V11 Rally Scotland 18th to 20th May 2007

[Guzzirider]

Macguzzi- website link at the start of this thread says their is camping- may be worth phoning first and seeing if you need to book.

 

Nogbad- I would buy a £10 Argos inflatable mattress, a £29 Vango tent (I have one and its waterproof), cheap sleeping bag (if you dont have one already) and bungee it all to the backseat- don't need luggage racks for just a couple of nights- especially as all facilities will be available from the hotel so you wont need stove etc.

 

Guy

[macguzzi]

Guzzirider I'm a long time scottish camper even in snow! My other hobby is going bothying round scotland we like to get well off the main drag. In fact may weekend I'm off to Jennies Bothy you can check it on the web fab place. Included a photo of weather last April in Glen Feshie

[Guzzirider]

Sounds like fun! I don't mind winter camping either- if you expect it to be cold then at least you are prepared.

 

My first camping weekend on the bike this year was in February in Dent, Cumbria where it was minus 5 degrees C overnight but it was fine as I had all my gear and was wearing a very thick beer jacket.

[Admin Jaap]

Do some of you UK guys know the nicest route from Newcastle to Edinburgh? That's where I'll be staying the first night of my week in Scotland, thanks to MacGuzzi.

[Martin Barrett]

Do some of you UK guys know the nicest route from Newcastle to Edinburgh? That's where I'll be staying the first night of my week in Scotland, thanks to MacGuzzi.

 

Not my home patch - but depending on how long you wanted to take

 

A696 out of Newcastle past Otterburn to join A68

then A6088 to Hawick

and then A7 up to Edinburgh

 

Journey time of about 3 hours.

 

If you want to make it longer head out through Kelso - Coldstream lots of minor roads quite entertaining

but head back inland before pushing north. Avoid the A1 as it tracks west.

or go west along the line of Hadrians Wall take the B6318 where you can rather than the A69. Cut across to join the A7. If still have time leave the A7 and loop up through Eskdalemuir.

 

When you leave Edinburgh

Stirling (fuel) - A811 west then A82 to Tarbet, then A83 Lochgilphead (Fuel) then A816 Oban - A828 & A82 Fort William (Fuel on north side of town) then A82 Inverness and to the Inn

300 miles- 8 hours on the "Autoroute" planner

[antonio carroccio]

Martin, You should know better, Jaap is not the kind of a guy who loves long distance on highway.

His bike does not even have any protection to travel that distance.

He loves (he must) travel on secondary roads. So I think he is meaning a road from Newcastle to Edinburgh as an alternative route. I do not think he has any hurry at all

[Martin Barrett]

Martin, You should know better, Jaap is not the kind of a guy who loves long distance on highway.

His bike does not even have any protection to travel that distance.

He loves (he must) travel on secondary roads. So I think he is meaning a road from Newcastle to Edinburgh as an alternative route. I do not think he has any hurry at all

 

- I know - I'd do both legs in one day.

 

Don't forget as you go further north the "A" roads get smaller

A896 around the north west

 

Those ones above are still two lanes but not dual carriageway.

I like the A83 good road tracking along mountain sides, gives opportunity to look across the valley, track the oncoming cars up the hill look for the gaps to plan your overtakes. Advantage of starting first couple of days on these roads is that become acclimatised to riding on the left.

Though point taken about his spinnaker like riding position, even on the A896 with the good view it's easy to do 80mph/120kph

 

Day one I'd think I'd head west along Hadrian's wall then pick up A7 , off at Langholm on to B709 through Eskdalemuir ( tea stop at Tibetan monastery there) continue up to rejoin the A7 at either Selkirk or Heriot(which is just outside Edinburgh)

 

By the time I've finished with him he'll have shoulders and neck like Arnie

[macguzzi]

I WOULD TAKE THE A68 ALL THE WAY TO EDINBURGH NO NEED TO TURN ONTO THE A7, JUST WATCH OUT FOR THE SAFETY CAMERAS! (SPEED TRAPS)

[Guest Nogbad]

I WOULD TAKE THE A68 ALL THE WAY TO EDINBURGH NO NEED TO TURN ONTO THE A7, JUST WATCH OUT FOR THE SAFETY CAMERAS! (SPEED TRAPS)

 

Arrange your luggage and bungies in conjunction with a black bin liner such that your rear plate is obscured enough to prevent the Gatso bureaucrats from identifying your bike. If you are clever, if you do get stopped by a traffic officer (and they are rare as hen's teeth these days) you can apologise and say your luggage slipped with vibration and the wind. Most likely all you would get is a ticking off.

[macguzzi]

For anyone intrested checkout this place http://www.jennysbothy.co.uk/index.htm

[V11UK]

Not posted for a while due to various reasons which I won't bore you with, but I'm still here and haven't fallen off my perch ....

 

Two weeks to go and we can't wait ...

[antonio carroccio]

We shall forgiven you Chris.

BTW, I hope food and beer would be not expensive at that Aultguish Inn...

 

For us only 10 days to go

[Guzzirider]

We shall forgiven you Chris.

BTW, I hope food and beer would be not expensive at that Aultguish Inn...

 

For us only 10 days to go

 

Can't wait to get up there and ride those empty roads!

 

[grossohc]

Can't wait to get up there and ride those empty roads!

 

I just got back from a mg camping weekend at ullapool, friday and saturday weather was excellent, and the roads were empty also pothole free passed the aultguish on the way back should have popped in for a drink.

Gary

[antonio carroccio]

Is there another website than BBC to check the weather in the UK or better in Scotland?

And maybe to check the weather forward than one day? 3 days? 5 days? ....?