NC500 questions

Wonkey donkey

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Hi All,

Planning on doing the NC500 mid June and have a couple of questions and also looking for any advice.

So question

1. how long should we take? Theoretically 3 days of 160 odd miles a day should be enough but is it actually enjoyable or should I allow another day?

2. Can anyone recommend the 3 to 4 stopover points on the route to look for accommodation? A warm welcome and a pub or two is all that is needed.

Any other tips/ advice would be most welcome as I have found lots online but nothing beats a tossers advice in my experience :D
 
3 days from starting on the NC 500 will be fine and yes they are great roads but are starting to get quite busy

A hotel i would recommend is the Strathcarron hotel although it is under new ownership since i last went
 
3 days is more than enough. I've done it solo for the past two years inverness to inverness in two days, stopping overnight at Rhiconich on the North Western point (not an amazing hotel, but cheap, great view and has a bar). For me its about riding and enjoying the scenery, not really that bothered about stopping lots other than for fuel and sandy beaches.

RBW.
 
We did it in two days and at a good pace for most of it. A few locals had volunteered to show us around the route and they knew the roads well, and as we had all done it in various stages previously but never strung it together it became just a bit of a box-ticking trip and an excuse for a booze up at the beginning, middle and end :beer: 3 or 4 days would be better for a sightseeing trip so you can stop other than when the bike and body are running low on fuel.

I would say do it anticlockwise as the East and North East coasts are relatively straightforward and not quite as spectacular as the west coast. It then gets better and better this way round. In terms of places to see, I would say any of the many small towns and villages on the East coast are worth getting off the main road for a little mooch about down at the harbour. North Coast beaches are worth having a look at. Durness is good although there's not that much there but the Lazy Crofter Hostel is OK, as is Sango Sands and the Balnakiel Craft Village - well Cocoa Mountain anyway. Cape Wrath should be open in June - but it's a bus ride once across the little ferry. Kinlochbervie is another fishing harbour worth spending a few minutes looking at and if you have loads of time and some walking boots there's some of the best beaches in the world here - Sandwood Bay. Be sure to call in at Flossies Cafe by Clachtol Beach Campsite just north of Lochinver. Decent coffee, sandwiches and cakes in a great location. Then there is Lochinver (pies and more, and an alternative route to the South that is way more interesting than the official NC500 route), Ullapool, Gairloch (more good coffee at Coffee Mountain), Torridon (MOUNTAINS), and Applecross (pub mainly but great location and the Beallach to look forward to).

Have a great trip.
 
no matter how long you tale , make sure you travel anti clockwise....the west is best
 
I would say 4 days, that way if you see something, you can turn around and do it again.

Applecross is nice, and the view excellent, I don't rate the road that much now.

Across glencoe when the sun is just coming up and no traffic is stunning.

Ignore John O' goat's it is cheap tourist tat.

I would leave from Inverness and head anti clockwise.

If, you're heading northwards, take A93 from Perth to Blairgowrie then A93 Glenshee/braemar. On to A939 Granton on spey A939 Nairn then turn left A96 to Inverness.



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Yep agree anticlockwise
Eat at the Applecross Inn the scallops are stunning
Book the west coast overnights if you can this is where we struggled
An evening meal at the Kyleskubhotel looks something else
http://www.kyleskuhotel.co.uk

Lastly stayed in Scourie at a BB owned by Ken, if you want further info pm me and I will dig his details out.
 
Its getting really busy now.
Book everything in advance especially a table at the Applecross Inn.
 
Cheers chaps just what I was looking for so time to start planning and getting accommodation booked.
 
Go last week in May or 1st week after the kids go back to school in September.

Unless it's something you really want to tick off your list, I would agree with the post from Tractors are go.

The NC500 is very nice, and the west is simply stunning. But, if you've got 4 days riding up there, there are some much nicer roads than parts of the NC500.

Remember, the NC500 has been devised by the Scotland tourist board. It's a nice circular route which is very simple to follow, and it's suggested you go anti-clockwise, because if you did it clockwise you'd be disappointed with the last 150mls.

It is very busy now and you often come across car groups on the route.

Get you're tent on the back, and stick to the middle and west, Mull and Skye.

Two favourites of mine which are not a part of the NC500... Back over the Cairngorms and Glen Shiel.
 
I live a bit further up but use sections of the road both north and south heading for the ferry to / from Scrabster, Orkney then home to Shetland.
It's a good run, rather than taking the Shetland boat from Aberdeen you can board the same ferry in Kirkwall at midnight.

They've always been great roads, but the NC500 branding and promotion has certainly attracted a lot more traffic including convoys of fairly much anything from camper vans with consecutive number plates?? porsches, Aston Martins and classic anythings. It can be a real problem getting round folk now that don't understand single track roads and on more than one occasion, fully loaded bikers Go Proing their epic adventure and not wanting some old bloke cruising past them on a 17 year old bike centre frame.

Hadn't thought about it before, I always enjoy running north up the west, sounds like everyone recommends anticlockwise and right enough, I tend to meet the convoys rather than having to pass them so maybe it's affecting the traffic flow.

Applecross is worth a stopover. Inn is good but book, so is the campsite (they stopped doing meals last year) and the B&B at the end of the campsite.

Stick on the road north of Applecross (some seem to go back over the Bealach na Ba to the main road instead) and the loop in and out of Lochinver through Assynt and Drumbeg is worth the time too.

It's already been said that the west coast hits the spot, but there's some good routes back south without going all the way across to John O' Groats if you've done it before. If you do go to the NE Dunnet and Duncansby Heads are really the extremes anyway.

Altnaharra is a great stop, good hotel for a break or a posh stop. From the north you can either take the single track road past Loch Hope and the Broch Dun Dornaigil or tour the north coast and then back down the A836 from Tongue then Lairg.

On the way north yes, take the A93, you'll loose the will to live on the A9 now so turn off for Scone at Perth and head for the hills.
Spittal of glenshee on the Old Military Road is good for a stopover too.
 
Having shown my mate your replies we have decided to not do the NC500 but instead simply go up the West Coast and back down a different route (West is best kept coming through loud and clear).

If anyone has a 3-4 day route we should/could follow please pipe up, failing that I will simply use basecamp and maps.

Thanks for putting me right you lot :beerjug:
 
Another option if you go part way along the top (and it is stunning along there) is the A897 linking Melvich to Helmsdale along the inland route where a lot of the Highland Clearances occurred. Think history if you ride along this route.
 
Having shown my mate your replies we have decided to not do the NC500 but instead simply go up the West Coast and back down a different route (West is best kept coming through loud and clear).

If anyone has a 3-4 day route we should/could follow please pipe up, failing that I will simply use basecamp and maps.

Thanks for putting me right you lot :beerjug:

I think you've made a wise decision. The top and east side is OK but only that. Much to do on the west side for 3/4 days. From mid Enland I would head over the A66 and up the Motorway until Glasgow...boring I know but kills some distance quick. There are roadworks around Glasgow but shouldn't be a problem on a bike. Go up Loch Lomondside , Glencoe and Fort William...plenty accommodation there but might be best to book.

Thence Spean Bridge, over the top of the Garry into Glenshiel, Auchtertyre turn right up to Lochcarron, Kishorn, Applecross...the Inn is a victim of its own success sadly so be prepared to skip lunch there and keep heading north along the coast, Torridon, Kinlochewe Poolewe Dundonnell and Ullapool...plenty accommodation there.

North up to Durness and Tongue. From Tongue to Altnaharra, Lairg, Bonar Bridge, over the top of Struy, Inverness...head south down the A9...boring but if you have time you can go via CarrBridge, Dulnain Bridge, Tomintoul, Braemar, A93 Glenshee past my door, Perth Edinburgh and south via the A68 & A1.

Sounds a lot but if you get going, perfectly doable
 
I think you've made a wise decision. The top and east side is OK but only that. Much to do on the west side for 3/4 days. From mid Enland I would head over the A66 and up the Motorway until Glasgow...boring I know but kills some distance quick. There are roadworks around Glasgow but shouldn't be a problem on a bike. Go up Loch Lomondside , Glencoe and Fort William...plenty accommodation there but might be best to book.

Thence Spean Bridge, over the top of the Garry into Glenshiel, Auchtertyre turn right up to Lochcarron, Kishorn, Applecross...the Inn is a victim of its own success sadly so be prepared to skip lunch there and keep heading north along the coast, Torridon, Kinlochewe Poolewe Dundonnell and Ullapool...plenty accommodation there.

North up to Durness and Tongue. From Tongue to Altnaharra, Lairg, Bonar Bridge, over the top of Struy, Inverness...head south down the A9...boring but if you have time you can go via CarrBridge, Dulnain Bridge, Tomintoul, Braemar, A93 Glenshee past my door, Perth Edinburgh and south via the A68 & A1.

Sounds a lot but if you get going, perfectly doable

Your a star sir thank you. This helps me enormously as I can plan via that route and local knowledge and all that.
 
Another option if you go part way along the top (and it is stunning along there) is the A897 linking Melvich to Helmsdale along the inland route where a lot of the Highland Clearances occurred. Think history if you ride along this route.

Thanks Khulu
 
Having shown my mate your replies we have decided to not do the NC500 but instead simply go up the West Coast and back down a different route (West is best kept coming through loud and clear).

If anyone has a 3-4 day route we should/could follow please pipe up, failing that I will simply use basecamp and maps.

Thanks for putting me right you lot :beerjug:
Drop me a pm with your E mail and i can get my Scotland routes to you which take in some great roads and scenery and not too far from you so not difficult to adjust
 
I think you've made a wise decision. The top and east side is OK but only that. Much to do on the west side for 3/4 days. From mid Enland I would head over the A66 and up the Motorway until Glasgow...boring I know but kills some distance quick. There are roadworks around Glasgow but shouldn't be a problem on a bike. Go up Loch Lomondside , Glencoe and Fort William...plenty accommodation there but might be best to book.

Thence Spean Bridge, over the top of the Garry into Glenshiel, Auchtertyre turn right up to Lochcarron, Kishorn, Applecross...the Inn is a victim of its own success sadly so be prepared to skip lunch there and keep heading north along the coast, Torridon, Kinlochewe Poolewe Dundonnell and Ullapool...plenty accommodation there.

North up to Durness and Tongue. From Tongue to Altnaharra, Lairg, Bonar Bridge, over the top of Struy, Inverness...head south down the A9...boring but if you have time you can go via CarrBridge, Dulnain Bridge, Tomintoul, Braemar, A93 Glenshee past my door, Perth Edinburgh and south via the A68 & A1.

Sounds a lot but if you get going, perfectly doable
Good advice from gerrard, just building on that i'd leave the M6 and head accross the A75 towards stranraer and up the coast to Gourock where you can board a 20min ferry crossing to Dunoon, up the side of Loch Eck (magic road) , Inverary, Dalmally, Tyndrum, Glencoe. Can sen you the Garmin routes if you want them,
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