Featured Touring North Coast 500... Part 1

Just completed the NC500,I'd booked the accommodation a few months ago,it's never a good idea to book a biking holiday in Scotland in advance (sods law it will be chucking it down ) but if i left it to the last minute i would have been struggling for places to stay.
Luckily for me the weather was great ..until the last day riding home,it rained
The route starts of from Inverness you can do the route clockwise or anti-clockwise, i did it clockwise,lovely road to Lochcarron then on towards Applecross


Single track all the way up to Applecross,it's not to narrow though and when the weathers good it's great..not so when it's wet and misty and you can only see 3ft in front of you..been there not fun! so i was glad it was fair

Once we got to Applecross the sun came out and it was a glorious day,there was a classic car rally on so it was pretty busy,we stayed at the Applecross inn for the night


The next morning we heading round the peninsula, all single track and it wasn't just sheep you had to look out for

great views all the way round this road



The road takes you to Shieldaig then on to Gairloch. anytime I'm there i always look into this hippy bookshop/cafe, huge helpings

next stop Ullapool..great fish n chips at the Seaforth

 

NORTH COAST 500,,PART 2
After stopping off at Ullapool for a while we headed on to Lochinver where we were staying for our 2nd night

Some deer in the local football pitch

The next morning the route took us all the way round the coast (Drumberg Loop) about 30 miles or so of single track road, the scenery was spectacular but you have to look out for vehicles coming round the tight bends



lots of other really spectacular views, but the road got really twisty and hilly and there was just no place safe to stop to take photos. if it was bad weather i would miss this part out as there would be no point if you couldn't see the scenery
This road takes you out just before the Kylesku bridge,you have to stop for the obligatory photo with the bridge in the background.it is a fantastic road all the way up to the turn off to Kinlochbervie then from there to Durness it is single track
i stopped of at Durness beach and had walk to Smoo Cave (did that the last twice i was there) worth doing as it is free!

The road from Durness to Tongue has some lovely scenery,about half way across the top of Scotland the scenery becomes a bit barren, Stopped of at Thurso for the night. next morning we went to John o groats for a photo beside the sign, (like everyone does!) John o groats has improved a lot since i was last there, nice chalets,the hotel has been done up,cafes,shops,caravan site it looks miles better now, we headed down the coast and stopped of at Dunrobin castle

next stop was Inverness for the night then home in the morning..pissed of rain all the way home

 

Nice one dougy!

 

Cheers Steve,i was going to do it the other way round next year, but i think the views doing it clockwise are better, especially around the Applecross peninsula and the Drumberg Loop

 

Just today I was planning a route from Rhu over to Loch Lomond then round to Ben Nevis down to Oban and back but can't do it til next year now

 

Too much single track if you do Applecross, but rest of the 500 road is good.
Don't mind singletrack into and out of Durness. Should have come straight up from Ullapool, from there to Laxford Bridge is a belter.

 

I don't mind the Applecross road Ron,it's like a motorway compared to the coastal road from Lochinver! but the views made even that road worth it. i agree the road from Ullapool to Laxford bridge is great..but i wanted to stick to the NC 500 route.. definitely wouldn't recommend doing the route on a sports bike,even my speed triple wouldn't have been much fun

 

Looks fabulous

 

Looks great. Done most of that by car in the past but never been to Applecross and that is something I need to put right.

 

Andy, just make sure it's a clear day when you do it, so you can take in the glorious views, and if your'e stopping off for a bite to eat the Applecross Inn has excellent food

 

that's a fantastic run,there are various routes to Oban all of them fantastic! If i was you from Rhu i would go back and go up the side of Loch Lomond rather than the Helensburgh road.What way are you planning on going to Oban?

 

My name is Mr Orange and I HATE APPLECROSS ROAD

There, I have said it. It's a crappy little cow track, full of bloody tourists and campervans. No fun on a bike. Maybe if empty, and on a supermotard or enduro bike (too far to ride there, on either), but any fun to be had on a big bike is non-existent. I have even encountered car and caravans trying to go over it.

Admit views back down the pass are good, but the actual riding is horrible.

If it is on the NC500, just avoid all that single track out to Applecross and to Lochinver. The run out to Poolewe and Inverewe Gardens is worth doing, but the other two are crappy on a bike. Better to stick to the main road and blast from Ullapool up to Laxford Bridge (Awesome road, especially around Kylesku).


MY NC500

Down Loch Ness and Invergarry to Kyle of Lochalsh are both very good. Misses out single track crap. John o' groats not brill, but shame not to, but I would miss that out, road south to Inverness isn't brilliant, but necessary, go clockwise and do it last

 

I say fro Rhu as I used to live there as a kid and want to revisit, from there I would go up toward faslane and over to Lomond via glen fruin as we used to swim there, over to fort William then down the coast to Oban, it's just general at the mo as I don't know when or how long! Anyways I'll leave your post to those who want to read something interesting, maybe I'll do the whole hog, how many days do you reckon for the 500?

 

That will be a good trip down memory lane for you, i would say 3/4 days for doing the 500, ,although the website recommends doing it over 7 days,it just depends how much sightseeing you want to do i guess

 

Great pictures and write up Dougie.
My Grandfather has shown me pictures when they used to cycle the routes.
I have never been but plan to put that right in good time.

 

Excellent, excellent write-up Dougie, really wet my appetite for a north Scotland trip.

 

You could incorporate it with GMU Dave? Anyone else thinking of doing it in the future,i say do it ASAP!

 

We still using that my route app?
Just downloaded the gpx of this trip
Did you need to book the b&b in advance or just book on the day?
I have booking.com app already on the phone

 

you would be safer to book the b&bs in advance especially if it's the summer. i didn't actually use the route in the satnav for the trip so you might need to tweak the route i put up as it's not been tested!

 

I may just be the one to test it. Doesn't look like it will break my sat nav
Then again I doubt I would folllow it 100% I have a tendency to get lost even with the sat nav
If riding for pleasure it's no biggie