencoe yesterday was as quiet as I'e ever seen it for years but the minute restrictions are lifted it'll be hoaching again, like everywhere else, a victim of it's own success Scotland.

On that point, I'd avoid the Drumber/Lochinver road like the plague in the height of tourist season, murder polis.

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