please help - Scotland advice wanted

[phil on a fazer]

[quote author=t140 link=topic=3885.msg31797#msg31797 date=1342615090]
I would miss out the A83 Oban road and take the A82 lomond side up through Glen Coe, refuel in Fort William and head up through Glen Garry and Glen Shiel ( beware the wild goats and ponies on the road ), I am only a mile or so from your route on the A76 PM me nearer the time if im not working i would keep you company for some of it, unless you had something specific to stop for in Dumbarton another hour or so would take you up to a campsite at the DROVERS (google it) in Inverarnan on lomond side, if you're heading for torridon check STEVE CARTER for some nice pics of the area

One other option you may not have considered is the loop from Corran ferry (just past Onlich/Ballachulish) and then via Acharacle on the A861 before joining the A830 back to Mallaig.
[/quote]

thats looks good, any info on the little ferry crossing?

i heard the ride around Loch Leven is nice?

If i stayed near Loch Cluanie, would it be to much to do the apple cross loop then onto the Talisker distillier...AND catch the ferry in the evening from Uig? Still debating weather to do Harris & Lewis or just spend more time on Skye and the mainland.

i take it the main A roads are fast? (not that my fully laden Tenere 660 is!)
Bitfik: sorry mate, meant Whisky   (i love Bushmills though!)

[richfzs]

corran ferry - just shuttles back and forth, roll up, wait your turn. Cheap and quick crossing, tis lovely over the other side :thumbup

[VNA]

i just wish there was more cheap accomadtion as when your on your own paying £55 a night is steep

http://www.hostel-scotland.co.uk/

http://www.independenthostelguide.co.uk/...nd-map.php

http://www.syha.org.uk/

http://www.gatliff.org.uk/

Just interested in the process. (and buying a bottle for the night)

The only distillery left, as far as I am aware, where you can see literally the whole process is Springbank.  From the fields on the Mull growing the organic barley, to the malting floors, the un-automated  distillery process, the bond houses and the bottling plant.  It's top notch stuff too, only available from Whisky retailers. 

Most single malt distilleries buy in their ready malted barley, they distil it in their fully automated distillery, then tank it out.  A good few have malting floors and mature on site.  The only ones with bottling plants I can think of are Springbank (Campbelltown), and Bruichladdich (Islay), though Bruichladdich doesn't have a malting floors (as yet).

Might be worth a look on a Whisky forum for the best distilleries to visit, some tours are definitely better than others. 

If you want a good bottle, and you are passing through Inverary, pop into Loch Fyne Whiskies, probably the best Whisky shop in the UK, and unlike other Whisky retailers they usually have good deals on, will help you choose a guid un and let you taste before you buy.

[Bitfik]

Phil on a Fazer: No worries m8, glad you took it in the spirit in which it was intended! 


Hope you do get to explore this area sometime in the future though, gimme a shout if you ever do!

[coansha]

[quote author=coansha link=topic=3885.msg31820#msg31820 date=1342629942]
[quote author=t140 link=topic=3885.msg31797#msg31797 date=1342615090]
I would miss out the A83 Oban road and take the A82 lomond side up through Glen Coe, refuel in Fort William and head up through Glen Garry and Glen Shiel ( beware the wild goats and ponies on the road ), I am only a mile or so from your route on the A76 PM me nearer the time if im not working i would keep you company for some of it, unless you had something specific to stop for in Dumbarton another hour or so would take you up to a campsite at the DROVERS (google it) in Inverarnan on lomond side, if you're heading for torridon check STEVE CARTER for some nice pics of the area

One other option you may not have considered is the loop from Corran ferry (just past Onlich/Ballachulish) and then via Acharacle on the A861 before joining the A830 back to Mallaig.
[/quote]

thats looks good, any info on the little ferry crossing?

i heard the ride around Loch Leven is nice?

If i stayed near Loch Cluanie, would it be to much to do the apple cross loop then onto the Talisker distillier...AND catch the ferry in the evening from Uig? Still debating weather to do Harris & Lewis or just spend more time on Skye and the mainland.

i take it the main A roads are fast? (not that my fully laden Tenere 660 is!)
Bitfik: sorry mate, meant Whisky   (i love Bushmills though!)
[/quote]


Corran ferry runs throughout the day and into early evening in summer, if you missed it it would add another hour up to F/William, toward Mallaig and then loop around but that's adding a lot....
Loch Leven is a nice little loop, adds another 40mins or so, all depends what your time is like and how much off the beaten track you want.
If I was you I would not over-plan, you may be disappointed. If the weather is sh**e then it will slow you down and you may not fit in all the places you want. Main roads are fats but tourist laden in summer, particularly Oban/F/W/Inverness loop.
Towards Skye should be a bit quiter and of course you'll want a picture with eillan Donan castle (apologies for spelling, can't be bothered googling!)

[Davidjw]

Just a suggestion for the beginning part of your trip but why use the M5/M6 , as an alternative use the A515 out of lichfield or go a little west and use the A49 both fairly good and fastish roads , a good way to avoid the dullness of the motorway

[t140]

about 45 mins up the road from loch cluanie their is a campsite at spien bridge from there applecross is about 1-2 hours away

[phil on a fazer]

Thanks for all your info guys, been really quite at work (which is worrying) so have just spent all week planning my Scotland trip. My motto with tours is to plan plan plan…after all you don’t have to stick to it but it doesn’t hurt to have the knowledge.

I'm looking to see as much as I can but at a nice pace, ride different types of roads (not just A roads), see the main sights but also get off the beaten track and I don’t really want to have to ride the same road twice…I don’t want much!

I just plotted this in google, takes a minute to load though. (Ignore the points, there just in to help me plot the route). This map doesn’t include my motorway route up from Worcestershire.

http://goo.gl/maps/Eigy

Route

Greenock – Dunoon ferry then inveraray, up to A82 then around Loch Leven.
Ive heard very mixed reviews about Dunoon to Inveraray though?

Would like to catch the Corran ferry then do the A861 up towards Fort William (but I will be on the opposite side of the water), then A830 to Mallaig for the ferry

Loop round Skye then use the Glenely to Kylerhea back to the main land, A87 up past Loch Ness to Inverness.

I know someone said to stay off the A road up past loch Ness and instead use the road on the east side of it (old military road, but is it rideable?)

Then head west on the A890 to Apple Cross and do the loop. This might seem a bit made as I've just come from Skye???

Then coast road up to Ullapool where I will be based for a few nights. From here do the Durness / Tongue loop.

Ullapool, across Inverness to Nairn. Then south through Cairngorms National Park towards Perth.

Perth through Crieff, A82 down through Loch Lomand…..then home.

I think that’s a good mix of big roads, small roads, towns, lochs, and ive put some small ferries in just for the adventure J any thoughts?

Really fancied going to Harris/Lewis but I've been reading lots of stuff on the net and I'm a little put off to be honest.

Thanks again for your input

[Lazarus]

looks a looooooong and enjoyable route m8 - sincerely hope you get the weather for it.

ive heard there is a great campsite near Glencoe :

http://www.redsquirrelcampsite.co.uk/

been highly recommended, but dont know if it fits with your plans.

[robby boy]

Looking good on the planning side, TBH I would miss the Loch Ness to Inverness bit out, and do the Applecross loop when you cpme off of Skye, if you want to see Urquhart Castle you can always cut back to Drumnadrochet from the Beauly side, (less tourists who are likely to be on your side of the road :eek ). This would give you more time to maybees go through the Cairngorms to Braemar and onto Pitlochry though Glenshee. Which I have still on my to do list.

[beefy505]

Last time I was in Ullapool there was a cafe around the back of where the car's line up to catch the ferry. If you stand with your back to the sea and face the carpark, walk through the carpark and up the ramp, go behind the shops to your right and it's about 30 yards down on the right. They sell a BIG slice of BLACK PUDDING in a bun!! Guaranteed to give you a heart attack!!! But delicious

[b3tarev3]

Dunno what route you intend to use to get to Castle Leven but i can highly recommend coming off the m way at Gretna, stop off at the Tesco's in Dumfries for fuel and a brew. carry on the A75 to where it meets the A712 take this and then the A713 up to Ayr, some great riding to be had just watch out for the odd timber lorry.


If you are wild camping there is a stunning spot with views to die for just outside of mallaig - there also just happens to be a toilet block 400 yds up the road!

[AdieR]

One point I'd make is plan your fuel stops - once you hit the more rural parts of Scotland (esp once north of Perth area), it isn't always easy to find fuel stations (esp if you're running late-ish or get behind schedule), and they can be expensive too - I were in Thurso a couple of months back and the fuel that far up was £1.44 / litre; by contrast, a motorway service station near Newcastle was £1.37 / litre (wouldn't like to say what it is atm) - allow for that in your budget, and a spare can might be a wise move too.

[coansha]

Not sure on timings but past the Corran ferry, turn left not right and do the A861 out past Acharacle. Downside you miss Glenfinnan but upside is better roads. The first half or A861 from Corran is very twisty single track but from memory, surface not that great. If you have the time, the other way has better scenery as it passes by the sea lochs.
Don't stress though, either way is fine, I just personally think the Acharacle way is more into the wilds... Both ways will take you to Mallaig.
Good luck regardless.

[VNA]

Just go where you fancy, you can't go wrong.  And don't worry you can always pop back next year, and the year after that and.....

[size=1.35em]Ive heard very mixed reviews about Dunoon to Inveraray though?[/size]

I often use that route (I live in Largs).  If I'm heading up the west coast that's the way I'll go.  You can get half price tickets in the convience store in Gourock (not really worth bothering about for one crossing but good to know if you live round-about).  The road is fine and it's lovely up past Loch Eck.  It's a lovely area to wander about, you could extend it by wandering over to Clachan of Glendaruel, even pooping down to Colintraive to take a peak at possibly Scotland's shortest ferry crossing.  Or ride over to Tighnabruaich and then take the ferry from Portavadie to Tarbert (top notch fish and chips in the cafe there) and head up to Oban from there.  It's very quiet round these parts and there's some cracking bits of road, but the police also know lots of us bikers love it, so don't go daft, I got VASCARed heading up the Dunoon road a good few years back. 






Colintraive


You really should take a day or two off the bike.  Get yer walkin shoes/boots on and chill out.  Bikes can only show you so much, and it all flashes by way too quick.

Durness would be a good stop.  Check out Sandwood Bay, Cape Wrath, wander up the wee hills behind the village, take a walk along the beach Faraid Beach;


Sandwood Bay;



Scotland's most remote cafe, The Ozone Cafe at Cape Wrath;





Meall Meadhonach (overlooking Durness)



Faraid Head Beach;





But really just wander where you fancy, don't worry about it, and don't try to plan every detail, just let things happen.


[size=1.35em]Really fancied going to Harris/Lewis but I've been reading lots of stuff on the net and I'm a little [/size][size=1.35em]put off to be honest.

[/size]What's putting you off?  I love the Outer Hebrides. 

Oh I think petrol was 1.54 a litre back in June up at Durness.  It's worth remembering that shop hours can be shorter in remote areas, and often everything is closed on a Sunday including petrol stations.  There are some 24hr unmanned petrol pumps popping up here and there which can be very handy.

[phil on a fazer]

Just go where you fancy, you can't go wrong.  And don't worry you can always pop back next year, and the year after that and.....

thats the thing though...i want to see as much as poss in case i don't go back. i tend not to go back to places as theres so much world to explore. Only doing Scotland as I've done no euro trip this year, got two at least planned for next year 

Some lovely photos, really cant wait to go. Looking forward to Durness & the north coast and also Skye.

You asked what i heard of Lewis?Harris? well...basically I've heard its beautiful BUT...the ferry Deck hands are idiots, it can get VERY windy, Stornaway is a pit, not overly friendly in the north. Plus if you go over you need more than 24hrs there which i wouldn't have. DISCLAIMER: these are not my views!

I'm planning on having some time off the bike on Skye and Ullapool...and maybe inverness if i go? also fancy the Glenlivet Distillery, after all its one of my favourite tipples.

Thanks

[VNA]

I'm pretty much happy spending any free time I have exploring this wee country.

I'll probably never get round it all, and there's places I'll never tire of going back to.

They are a bit laid back on the ferry, but it's generally calm this time of year.  But yeah if you want your bike strapped down properly you'll have to ask and persuade em.  But really unless the weather is real bad your bike will be fine.

Yes it gets windy, but then again it's often much dryer than the mainland.  They are suffering a drought this year.

Stornoway?  Unless there's a music festival on or something, well Harris and Lewis are outstandingly beautiful and these are the biggest islands in Scotland, there's lots to see.

I've always founds folks very friendly.  But it is a different world, and a different culture.  And Sunday is taken very seriously.    But yeah I've spent weeks out there over the years.  And I'll be back some time.

I'd take time off on Skye or Ullapool rather than Inverness.

[UG]

Applecross is deceptive mate, I've done it.  The roads are single track and covered in gravel and sheep shit and cattle grids.  Leave yourself plenty of time.  The roads are good to ride but you might need more time than you thought.

[phil on a fazer]

Applecross is deceptive mate, I've done it.  The roads are single track and covered in gravel and sheep shit and cattle grids.  Leave yourself plenty of time.  The roads are good to ride but you might need more time than you thought.

yeah I've heard that before, i think the whole of Scotland maybe the same though in terms of "time". I'll either be stopping all the time for photos...riding tiny time consuming lanes...or stuck behind caravans! 

[GringoRojo]

if caravans hold you up on single track for more than a few passing places, just get on your horn. there are big signs telling foreigners/holiday makers to pull over for faster traffic, and a bike can travel a lot faster on these roads than others. give a wave of thanks after you pass though, and to anyone in the opposite direction that gives you right of way.