Free Motorcycle Touring Routes – Camping in the Cairngorms

Riding a motorcycle in Scotland is one of the great joys in life, and for me, the Cairngorms are towards the top of the roads to ride list.  OK, so there are midges to deal with in summer, and there is the tedious ride north until Barnard Castle, after which the scenery improves, the traffic thins and the bends flow towards you.

Either because of its popularity, or just because “reasons”, Scotland has become an expensive place to visit. It was never cheap, but a four-day, three-night indulgence didn’t require a credit check.

Not wanting to lose the joy that riding in Scotland brings, I’ve been looking at ways to lower the cost, as, based on the figures currently published, a night in a Scottish B&B will cost around £95 this summer. The lowest I found was £70, and £120 was easy to spend if I wanted to – which I don’t.

Pineapples

By contrast, a standard grass pitch on a Camping site in peak season typically costs around £30 for a two-person tent.

If you don’t already have the camping stuff, there is an additional expense, a topic we covered last year (Motorcycle Camping on a £200 Budget). The costs in that article still hold true, and I’ll be using the same gear I bought back then, so it is “all gravy”.

Mixing with caravans may not exactly fit with the rebelling, wailing against the machine, free-spirited persona that we might quietly aspire to, but when there is cash on the table, everything changes.

And then there is all that Pineapple stuff people go on about – I’ve no idea what they are referring to, but it seems you can’t mention camping and caravans without pineapples.

Financially, it’s a landslide. Psychologically, it’s oddly liberating. And culturally? Let’s be honest – once I’ve saved money, had a good night’s sleep and enjoyed a hot shower, any supposed stigma associated with caravans will be long gone.

Camping In The Cairngorms

The routes below start at the Boroughbridge Asda (Fuel and refreshments), a favourite meeting point for us near York, less than a mile from the A1.

The route travels a short distance north on the A1 and the A69 to Barnard Castle, then takes the road less travelled through Hexham, passes Kielder Water, and continues on to Bonnie Park Camp Site, a few miles south west of Jedburgh in the Scottish Borders.

As most of us travel to reach the meeting point at Boroughbridge, Jedburgh makes a good night stop before dealing with Edinburgh and Perth.

The next morning, after a fuel stop at Darnick, the route takes the slightly twisting A7 before joining the major roads and motorways south of Edinburgh to reach the turn-off just south of Perth as quickly as possible.

Just south of Perth, the route turns off the motorways and passes through the town of Scone, mostly because there is a petrol station there (Tesco) and a Jet station a mile or so further on.

I once made the mistake of riding through the Cairngorms with less than a full tank of petrol. I made it, but the last few miles to the petrol station were a little nerve-racking.

Once on to the A93, the next 90 miles to the Camp Site at Dufftown are an ever-increasing delight. I never know whether to go faster because of the curves or slower because of the scenery.

Slower, obviously.

Whether you camp or use the routes and find a B&B, either way, download, ride and enjoy. What could possibly go wrong?