Scotland trip advice

[Oop North John]

AirBnB and booking.com etc will help give a good idea of availability of prices and availability. Inverness and all the "tourist" centres will be busy with non Scottish visitors as the locals kiddies will be back in school. I've used Thurso, lots of options there even if it's not as pretty as some of the villages on the NC 500, though did see a couple of otters playing in the harbour one year. Ulapool is another useful base as well.

If you've not already visited this site, then it'll probably have some ideas: https://www.northcoast500.com/

One point about August, if you're lucky it'll be wet and windy, otherwise you will come to love / hate our midges.

[Tonylancs76]

Thanks for all the replies everyone, greatly appreciated, looks like i need to decide what way to do things and if its B&B's then i need to get my backside into gear and get things booked.

I didnt think about how busy it would be as I am completely ignorant of school holidays to be honest, have no kids so i just never think to take those into account.

Camping is still an option but I would assume this would rank well down there in terms of accommodation at that time of year? believe the midges are biblical at times, but on the camping topic, am i right in thinking that I could just pull up anywhere and camp along the way, so not really under any time restraints? (obviously i dont mean someones front garden) but somewhere out of the way but not a specific camp ground?

[Flintlock]

There are some popular wild campsites (Calgary Bay on Mull for example) and i am guessing that these too would be busy during the peak season.
Always found September to be a good month to tour Scotland, however on my last trip which was in the beginning of September I noted that it was still quite busy and intend to wait until mid/late September for my next outing.

Back on the subject of wild camping - what has worked for us in the past is a couple of hours before dark stick to single track roads and a suitable location usually presents itself, or check your map & look for a single track road that seems to go no- where and go up it.

[Tonylancs76]

Hmm I think I may have a look at changing the dates I go as busy isnt really what I am looking for, like i say it didnt even cross my mind about how busy it would be at that time of year, but hence why I am very appreciative of the advice from you guys, busy when you are on a bike is rather annoying I find!

So i will have a total rethink, investigate pods as well as B&B's and work out a reasonable mileage each day and see what I can come up with, I'm not a fast rider I much prefer riding and enjoying the sights and taking my time than getting from a to b as fast as i can.

Again many thanks for the advice and recommendations etc, i will no doubt be back once i am further down the road

[simonw]

Here's a few pics of my trip, to whet your appetite! https://spark.adobe.com/page/NNbvlm3JL5LBd/

(As an aside, we considered camping, but given the uncertainty around the weather we didn't fancy potentially trying to dry our kit overnight in a tent.)

[bunker]

Some useful accommodation and route information here:

https://www.motogoloco.com/

[lancashirelad]

I've been going for the last 27yr to the pre65 Trial at Kinlochleven but that's early May, sometime I ride up, sometimes drive up if I was touring on my own on the bike I think I would give hostels a try? I tried camping at the ABR rally in Ullapool in about 2011/12 only did it once year after I stayed in the hostel overlooking the harbour £15

[Flyfifer]

There are two Hostel options in Ullapool --- the SYHA Youth Hostel and a privately owned one.

[SHarper]

On our short trip late last year, we stopped here for three nights and did trips out each day

23D8D27A-91FE-4FC0-A618-603B66B75217.jpeg (129.08 KiB) Viewed 3051 times

It was in Strathpeffer, ok and quite cheap.

[stramasher]

The start or end of your trip:

Torguish House, south of Inverness ( close enough to ride out for scran and a carry out)

Torguish House, Daviot IV2 5XQ
01463 772208
https://goo.gl/maps/QWiFNVpHyxQ2

Just really nice folk. Grand house and an unforgettable garden.

Don’t ususally recommend accom but this is a cut above.

Don’t get hung up on “ doing the NC500” leave that to the unimaginative. Cairngorms / Lecht/ Tomintoul /Glenshee are Europe-wide biking mindblowers