Touring North Coast 500

Hi Folks

I'm intending to do the NC500 in June next year and looking to leave home and travel to Inverness on day one with 3 days doing the loop a final night in Inversneckie before travelling home.

Has anyone who has done the route got any recommendations re accommodation. Of course any other advice would be appreciated.

Cheers.

 

Thanks Half Ton. No hurry of course. Prior preparation and planning as they say!

 

Thanks Dougie. Yes I'd be interested in getting details of B&Bs. If you could PM me that would be great. I'm on the Scottish Border so the loose plan so far is Inverness the first night. Three days two nights on the route finishing day 3 back in Inverness. Then a day home.
Unfortunately it has to be a Thursday to Monday trip but hopefully being the first week in June we might miss the worst of the busy period.

I've done large parts of the route before but always in separate legs. I'm thinking West to East is probably best. Riding from Bettyhill to Kyle of Lochalsh in driving rain has led me to that conclusion.

Grateful for the advice.

 

That sounds about right Dougie. You are also correct - last night in Inverness will be in addition to the 2 overnights on route. I've a 2015 Tiger 800 XRT. In orange!

Nice report in the other thread.

 

Thanks OG.

Totally agree the A9 is to be avoided at all costs. I'm in Dumfriesshire so the plan is north through Ayrshire then across the Erskine Bridge and then north on the A82 for an overnight in Inverness. Three days and two nights on the route with a further night in Inverness. Heading home via Nairn the A939 and A93 to Perth. The route home from there will be dictated by time but I hope to avoid the M80 M74 trudge!

 

Yes Dougie. Most of the accommodation sorted as of the weekend. First night in Inverness and second in Ullapool. Third night, taking your recommendation in Thurso with a decision still to be made whether we stop off again in Inverness on the return or look for somewhere near Grantown on the way back. Hopefully get that sorted this week too.

Thanks Bikerman for the cracking link. Cheers.

All that is needed now is the weather. It certainly was Flaming June the last time I rode this route but not in the way I would have liked .

 

I suppose this is a bit of a box ticking exercise for me. Like others I've ridden in this area many times and know some of the route well but I've never done it as a complete route. Nor have I experienced anything like the weather OG did in 2012. One year we headed up to Wick in May. We rode through snow and hail and spent some time in getting dry in a supermarket cafe in Inverness. The following day dawned brightly but when we turned south at Bettyhill the heavens opened and didn't stop until we reached Kyle of Lochalsh. We were then threatened with being thrown out the hotel because my mate decided it would be a good idea to put our boots in the dryer in the drying room. The Landlady was not chuffed. The following year we decided to head back but waited until the end of June. Cue waking in Kinlochbervie to a howling gale and more rain. The 955I that I had at the time was blown off its side stand at Oldshoremore.

Global warming means better weather - right?