Because up north in the Scottish Highlands there is a popular road trip route already established.. Home; Weather; Blog; Plan Your Adventure; Shop; FAQ’s; App Suport Page; Contact Us; Eilean Donan Castle . On the route you’ll see unusual waterways … You upload a GPX file or connect to Strava and find your ride (you can add multiple day rides to one map). To make sure everyone gets the most out of their time by the water, please ensure you follow the Towpath Code. Or you can do what I did: download a map to my Garmin, pick a point to stop over night(s), book some accommodation and press ‘start’! Pitlochry, Scotland, United Kingdom. It is not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on it. 41 miles (66 km) Travel along National Cycle Route 75 and enjoy lovely waterside runs along the Union Canal and the River Almond. 11 hours 20 minutes The route offers a variety of cycling, from challenging on-road hills to lengthy sections of traffic-free path through the magnificent terrain of the west coast of Scotland. It’s a careless driving offence to close-pass someone cycling and puts lives at risk. Our Give Cycle Space campaign urges drivers to give space. Some are for experts only but others are suitable for anyone who fancies strapping on a helmet. If you find you don't like our emails, you can unsubscribe with just one click. Monday 01 October 2018 . The North Coast 500 is an iconic route circumnavigating the entire north of Scotland, from Inverness, across to the west coast and then right around the west, north and east coasts, via John O’Groats, and back to Inverness. The Bealach Na Ba climb - it's a picturesque road, climbing parallel to a sea loch to start and then turning inland and climbing towards the pass. Difficulty: Medium: Total Ascent: 2304 feet: Total Descent: 2303 feet: Max Elevation: 758 feet: Min Elevation: 66 feet: Skip to Details. The early start meant I barely saw any traffic, at all until well past the Applecross pass! I have climbed Bealach before,  last year with a friend where we smashed a 40 odd mile loop out, so I knew what I was facing. The North Coast itinerary is now followed by drivers, cyclists, locals and visitors ticking over the 500 miles (516 to be exact) of ‘Scotland’s Route 66’. I used my standard SRAM red eTap equipped Evo2Max Hyperson road bike, with 52/36 and 11-28 gearing. Looking to explore the Scottish Highlands on a budget or live it up in pure luxury. From dramatic mountains to lochs, high passes and white sand beaches, the North Coast 500 (NC 500) is being billed as Scotland’s answer to Route 66 in the US. Scotland unveils scenic North Coast 500 route taking in fairy tale castles, beaches and ruins. Share it: With its epic highland scenery, foodie hotspots and chic and cosy boltholes, the North Coast 500 is a dream for road trippers. Scotland's Route 66. After logging in you can close it and return to this page. North Coast 500 is a spectacular 516-mile scenic route around the northern coast of Scotland, The route snakes around beautiful scenery and the many well known and historic features located in the Highlands of Scotland all incorporated into one very iconic pleasurable touring route around scotland. You can find out more about Andy and get in touch with him direct at Peaks Sport Consultancy, which offers a total holistic coaching performance package to plan, manage and integrate every aspect of your triathlon or cycling performance. You may withdraw this consent/opt out at any time by clicking the "unsubscribe" link at the bottom of emails we send you or by emailing us. But you can enjoy a coastal route to rival any on the planet right here in Scotland. Guess it will come down to the time of year and luck. We would like to apologise for the inconvenience caused. At Inverness Castle, having completed the NC500, Moving time 27 hrs 36 mins (80 mins quicker than the current record). 299 talking about this. In this guide, we’ve reviewed our full collection of road biking routes in Scotland to bring you the 20 best rides in the region. £0.00. Help us to continue to care for the National Cycle Network and support our work to improve walking and cycling for everyone. We would like to apologise for the inconvenience caused. Again the main feature of the ride was clear, the more inland, the more you climbed and descended. You traverse from the industrial city of Inverness, gradually climbing into the highlands where the views are magnificent and just ‘huge’! While there were busy stretches of road, I also thought that overall the roads were pretty quiet, which made the whole experience much nicer. If you find you don’t like our emails, you can unsubscribe with just one click. Some of them exist today as Historic Route 66 and are signed in various ways. Find your perfect cycling route, create your own bike trails, and discover the most stunning cycling destinations. To find the one which is right for you, click on any of the Tours to see a full breakdown of its details including elevation profiles and surface analyses, and browse real tips and photos shared by other members of the Komoot community. The next long section to Ullapool was energy sapping; every time you went away from the coast you hit massive rollers and long climbs. As I came into Thursoe the scenery changed, from the rugged coastline and moorlands, to more rolling farmland, and a noticeable increase in the wind. I had booked a BnB just over half way round at around 280miles,  I HAD TO GET THERE tonight! After Lochinivor was a small right turn with that sign we all dread ‘road impassable for caravans and coaches’ – this meant one thing STEEP gradients! The road just climbs and descends relentlessly, the next section to Lochinver certainly backed this up. Tip: If you can't see the email, check the spam folder (or the "Promotions" tab in Gmail). These cycling map prints are just the ticket. A Guide to Driving the North Coast 500, Scotland’s Route 66. The NC500 is also regarded as a challenge for endurance cyclists. 98% of the route is off-road. Socket chargers x2 to charge everything overnight, 9. 2. Sound like just the adventure you've been searching for? Basket. A carefully designed itinerary, travelling the North Coast 500 driving route – covering more than 500 miles of the best coastal scenery the North Highlands has to offer, but within a leisurely week’s holiday. Otherwise referred to as NC500, The North Coast 500 has been dubbed “Scotland’s Route 66” and is included in Now Travel Magazine’s “Top 5 Coastal Routes in … Once on the coast road, the route continued its relentless up and down rolling nature, down into cloud and sea fret, up into some stunning views on the moorland. Amazing achievement to do it in two days! Head north out of Maybole and climb steeply up over Brown Carrick Hill. You may withdraw this consent at any time by emailing us. Epic Road Rides disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this page. I always find on very long rides that the mental part of the first few hours is hard. Billy Connolly's Route 66 is a British travel documentary television series presented by Scottish comedian and actor Billy Connolly.It focuses on his travels along the famous United States highway, Route 66. You can do it clockwise, or counter clockwise. However, all outdoor activities involve a degree of risk. Your guide will then be emailed to you straight away. Andy Jackson, head coach at Peaks Sports Consultancy and 2018 UK CTT National 24hr Time Trial Champion, recently decided to do the whole 500 mile loop in just TWO days! We will use this to send you updates and newsletters. Over the years Route 66 was in service there were multiple alignments of its path. I was on about an 18.5mph avg speed for the day, so doing ok! This is not a scheduled service but operates more like a cyclist taxi service. It's hard to convey the majesty of the surroundings. It’s definitely going down on the list. This route is ALL about the weather. You can opt out at any time. The worst thing about it for me was the relentless climbing! Basket. The route is known as “Scotland’s Route 66” and is a stunning way of reaching the northernmost point of Scotland via its wilder places. Menu. So on Wednesday evening, 26th June I drove into Inverness, parked up the van, downloaded a map of the route to my Garmin and bedded down. The view from the top is just unbelievable. You use the map builder to create the print as you want it (you can alter the size, colour and text). this route is by no means just for foolhardy cyclists! The sections which are currently open and signed in both directions are: Manchester Piccadilly to Hollinwood, Castleton to Calderbrook, Warland to Brighouse, Bradley to Frizinghall, Shipley to Bramham via Leeds, Tadcaster to Bishopthorpe, Millenium Bridge York to Etton and Cottingham to Kingston upon Hull. Check out our guides to RideLondon, Mallorca312, Granfondo Stelvio Santini and riding the Tour of France course. The 100-mile route, called “Whisky and Burns,” covers about 30 miles per day, starting in the coastal Powfoot area, and provides stunning views and historical insights. The North Coast 500! I would have found it too easy to just stop otherwise. Sunscreen and lypsyl (*which I lost early on and am paying the price for now with seriously cracked lips!). Scotland's Route 66. Dunrobin Castle is the most northerly of Scotland's great houses and the largest in the Northern Highlands with 189 rooms. You submit all the details and are then sent a preview to check before it's printed and sent to you. Due to a COVID-19 outbreak, We are currently CLOSED. Find out more here. I set up epicroadrides.com to help make it easy for road cyclists to explore new places by bike. Work in partnership with us to tackle the challenges of congestion, air pollution, physical inactivity, and social inequality, by making it easier for people to walk and cycle. It’s this very desolation and raw beauty that attracts us cyclists. I … Here they tell us all about their event and what makes it special. Due to a COVID-19 outbreak, We are currently CLOSED. We Love to promote the Highlands, obviously only to travel when safe to do so and although that is not now, now is the time to start planning. You can hire bikes and equipment with: Ticket to Ride in Inverness provide transport for walkers, cyclists, bikes and all your gear between Inverness and Durness and all points in between. Still I pushed on well and was well over 20mph avg for all this section. Then Scotland is for you Try the Cairngorms National Park. Cycling route in western Scotland – 54-miles including some ferries! The routes you most commonly find here are of the hilly or uphill type. Official website of NCN National Route 77 0 ratings. 5. Scotland Cycle Routes. Sadly, Covid-19 means travel is currently difficult - but I hope the information you find here will help you plan for once it’s possible again. Scotland's North Coast 500 route is gaining a bit of a reputation for itself. I stopped pretty much whenever I saw a shop to ensure my bottles were full. Check out these beautiful GPX-based prints. But we hope that won't happen! 0. The NC500 has certainly been successful in doing what it set out and the increase in visitors is testimony to that. It was also 7pm at night, and I was getting cold. Explore fantastic walking and cycling routes across the UK. Benefits to working with Epic Road Rides: Almost there. Home » Blog » Q&A » Scotland’s North Coast 500 cycle route. After 261m I hit a 25% gradient sign, this was for about 500m. After 60 miles you hit the coast and the first test,  a sharp 1mile climb out of Loch Carron, then after a nice fast descent you arrive at the bottom of Bealach na Ba. Register for … Find the right bike route for you through Scotland, where we've got 16,190 cycle routes to explore. Many people make a detailed North Coast 500 itinerary and plan this in huge detail, mapping every stop, possible rest point and undulation. Scotland's answer to America's Route 66, the North Coast 500 (NC500) touring route promises to reward those who travel it with a superlative Scottish experience: from towering mountains and mysterious lochs, to secret beaches and fairy-tale castles. Here are just some of the cycling routes you’ve got to add to your 2018 bucket list: For the road cyclist. Route 66 Rider Training COVID-19 Update. Bikeability Scotland. Epic Road Rides is happy to review and promote products we love, whether they are physical or digital. I checked the weather, and the forecast was stunning, Inverness was only 120 miles or so from Oban, so a plan formed! Route 66 also includes the excellent Spen Valley Greenway. Find route details, sights & stunning photos. Accommodation - you can either choose to BnB, hostel or camp. The goal is to go from the south of England to the north of Scotland. A quick breakfast and I was off. One of the noticeable things on this ride is how the wind changes, as you leave the coast you invariably get a tail wind, but maybe 10miles in land this would change to a head wind! … Home; Weather; Blog; Plan Your Adventure; Shop; FAQ’s; App Suport Page; Contact Us; Travel Itinaries. The final run down the Moray Firth had me pass Glenmorangie distillery, damn it was tempting to stop but I hit on! Scotland’s cycle routes are some of the wildest and most beautiful in the UK. Receive all our inspirational guides as soon as they’re published. Between Shipley and Leeds, Route 66 is entirely traffic-free on the Aire Valley Towpath along the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. Here a bit of a sea fret blew in so it started to get cooler. Please go to your email, find our message and click on the link. The main A99 / A9 travels in a south / south westerly direction, so particularly the first 50miles I was slugging into a nagging cross head wind which made the going tough. The route starts in the centre of Edinburgh, near the famous castle, and soon joins the traffic free canal side path taking you to Balerno. 3. 9 Mins. 10. In August 2015, adventure cyclist Mark Beaumont established the record for the 516 mile route, completing it in 37 hours and 58 minutes. There are a lot of single track roads where you need to watch for camper vans and bikers, but in general the route is quiet. The climb and views were stunning, the descent to Ullapool, at 200 miles was even better! My plan was to travel as light as possible, so all I carried was a spare set of kit, sunscreen, energy products for the day, spares and battery chargers. I was up quickly and on the road by around 5am, with just a couple of energy bars and a gel to get me going. Sustrans is a registered charity in England and Wales (number 326550) and Scotland (SC039263) and a company limited by guarantee registered in England No 1797726 at 2 Cathedral Square, Bristol, BS1 5DD. If I did this route without booking any accommodation and with five days to complete the ride, would I be able to find B&Bs without pre-booking? Most people get on their bikes to ride here in the months of May and July. The route that circles around Scotland’s top north highlands has always been there, but never got a name, until not so long ago. Bike Hire Suggestions. Hi Les, I’m sorry, but I’m not sure we can reliably answer this. The North Coast 500, often described as Scotland’s Route 66, take in some of Scotland’s most impressive wild places, from the mountains and lochs of Wester Ross and Assynt to the rugged sea cliffs of Sutherland. The series, which consisted of four episodes, was shown on the British television network ITV.The first episode aired at 9pm on 15 September 2011. Along the north coast road, past Douneray Nuclear plant and it was into John O’Groats at around 11am. I stopped in Ullapool, it was now around 4pm and I had about 80 miles to go. By now a sea fret had blown in and a strong south easterly was blowing making it hard going. On the A832, above Dundonnell looking towards Sgurr Mor. We will process your data in accordance with our privacy policy. and Caledonian pine forests, filled with local wildlife and amazing cycling trails and great hillwalking to relaxing on the beach of Loch Morlich. The last 1.5-2miles it kicks up and goes to 10% in parts, but before you know it you are at the top and looking out on the unbelievable view from the top (see banner photo). Scotland's capital city boasts a huge range of … Scotland’s Route 66 is much as the NC500 is, which is just a name to promote the Highlands. Route 66 is a wonderful ride which includes several calm stretches of canal side cycling and the chance to see some of this area’s fascinating industrial heritage. £0.00. Find a route on the National Cycle Network. (I only note this for info, as I had no intention of trying for the record… but…!). It was around 15 miles to the north coast at Durness, a long gradual climb onto the heathland where the views were amazing, low cloud clung over the lochs and two stags were silhouetted on the moors. This next section was HARD. North Coast 500. 1. The climb from Dundonnell was one such section, cresting to the fabulous view we see below, looking towards Sgurr Mor. In many places Historic Route 66 was replaced by interstate highways. Here's the lowdown so you can start planning your trip. If you’re happy spending as much time on a boat as on your bike, exploring western Scotland is a rewarding adventure as Trevor Ward discovers Share on Facebook; Share on Twitter; Share on Pinterest; Share on Whatsapp ; Share on Reddit; Email to a friend; This competition is now closed. If you want to plan your own route, here are more useful resources: Websites Heritage Paths Cycle Scottish Borders Scotland’s Great Trails. Find out what we stand for and how our work around the UK is making a difference. The NC500 is not an actual single road or highway like Route 66 or the Pacific Coast Highway, but is a series of existing roads that form a loop around the Northern Highlands. Far to Many people complete the route and then realise that they failed to cover as much as they would like. We will keep your email address safe in accordance with our privacy policy. Like all things that are set up to haul in visitors it kinda became a victim of its own success. But we hope that won’t happen. Below you'll find the full story of his experiences and his tips for anyone considering taking on this testing ride. Route 66 of the National Cycle Network has sections from Manchester city centre to Spurn Head in Yorkshire via Bradford, Leeds, York, Beverley, and Kingston upon Hull. Aberdeenshire’s rural and wide winding roads matched with its picture-perfect panoramic mountainous landscapes, make it the idyllic place for road cycling in Scotland. One of the best I've ever seen. The route is heavily influenced by the iconic geography of Scotland - following both the Kintyre … If you had to pick your three favourite sections of the route, what would they be and why? You cycle through some of Britain’s most stunning upland areas and four National Parks. Thanks Andy – this looks rad. However, it’s now a peaceful, rural route which connects the Yorkshire and Pennine canals. To be honest, it's not that hard a climb, for 2-3 miles you get gradual 2-4% gradients, so big ring stuff. The App is great to plan a trip, all our Maps are on it and all available off line. Route 66 Rider Training COVID-19 Update. One of the U.S.’s original highways, it was established on November 11, 1926 and has since become a common touch point in popular culture, referenced everywhere from … The best I’d ever tasted! And with it only a 30mins drive from the NC500 you'd be mad to miss this one. Once you are finished, make sure you have enough time to sample some food and a beer at the Applecross Inn. What tips would you give to someone wanting to take on the Scottish 500 cycle route? Traffic-Free cycle path along canals and disused railway lines of traffic-free canal-side cycling saw. 200 miles was even better they come back to us is for our content 66 the... ’ ll see unusual waterways architecture and fascinating feats of engineering es auch Leute. Driving Standards Agency, based in Motherwell, Central Scotland you eager to get back in the comments,. Accordance with our privacy policy an 18.5mph avg speed for the inconvenience caused pre-book if find! 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Hear more about our latest news, views, events, campaigns, policy impact. Did n't have any flat sections in it and Caledonian pine forests, filled with local and...