The vacation planning for next summer have started. We will start from Stockholm June 25th with Assen TT as our first stop. After spending some days in Assen/Amsterdam, my daugther, brother and a couple friends will return to Sweden, while me and the Wife will take the ferry to Newcastle for a 2,5 week tour in Scotland, Wales and England. Never been in Scotland before(last tour in UK was along the south coast of England ending up in Torqay some 25 years ago in my MGB-65)
So far the rough plan is Newcastle-Edinburgh - Braemar-area - Invernes - Fort William - Isle of Skye - Oban (open to suggestions). spending 10-12 days or so. After that continue down the west coast across Wales to end up in Cornwall in mid July (in time to celebrate my 50th birthday :clap:)
Some questions: When is the main tourist season in Scotland? Do we need to prebook accomodation or can we be resonable secure to get a room "just dropping by"? Advice on how to find good/nice/cheap accomodation? (not camping but otherwise, everything goes)
A list of "have to see/experience + good motorcycle-roads" in the region?
In begining of July, where in scotland will there be most sun (or least rain...)? north, south, east, west?
Speed cameras..... As a foreigner, do I need to bother? (I'm not a speeding demon, but I don't wan't nasty suprises in my mail-box back in Sweden after the vacations... )
Speeding fines... whats the level in UK? (Crazy-expensive like Norway and Finland or more on a resonable level. Again, not a speeding demon but good to know...)
Speed cameras are less about speed and more an indirect taxation
Never mind the speed cameras, just watch out for the midges along the west coast if your going towards the end of June....take plenty of repellant with you. :2guns:
I went this year for a week in June and it was reasonably warm, but the midges........ AARRRHHH :hammer: :hammer: :hammer:
Quote from: Ant on November 26, 2013, 01:55:25 PM
Never mind the speed cameras, just watch out for the midges along the west coast if your going towards the end of June....take plenty of repellant with you. :2guns:
I went this year for a week in June and it was reasonably warm, but the midges........ AARRRHHH :hammer: :hammer: :hammer:
Midges... I don't like midges. Can still remember when I as a kid helped my Grandfather to cover his cattle with tar to protect them from midges up in Lapland.
The kind they have up there hurt so much and are so small that they must just be a set of jaws with wings... horrible!
A swarm of midges can even kill a cow... no kidding.
Love Lapland, hate midges and mosquitoes... :hammer:
Are midges realy a big problem in Scotland? have to google that.
Bacaruda the Scottish midges are legendary, I'm not sure if they will be deported if Alex Salmond manages to secure independence for Scotland :mfr_lol:
There are a few members on here who I'm sure will offer you great advice about Scotland and touring, in the meantime sites like these might be of interest for your planning
http://www.motorcyclescotland.com/
http://www.bestbikingroads.com/motorcycle-roads/motorbike-rides-in-united-kingdom-/highland-scotland--___2144.html
Compared to northern Sweden the miggies in Scotland are wussy little wimps.
I was in Kiruna in the early 70s and the ones up there wear Dr Martens and have Mohawks and Switchblades.
The only negative to riding in Scotland is the weather.
Take your waterproofs and your spare waterproofs.
If you are lucky you could get sun the whole time, but more likely it will rain at least a few days.
Visit Applecross,... if you can afford the ferry visit the Orkneys, ride some nice empty roads and meet some really nice people.
Don't tell them you are a Viking! :mfr_lol:
A couple of us went to Scotland on a brief tour last June, the weather was appalling most of the time. We did Glencoe, Skye, West Lewiston, (Near Lochness) and then Portpatrick.
The previous year in 2010 I did Skye with the family and the weather was like this.....
(http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s139/Jaffa_Cake101/Skye%20September%202011/DSC_0257.jpg) (http://s151.photobucket.com/user/Jaffa_Cake101/media/Skye%20September%202011/DSC_0257.jpg.html)
On our 2011 tour the same location was like this......
(http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s139/Jaffa_Cake101/Scotland%202013/DSCN1312_zps9d776fab.jpg) (http://s151.photobucket.com/user/Jaffa_Cake101/media/Scotland%202013/DSCN1312_zps9d776fab.jpg.html)
(http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s139/Jaffa_Cake101/Scotland%202013/DSCN1307_zpsf9d5d8ed.jpg) (http://s151.photobucket.com/user/Jaffa_Cake101/media/Scotland%202013/DSCN1307_zpsf9d5d8ed.jpg.html)
When it rains in Scotland.....it certainly rains, however we still had a brilliant time despite the weather. What I can say is that if you are going to Scotland late June & July it would be advisable to book in advance as its the peak holiday time. I happen to know that in July on Skye there are some sheepdog trials and quite a bit of accommodation is already booked up.
Great pictures! Just what I want from a vacation. Midges,rain and ticks.....
The rain and midges are outweighted by beatiful nature, good roads, fantastic people and great Wiskey.
We will just be prepare for the worst and from there it can only get better, right?
Rain, or no rain, you will thoroughly enjoy the trip. We only encountered midges on Skye and even then only briefly. I wouldn't worry about them.