Hey folks. I have done the NC500 a couple of times now, and thought I'd do only the bits I like the best last week. It very closely follows the PENIS287 route set out by the top gear guys (piloting extremely nicely in scotland 287 miles for those who haven't seen it). I always found the East coast rather boring to ride although there are a few good things to go see such as whaligoe steps , Lybster harbour etc. However a must detour to the 287 is adding in Durness. Absolutely spectacular scenery and such fun roads. Standout roads: A890 to stromferry A837 Ardvreck castle A894 - Alp like fast bends I could simply list them all, but these stood out
7 hour route, but i did it over 4 days took my time and lots of pics. I sat on the beach for a full day doing nothing
Nice. Is there a way to put a link to the actual route/coordinates (sorry I'm not Techno geeky enough) so they can be uploaded straight into a Garmin. I'd really like to give that a go. Cheers
here goes https://goo.gl/maps/L4aYZ8nG3VArP8R37 Try that link. Let me know if it works Basically I live near glasgow and get boring bit out the way first, straight up to inverness. Inverness to muie - i do this because inverness to lairg is a boring run, so i went via muie Muie to Lairg. stopped in lairg for a snack in the big car park across from loch, gorgeous day and took pics of the wee hoose (https://www.scotsman.com/whats-on/arts-and-entertainment/true-story-wee-hoose-loch-597662) Lairg to Durness via the A838, a single track road with passing places, straight run through beautiful scenery, and it just gets better further you go in this direction At durness, go see sango sands beach - i spent the day here just chilling, as stated, it was the one sunny day Also worth a visit smoo cave and the zip line! The A836 is a great ride along the top of scotland, but I came back down via the west coast. On way back, go via unapool and you cross the kylesku bridge. There is a car park on north side, another great photo opportunity with bike and bridge in the shot Below this on A894 at Loch na Gainmhich there is a couple of alpine like bends! amazing road and superb for knee down action if you want to. Again photo op. I did that stretch 5 or 6 times in the one go. back and forth below this halfway to ardvreck castle there is another parking spt .... photo op! Can you tell all i did was ride and take pics? Then go to Ardvreck caste! amazing stop, and the top gear video mostly was shot on this road. Down to A832 3miles east of kinlochewe is a car park for busses and cars. The road appears on many posters and is the NC500 cover photo I went through strathcarron and stromferry as the A890 which os a superb road again with amazing views Down to Eilean Donan castle and stopped an Manuella's wee bakery. A must stop for anyone who hasnt been here before. A german couple who bake their own bread and cakes as well as brew their own gin I then came back via invergarry and glenfinnan , i was enjoying the road so much i went all way to mallaig. I thought I'd catch a ferry to skye and come back via skye bridge....... but it was sold out so i stayed there for the night and came home next day The town was dead, all the pics i took, i was the only person on the streets!
