Great Roads - Inverness to Ullapool via John O'Groats

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Fàilte gu Alba - or in real money, Welcome to Scotland. When the weather is good, Scotland is great, and the further north and west you get the better the roads become. This one starts with a relatively main road up the east coast - long sweepers dragging you up to John O'Groats for a pose with the pillar. Only when you turn westwards and head for the opposite corner do things get really interesting - wide open scenery laced with single-track roads and skirted by sandy beaches. Fuel is in short supply so top up whenever possible, and grit your teeth while you pump (oo-er missus) - due to its inaccessibility, Durness proudly provides some of Britain's priciest petrol. Expect to arrive in Ullapool tired after an involving ride, but desperate to turn around and go back again tomorrow.

When? - May/June is probably best, before the swarms of midges and German campervans arrive
How? - Take a long Bank Holiday weekend away on the bike and ride as many miles as you dare
What Next? - Try the famous Applecross loop before heading back south via the Lake District

Ewan and Charlie depart John O'Groats at the start of the Long Way Down