My NC500 ride would not be a strung out multiple days visit as having been up here so many times in the past and explored all the must see tourist hot spots... my plan was just to ride my bike, ride ride ride stopping to fuel up when needed and take 3 days including riding up and back from Dunbar with 2 campsite stops I would in the end total over 900 miles on my Royal Enfield Classic 350...
From Dalwhinnie to Spean Bridge then on to Loch Clunie and Glen Spiel on the road to Skye past the Wonderfull shortbread tin picturesque Eilen Dolan Castle and at Dornie turned off to take the Bleach Na Ba - Pass of the Cattle to Applecross, highlight road climb of thee route, so good I made another 4th film just of the Pass!,
We rode through Torridon and Wester Ross past Kinlochewe famous for the WW2 Atlantic Convoys that sailed from here to Russia, through stunning scenery and finally arriving at Ullapool...
After fish and chips and camped the next morning we rode through Assynt over the famous Kylsku Bridge
WW2 history here too as where the X Class midget submarines left and were towed to Norway for Operation Source to attempt to blow up the mighty Tirpitz, one of the most viewed blog posts here on the blog on the subject...
The east coast and home...
We rolled into Durness and Faraid Head saw the west coast completed,
Film 1. west coast
Along the north coast....
East of Durness after a visit to Smoo Cave we rode east around Loch Erribol and Betty Hill east to Turso and John O Groats, after the must have pic there at the sign it was along to the lighthouse at Duncansby Head completing the North coast...
Film 2. North coast
Down the east coast we stopped at our second campsite at at Evanton, it was an early night in the tent as tired being a long day!, and next morning with no rush it was a 9am start to the final day riding down for breakfast at Drumnadrocht on the shores of Loch Ness, where the sun finally came out with some heat too!
another stop for pics at Fort Augustus on the canal and we rode down the A82 to Spean Bridge, where this time being mid day I did not have the Memorial to myself!, but more pics taken it was time to head for home back to Dalwhinnie to fill up for the last time before riding south down the A9, Forth Bridge, City Bypass and onto the A1 back to Dunbar...
Film 3. East coast to Speed Bridge and home...
Here is a film on what I took camping and if you have not camped before some handy pointers and my preferred to budget camp with average priced equipment on the motorbike...
And finally the full film footage of the Bealach Na Ba Pass of the Cattle! an amazing road!
The reason I only rode up north in 3 days was so much other stuff to do back home, and I really just wanted to used the trip to trial the touring capability of the Royal Enfield Classic 350,
And for touring in Scotland on those narrow roads and its meagre fuel economy of 90 mpg or more, and a saddle still comfortable after 400 miles in a day I would say an absolute YES to owning this amazing little bike which has a massive character and brought myself so much fun in 8000 miles now in a years ownership in 2 weeks time come July
Cheers Bruce
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