Highland Wonders with Nigel & Steve July 2014.

[aljaxon]

with it being our first trip and heavy rain/ thunderstorms forecast we didn't know how many miles we would be happy going in one stint so hadn't a clue where we would be at what time and we were wary of booking anywhere too far in advance.
I suppose you can always cancel (usually free) but I dunno why, part of me doesn't like to mess them about

[Lonewolf]

No, totally agree. I don't like messing folk about either. Apart from day one where we did about 430 miles every other day was less than 300, which was easily achievable regardless of the weather conditions.

We had some rain this year but last year when we went it rained persistently every bloody day! We still enjoyed ourselves though.

[aljaxon]

cheers wolf
we did 420 miles on the way home but that's when the finish line is in sight.
but on the way there did 150 evening miles then stopped overnight and 320 the next day  then stopped
which was just about the limit to what I would care to do in fact preferably 250 with a few more scenery stops to add to the fuel stops
if I was trying to impress I know I could get on my bike at dawn and ride right through till dusk the next day or even later
I cycled 100 miles over the pennines in one stint - not one petrol stop!!! took 13 hours
but at my tender age its all about comfort and enjoying what tiny bit of life we have left to the max

nearly..

[PCPeteUK]

The Edinburgh accommodation was disappointing, £45 per room, nuff said!

You have me planning my first Scotty trip Mr Wolf - will put it too Mrs Pete tonight and look to use the first 2 of your suggestions if they have any vacancies as your trip makes them look ideal - thanks as always....

Does anyone have good but not too expensive places in Edinburgh and York?

Will be leaving Reading around the 19th August going up to Stockport for an overnight with friends and then up to Dumfries and Galloway looping around the west coast and down the east coast. Getting back to Reading around the end of the month.

[Lonewolf]

I don't think you'll find anywhere cheap and decent in York & unless you have a particular desire to visit Edinburgh, I wouldn't.
If you get a chance have a look at last years thread of our trip to Scotland. http://www.gtr1400.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=3127.0

The Sligachan hotel on Skye was outstanding and we would have stayed there again had it not been booked solid on the weekend we needed.

If you need any pointers on beautiful roads, especially on the west coast and from Skye to JOG via Ullapool, please give us a shout. Don't be tempted to take the A9 over some of the more scenic routes.

[aljaxon]

a friend recommended the road on skye from the ferry terminal armadale the A851 and onto the A87 over skye bridge and then onto loch ness via the A887, saying it was perfect almost biking heaven

however we found the tarmac very patchy and worn out  or even bare in places and my badly worn front tyre was all too eager to follow the edges of the bare patches

in need of resurfacing methinks.