Time has come for my first week trip

[Lancstony]

Good afternoon everyone,

I have finally managed to book a week off work to indulge myself in my aim of riding to Scotland and camping, "advised" SWMBO that I am going away for a week and currently awaiting the fall out from that but all I have to do now is to plan where I am going to go and stay etc.

Am looking at going Sunday 14th September so fingers crossed weather will be as OK as it can be for then.

Now please bear with me and take it easy on me as this is my first real trip and I am appealing to you as a complete simpleton on these matters, so, how do I go about it?

Is it really as simple as looking at a map, deciding where I want to finish and plan a route to get there? Do I work out what I can comfortably ride each day and base my plan on that?

I don't mind camping and to show my complete lack of experience I believe wild camping is ok in Scotland as long as you leave the area as you found it, so presume this would make it easier just to ride somewhere, get lost and then camp and deal with it in the morning rather than have to panic about getting to camp sites etc?

Have the camping stuff and read lots of advice saying to get it all out then half it as wont need the majority of it.

I know a lot of it will be learn as I go along but any help/tips would be greatly appreciated, will be sitting down with the map tonight to see where to go, looking at up through Lakes and then along West coast of Scotland, I know a week isn't a long time really and I need to be as realistic and as prepared as I possibly can be as will just be me out there.

Cheers,

Tony

[Brenhden]

First trip, thats really exciting :woohoo:

Just don't be surprised if you don't stick to the route you planned.

As Will and Kate told me: Don't overfill your luggage.

Have fun

[92kk k100lt 193214]

Go as you please and stop when you find somewhere nice. Follow the weather and go where the sunshine goes. Don't make a list of places and a rigid route, be flexible and enjoy it.

Keep some space or a fold up back pack so you can buy up some food supplies as you travel or feel you are near where you want to camp so that when you pitch up you are there for the night. Its worth hunting out good midday lunch options too as you see some nice pub grub.

Important to stay warm and comfortable but layers are best so you don't get too hot. you will also appreciate a decent chair to sit in, camped in some nice place enjoying sunshine or moonlight and a decent[strike] beer[/strike] cup of tea.

[flamair]

If I were you, I'd not make any definite plans. I'm not a great fan of camping, especially given the vagaries of the weather in Scotlnad ('twice as much gear for a quarter of the comfort'), but it does give you great flexibility. I've done Scotland many times and, depending on where you are,( how long to get there?) I would probably...

... Head through the Galloway Forest, over to Dunoon on the ferry and up through the Argyll Forest Park (A815)TO Inveraray. Then heasd over Rannoch Moor to Glencoe and thence on to the Isle of Skye, where I'd base myself for a few days. you can do Applecross from here and the island itself is fantastic, especially if you get nice weather.

However, if the weather looks better east - I'd head for the Cairngorms National Park/Blairgowrie area.

To be honest, you can't fail to hit on great riding in Scotland, unless you ride around Glasgow all week. The further north and west you go, the more wild it gets. Just go with the weather!

Just go and enjoy! Don't forget to post some pictures and a write up on here! (thumbs)

[Lancstony]

Cheers for the replies, I sometimes think I may be over planning if there is such a thing, like the idea of just going where its dry and nice, appreciate is Scotland so I guess that cant be guaranteed but think the weather is all part of the challenge for me.

I am based in Lancashire so was thinking of setting off on the Sunday morning, getting to lakes and heading north from there trying to avoid as much motorway as possible, find somewhere to camp on the Sunday night then get into Scotland following day.

Other thing is I wouldn't mind B&Bing it or hotels but don't really have the budget for that so camping will save money.

After a nice a chilled week away from all the hassle and want to avoid as much stress as possible really.

[fast frankie]

IMG_2171.JPG (70.96 KiB) Viewed 2339 times

When i go on an adventure i always go with the attitude "it is what it is", just plan and mark off on your map the places you would like too see and roads you would like to go down before you go, sort of play it by ear and make it up as you go along, i usually book BB at noon near to the place i want to end up at that day. ps don't worry about the detail just go go go...nothing to it just ride eat and sleep.

[Sputnik]

Wow, you're gonna love it. I finally got round to a trip up north of the border other than just to see friends in June, after 4 years of intention. It was the best week of my life, and I've had some good weeks!

I didn't really 'plan' except to follow the coast, hit Glencoe and then followed the coast as close as possible up to about the midway point of the North coast (Tongue), I could easily have gone further than I did, but I had a camera and that screwed me up - too many photo opportunities!

Yes, you can wild camp, but I found that I would have to leave the bike on the road and walk to the best spots which I really didn't want to do, I found some damn cheap campsites and avoiding the obvious 'caravan' parks, I did alright on campsites. Inevitably you always find a great spot within half an hours ride of teh campsite you ended up in!

Make sure to go to Applecross if you're in the area, but almost all of the 'minor' roads (classified as 'roads generally more than 4m wide' according to OS) are just amazing, As I say, I just looked for the road closest to the coast all the way.

If you need hostels for drying out, I recommend the Stationmasters Hostel in Stromeferry, I stayed there after the one wet day on Skye. There will be one or two in all the bigger towns.

I didn't get round to the East Coast at all, although I did go over the road from Inverness - Tomintoul - Ballater, which has a butt-clenching OTT heading south, well worth a look.

It's a blinder, Ive been over the Alps many different ways, all through Germany and the Balkans, and it didn't disappoint AT ALL!

[Sputnik]

Most nights camping cost me about £10, although the cheapest was £3! Stationmaster's Hostel in Stromeferry (as a gauge) was only £15/night, and heated, to dry stuff off.

[sexysi]

Totally recommend this place, get on the isle skye go along the A87 to Broadford. Then chuck a left down the B8083, this is an amazing little road that goes off into another planet, very wild but great. There is a cafe half way along it overlocking a lock, the couple come from Birmingham make a nice coffee and a cake. Stop there and it overlooks a massive mountain as well. When done there carry on down the B8083, this is a dead end and it will end up at a small fishing village called Elgol. Hear you can have a boat trip out to see seals on the rocks at the local island of soay. Excellent fun, but take a camera. Took loads of pixs of seals sitting in the sun.

http://mistyisleboattrips.co.uk





The boat goes right to the middle of this picture, where the seals are.

si

[Lancstony]

Sorry for the delay in replying, at work being watched ha ha ha!

Again thanks for the info, I will go through it all tonight and try and combine as much of what you guys have recommended.

One thing that has just popped into my mind, do all camp sites let you park your bike near to the tent or do some make you park it some way away? just thinking if I need to be lugging a big chain around with me as well if its parked away from me, probably over paranoid about it being nicked but then if it goes I would be stuck.

Cant wait to see these places as seeing them in pictures look spectacular enough but when I am there I expect it will be amazing, got my camera all sorted anyway just hope I have enough memory!!