Wild camping in Scottish Highlands

[Musketeer]

Has anyone on here done it? I'm preparing for it.. I imagine it's going to be wet and cold even in July. No mobile phone reception, no electricity for 2 weeks is going to be a proper detox. I'm kinda excited in some masochistic way. I hope I won't have to push my bike for miles once it's broken down.

Any advice what to take with me before I leave sunny England?
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Current Bike: Yamaha XSR900 Previous bikes: Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade, Kawasaki ZX-6R Ninja, Aprilia RS125 2-stroke

[FriendlyEllis]

The midges will drive you completely nuts.

Buy Avon Skin So Soft off the web before you go. Its a moisturizer but is FAMOUS for repelling midges.

I have camped (not wild) up the west coast starting a Loch Lomond and finishing at Scourie. A night here.....a night there etc. I'd rather pay a few quid each night just to have a shower. Not one for being clammy and dirty on the move.

It was my first time up the west coast and I found the scenery breathtaking.

Hope you have an amazing trip you'll remember forever!

[FriendlyEllis]

Oh.... My wife reminded me.

You absolutely MUST ride from the A896 along the C1087 to Applecross. MUST. Google it and check it out. The pass over past Bealach na Ba viewpoint and down into Applecross is made by God purely for motorcyclists and once in this coastal village you can rest for a well deserved pub lunch.

You could then continue north up the C1091 coast road?

Feeling jealous now!

[Musketeer]

[cimbian]

[Musketeer]

[FriendlyEllis]

The worst you should get is maybe 60 70 miles between stations but I would fill up everytime.

There's nothing worse than worrying about fuel to spoil a beautiful ride.

Enjoy!

[Bendy]

[Skudd]

A group of us learnt the hard way about North West Scotland, fuel stations and the time of day. Got to a B&B on fumes, not enough fuel to get to the fuel station in the morning, but as luck would have it the fuel station was down hill.

Applecross is a brilliant road, a must do for anyone who goes to the West Coast.
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Famous last words of Humpty Dumpty. " Stop pushing me "
Petty Anarchists look at "1984".............. The Visionary looks at "Animal Farm".

[stinkwheel]

Midges will be the main problem at this time of year.

Camping on beachy areas at the side of lochs is a good one or anywhere there is a breeze. Avoid areas with standing water and camping in trees. You want trees nearby for shelter and firewood (and you NEED a small fire for the afore-mentioned midges)

When you rock up at what seems like a good campsite, stop and give it a good five minutes to check out the midge situation before you start taking your gear off and unloading.

But yeah,. Wild camping in Scotland rocks.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Musketeer]

[Enduro Numpty]

Take the midge threat very seriously, they will drive you to distraction. The West Highland midge is a completely different beast to anything you may have encountered south of Loch Lomond.

Many years ago I had just passed my car test and decided to go camping with my wife in a car (sort of novelty after years on bikes). Gairloch was one of our destinations and we arrived mid afternoon and pitched our tent on the campsite (next to pub) as did a couple of German Hikers. As soon as the sun started to go down the midges came out in their millions. We dived for cover (the pub). Eventually the pub closed and we sat in the car watching the foriegn tourists get driven crazy. Around 2am the Germans could take no more and repacked their tent and left on foot. I have no idea where they thought they could escape to, Maybe they drowned themselves to get some respite, Who knows?

Make sure your tent is midge proof, never leave the door unzipped and don't even consider having a piss through the night as that's all it takes to allow a couple of thousand in.

You have been warned!!!

On the positive side, you will be riding some of the best roads through some of the best landscapes in the UK.

ENJOY

[Charlie]

I'd definitely buy a midge head net. I used Avon SSS last year and while it doesn't keep them away, it definitely stopped them biting as much. Normally midges and other biting insects don't bother me and are more interested in other people but in Scotland they didn't seem to care.

I believe Smidge is also meant to be pretty good, and I also read somewhere that Avon SSS had changed recently and wasn't so good.

https://www.midgeforecast.co.uk/home

But as Stinkwheel says, stay where there is wind and get a fire going to keep um away.

Enjoy the roads and the scenery it is great up there. I love it
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Past: Honda x8rs, Honda City fly, Honda Hornet 250, Honda VFR750, Yamaha xt600e.
Current: Honda CBR929RR & Yamaha XT660Z Tenere

[Musketeer]

My tent comes with a net in its doorway (can be zipped/unzipped). So no insect can go in

So far on my list are Fort William, Isle of Sky, Applecross.. then I will head far north..

As for taking a piss at night, I will keep an empty bottle in my tent so I won't have to get out
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Current Bike: Yamaha XSR900 Previous bikes: Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade, Kawasaki ZX-6R Ninja, Aprilia RS125 2-stroke

[Enduro Numpty]

The A82 up to Fort William and beyond is one of my favourite roads anywhere. Not particularly twisty but very quick and with enough fast bends to keep it interesting. Skye and Applecross are well worth a visit. In fact, anywhere North and West of Fort William are great. Hope the weather is fine, if it is there are few places I can think of that I'd rather be on a bike

[Musketeer]

I hope it won't be raining all 2 weeks
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Current Bike: Yamaha XSR900 Previous bikes: Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade, Kawasaki ZX-6R Ninja, Aprilia RS125 2-stroke

[Bigmal]

Don't forget a mat to lie on...If not a mat, newspapers. Makes all the diffrence...
Also get stockings and a hat with a brim, put the hat on your head then pull the stocking over it. Hey pesto the best damned midgey repelant you'll ever have. You'll look like a tit but if your in the middles of nowhere who cares!!
Something else as well- Your going to the Isle of Sky, that means you'll be going to the Kyle of Lochalsh whilst it sounds wonderful belive me it's a shithole. However if you go a couple of miles north from Lochalsh on the Plockton road you will come to Erbsaig and that whole area breathtakingly beautiful.
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Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% what you do about it.

[MadWhippet]

Been up there twice and, apart from the guaranteed midges, it will almost certainly rain at some point - so expect to get a little wet. The further north you get the more infrequent petrol stations get, so keep topping up. If your going to Skye you will go right past Eilean Donan, the Highlander castle, well worth a look. It really is beautiful up there, with lots of empty roads, many winding alongside lochs - you will have a great time.

[FriendlyEllis]

[Bigmal]

So Maggot how did it go. Did the midges eat you alive?
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Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% what you do about it.

[Pigeon]

Bookmarking this thread. Some advice I want to re-call and great photo's

Looking forward to seeing your photo's Maggot.

[Musketeer]

I survived.. The midges were not too bad. My phone died after 3 days though and I was unable to take many photos. My under-seat USB charger didn't want to work properly with Galaxy S4 (I did not test it before the journey)

Wild camping was fine, bath time was very limited though and I probably smelled most of the time. It didn't bother me too much, there was only me and midges there anyway But when I eventually got home very first words of my wife were "Take a shower!"

I now know many things about wild camping and defo I will plan better next time. I did about 1400 miles from Northampton to Scottish Highlands and back. It was fun, the weather was rather good.

I run out of petrol once, but reserve saved me. I dropped my bike once (no damage really). I lost some weight. Overall great journey and I feel better prepared for Spain and Morocco next year hopefully =)

I mainly failed on planning my camping locations so I had to improvise. I also didn't ride as far north as I initially planned.

Two short HD 1080 videos...

https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?p=3682098#3682098

I've already posted some photos in here...

https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=265772&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=296
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Current Bike: Yamaha XSR900 Previous bikes: Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade, Kawasaki ZX-6R Ninja, Aprilia RS125 2-stroke

[Ed Case]

Having read these responses and seen the photos Maggot.....what's stopping you....get up there and do it......I did twenty-odd years ago travelling up from the Midlands as far as Ullapool on a secondhand Z200 ! and loved every minute. Every biker should do this at least once, you'll never feel that 'free' again.