Half the enjoyment of a tour is, for me at least, in the planning. While there is a lot to be said for heading off with no idea what adventures lie ahead, the expectation of knowing where I am going and where I intend to be lets me relax and enjoy the ride.
I have spent much of my life travelling to Scotland’s west coast but I have only done it the once on two wheels. On that occasion I didn’t really have the correct tool for the job. Don’t get me wrong, it was a blast on the S1000RR but boy did I feel the effects of so many miles in sports bike position. When it was suggested we return to do the North Coast 500 I relished not only the possibility of doing it on an adventure bike but also I would be going further north that I had previously ventured.
I dived into the forums and spent a few hours on Google maps scoping out the route. I quickly realised that there was a sense of urgency due to the popularity of the route and the availability of accommodation, or lack of it. I had bought a North Coast 500 guidebook and took a look at their suggested tour itinerary but the advice I got was that I was undercooking the mileage. The suggestion was that there was little going on with the east coast and that I should be cracking on to Durness where the best of the west coast starts. With this in mind I’ve drawn up my initial plan and will continue to revise in in the coming weeks.
