6/7 day tour in Scotland in Sept. Route suggestions?

[damitamit]

A friend and I are planning our first tour in Scotland. We've both got the week beginning 13th Sept off work. And we want to camp.

Thou we have only done a couple of short tours (london to paris, london to amsterdam) we are both quite experienced cyclists. Probably aiming for a not too strenuous 80 miles a day.

Any suggestions as to routes?

My preliminary thoughts are starting from Edinburgh and heading NW to FW and then further on to the west coast. Then down towards the Isle of Mull, across to the mainland and then head towards glasgow and back to edinburgh.

What are the famous touring routes in Scotland?

Thanks
Amit

 

[rualexander]

I wouldn't bother starting from Edinburgh (unless you particularly want to spend some time in Edinburgh itself), better to start from Glasgow or Stirling or Inverness, depends on how you are travelling to Scotland? At 80 miles per day you will be able to cover a good chunk of the country.
Maybe take train from Glasgow to the Clyde coast, then go via Arran to Kintyre, up to Oban, around Mull, through Ardnamurchan and up to Mallaig, through Skye and back to mainland at Kyle of Lochalsh, over Applecross, through Torridon, up to Ullapool, then down to Inverness for train back to central Scotland for your transport home.

 

[PaulSB]

On the suggestion of another poster I adapted his route and did this in July. It's a superb route. Argyll and Outer Hebrides

 

[battered]

Earlier this year a friend and I did one of the Sustrans routes, starting in Glasgow, up over the Cairngorms to Inverness, then down the Cally Canal to FW and a finish. It was very nice. Varied terrain, some off road. On reflection the canal section was a little dull, but the rest was excellent.

There is a further section (that we didn't do) from Dunfries to Glasgow, this would have been mostly farmland going through Galloway and Ayrshire.

 

[toroddf]

On the suggestion of another poster I adapted his route and did this in July. It's a superb route. Argyll and Outer Hebrides

Me think this is probably the best cycle route in Great Britain............ if not Europe. I would though go for Butt Of Lewis on Lewis instead of straight from Tarbert to Stornoway. We are talking about a small and flat 30 miles detour along the west coast (go from Tarbert to a small crossroad 10 miles before Stornoway and to Carloway and the whole way up the west coast to Butt of Lewis and then over to Stornoway) to Stornoway.

The ferries cost altogether around £ 35 with the Scotchhop tickets and the tour is fantastic. 

 

[PaulSB]

Me think this is probably the best cycle route in Great Britain............ if not Europe. I would though go for Butt Of Lewis on Lewis instead of straight from Tarbert to Stornoway. We are talking about a small and flat 30 miles detour along the west coast (go from Tarbert to a small crossroad 10 miles before Stornoway and to Carloway and the whole way up the west coast to Butt of Lewis and then over to Stornoway) to Stornoway.

The ferries cost altogether around £ 35 with the Scotchhop tickets and the tour is fantastic.

I'd go with that but it depends how knackered you are after the climbs on Harris / Lewis!!!!!!!!!!! It's probably best to have at least two days on Harris / Lewis and do as much as you ca. The Golden Road is also said to be well worth riding.

 

[HJ]

On the suggestion of another poster I adapted his route and did this in July. It's a superb route. Argyll and Outer Hebrides

Look like a fine route, you could easily start from Edinburgh and spend the first day getting to Ardrossan harbour (or just take the train).

 

[toroddf]

Take the train unless you love dull cycling in heavy traffic and boring terrain. Yes, I know about the towpath along the canal.

Spend the time on the rest of that route instead. 

 

[rualexander]

Me think this is probably the best cycle route in Great Britain............ if not Europe.....

No, there are much better, even in Scotland. That is a really good route but 'the best' is going too far.

 

[PaulSB]

No, there are much better, even in Scotland. That is a really good route but 'the best' is going too far.

I'm looking for something in Scotland for next year. Can you make some suggestions?

 

[damitamit]

Thanks for the replies all. Will take onboard about not starting in edinburgh.

Another option taking the sleeper to Inverness and doing something like this route: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=BRORA&daddr=57.879816,-4.31488+to:A837+to:B869+tourness+to:Melvich+to:John+O'+Groats,+Wick+to:Brora+to:tAIN&geocode=FQwzdQMdMjbF_yl99YfxU1mFSDHJCK2ZCvXLuA;;FW6PdwMd2tuz_w;FXQLeAMd1JGu_w;FVqyfQMd4IW3_yndjHXgXzmQSDFKbgVLNO9Fbg;FSyJfQMdsyXE_ylvKk06hKaaSDFUdAT_A2JCxw;FbO6fgMdA0PR_yl5eeLjGd-aSDHCnarsty8c_Q;FQwzdQMdMjbF_yl99YfxU1mFSDHJCK2ZCvXLuA;FVQkcgMdSx_C_yl96tJ8L06FSDGAkN93HGgMCg&hl=en&mra=dpe&mrcr=0&mrsp=1&sz=9&via=1,2,3&sll=58.230042,-4.202271&sspn=1.045535,2.463684&ie=UTF8&ll=58.230042,-3.58429&spn=1.042642,2.463684&z=9

Just need to decide now...

 

[aberal]

Thanks for the replies all. Will take onboard about not starting in edinburgh.

Another option taking the sleeper to Inverness and doing something like this route: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=BRORA&daddr=57.879816,-4.31488+to:A837+to:B869+tourness+to:Melvich+to:John+O'+Groats,+Wick+to:Brora+to:tAIN&geocode=FQwzdQMdMjbF_yl99YfxU1mFSDHJCK2ZCvXLuA;;FW6PdwMd2tuz_w;FXQLeAMd1JGu_w;FVqyfQMd4IW3_yndjHXgXzmQSDFKbgVLNO9Fbg;FSyJfQMdsyXE_ylvKk06hKaaSDFUdAT_A2JCxw;FbO6fgMdA0PR_yl5eeLjGd-aSDHCnarsty8c_Q;FQwzdQMdMjbF_yl99YfxU1mFSDHJCK2ZCvXLuA;FVQkcgMdSx_C_yl96tJ8L06FSDGAkN93HGgMCg&hl=en&mra=dpe&mrcr=0&mrsp=1&sz=9&via=1,2,3&sll=58.230042,-4.202271&sspn=1.045535,2.463684&ie=UTF8&ll=58.230042,-3.58429&spn=1.042642,2.463684&z=9

Just need to decide now...

I'd suggest that you don't do that route - because although you can be assured that you are far from the madding crowds, especially in the north west - there are large parts of the area up there which are surprisingly bleak. I don't know what the mileage is there but it also looks like a hard 6/7 days. It does have a certain beauty to it, but if you were thinking about taking the sleeper to Inverness I'd suggest taking the back roads to Kyle of Lochalsh (via Beauly and Strathpeffer) taking in some of Skye perhaps, but heading up towards Ullapool and Torridon (via Plockton and Applecross). Then back to Inverness from there. Quite hilly in bits, that goes without saying, but the scenery round there, I guarantee, will knock your socks off.

 

[Peter10]

On the suggestion of another poster I adapted his route and did this in July. It's a superb route. Argyll and Outer Hebrides

I'm getting a message saying "general error" when I click the link?

 

[PaulSB]

I'm getting a message saying "general error" when I click the link?

So did I!!! Please try the one below:

http://www.bikemap.n...&zoom=15&type=2


Which I have just tested from this post and works OK for me

 

[HJ]

So did I!!! Please try the one below:

http://www.bikemap.n...&zoom=15&type=2


Which I have just tested from this post and works OK for me

You need to zoom out this works better.