Part Two, Tentative London northbound and Scotland Bike Tour.

[Matt2matt2002]

At the risk of over-loading you with info:
I'm just back from an Ember bus tour.
No bike yet; strength not up to it yet.
My bus was from Aberdeen to Inverness and then their new route to Ullapool.

I stayed in the hostel 2 night before returning home.

Observations; bikes had been booked on all sections. Bikes went inside the bus; a max of 2.
( when I used the Ember bus last month, my own bike went in with the luggage. )
Very very busy with tourists. At one point someone tried to board but there were no seats available.

It made me realise how popular this part of the UK is with tourists. I believe numbers are increasing.

Advice; don't count on hitching a ride without booking the bus. Our driver said that the other major carrier in the area, Stagecoach, has the same issues.

Also; chatting to the hostel manager, she showed me bookings made for next year!

It's a lovely area to tour but fast filling up for the summer months.

Also pt2; The bus driver had several close encounters with road users unfamiliar with road-sense. Some found it hard to concentrate on the road while surrounded by stunning scenery.

[mickeg]

Thanks. 

I planned to stay at Inverness hostel for a day or two.  Sounds like reservations are in order.  But I am hesitant to make reservations this early when I do not have firm dates and won't have firm dates for a couple months.  On my calendar are two different days to leave Inverness.

I have reservations for my last couple nights in Edinburgh before my flight, but those are the only dates I have with certainty.  Bike touring where your schedule is at the whim of the weather really complicates things.

Perhaps I should make a reservation now to stay at Perth the night before I plan to get to Edinburgh. 

In the past, I found that starting a trip in early June was a good way to find lots of available spaces, as things did not get busy until early to mid July.  My last tour before Covid was in 2019, several times I was the only person in a tenting area where there were a half dozen or more empty campsites.

A decade ago, I usually made hostel reservations no more than a couple days in advance for stays in the middle of my tour.  I only made longer term reservations in larger cities that were at the start or end of a trip. 

I am starting to realize that is not a reliable strategy any more.  I may be doing more wild camping than I planned.