Scotland's West/North Coast roadie route (NC500)?

[jamiep]

I've time off work planned to do this or similar on the road bike. Initial route is pretty much a shorter North Coast 500.

Thoughts? Hoping this could be done in 5 days - 3 slightly longer days sandwiched between short days travelling to/from Inverness on the train (Edinburgh based).

Am I getting the most bang for buck for to time I have available? I could go directly West near the start at Garve or Achnasheen, missing the whole South-West chunk to save time, but I did fancy the climb to Applecross.

My feeling is West is best and so head back after Tongue. Different to NC500, go round Stac Pollaidh to Lochinver.
http://www.gpsies.com/mapOnly.do?fileId ... Leave=true

[ScotRoutes]

The road from Hope to Altnaharra is also lovely. Other than that I'd say you've made the best choices. We hope to work with the NC500 folk this year to come up with a more "cycle-friendly" route - particularly by avoiding as much of the A9 as possible. I also think the "wee mad road of Inverpolly" is mandatory

[Gari]

That's a fine route, on fact so fine I am doing much the same next week!!
Set off from Inverness on Monday, I am going to do a few side trips to bothies etc, but I do have longer away.
I have little interest in the far NE corner, having driven that section of the A9. I may try and get to Duncansby head as an out and back. Time dependant.
Scotroutes beat me to it!

[ScotRoutes]

Train to Kyle is also an option at the start. Then you can swing by Plockton and do the Stromeferry (No Ferry) section

[AlasdairMc]

The road from Hope to Altnaharra is also lovely. Other than that I'd say you've made the best choices. We hope to work with the NC500 folk this year to come up with a more "cycle-friendly" route - particularly by avoiding as much of the A9 as possible. I also think the "wee mad road of Inverpolly" is mandatory

Do you have an A9 avoiding route in mind? My dad is looking to ride the NC500 in June (and I'm slightly jealous).

I've never ridden Hope to Altnaharra, but I'd ride Lairg to Tongue again in a shot as it's a great addition to any trip up there.

[ScotRoutes]

The road from Hope to Altnaharra is also lovely. Other than that I'd say you've made the best choices. We hope to work with the NC500 folk this year to come up with a more "cycle-friendly" route - particularly by avoiding as much of the A9 as possible. I also think the "wee mad road of Inverpolly" is mandatory

Do you have an A9 avoiding route in mind? My dad is looking to ride the NC500 in June (and I'm slightly jealous).

I've never ridden Hope to Altnaharra, but I'd ride Lairg to Tongue again in a shot as it's a great addition to any trip up there.

TBF, The A9 isn't too bad once you get north of Golspie. Other than the Alltnaharra route, I'd recommend taking the Strath Carnaig junction at Loch Fleet, to Bonar Bridge, to Ardgay then the B9176 to Alness where you can pick up NCN 1. Or Ardgay, Tain, Balintore, Nigg if they get the Cromarty ferry operational again.

I did Lairg, Alltnaharra, Strathnaver, Tongue, Hope and back to Lairg via Alltnaharra as a one-day loop. Hardly saw another vehicle all day!

[AlasdairMc]

The Cromarty Ferry? What are the folk from the shipyard up that way often nicknamed?

[ScotRoutes]

Careful - or the ban hammer will descend

I've just heard that Highland Ferries are supposed to be running that over the summer. If so, I'm definitely posting about it on STW.

http://www.cromartylive.co.uk/news.asp

Ingrid Gunn of the Cromarty-Nigg ferry group reports on Facebook that the tender for the Cromarty ferry has been awarded to Highland Ferries.

"Highland Council has decided to award a contract to Highland Ferries to reinstate the Cromarty – Nigg ferry after a gap of a year. The new contract will provide a half-hourly service every day from June to September. The ferry will be able to carry 3 cars and 12 passengers.
The ferry forms part of the National Cycle Network Route 1 from Dover to Orkney. The ferry is also expected to become part of the North Coast 500 route around the northern Highlands. Highland Ferries have been given until 20 May to confirm that they have been able to recruit a crew and complete the purchase and certification of the vessel."

[jamiep]

Thanks for the input, chaps. I'll stick with the proposed route then, just decide where to start from and book the train tickets

EDIT
oops, forgot to ask, any view if the terrain/profile is reasonable for doing it as 3 ~100 mile days sandwiched between a ~40 mile day at the start and finish (on a road bike)? ta

[Chew]

I did a similar route a few years back and 100 miles a day would be fine if you can ride those distances in a day.

A reasonable amount of climbing but nothing huge. (The section after Applecross will kill your legs)

It'll be the winds on the North Coast that will make or break you for that plan.

When were you thinking of going?

[jamiep]

Ah, I now remember your 2012 Scotland trip and just re-looked at the thread/pics. I was aiming for 1st full week in June but train not yet booked (will certainly be June, to best avoid the midges). (I see you are up there the week after.)

[fatbikephil]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-h ... s-36301060

[jamiep]

Did this ride last week over 4.5 days. 100 miles a day average. 3.5 days would be my choice when I do it again next year as I was well up on schedule towards the end.

https://mobile.twitter.com/jampears/sta ... 64/photo/4

The variations on the NC500 route worked well. A simply stunning place to ride - I got slowed down, stopping at every new bend to take yet another photo! Only disappointment was Bealach na ba was lashing rain so didn't see anything covered in mist.

http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=mksepcfvkynalqgt

Even so far North there are remote, tiny, 3-4 house villages that have a Spar shop to raid

[Mike]

Where can I download the route for gpx for this ta

[jamiep]

route can be viewed/downloaded from my GPSies page that I linked to in my previous post. Due to smoothing, the track is shorter than it is on the map. Add another 10-15 miles to the 407 miles distance

[Dave Barter]

The road from Hope to Altnaharra is also lovely. Other than that I'd say you've made the best choices. We hope to work with the NC500 folk this year to come up with a more "cycle-friendly" route - particularly by avoiding as much of the A9 as possible. I also think the "wee mad road of Inverpolly" is mandatory

Seconded to the max!

[BreninBeener]

Just come back from an almost NC500, the brutal wind and rain at Durness made us turn S at Hope. We went down to Lairg and then via the falls of Shin back to the west coast and then to Inverness.

The wee mad road of Inverpolly was a highlight of the trip!