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In this post you can see all the Komoot maps of the 2020 Scotland trip with my e-bike and my dog Zuri.
Collection Cycling Tour with my E-Bike and Dog through Scotland 2020
Here is the collection of all the routes of the trip to Scotland.
Individual stages of the E-Bike Tour with my Dog Stages England 2020
STAGE LEICESTER – NOTTINGHAM (Video 1):
Zuri and I are going on another cycling trip in 2020. This time we want to discover Scotland by bike. We set off from Leicester, England. The first difficulties with cycling in England quickly become apparent. There are often beautiful cycle paths along the English canals, but they all have entry barriers that make it almost impossible to get through with a bicycle trailer.
STAGE NOTTINGHAM – SHEFFIELD (Video 2):
The second day is probably the most exhausting day of the whole trip. I reach my limits. Cycling is a habit to break, because England has the worst cycle blockades on cycle paths in the whole of Europe!
STAGE SHEFFIELD, LEEDS, YORKSHIRE DALES (Video 3):
After an incredibly exhausting day through Nottingham Forest with its many barriers, Zuri and I prepare for the worst. Once again we need local help to avoid getting stuck. But the willingness of the British to help is unstoppable. The result is beautiful shots along the English Channel and in the English woods. With a bit of traffic chaos, we arrive in Leeds and can take a break there for a few days before a private taxi, out of compassion for the barriers, takes me all the way to the Yorkshire Dales, where the worst night of thunderstorms in my life so far follows.
Individual Stages of the E-Bike Tour with Dog Stages Scotland 2020
STAGE LAKE DISTRICT (Video 4):
After a sleepless night of thunderstorms right next to a sharply rising river in the Yorkshire Dales, Emma and I head for the Lake District, the model for Lord of the Ring’s Shire and arguably the most beautiful area in England. From here, Zuri and I continue cycling towards Scotland. We cycle past beautiful lochs and cross the unexpectedly upcoming Hollister Pass. As soon as we reach Scotland, the restaurant density is abruptly curbed and there are also some other surprises waiting for us…
STAGE DUMFRIES & GALLOWAY (Video 5):
My dog Zuri and I cycle along the coast of Scotland to Dumfries. We have a short break there before we cycle on to Castle Douglas. There we meet Helen and she shows us the south coast of Dumfries & Galloway and Screel Hill. After a day’s rest, we cycle on through the Galloway Forest, past the Otter Pool and along the Raiders Road. I don’t really have the Scottish solitude in sight yet, which should lead to some minor battery charging problems…
STAGE GIRVAN, GLASGOW, LOCH LOMOND (Video 6):
Lots of exciting things await you on this stage…Lots of rain, stunning nature, incredibly helpful Scots, not so friendly restaurants, some roadblocks and animal encounters….
STAGE WEST HIGHLAND HIGHWAY (Video 7):
After a stormy night at Loch Lomond, Zuri and I continue cycling north. We cycle Cycle Route 40 along Loch Lomond and then continue on the A82, the parallel to the West Highland Way. The weather is typically Scottish and we also get a visit from the Scottish midges. We drive through Bridge or Orchy and Glencoe before taking the ferry to the Ardnamurchan Peninsula.
STAGE SUNART, MOIDART, KNOYDART (Video 8):
The Scottish rain continues to chase me and my dog Zuri through the Scottish Highlands. We cycle through the lonely Sunart, surrounded by breathtaking mountains and other forces of nature. But the rain tugs at me and I wish for nothing more than a fire to dry myself by…and who would have thought it, this dream should come true…. The next day we continue towards Mallaig, where the Hogwarts Express leaves. There we experience the next surprise before we visit the last wilderness of Scotland, the peninsula Knoydart, which is completely cut off from the road network and can only be reached by boat or on foot.
STAGE Isle of Skye (Video 9):
For me and Zuri, it’s on to the Isle of Skye. We reach the island in dreary weather, but the sky clears up and we experience the Isle of Skye in all its beauty. My new rain jacket from Vaude also reaches us, just in time, because there is one thing you can rely on in Scotland and that is the inconsistency of the weather. We fall asleep at the Fairy Pools in a starry night and wake up in a rain shower. But the Scots are once again terrific and I get an invitation to spend the rainy day with Gil. The next day we continue to the north-east of Skye. Highlights: Sligachan old bridge, Fairy Pools, Fairy Glen.
STAGE Isle of Skye to Shieldaig (Video 10):
After a dry night, Zuri and I cycle further south on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. We pass the Mealt waterfall and the Old Man of Storr. We take a short break in Portree and then continue to Broadford, where we meet Eddy, a cyclist from London. We join up and find a place to stay for the night. The next morning we cycle up the Skye Bridge and then on to the famous Eilean Donan Castle. After a little refreshment, we head for the Highlands. It gets mountainous, but the views are magnificent. Past Loch Carron to Upper Loch Torridon. The sun is shining and the Highlands are at their best!
STAGE North Coast 500 (NC500) (Video 11):
After a restful night at Upper Lake Torridon, Eddie and I continue along the North Coast 500 to Torridon. There we meet Will and Charlotte, who conquered Scotland with their tandem, in the Community Cafe. The stretch from Torridon is overcrowded with cars and it is one stop and go. Only in the evening does it get quieter again from Gairloch and we see the beautiful nature on lonely roads. The next day it gets lonely. There is not a single open café or restaurant until Ullapool. But there are all the more cyclists on the roads. I don’t know exactly how I’m going to make it to Ullapool, because it’s almost all uphill…
STAGE Ullapool to Inverness and to Finthorn (Video 12):
Our cycling journey continues in an exciting way. My dog Zuri and I leave Ullapool and the West Highlands and head towards eastern Scotland to Inverness. There we are spontaneously invited and experience great Scottish hospitality. The next day we continue along Cycle Path No 1 into Eastern Scotland. We visit Finthorn, the oldest eco-village in the UK and then continue along the Moray Coastal Cycle Path.
STAGE Sandend to Aberdeen and Dundee (Video 13):
This time it gets really exciting. We continue along Cycle Route 1 along the Scottish coast towards Aberdeen. Shortly before we reach Aberdeen, we get trapped in a construction site. It’s Friday evening 6 pm…. In the following you will see great castles like Dunottar Castle, the Newburgh Seal Beach, Slains Castle and again a lot of Scottish hospitality and encounters.
STAGE Edinburgh (Video 14):
After a very restful night at Frank and Claudia’s, it’s on to Edinburgh for me and Zuri. It is a very stormy day and cycling is not always easy. In Edinburgh we are picked up by Hanna. Before continuing along the south coast of Scotland, we stop for a day in Edinburgh to see the city where the Harry Potter books were written.
