Trip to UK in June - advice wanted!

[JTL]

Hi all,

I'm planning a bike trip to UK for the last two weeks of June, and my route would be approximately this:

1st leg (Finland - Denmark) as in 1st picture. Then a ferry to Harwich, and then a round trip around UK on the lines of 2nd picture. As a Heartbeat fan I'll first go to Goathland to see the filming places for the TV series.

The main points of interest are Scotland and Ireland on this trip, so I'd like your advice on must-see attractions and which route to go. I've already got some tips to follow the coastline as close as possible. I'd like to visit some whisky distilleries too, and as Islay whiskies are my favorite, I included that to the route as well. After Scotland I will probably take a ferry to Ireland and from there I will continue to France either directly or via southern England. I have approximately 7-10 days to spend in the UK.

Accomodation? I have the understanding that there are quite many B&B's in Scotland and Ireland the same way as in England?

 

[KingY]

Mate that looks like an epic ride! I live here and have never done that but i may have to try it, looks good.

Only advice is wear a groin cup we got some evil pot holes after the winter we just had lol

 

[Rebuilt]

Water proofs ... virtually never stops raining

Ok it has at the mo ... go for it looks like a hell of a ride ... would love to do something similar one day :thumbup:

 

[nivag]

You might have a bit of company on the 21-23rd of June in the north, as the RBLR1000 iron butt run is on.

This is the northern route
https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?sadd...O1Xs_ykL-XFg_UB5SDFtpzXZhoWBMA&mra=ls&t=h&z=6

RBLR1000 - The Routes

As for B&B's you should be ok, as the school summer holidays don't start till the end of July but might be worth pre-booking some of the more remote places first.


This is off another forum I'm on about touring around Scotland, http://londonbikers.com/forums/957034//highlands-of-scotland--west-coast-to-east-coast.-heaven

 

[Cloggy]

Looks like an amazing trip :rockon:

Tagger posted a route for his trip to the UK in this thread , I realise it's not your route but there are several bits you could use :thumbup:

Good luck with the planning.

 

[JTL]

Thanks all for the tips! Actually there was also a link to a good trip report in Advrider in the thread you linked, Cloggy.

 

[Cloggy]

Hi all,

..... I'd like to visit some whisky distilleries too, and as Islay whiskies are my favorite, I included that to the route as well....

I love Islay whiskys as well, I've always wanted to do a distillery trip, but not on the bike Hope you find a place to stay nearby :thumbup:

I loved Skye for scenary (even though I was only passing through in the cage):rockon:

Good luck with the planning.

 

[JTL]

The distillery - bike trip combo will be sort of a problem, I need to find some B&Bs close to them, but I guess that won't be a problem. The hardest part will be to choose what to include to the available timeframe, as a week won't be a very long time to cover that area. But no need to see everything during one trip, there is always the possibility to go there again

 

[JTL]

One thing I'm considering is whether to leave Ireland out of this trip's scope for now. Anyone from Ireland can talk me out of this idea with good reasoning I have 3 weeks to use for the whole trip and on the way back from UK I will in any case go and see the Normandy beaches in France and visit some friends there + a few days in Nürburgring on the return trip via Germany, so even if three weeks sounds like a lot, it really isn't....

 

[Chickenz]

If you are headed past Inverness and aiming to go to Applecross drop me a message and I will happily join you. Lovely road and lovely food.

 

[XTremo]

Detour into North Wales to visit Portmeirion....the location for the cult 60's TV series "The Prisoner".

That place is totally unlike anything else you'll find in Britain. Though be aware that, like always, it'll be pissing down with rain.

 

[JTL]

Chickenz, that sounds like a plan! I will contact you if my route goes along those roads. It most likely will.

Xtremo, Wales is indeed the other option to visit if I decide to skip Ireland so I'll keep that in mind.

 

[Tagger]

Looks like an amazing trip :rockon:

Tagger posted a route for his trip to the UK in this thread , I realise it's not your route but there are several bits you could use :thumbup:

Good luck with the planning.

Feel free to ask any questions!

I would highly reccomend taking the applecross peninsula (just next to G on your map), you will regret not taking it if you don't.
Making the trip all around skye (H) doesn't take that long so there's no point in making a Uturn.

If after that you also decide to go back home at some point, i highly reccomend spending some time in Wales, it's just as nice as Scotland.

 

[JTL]

Feel free to ask any questions!

I would highly reccomend taking the applecross peninsula (just next to G on your map), you will regret not taking it if you don't.
Making the trip all around skye (H) doesn't take that long so there's no point in making a Uturn.

If after that you also decide to go back home at some point, i highly reccomend spending some time in Wales, it's just as nice as Scotland.

Good tips, thanks The route on the map above is approximate and I am in the process of collecting info about the most interesting routes and probably then go with that.

 

[Tagger]

Do you have basecamp ? (if i can find my files again which i used on my gps i can maybe dig up some routes for you which are worth your while)

 

[JTL]

No, I haven't thought of having one base camp as I am planning the trip more as a round trip.

 

[Cloggy]

No, I haven't thought of having one base camp as I am planning the trip more as a round trip.

I think tagger means the routeplanning computer program from Garmin, it's called "Basecamp" (it's the newer version of the old program "mapsource").

 

[JTL]

Ok thanks for the clarification I should probably get it as I'm thinking of buying the Garmin Zumo 350LM for the bike. I was thinking along the lines of one strategically placed site of accommodation

 

[Tagger]

Yes, sorry for the confusion.

If you get your Garming GPS that's the app that will come with it. With this you can pre-plan your routes if you want to, so in theory it will be possible for me to send you some routes that.

Just give me a shout when you get it and are familiar with the software

 

[Cloggy]

Yes, sorry for the confusion.

If you get your Garming GPS that's the app that will come with it. With this you can pre-plan your routes if you want to, so in theory it will be possible for me to send you some routes that.

Just give me a shout when you get it and are familiar with the software

Could you export and send him the GPX files, that way he can start his planning already (using the free programs TYRE and/or ITN Converter).
He can always look at the GDB file when he gets his Garmin :thumbup: