Cycling the NC 500.

[dodgy]

It's become a race track for drivers who seem to think they have 'achieved' something by driving it whilst listening to music from their air conditioned SUVs.
Better riding elsewhere.

 

[Tenkaykev]

That sounds like a smart move; I've always fancied giving the sleeper a try.
You may already have checked but, although the Caledonian Sleeper does take bikes, it's conditions come with some limitations https://www.sleeper.scot/travelling-with-bikes/

No problem at all when Mrs Tenkaykev travelled up to Glasgow on the Sleeper. 😉

 

[Baldy]

Perhaps I am being naive, but I thought I would use the 'Sleeper' service from London, booked all the way through, reserving the bike onboard ,both ways.
If there's is room to do that, and it's booked both ways, then the railway operating company has to obey the contract, I wouldn't book passage without assurance to travel.
Likely to be compromised by the fact I would like to use my recumbent, but if I was serious about doing it would be the 'upwrong'.

Like I say ,I am naive,

Good point, I don't know about the sleeper. I live near Stirling so haven't needed to use it. I was thinking about the regular Scotrail service. I'm not even sure who runs the sleeper service.

 

[Brandane]

I would rather stick red hot needles in my eyes than cycle the NC 500, seriously. Five years ago, maybe yes. But now all we hear is stories of the single track sections being blocked by numpties in motorhomes trying to pass each other in opposite directions; people using the passing places as parking spaces, sports car types trying to do it in a day, as well as your normal traffic, motorbikes, tractors, buses, lorries, etc..

Now I'm not sure I should be contributing to publicising this so far reasonably well kept secret, but Galloway Forest Park in south west Scotland would be my preference for cycling. Someone has come up with a 300 mile cycle route which might be worth consideration. The SW 300.

Edit to add... Having had a look at that route in more detail, there are sections of it which I would NOT be happy cycling. A76 from Kirkconnel to Cumnock would be one of them. Especially when there are alternative minor roads available, apart from a 3 mile section north of Kirkconnel. Even that is a bit hairy, I have done it twice cycling to Dumfries. A76 is a busy single carriageway trunk road with a lot of HGV traffic.
Same applies to the A77 section from Girvan to Stranraer, I would find an alternative to that.
To summarise, D&G is good cycling country but avoid the A76, A77, and especially the A75 (major route for Northern Ireland bound HGV's via ferries out of Stranraer). I don't understand why they have included them when there are much better routes available.

 

[IaninSheffield]

+1 for Dumfries and Galloway 👍