And with it only a 30mins drive from the NC500 you'd be mad to miss this one. The climb from Dundonnell was one such section, cresting to the fabulous view we see below, looking towards Sgurr Mor. Amazing achievement to do it in two days! Our Give Cycle Space campaign urges drivers to give space. Here's the lowdown so you can start planning your trip. I wanted to remind my body what it was like to ride for long hours. The route is known as “Scotland’s Route 66” and is a stunning way of reaching the northernmost point of Scotland via its wilder places. Looking to explore the Scottish Highlands on a budget or live it up in pure luxury. By bike, it’s a gruelling 500-mile loop around the magnificent North Highland coast, but the rewards are great: some of the finest … But it's no way ‘flat’ on the rest! A new cycling trail just opened in Scotland, and it’s designed to take you through some of the country’s most beautiful sights and let you sample some of its finest whisky. 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. Here at Scotland's Route 66 we tend to concentrate on the NC500 and the Northern Highlands. I set up epicroadrides.com to help make it easy for road cyclists to explore new places by bike. What did you eat and drink while cycling the NC500? Bikemap is the world's biggest bike route collection. Want a custom map to commemorate your ride once you've completed it? Your guide to cycling Scotland's north coast 500 cycle route (the NC500 route), including GPX, maps and tips for what to expect and what to pack for this iconic loop of the Scottish Highlands. Epic Road Rides’ readers tell us that the main reason they come back to us is for our content. This route is on the National Cycle Network. It has been described as "Scotland's Route 66 ". Cycling is a fantastic and sustainable way to discover all the beauty that Scotland has to offer. The North Coast cycle route is just over 500 miles in length and is promoted as Scotland’s version of Route 66 – the iconic driving route in the USA. 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. 2. After the obligatory pic at the sign post at John O’Groats, loaded up with tablet and Lucozade I decided to push on and see if I could hit Inverness by tea time. North Coast 500. This route from Greater Manchester to Yorkshire offers you the chance to enjoy some of this area’s fascinating industrial heritage. We think the best way to experience it is on your bike, in low gears and ensuring you have plenty of energy! But we hope that won’t happen. 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. 0. The goal is to go from the south of England to the north of Scotland. On this section this was actually great, a tail wind 10miles in land, then a tail wind as you climb back to the coast at Garloch. One of the U.S.’s original highways, it was established on November 11, 1926 and has since become a common touch point in popular culture, referenced everywhere from … Here we hope to include an expanding list of various itineraries to help you plan your route. Guess it will come down to the time of year and luck. Here a bit of a sea fret blew in so it started to get cooler. 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. 41 miles (66 km) Travel along National Cycle Route 75 and enjoy lovely waterside runs along the Union Canal and the River Almond. Because up north in the Scottish Highlands there is a popular road trip route already established.. The ever-changing landscape will take your breath away, leaving you eager to get back in the saddle wanting more every day. Andy Jackson, head coach at Peaks Sports Consultancy and 2018 UK CTT National 24hr Time Trial Champion, recently decided to do the whole 500 mile loop in just TWO days! Help us to continue to care for the National Cycle Network and support our work to improve walking and cycling for everyone. Inaugurated in 2015, this route takes you up to John O’Groats and back down again. We would like to apologise for the inconvenience caused. 98% of the route is off-road. The NC500 is a brand new driving route in the Highlands, promoting its spectacular scenery; The initiative, backed by Prince Charles, aims to showcase local Scottish food, drink, accommodation and activities Campaign Give Cycle Space. Why did you decide to tackle Scotland's NC500 cycle route? 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. Scotland’s cycle routes are some of the wildest and most beautiful in the UK. HELL! We will use this to send you updates and newsletters. This next section was HARD. Our in-depth analysis of the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 route. Route 66 also includes the excellent Spen Valley Greenway. Route planning - you can make your NC500 route planning as easy or as complex as you want. 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! I have climbed Bealach before,  last year with a friend where we smashed a 40 odd mile loop out, so I knew what I was facing. Pitlochry, Scotland, United Kingdom. 5. “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. But we hope that won't happen! Please use your own judgement when using the routes based upon the weather and the ability, experience and confidence levels of those in your group. It starts and ends at Inverness Castle and showcases many of the Highlands’ features. An 800-mile off-road cycle route has been launched connecting England and the north coast of Scotland for the first time. This version takes you from Wirksworth. 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