Going to be doing the NC500 next year with wife as a pillion, probably early June. Not done any touring before, so after opinions on going with an organised tour, or go it alone so to speak. I have spent a fair while planning hotels etc (I'm not camping under any circumstances), and various places to visit or see. Being from Lincoln, 500 bit is actual just over 1500 miles. There is a guided tour (Haggis Tours) with availability. Would a guided tour be a bit restrictive as you obviously have to stick to somebody else's plan. So in short: Guided tour or, self guided Many thanks
People will have differing perceptions but IME, high daily miles is physically exhausting. If you have to, do higher miles days early in the tour and reduce the daily miles later in the holiday. Definitely have at least one day off the bike to relax. From experience touring in Wales, I’d advise you to sort out a couple of places en route where you can purchase (and have fitted) new tyres, before you leave. Also take copious amounts of insect repellant and have fun. Andy
early June shouldn't be a problem with midges. it's usually been very dry leading up to around then. but if you are, expedition plus is thee go to midge repellent. there is the standard expedition midge stuff, but for the amount you will likely not need to use the strong stuff it's safe enough. (contains Deet) you can actually do the NC500 quite easily in a day, so depending on your length of stay you could take in an island or two. the Orkneys rock and is well worth a visit seeing as you are up there. but be warned, the weather changes from scortchio to pishingitdownio on the first day of the Scottish school holidays which is around the 3rd/4th week in june.
I have done 'organised' and self planned tours across Europe. Organised can be shepherded from place to place, which, if the riders have differing skill levels can be very unenjoyable for all concerned - the faster riders are held back the slower ones riding above their skill level to keep up. They (the tours) can also be much more relaxed, they organise the hotels you find your own route from throughout the day (with or without others ) and meet up with a group of like minded folk for a few beers and a bit of banter in the evening. You also have the benefit of backup if things go tits up. The advantages of doing your own route are that you can decide how many miles a day you ride, where you stop. Both the latter can be great fun. The former is not for me.
Hopefully in early June you can avoid the Camper van conga. Last time we did the route it was early May, and luckily the weather played ball as did the roads being fairly clear of dense traffic. Unfortunately the further you get into June it becomes heavily congested. Either way you will love it.
I did it solo a couple of years ago in the July ,and i'm also from near Lincoln, i planned an overnight stop in Northumberland on the way up and way back, i found that unbooked B and B's in the far north of the route were few and far between, some are booked a year in advance, i also didnt fancy wild camping! The secret if your going it alone is forward planning, places to stay/petrol stations/etc...both can be thin on the ground, but if you like adventures go for it you wont be disappointed ,the weather and midges can be a challenge as stated above, all seasons in one day is possible, but if you get it in your favour then the scenery is out of this world, i also like isolated and bleak places and it doesnt come much bleaker than a place like Sutherland - real wilderness.
Thank you all for the very helpful advice. Going to book it ourselves rather than organised by somebody else, I think it gives us more flexibility to visit where we want, and do it more at a relaxed(ish) pace. I've found available hotels, will book them today, they all have restaurants so booking a table at each as well for an evening meal, apparently these can be just as difficult to get, if you just turn up. Going to stop near Holy Island on the way up, do NC500, also the Isle of Skye while we're there, stop at Fort William, then Gretna Green (nothing romantic, been married years) on the way back. So it's become a 9 day trip, approx 1560 miles, so average 173 miles a day including the miles to get there and back. Will definitely get new tyres fitted, will be due some by then anyway I should think, and take plenty of midge spray.
mate, FortBill aint that nice. a good central point for getting out and about, but not that pretty. if you were to consider going another 40odd miles down the coast road to oban, you wouldn't be disappointed. Belter of a road and v,picturesque. i think the next time i do it, probably in the camper, i will spend a lil more time on the east coast. Smoo Caves are worth a stop off. there's a hotel there too.
That sounds great. My OH prefers to find a B&B close to a restaurant so that she doesn't have to get back into bike clothes to go out in the evening. Keep a diary if you can and share your route and places of interest so that we can hone our routes in the future. Have a good one.
maybe you are heading back from Skye vie Mallaig? if so, a wee tour around Ardnamurchan is also worth a night stop.
Trying to book hotels with a restaurant, yes I agree, last thing you want to do is get all geared up again to go and eat. Good idea about a diary type record
I did the NC50 with Haggis Tours a few years ago - it really helped to have someone leading who knows the sights and also the roads. I don't know if they have changed their tour format, but when I did it it was based around B&Bs and hostels with shared accommodation & facilities, so pretty basic but adequate.
They were booked up for the dates I could have gone. I've been brave and booked all hotels and evening meals today, decided there were more positives for us to go it alone, rather than with a tour. For obvious reasons it's also quite a lot cheaper, and probably staying at slightly better properties, but I don't know as none of the tours seem to say where you'll actually stay, I'm sure they are probably fine, but I really wouldn't want to risk sharing any facilities.
Not sure if you are going clockwise or anticlockwise but the Eastern side is not as attractive as the west. Narrow roads on a lot of it but most of the camper vans are pretty good at letting you go by. in good weather it’s really attractive, but take waterproofs!
