North Coast 500 - 2019

[Chris666]

So, I had a moment of madness and planned this.

Friday 19th April - early boat to Cairnryan - 250mi ish to Inverness where I've booked a hostel for the night.
Possible POI: Glenmorangie Distillery - Distillery Tour | Glenmorangie

Sat 20th - Inverness - John oGroats - Durness - Unapool and onto another hostel in Achmelvich (right by the beach so nice for a swim) (260mi ish)

Sun 21st - Achmelvich - Oban -270mi + (Hostel booked)
Possible POI: Glenfinnan Viaduct - Glenfinnan Viaduct - Wikipedia

Possible route change to include Bealach Na Ba + part of Skye (this is possible if work allow me extra days off)

Spoiler

Monday 22nd - Oban - Boat - I've booked FLEXI so can get earlier boat and if necessesary come home on the 23rd..

I'm mad but I think west coast I've skipped around is largely slow going single roads which might warrant a second trip

@big-lew18 You coming?

 

[big-lew18]

Would love too. But the TT is still a touchy subject for this year, and I'm going to have to book a family holiday before I tell her I'm planning on going to the British round of the WSBK on the bike too. That looks good though! I've a friend that lives in Elgin, sends me Snapchats of his R-line Golf on that section up to John O Groats all the time. Looks lovely

 

[Chris666]

Single life has it's perks What's the craic with the rollbag?

3 overnights and boats booked... Return is flexi as it's the shortest day mileage wise so might make the earlier sailing

 

[Boydie]

I’ve done a lot of West and Cairngorms but nothing in the north. Really something I want to do next year with my family with a decent sized sporty car instead of the Q5.

Kylesku Bridge looks unreal

 

[Boydie]

Loch Lomond is amazing, I wouldn’t skip it. Come down through it on way to Glasgow along Dukes Pass, Trossachs and the crow road

 

[Boydie]

I think also from Oban or along that way you can get the boat over to Skye and then take the bridge on the opposite side.

Applecross is another destination.

Making me want to book a spring trip myself lol

 

[big-lew18]

Single life has it's perks What's the craic with the rollbag?

Got it as a present for Christmas. It's only the 30ltr job. But it clips onto the 50ltr version so will be handy. I'll stack them both and take a rucksack. Should do me 5 days in the IOM

 

[Boydie]

Sorry it’s Mallaig to Skye

 

[Chris666]

You're on the ball there @Boydie Im hoping work let me extend my holiday to the entire week

Google Maps

 

[smb1]

done the west coast quite a few times,way better than the east,the troon boat was handy,not an option now though,its pretty crap goin from cairnryan but theres no choice ,check out the green welly an eilean donan castle for eatin.....only thing id say against yer trip is the date,ya could get iffey weather ,but then its Scotland so iffey nearly all the time !

 

[Chris666]

Gotta love a wee stop in Tyndrum!

This sums it up, I'm not a listener of Folky stuff but this song

 

[Chris666]

Added a couple POI's, Glenmorangie Distillery isn't far from Inverness if the run up from the boat goes smoothly and Glenfinnan Viaduct is enroute to Oban (this is famous for the 1745 Jacobite uprising and more recently, Harry Potter movies)

 

[mckeown]

Balls im away to poland those dates! Looks like a great trip! Ill prob copy it later in the summer!

 

[Chris666]

Sheeite got serious quickly. A local acquaintance has helped me refine routes down. I had them plotted out point by point until he mentioned he had the files aready

Stupid garmin isn't converting the files to routable trips properly so it's 2-3 files per day

 

[DriftnSlide]

Use a road map, much better. I always take a road map with me on hols round europe, despite taking a sat nav on the hire car.

 

[Chris666]

It's 2019

 

[DriftnSlide]

And an old fashioned map is still more reliable. LOL

 

[Chris666]

And an old fashioned map is still more reliable. LOL

You do make a good point

 

[DriftnSlide]

 

[warren]

That should be fantastic. That first day might be a killer though, id say 260 miles on those sorts of roads will be tough. Most Ive done in a day is about 420 which was motorways in france and that was almost an entire day by the time you take in rest stops and eating etc!

Defo a trip I plan on doing myself though, but likely with the other half and the dog in the VRS lol

 

[Chris666]

That should be fantastic. That first day might be a killer though, id say 260 miles on those sorts of roads will be tough. Most Ive done in a day is about 420 which was motorways in france and that was almost an entire day by the time you take in rest stops and eating etc!

Defo a trip I plan on doing myself though, but likely with the other half and the dog in the VRS lol

It'll be a long day or two The routes now changed and I'll be staying on Mull for the 3rd night, the last boat over is 5:45 I think. No pressure at all This is the first luxury night as I'm staying in a Spa Hotel, whiskey sampling in the outdoor hot tub please

Whats the story in Balamory?

I then have 2 boat options back onto mainland depending on mood, Craignure - Oban looks likely then head for boat home