Scotland 2009

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Chaz

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Hi Everyone,

I planned to do this trip this year but had the wrong bike and no time to be honest!

Anyway its just a wee trip to kick off next years biking season (yes I know every season is biking season but you know what I mean I'm sure!).

The trip will be around 1200 miles and my original idea was to do it over a long weekend (4 nights) and you could, but I think to really enjoy it a week would be best.
The plan is to travel to the furthest compass points in Scotland ie most Southern, Western, Eastern and Northern points on the map in aid of a charity I support.
I won't be taking the most direct route cause I figure if you're going to go to the most remote regions in Scotland and some of the most beautiful then you may as well see as much as you can, cause who knows if you'll get the chance again, so there is a lot of costal roads and a visit to the furthermost NW regions of Scotland which isn't necessary to reach the compass points but a shame not to while you are up there I think!

I have worked out what I think to be the best route and I think its quite a good one, tried avoiding too much motorways etc.

Anyway, the trip is looking likely for April/beginning of May and I just wanted to extend the invite. The trip will be mostly camping and hopefully should be another gorgeous Spring so I don't think it should be too cold but just incase
I will be looking at hostels etc for the more Northern regions!

If I can get around a dozen riders who are willing to gather a wee sponsor sheet worth of donations for the charity SOS Children's Villages then I would be delighted.

I know that its a long way off but if your schedules are anywhere near as busy as mine then you'll understand the need to plan your holidays and trips!

As I mentioned before the plan is to do the Scotland trip around the end of April/beginning of May (thinking of leaving about the 24th of April) but if the feedback shows that this will be too cold for the more Northerly areas I might move it further forward.
If however the feedback confirms that it is a good time to go then the plan is to do a similar North of Ireland trip in June for those who might be interested.:aidan

Hope this all makes sense and isn't too garbled, don't know why I chose to write this so early on a Sunday morning :blast

A fellow tosser name of Yodagoat did a similar trip this year which re-inspired me to get off my arse and go for it. Here is his link to try and inspire you:


http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=82152&

If you think you might be interested but want some more info then email me with "Scottish Compass Rose Challenge" in the subject box to be sure it doesn't get automatically put into my bulk folder and dumped!

Have a good one

I'm off for a greasy breakfast hangover cure :beer:

Charlie
 
Sounds great! I for one would be very interested. Usually do a spring Scotland trip anyway, so it would be good to make it for something worthwhile.

I'm also well placed to give you a bit of help with the North of Ireland trip (pm sent).

Just one query, what is this 'camping' thing?!?!
 
Just one query, what is this 'camping' thing?!?!

Hey Hillhound,

you know camping....we're all going to wear matching tank-tops, flanalette shirts and gorgio armani trousers......camp!!!:D:D:D At night we can speak with a Jonathan Ross lisp around the fire and discuss fashion and "who's seeing who" in the celeb world!!! camp:D


pm sent
 
Sounds like a good way to start the season - went up to NW corner this summer and definitely want to do more.


Will I put yer name doon then??:nenau
 
It can be nice and warm up here in april / early may.......but don't count on it. There's a good campsite on the sea front at Thurso and the owners are also bikers. Nice and close to John o Groats and Dunnet Head. For hostels, there are quite a few SYHA hostels in the north and west, and a lot of independant ones if nights under canvas aren't your thing.
 
Cheers Sethmopp, always good to get the heads up:thumb2
Keep the beers cold for us:beer:

Be good to have you along Wully, you'll be taking Fruitcake along too surely?:clap
 
Am seriously considering this if the dates are a little flexible:rob

Looks like a really good trip:beerjug:
 
I am definately interested in this trip....especially if its nearer the beginning
of May(or June!!) rather than the end of April, as I am having to take HWMBO away for a week then to score some Brownie points.;)

I think it might be taking the p**s somewhat if I get back from one holiday and then jump on me bike and go off on another...but then again!!!!:rolleyes:

Keep us posted

Cheers G:beerjug:
 
Oh my God....I've just spent the best part of an hour typing out the whole route and giving details about this trip and when I went to submit it the whole thing disappeared:eek:

How pissed off am I :mcgun:mcgun:mcgun
 
Hi Dakar,
im a new here and it´s nice to see here someone who is just behind the corner. I loves to go to scotland....
Martin
 
Hi Dakar,
im a new here and it´s nice to see here someone who is just behind the corner. I loves to go to scotland....
Martin


Wecome to the site and the world of tossers:beerjug:
Great bunch of people. :aidan
If it all works out and i`m going, i`m sure we can hook up on route :clap

Charlie
Good luck with the 2nd attempt :blast
 
The Route

Ok everyone I’ll try this again!!!

For everyone interested in this wee trip here is the head’s up!

I’ve planned what I feel is a good route to ride around this bonnie country, not only to achieve the goal of reaching the 4 compass points in Scotland, but also to see a bit more interesting stuff too. My plan now is to email it off to a couple of friends of mine who are veterans when it comes to exploring Scotland and get their take on it, hopefully they will add and alter the route a little to give us the benefit of better/more fun roads etc.

Once the route has been tweaked about ill then think about which accommodation we will need and where. This might vary from camping, to hostels, to B&B. The accommodation will also be influenced by how many are going and their preferences so a better idea of who is defo up for it would be good, although I realise it is early days and 6 whole months away even an indication of how many feel that they would definitely want to go and will most probably make it happen would be helpful!

The trip date can be moved a few of days either way again depending on who and how many need to change it. The reason this particular date has been chosen is because Scotland has had absolutely gorgeous weather over the last few years at around this time, even more so than our Summer’s weather, also it’s Spring and Scotland is bloody gobsmackingly beautiful then. It also kicks the years tours off on a high note and gets everyone interested and motivated to do more….which brings me to my next subject!

I will be organising another tour for June 2009 but this time in Ireland (most probably a long weekend in Northern Ireland but not decided yet), and later in the season a tour around Southern Ireland. Hopefully, and all going well this will lead onto later trips (the next year probably) in Wales and England. They will most likely all have a similar goal with compass points just to give them a focus and will undoubtedly be for charity.

Anyway without further ado here is roughly what I have planned for Scotland:

I’m thinking that the starting rally point will be the Green Welly shop at Tyndrum, we will finish up here also. It may not suit everybody so we can arrange rendezvous points on route to our first destination;

The first destination is Cairngaan (A716) in the Mull of Galloway which is at the most Southern point of mainland Scotland. Once here we have to head back up the A716 onto the A75 via the B7084 towards Newton Stewart where we then take the A712 to New Galloway.

Then down the A713 to Castle Douglas we head off to Dumfries either by taking the A711 through Beeswing or by going right around the A710 through Mainsriddle and then New Abbey.

From Dumfries we travel up the A701 through Moffat, passing Glenbreck, through Stobo and up to Peebles.

On to the A703 and then the A6094 we arrive at Roslin where hopefully we can check out the chapel if anyone is up for it!

After that we pretty much head to South Queensferry where we cross the Firth of Forth over to North Queensferry and into Fife. We’ll come off the A9 and travel along the A92 and A915 to Lower Largo where we change to the B942 to Crail following the coast around to St Andrews. Then up the A914 to Dundee.

From Dundee it’s straight up the A9 all the way up till we turn off onto the B974 towards Fettercairn, up past the Bridge of Dye, through Strachan to Banchory where we jump across the A980 to another B road the B977 which changes to the B979 and which takes us up to the A96.

I’m getting to detailed I think!!! We go up the A90 to Peterhead there. This is our most eastern compass point by the way!!

From Peterhead we head towards Banff along the A98 where we head along the coast to Elgin. I rode this road last weekend and it is a cracking run. We can stop off at the Baxters factory and pick up some soup supplies for the journey!!

From Elgin it’s along to Nairn (might visit Fort George and Culloden Battlefield and visitor centre on-route depending on interest) and Inverness (could get pissed here if it lands on the end of a day).

Then all the way up the A9 we go to Latheron where we continue up along the coast on the A99 right up to John O Groats and along to Dunnet Head which is the furthest Northern Point and our third map point!

After that we ride right along the top to a place called Tongue (just so I can get a sticker for my panniers that says ‘I Love Tongue’) and through to Durness. It would be nice I think to pick our way up to Cape Wrath while we are that far north!

Right now we’re on the West Coast with loads of wee windy roads. We head down towards Scourie , down the A894 until we turn off on the A837 towards Lochinver and then down to Achiltibuie (where you phone everyone you know and say ‘Guess where I am?’ and they say ‘Where…?’ and you reply ‘Achiltibuie’ and they say ‘Achiltibloodywhatie’)!

From Achiltibuie its down to Ullapool, down the A835 until we double back almost on the A832 all the way around past Kerrysdale to Kinlochewe where we change to the A896 following that round the (not for the faint hearted) Applecross road to Loch Carron. Around Loch Carron we head to the Kyle of Lochalsh where we cross over to Skye.

A day on Skye I think (much drink at Portree), then the ferry to Mallaig where we ride around Arisaig and past Lochailort then along the A861 we turn off just before Salen onto the B8007 and ride along to Ardnamurchan Point which is our fourth and final compass point on the furthest Western mainland point of Scotland. Yee har!!

Not finished yet (unless you want to start building houses and eating the dead we head back up to the Corran Ferry where we cross over and head towards Fort William, down through Glencoe and back to the Green Welly shop for Scones and Tea!!!

My arse is sore at the thought of it!!!

Don’t think I missed anything and like I said before it needs tweaked.

Go on get yer name doon.:eek:onyack
 
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