The contents of this page is provided for general information purposes only. The best I’d ever tasted! Scotland unveils scenic North Coast 500 route taking in fairy tale castles, beaches and ruins. By Elizabeth Wellingto n. September 7, 2018. The route that circles around Scotland’s top north highlands has always been there, but never got a name, until not so long ago. While there were busy stretches of road, I also thought that overall the roads were pretty quiet, which made the whole experience much nicer. I got round this on day 2 by taping yesterday’s cycling kit around my hands as impromptu gloves, it worked a treat and, to be honest, I’d probably do again rather than carry more items! We will use this to send you updates and newsletters. Best time of year to ride - definitely consider the time of year you tackle this route and the weather. Durness to Thursoe on the north coast - because I left so early in the morning, it felt like I was the only one on the planet and the scenery, with the sea mist, was spectacular. 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! October 5, 2020 at 9:00 am . Bikeability Scotland. 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. We would like to apologise for the inconvenience caused. We’ve heard summer can be extremely busy… May be better to pre-book if you’re concerned. Now, over 200 years later, the flight is still in daily use. … Amazing achievement to do it in two days! 6. Find out more here. Scotland unveils scenic North Coast 500 route taking in fairy tale castles, beaches and ruins. The App is great to plan a trip, all our Maps are on it and all available off line. HELL! As you cycle along the disused railway line from Ravensthorpe to Oakenshaw make sure to keep your eye out for some of the artworks which are located along this stretch of greenway. Check out our guides to RideLondon, Mallorca312, Granfondo Stelvio Santini and riding the Tour of France course. 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. This next section was HARD. I decided I wanted to try and do it in two days, partly driven by time availability due to work, and partly as a mental and physical test for myself ahead of returning to defend my 2018 UK CTT National 24hr title. It’s definitely going down on the list. Bikemap is the world's biggest bike route collection. Q&A with Le Loop, who organise an annual event that allows you to ride the Tour de France route one week before the pros. You may withdraw this consent at any time by emailing us. North Coast 500. 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. What were your numbers for your NC500? You can do it clockwise, or counter clockwise. After a huge refuelling, that predominantly involved Scottish Tablet and Iron Bru (well when in Rome…! The Road has recently been voted by National Geographic one of the world’s greatest car journeys, along with Route 66 and the Silk Road in Asia. 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’! Stopping in John O’Groats, with 120 miles or so to go I realised I was actually, on ride time, well within the existing record, and on elapsed time only a few hours outside, despite my luxurious 6.5 hrs sleep! The road just climbs and descends relentlessly, the next section to Lochinver certainly backed this up. The worst thing about it for me was the relentless climbing! Receive all our inspirational guides as soon as they're published. The next section heads inland on a stunning single track road from Torridon to Kinlochewe. 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. Take care and happy riding, Clare. I’d strongly recommend the time I did it, high summer, for the long days and chance of the weather being good. Accommodation - you can either choose to BnB, hostel or camp. As a starting point we would recommend this site here, which lists the long distance routes in Scotland in the Sustrans network. The route climbs over 32k feet, with the majority of this in between miles 60 and 360. As American as the fourth of July, the road trip is a proper institution across the pond; a rite of passage and the subject of countless movies. 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’. Following this you have a section of never-ending rollers, I was struggling with a nagging cross head wind here which made each one energy sapping, forever changing gear form 52-11 to 36 -28 as you drive over each one. Our in-depth analysis of the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 route. From Tounge, through Bettyhill (where I found a shop), Armadale and right to Thursoe was a series of relentless climbs and descents alternating from by the sea to anything up to a mile in land. The view from the top is just unbelievable. We answer 44 questions about the Granfondo Stelvio Santini 2020 to help you know what to expect from this world-famous cycling event. This far north it hardly goes dark at all at this time of year, so I woke to a beautiful, fairly crisp morning. A good sign. Sustrans has a great network of cycling routes which are suitable for bikepacking. This guidebook describes a 528-mile cycling route in northern Scotland. Route 66 is part of the National Cycle Network, cared for by Sustrans. Want a custom map to commemorate your ride once you've completed it? You can opt out at any time. If we love your product and think our readers will too, Epic Road Rides will write articles that are about, or mention, your product or destination and then promote them across social media. It was a totally ‘on a whim’ decision. The route is just over 500 miles and mainly hugs the northern coast of Scotland, hence the name. After retrieving my box of goodies, resolving a few squeaky bits on the bike I hit the sack, for the next 4.30am alarm call. Here we hope to include an expanding list of various itineraries to help you plan your route. Benefits to working with Epic Road Rides: Almost there. Yorkshire Wolds, York & the Humber Cycle Map. In many places there is literally just one road – so you cant get lost! Cycling is a fantastic and sustainable way to discover all the beauty that Scotland has to offer. 2. “Scotland's answer to Route 66.” That is the pitch for the Scottish tourist board's latest attempt to tempt visitors to the Highlands: North Coast 500. SCOTLAND BY CAR, NORTH COAST 500 “SCOTLAND’S ROUTE 66” This route includes some of the most beautiful scenery in Europe, and has been dubbed “Scotland’s Route 66”. Find your perfect cycling route, create your own bike trails, and discover the most stunning cycling destinations. 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? 4. The inspired rebranding of a road system that had existed for decades as Scotland’s version of Route 66 is a 516-mile loop that starts at Inverness, heads west to … 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. ), I was off. 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. The scenery was just jaw-dropping for much of the ride - lochs, moors and mountains. As you head south, the landscape again changes from the rolling farmland to more sheer cliffs and stunning beaches, it reminded me of the North Yorkshire Moors around Whitby,  massive long steep climbs, and hair raisingly fast descents! 3. The landscapes are barren, dark clouds roll in over brooding lochs and mountains and you’ll certainly need to pack your winter cycling kit (yes, even in summer). Mentally I find this helps. This is not a scheduled service but operates more like a cyclist taxi service. Traveling by bike is environmentally friendly. I'd also suggest not hitting the A9 run back into Inverness on a Friday afternoon (when I was there) - though I suspect, it's not very pleasant at any time of day/week... On the NC500 looking down from the viewpoing on top of the Applecross Pass. And with it only a 30mins drive from the NC500 you'd be mad to miss this one. Home; Weather; Blog; Plan Your Adventure; Shop; FAQ’s; App Suport Page; Contact Us; Travel Itinaries. I only went as the forecast was great, but a typical Scottish coastal day of rain and wind this ride would be grim, wet and cold and nothing to see. Sunscreen and lypsyl (*which I lost early on and am paying the price for now with seriously cracked lips!). Get lots of cool stuff you won’t get on the blog. I stopped pretty much whenever I saw a shop to ensure my bottles were full. In 2016 this was bettered by ex Scottish Common Wealth Games cyclist James McCallum, who targeted and completed it with an elapsed time of 31hrs and ride time of 28hrs, 57mins. The intrepid round the world record holder, Mark Beaumont, set an initial elapsed time record of about 38hrs for riding the entire North Coast 500 cycle route. More Than Just A Journey. Sound like just the adventure you've been searching for? Epic Road Rides is happy to review and promote products we love, whether they are physical or digital. 1. In 2019, this new 800-mile mainly off-road and carfree cycle route between England and the north coast of Scotland was created. Scotland’s Route 66 is much as the NC500 is, which is just a name to promote the Highlands. I also ate a couple of sandwiches from the shops en-route, sweets, nuts and seeds - and my own body weight in Scottish tablet! The next long section to Ullapool was energy sapping; every time you went away from the coast you hit massive rollers and long climbs. Again the main feature of the ride was clear, the more inland, the more you climbed and descended. So the alarm went off at 4.30pm and I crawled out the van! We think the best way to experience it is on your bike, in low gears and ensuring you have plenty of energy! Between Helmsdale and Tain the road never flattened once, constantly undulating and sapping energy. You submit all the details and are then sent a preview to check before it's printed and sent to you. Spellbound by Scotland's answer to America's Route 66. WHAT IS SCOTLAND’S ROUTE 66? On the route you’ll see unusual waterways architecture and fascinating feats of engineering. Dealing with the thought, after 10miles, that today I have another 28x that to go, or 20k ft of climbing to do is no easy feat. The NC500 has certainly been successful in doing what it set out and the increase in visitors is testimony to that. 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. To the extent permitted by law, Sustrans accepts no responsibility for any accidents or injury resulting from following these routes. Here they tell us all about their event and what makes it special. 7. I stopped in Ullapool, it was now around 4pm and I had about 80 miles to go. Many people make a detailed North Coast 500 itinerary and plan this in huge detail, mapping every stop, possible rest point and undulation. I always find on very long rides that the mental part of the first few hours is hard. We have taken all responsible steps to ensure that these routes are safe and achievable by people with a reasonable level of fitness. Total. 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. 1. It's cheaper than paying for fuel or to hire a car, so leave your car behind and take your bike on the train. 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. I had planned ahead and sent the BnB all the energy product I would need for day 2 to enable me to travel lighter on day 1. The Highlands' answer to Route 66! Help us to continue to care for the National Cycle Network and support our work to improve walking and cycling for everyone. 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. The goal is to go from the south of England to the north of Scotland. Sponsoring a prize is a great way to drive additional engagement and exposure with Epic Road Rides’ audience. A quick breakfast and I was off. We would like to apologise for the inconvenience caused. Why did you decide to tackle Scotland's NC500 cycle route? Socket chargers x2 to charge everything overnight, 9. 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. Pitlochry, Scotland, United Kingdom. Some are for experts only but others are suitable for anyone who fancies strapping on a helmet. Fitness - you need to be fit to do this route; every time you go inland you will be climbing a lot! Due to a COVID-19 outbreak, We are currently CLOSED. Route 66 lovers who want to tackle the iconic Mother Road by bicycle, have reason to rejoice: On March 2, after four years of mapping and advocacy work, the Adventure Cycling … You traverse from the industrial city of Inverness, gradually climbing into the highlands where the views are magnificent and just ‘huge’! If it went there, move it into your inbox (or the "Primary" tab if you're using Gmail). The Highlands' answer to Route 66! It is not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on it. External power pack with leads for phone and garmin, 4. I chose BnB to minimise what I had to carry and give me a clear point I ‘must’ reach. Menu. Due to a COVID-19 outbreak, We are currently CLOSED. We are more than happy to enter into brand ambassadorships with brands we use and trust. 5. this route is by no means just for foolhardy cyclists! This section is a real treat for those who are interested in history or engineering. Because up north in the Scottish Highlands there is a popular road trip route already established.. Receive all our inspirational guides as soon as they’re published. 299 talking about this. Find a route on the National Cycle Network. It keeps you fit and healthy, and you get to slow down and really enjoy the scenery. What tips would you give to someone wanting to take on the Scottish 500 cycle route? Epic Road Rides’ readers tell us that the main reason they come back to us is for our content.