NC500 Holiday

[Tiggie]

I have just got back from doing the NC500 with my Wife ( only our second holiday together with no kids! )

 

Despite being stuck in a car for 8 days we are still together  All credit to my Wife, she did all the planning and booked us some cracking places to stay in, the highlight for me being this cabin on the mountainside in Ullapool....

 

 

 

 

Was knackering carrying suitcases up to it though!    Roads were a bit dodgy in places, by that I mainly mean potholes, and as it was raining most of the time that made it fun not knowing if it was a puddle or a 6inch hole  

 

 Unfortunately applecross was completely misted over with no visibility at all so on the way back instead of taking the pass we went on the coastal road. Glad we did as it is a great road with barely any other cars to be seen, would of been fun on a bike 

 

 

 

 

Also I have just learned that the footbridge over Corrieshalloch Gorge that my Wife forced me to go across (despite knowing how much I hate heights) got shut down the day after we went as they have discovered potential structural issues!! 

 

[manxie49]

Sounded like a good trip, nice pictures.  Only ever done it on a bike, although I never stuck religiously to the prescribed NC500 route.  Lovely place though with some fantastic scenery.

[Simon Davey]

Thanks for sharing @Tiggie

Looks superb.

I need to look up what the NC500 actually is.

 

EDIT: I've now had a look, and it really does look like it should be on my bucket list.

I'd have to do it alone though.

Edited July 9, 2024 by Simon Davey

[Tinkicker]

Lovely place you stayed at and what a view.

 

I have only been to Scotland for an holiday once as a kid.  We took in all the sights...

 

Glencoe..... Fog and a bit of grass.

 

Loch Lomond.  Fog and a bit of water.

 

Loch Ness.  Fog, a bit of water and an old castle.

 

Oban.  Beautifully clear seawater in the harbour.  Could see right to the bottom.  Overlaid with fog and light drizzle.

 

Loch Garten to see the Ospreys.  Water, empty bird boxes, a bit of sunshine and clouds of midges biting.  Followed shortly after by black clouds and heavy rain.

 

Isle of skye.  Back to fog and grass after a foggy drive across a bridge.

 

Never seen the attraction since.

Edited July 9, 2024 by Tinkicker

[Bender]

Looks like you had a great time, that bridge is great fun when you make it bounce  

 

I don't get the obsession these days with the 500, just go to the Highlands and start with central and west highlands, it's the best side I couldn't even begin to count the number of holidays I've had up there.

[curlylegend]

1 hour ago, Tinkicker said:

Lovely place you stayed at and what a view.

 

I have only been to Scotland for an holiday once as a kid.  We took in all the sights...

 

Glencoe..... Fog and a bit of grass.

 

Loch Lomond.  Fog and a bit of water.

 

Loch Ness.  Fog, a bit of water and an old castle.

 

Oban.  Beautifully clear seawater in the harbour.  Could see right to the bottom.  Overlaid with fog and light drizzle.

 

Loch Garten to see the Ospreys.  Water, empty bird boxes, a bit of sunshine and clouds of midges biting.  Followed shortly after by black clouds and heavy rain.

 

Isle of skye.  Back to fog and grass after a foggy drive across a bridge.

 

Never seen the attraction since.

Aye, that's bonnie Scotland for you !

[Tiggie]

30 minutes ago, Bender said:

Looks like you had a great time, that bridge is great fun when you make it bounce  

 

Bollocks to that  Was bad enough with the Wife grabbing hold of me and leaning back for bloody photos 

 

 

 

[veracocha]

I have visited Scotland for 35 years watching wildlife and two years ago I thought how much more accessible the places I visit would be if I had a motorcycle.  So in 2022 I gained my full licence. Since then I have been around the highlands four times in that time and always on a motorcycle. I'll be there again in August. There is so much more to the adventure than the official route and the best advice I would offer is to stop and look around. The wildlife as well as the scenery is something to behold. 

[Bender]

Glen affric is very scenic and often very quiet.

[AstronautNinja]

8 hours ago, veracocha said:

I have visited Scotland for 35 years watching wildlife and two years ago I thought how much more accessible the places I visit would be if I had a motorcycle.  So in 2022 I gained my full licence. Since then I have been around the highlands four times in that time and always on a motorcycle. I'll be there again in August. There is so much more to the adventure than the official route and the best advice I would offer is to stop and look around. The wildlife as well as the scenery is something to behold. 

What animals did you see? Are you a photographer also?

[veracocha]

39 minutes ago, AstronautNinja said:

What animals did you see? Are you a photographer also?

I confess that for the first twenty of those years I was carrying a rifle or shotgun as I hunted both deer and wildfowl for three weeks of every year. Always alone and in some wild places. Following an overnight epiphany I could no longer bring myself to slay another creature. Now I hunt with binoculars exclusively. I tried photography but the equipment I found was restrictive when "belly crawling" I still stalk the beasts but they will always be there again for someone else to see. 

 

Wildfowl is my main interest and Scotland provides some of the best places to watch them, especially in the winter season. Crazy thing is that up to ten years ago I had never seen a red squirrel in Scotland. I knew Lockerbie was a stronghold for them so I went there to see them however I stopped at Tesco in Annan (literally just over the border) to get some supplies and on the way out there was one at the side of the road. Not the way I wanted to see my first red. The tank bag on my bike is exclusively for binoculars but getting around the route takes me much longer than expected. Stop and look around is my only advice to anyone touring Scotland, it's all there you just need to look. 

[AstronautNinja]

11 minutes ago, veracocha said:

I confess that for the first twenty of those years I was carrying a rifle or shotgun as I hunted both deer and wildfowl for three weeks of every year. Always alone and in some wild places. Following an overnight epiphany I could no longer bring myself to slay another creature. Now I hunt with binoculars exclusively. I tried photography but the equipment I found was restrictive when "belly crawling" I still stalk the beasts but they will always be there again for someone else to see. 

 

Wildfowl is my main interest and Scotland provides some of the best places to watch them, especially in the winter season. Crazy thing is that up to ten years ago I had never seen a red squirrel in Scotland. I knew Lockerbie was a stronghold for them so I went there to see them however I stopped at Tesco in Annan (literally just over the border) to get some supplies and on the way out there was one at the side of the road. Not the way I wanted to see my first red. The tank bag on my bike is exclusively for binoculars but getting around the route takes me much longer than expected. Stop and look around is my only advice to anyone touring Scotland, it's all there you just need to look. 

Fair enough. A far more varied answer than I was expecting.