Mini-tour Wales or Scotland?

Just trying to decide where to go this year. We're looking to do a
long weekend - preferably Fri to Sun - and I haven't ridden my bike in
either. It looks like Wales may have a higher density of great roads
but higher police presence. Any recommendations?

 

For a weekend, pick the one closest to you so you spend more time in the
mountains.

Again for a weekend I would pick just one smaller region and concentrate on
that e.g. you can spend the whole weekend just having fun in the Brecon
Beacons or the Lochaber region.

If you want any info on roads or places in South or Mid Wales then email
me. There are loads of roads that have very little police presence but I
don't want to detail them here.

 

They're pretty equidistant, depending on whether we start from my
house or my mate's.

 

Northern Scotland. It's empty.

 

Scotland
Once north of Glasgow or Edinburgh it just gets better and better and
better.

When you say Friday, that evening or day time ?

If daytime, start out Thursday evening, get 3-4 hrs up the road and grab a
B&B

 

You need to carefully weigh up the beautiful roads and lower density of
scameras with the higher density of torrential rain.

 

+1 for that. I love riding round the Rhinns, plus you have the Bladnoch
distillery.

Then +1 for YTC#1

I've not ridden in Wales for years ( decades? ), but I remember some
cracking roads in the hilly bits. Overall though, I'd go Scotland.

 

Did Skye recently - long straights, sweeping bends, good surfaces, polite
drivers. And whiskey.

 

If we go to Scotland then I'll be leaving after work Thursday night
and driving up to my mate's in Teesside arriving 9ish. So we won't be
heading over the border till Fri am. I heard the A68 is quite good. I
also read that other routes worth trying are the A93 Blairgowrie to
Banchory and the A82 from Inverness to Alexandria. So I was thinking
of a circuit that took in that lot.

 

Ah yes, I have a bottle of the Flora and Fauna Bladnoch in my cabinet
right now. Nice.

 

Not many twisties? BTW its whisky round there. I know of only one
distillery in Skye. I must admit, I think Talisker is a bit special.

 

<delurk>

The A93 from Blairgowrie over the Devil's Elbow is fun. There is one
section where you will be airborne every few seconds, but you don’t
want to go as far East as Banchory. Turn north at Crathie on the B976.
Turn left onto the A939 at Colnabaichin (there’s a cafe in the shop on
the right just after the junction) and go over the Lecht – not the
twistiest, but I’ve never seen police, just low flying RAF jets that
buzz you, and it will take you back towards the west coast where you
really want to be.

</delurk>

 

Over the years I've got equally wet in Wales and Scotland and stayed
the driest in England.

 

Thanks for the advice Mac, I'll check it out on my map.

 

Llandudno base, decent B&B behind the old Cinema
Oh and here's your route for the Saturday
http://www.flickr.com/photos/canon-eos/3961518389/
HTH

 

Cheers Vass. First knee sliders and now a tour route - you're a star.
The route doesn't seem to include what you termed "new contender for
the best road in Britain." Is that for another day?

 

ah, that's when we base ourselves in Aber'
but we prefer Llandudo as you get good roads all day long

 

excellent, if the riff-raff stay north of the A44 then I'm happy

 

Not Wales or Scotland, is my advice.

 

I agree with you about Wales, but I can only guess you have not done a
tour of Scotland as it is one stonkingly great place to go.