Cycle Scotland’s ultimate adventure on the North Coast 500, an 850km (528 mile) circular route around the northern Highlands. Starting and finishing in Inverness, this epic journey threads through Wester Ross, Sutherland, Caithness, Easter Ross, and the Black Isle, offering wild coastal scenery, rugged mountains, remote glens, and quaint Highland villages.

Suitable for cyclists with a good level of fitness, the NC500 can be completed in around two weeks, making it ideal for a challenging holiday or an extended touring adventure. The route avoids the busy A9 east coast road while offering it as an optional alternative and includes optional detours to bypass the steep ascent of Bealach na Bà or the undulating Assynt peninsula, giving riders flexibility to tailor the journey to their experience and preferences.

  • Presented in 16 stages between 24 and 89 km (15–55 miles), covering the full 850km NC500 from Inverness through Wester Ross, Sutherland, Caithness, Easter Ross, and the Black Isle
  • Each stage includes distance, ascent, descent, waymarking, terrain summary, and elevation profiles to help plan daily rides and manage climbs like Bealach na Bà and the Assynt peninsula
  • Detailed 1:150,000 mapping for each route, showing the full NC500 and supporting clear navigation for every stage
  • Alternative route options to avoid the steepest climbs or busy roads, ensuring a safer and more flexible NC500 experience
  • Practical information on accommodation, campsites, B&Bs, refreshment stops, and local facilities along every stage of the route
  • GPX files for the NC500 compatible with GPS devices and smartphone apps, allowing easy digital navigation and route adaptation
  • Highlights along the route, including Inverness, Ullapool, Thurso, Tain, the Black Isle, and the spectacular coastal scenery, lochs, and mountains of northern Scotland

Plan your NC500 cycling adventure with confidence and enjoy the remote Highland landscapes, coastal vistas, and iconic roads of northern Scotland with this comprehensive guidebook.

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Guidebook to cycling the 528 mile NC500 circular cycle route around northern Scotland, starting and finishing in Inverness. Although the scenery is wild, the going is almost entirely on asphalt roads, many of which are quiet with little traffic and can comfortably be cycled within a fortnight.
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Map key Overview map Route summary table Suggested schedules Introduction Background The route Natural environment Preparation Getting there and back Navigation and information Accommodation Food and drink Amenities and services What to take Safety and emergencies About this guide The route Stage 1 Inverness to Garve Stage 2 Garve to Lochcarron Stage 3 Lochcarron to Shieldaig (direct route) Stage 3A Lochcarron to Shieldaig (via Applecross) Stage 4 Shieldaig to Gairloch Stage 5 Gairloch to Ullapool Stage 6 Ullapool to Lochinver Stage 7 Lochinver to Kylesku Stage 8 Kylesku to Durness Stage 9 Durness to Tongue Stage 10 Tongue to Melvich Stage 11 Melvich to John o' Groats (coastal route) Stage 12 John o' Groats to Melvich (inland route) Stage 13 Melvich to Altnaharra Stage 14 Altnaharra to Tain Stage 12A John o' Groats to Lybster Stage 13A Lybster to Brora Stage 14A Brora to Tain Stage 15 Tain to Nigg (for Cromarty ferry) Stage 16 Cromarty to Inverness Stage 15A Tain to Dingwall Stage 16A Dingwall to Inverness Appendix A Facilities summary table Appendix B Tourist information Appendix C Hostels and bunkhouses Appendix D Campsites Appendix E Cycle shops and cycle hire Appendix F Munros near route (mountains over 914m) Appendix G Distilleries en route Appendix H Useful contacts
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Produktdetaljer

ISBN
9781786312198
Publisert
2024-01-29
Utgave
2. utgave
Utgiver
Cicerone Press
Vekt
220 gr
Høyde
172 mm
Bredde
116 mm
Dybde
13 mm
Aldersnivå
G, 01
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Heftet
Antall sider
200

Forfatter

Biografisk notat

Mike Wells has been a keen cyclist for over 20 years. After completing various UK Sustrans routes, such as Lon Las Cymru in Wales and the C2C route across northern England, he then moved on to cycling long-distance routes in continental Europe and beyond. These include cycling both the Camino and Ruta de la Plata to Santiago de la Compostela, a traverse of Cuba from end to end, a circumnavigation of Iceland and a trip across Lapland to the North Cape. He has written a series of cycling guides for Cicerone following the great rivers of Europe.