Six of the Best

You don't have to leave the UK & Eire to find really good scenic motorcycle routes. After a bit of research on the subject, and knowing the Lake District route described well, these look good to me.

1. The N500 route around the coast of Northern Scotland

The N500 is a jaw-droppingly beautiful route. Some of the most picturesque scenery in Europe can be found in the Scottish Highlands and you will see it laid out as you travel the winding roads from Inverness to John O'Groats and round the coast. Some Australian friends of mine travelled part of it in May this year, and pronounced it better than New Zealand for scenery.

A picture paints a thousand words to pull a cliche out of the bag...yeah, yeah...I know...but here's a handy biker's eye view of some of the N500 route to wet your whistle. The music might not be to everyone's taste, but it's well worth seeing.

This shows you the route in full

This shows you the route in full

I've done Inverness to John O'Groats in a car and there are some wild stretches just along that bit. According to the press the route, or part of it will feature in Series Three of the Grand Tour and they must know a thing or two about scenic road trips.

2. Keswick – Cockermouth (B5289 )

A much shorter trip this, and one I recently completed by car, the scenery is breathtaking. I had the aforementioned Aussie mates in the back and they were literally oohh and ahhing at the view as we went over the Honister Pass. T here are few places in the world than can beat the Lake District for natural beauty and outstanding roads. Around 14 million tourists visit the Lakes every year, many of whom take to two wheels for their trip.

This road avoids the direct A66 Keswick to Cockermouth, instead heading along the edge of Derwent Water, through the village of Seatoller, around the southern tip of Dale Head and along the banks of Buttermere and Crummock Water before heading north to Cockermouth. Though the bloke in the video lower down has done the route in reverse to that, I always do it this way round in the car as the dramatic bits lie in wait for you then.

B5289 moody through Honister Pass - my own pic taken in May 2018

B5289 moody through Honister Pass - my own pic taken in May 2018

A lot of bikers come to the Lakes and I'm told this is a genuinely rewarding road on a bike. It's pretty damn good in a car. The backdrop simply adds to the thrill of this extremely enjoyable route.

3. Cheddar Gorge (B3135)

Cheddar Gorge is a limestone gorge in the Mendip Hills and is an amazing sight, but it also has a great driving road. People have said how can this be as it's only 14 miles, so surely you'll just get going then it'll stop, and that it's very touristy so full of sightseers pootling along. Well it is short and there are tourists, but it's worth it. Morning runs are recommended on this according to those in the know, meaning that you’ll avoid the worst of the tourist traffic, some of which you get the idea of in the video below.

Starting from Axbridge, between junctions 21 and 22 of the M5, then heading east on the A371 before bearing left at the Cross Road services, onto the B3135 towards Cheddar. After passing through the village, you meetsome challenging bends and turns that take you down into the gorge, voted in a 2005 poll by Radio Times as second greatest natural wonder in Britain. The road continues to take various twists and turns well after you have left the gorge, all the way into the tiny village of Green Ore.

4. Bwlch y Groes (Pass of the Cross) Dinas Mawddwy – Llanuwchllyn, Wales.

The Bwlch-y-Groes (Pass of the Cross) has long been popular with motorcycle enthusiasts. Yet more jaw dropping scenery awaits the person who ventures up here. It's the highest public road in North Wales and was often used as a test route by a number of manufacturers, including Triumph, for their hill climbing bikes. The climb is well within the capabilities of modern motorcycles, with the mostly single track road having a double hairpin at the foot of the hill. It can be hard going on a small bike as you'll see from the video below, but challenge is a good thing, isn't it?

Travelling up to 1,788 feet above sea level, the road from Dinas Mawddwy, via Llanymawddwy, through to Llanuwchllyn and Lake Vyrnwy gets its name from the cross, just below the summit at the junction of the roads from Vyrnwy and from Dinas Mawddwy, commemorating the place of the pass on a pilgrim route from North Wales.

5. Cat & Fiddle, Macclesfield – Buxton (A537)

Now this is a beautiful route, but it comes with a health warning, having been called the most dangerous road in Britain after 34 deaths on the road between 2006 and 2008. As a result, the local police maintain a strong presence on the route. Notorious is probably the best way to describe it.

It is well know among bikers and is one of the most popular roads for them to travel to try it out. Stretching across the western section of the peak district from Buxton into Macclesfield, the Cat & Fiddle pass is popular thanks to its challenging bends and stunning scenery. The Cat & Fiddle Inn at the road’s summit also plays a part in attracting bikers to the region, though hopefully they're having a strong cuppa to steady their nerves or staying the night.

6. Wicklow Mountains National Park, Wicklow, Ireland

This is a more varied route, a circuit of the area around the Wicklow National Park, taking in main roads and some of Ireland’s more challenging and more scenic country roads. I'mstarting to run out of superlatives to describe scenery by the time I've got to this one, but take it as read the scenery is beautiful.

Starting in Roundwood, the route goes south on the R755 before joining the R756 then twists and turns through the heart of the national park. After leaving the park, more varied roads follow, bearing right at Lockstown Upper onto the R758 before a short bit on the N81 northbound towards Dublin. A right onto the R759 will take you back onto the twisting roads of the Irish countryside.

Got any suggestions? Ridden on or driven any of these routes?

Let me know what your experiences of these routes are in the comments below, or if you have any suggestions for routes. I hope you've enjoyed looking at the routes and seeing other people ride them, might inspire you to go and have a decco, as we used to say in the 1970s where I'm from.