The route
Blijf op de hoogte en volg Louis
14 Juni 2014 | Nederland, Rotterdam
**This blog-entry was also published on http://www.thebravedame.com/scotland-by-bike-the-route/ !! **
Only 3 days before departure now. Last time I told you I’m going to ride around Scotland on my bicycle. In this post I’ll tell you about the route I’m taking.
For practical reason my trip doesn’t start in Scotland but in Newcastle; I have to take the ferry from IJmuiden (Netherlands) and this is the easiest way. From Newcastle the route goes up to Holy Island and inland towards Innerleiten. About 40 kilometers after Innerleiten I will reach Edinburgh.
Then the route goes westwards again, to Glasgow. I’m not sure yet if I will actually visit Glasgow or bike around it. From then I will leave the urban area’s behind me and travel into the undoubtedly beautiful nature of Scotland.
Near Pitlochry is the area called ‘Speyside’, a relatively small area which is known for its whisky breweries. I will try to make time to take a sub route and visit some of the distilleries there. After Pitlochry Ill travel to the most northern point I will get this trip: Inverness, at one end of the famous Lake of Loch Ness. I’ll follow the southside of the lake down to Fort Augustus, Fort William and the city where another famous whisky owns its name to: Oban (or is it actually the other way around?)
From Oban Ill bike down the Inner Hebride peninsula towards Tarbert. Before I reach Tarbert I will take a small detour by ferry to Port Askaig. This deviation of the main route is twofold: The Island of Islay and the Gulf of Corryvreckan. Islay is of course famous for its smoky and peaty flavored whisky. After tasting the whisky from the Speyside I naturally have to taste this whisky as well. The a Gulf of Corryvreckan is is a narrow strait between the islands of Jura and Scarba.
From wikipedia:
“Strong Atlantic currents and unusual underwater topography conspire to produce a particularly intense tidal race in the Corryvreckan channel. As the flood tide enters the narrow area between the two islands it speeds up to 8.5 knots (≈16 km/h,≈10 mph), and also meets a variety of seabed features including a deep hole and a rising pinnacle. These features combine to create whirlpools, standing waves and a variety of other surface effects.”
I just have to see that with my own eyes, preferably while wild camping on the coast of Jura. I have no idea if I will see anything at all, but I just can’t miss the opportunity!
After visiting these isles I’ll head back to the mainland and continue my journey south towards Prestwyck, Galloway Forest park and Dumfries (love that name). From there I’ll follow the C2C (coast to coast) alongside Hadrians wall (the wall that kept the Romans out of Scotland, hooray!) and hope to arrive safe and sound in Newcastle again the 13th of july.
In my next post I will tell about the equipment I bring!
Only 3 days before departure now. Last time I told you I’m going to ride around Scotland on my bicycle. In this post I’ll tell you about the route I’m taking.
For practical reason my trip doesn’t start in Scotland but in Newcastle; I have to take the ferry from IJmuiden (Netherlands) and this is the easiest way. From Newcastle the route goes up to Holy Island and inland towards Innerleiten. About 40 kilometers after Innerleiten I will reach Edinburgh.
Then the route goes westwards again, to Glasgow. I’m not sure yet if I will actually visit Glasgow or bike around it. From then I will leave the urban area’s behind me and travel into the undoubtedly beautiful nature of Scotland.
Near Pitlochry is the area called ‘Speyside’, a relatively small area which is known for its whisky breweries. I will try to make time to take a sub route and visit some of the distilleries there. After Pitlochry Ill travel to the most northern point I will get this trip: Inverness, at one end of the famous Lake of Loch Ness. I’ll follow the southside of the lake down to Fort Augustus, Fort William and the city where another famous whisky owns its name to: Oban (or is it actually the other way around?)
From Oban Ill bike down the Inner Hebride peninsula towards Tarbert. Before I reach Tarbert I will take a small detour by ferry to Port Askaig. This deviation of the main route is twofold: The Island of Islay and the Gulf of Corryvreckan. Islay is of course famous for its smoky and peaty flavored whisky. After tasting the whisky from the Speyside I naturally have to taste this whisky as well. The a Gulf of Corryvreckan is is a narrow strait between the islands of Jura and Scarba.
From wikipedia:
“Strong Atlantic currents and unusual underwater topography conspire to produce a particularly intense tidal race in the Corryvreckan channel. As the flood tide enters the narrow area between the two islands it speeds up to 8.5 knots (≈16 km/h,≈10 mph), and also meets a variety of seabed features including a deep hole and a rising pinnacle. These features combine to create whirlpools, standing waves and a variety of other surface effects.”
I just have to see that with my own eyes, preferably while wild camping on the coast of Jura. I have no idea if I will see anything at all, but I just can’t miss the opportunity!
After visiting these isles I’ll head back to the mainland and continue my journey south towards Prestwyck, Galloway Forest park and Dumfries (love that name). From there I’ll follow the C2C (coast to coast) alongside Hadrians wall (the wall that kept the Romans out of Scotland, hooray!) and hope to arrive safe and sound in Newcastle again the 13th of july.
In my next post I will tell about the equipment I bring!
Reageer op dit reisverslag
Je kunt nu ook Smileys gebruiken. Via de toolbar, toetsenbord of door eerst : te typen en dan een woord bijvoorbeeld :smiley
