N500 Route - Very tempted by it

[pja8]

Watching country file and they are talking about the n500 route. Not heard about that before then being based in Suffolk what goes on in Scotland well......

Anyhow looks a great route round northern Scotland for a bike, anyone done it?

Tempted to do it next Summer with wife
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Current - Triumph America LT Previous - Honda VT750S, Kymco Pulse S 125cc, Suzuki GS500e, Kawasaki KH100ex & Suzuki TS50er

[Tinkz]

Watched it too, looks like it would be fun, great views. By the way, that was the summer weather lol
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I can resist everything.........except temptation!

[spnorm]

I try to have a long weekend in Scotland each year, but it's an easy and very scenic ride from north of the M62

The roads and scenery are truly World class and well worth the effort, but I'd recommend late April or late September as the best compromise between the weather and midgies

Just avoid the motorways and make you way up via the Yorkshire Dales and North Pennines

[pja8]

Yer that probably was Summer weather, lol, was thinking the same go via dales.

Late April\May, hmm sounds like a nice idea, gonna give it serious thought.
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Current - Triumph America LT Previous - Honda VT750S, Kymco Pulse S 125cc, Suzuki GS500e, Kawasaki KH100ex & Suzuki TS50er

[Suntan Sid]

[chickenstrip]

This caught my eye too. Aren't you supposed to walk it though? And then walk it again?

Fades into a certain Proclaimers song...
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Chickenystripgeezer's Biking Life (Latest update 19/10/18) Belgium, France, Italy, Austria tour 2016 Picos de Europa, Pyrenees and French Alps tour 2017 Scotland Trip 1, now with BONUS FEATURE edit, 5/10/19, on page 2 Scotland Trip 2 Luxembourg, Black Forest, Switzerland, Vosges Trip 2017
THERE'S MILLIONS OF CHICKENSTRIPS OUT THERE!

[pja8]

Lol, I might play it whilst I ride it.
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Current - Triumph America LT Previous - Honda VT750S, Kymco Pulse S 125cc, Suzuki GS500e, Kawasaki KH100ex & Suzuki TS50er

[Enduro Numpty]

I've ridden these roads for most of my adult life and they are indeed brilliant but if you want to see them at their best then do it early in the year before the hordes of caravans take to the roads. Being Scotland the weather could well be shite but then again it could be brilliant or even both shite and brilliant at the same time. I would suggest late May for a trip - few tourists and as good a chance as any other time of picking up some good weather.

The roads have always been there, I think the "North Coast 500" is just some marketing bullshit to get more tourists up there.

If you're coming from down south don't make the mistake of heading for Inverness by the quickest route which is the A9. The Perth to Inverness section has average speed cameras the full length and the police are obsessed with taking your money. It really is a misery of a road. If you come up the East side to Perth, take the scenic route heading for Aberdeen - A93 (not the A90), through Blairgowrie and on towards Glenshee then head for Tomintoul over the Lecht and join the A9 at Carrbridge for the last 30 miles to Inverness.

If you come up the West side then the A82 is a brilliant road with some of Scotlands best landscapes - Bridge of Orchy, Rannoch Moor and Glencoe are stunning. If you've got time to spare take a run down Glen Etive, it's a single track road that comes to a dead end but it's well worth the hour or so. The A82 North of Glencoe is fairly shit these days but if you turn off at Glen Garry you can head to Skye or up to Gairloch and Ullapool or incorporate Belach na Ba (not my favourite by any means but the view to Skye and the Cuillins on the Applecross side is worth it).

Anywhere North and West of Fort William is superb and the further North of Inverness on the Eastern side the better the roads get. Enjoy but beware of Police Scotland - taking your money is their top priority!!

[Enduro Numpty]

A few photos of earlier in the year - weather was generally shite

https://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r310/old--git/June%202015/20150607_133902_zps78pff9n7.jpg
Rannoch Moor

https://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r310/old--git/June%202015/20150607_111948_zpsdfwnvfiz.jpg
Near Glen Shiel


https://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r310/old--git/June%202015/20150606_125347_zpse3sgkj9t.jpg
Assynt


https://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r310/old--git/June%202015/20150608_115257_zpsmjzcubuh.jpg
Loch Etive

https://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r310/old--git/June%202015/20150608_113104_zpsnynuxdmr.jpg
Glen Etive

[pja8]

Have you read what I ride, speed traps will get bored of timing me through them but she will do it in style and sound fantastic with her free flow pipes.

The scenery looks great even in the shite weather, spoken with wife and she is up for it, we include the dales on the way up, plan plenty of stops and I think it is a goer.

All the tips much appreciated.
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Current - Triumph America LT Previous - Honda VT750S, Kymco Pulse S 125cc, Suzuki GS500e, Kawasaki KH100ex & Suzuki TS50er

[chickenstrip]