Favourite UK / European tours?

Hi there

After several months off my bike while studying, i have around 2/3 weeks free at the start of July to tour. This is my first tour alone and will probably be in the UK, so i'd like to hear tales of your favourite routes. I'm happy to ride off road, and will be camping where i can. Info on the severity of midges in the outer hebrides at that time of year would be appreciated, as my insect bites tend to swell up.

Thank you

Ruthie

I find mosquito bites swell up, but I have never had that problem with midges. A good thing, because you can get plenty of bites. Don't let them put you off going. Western Isles are quite windy, which keeps them away, and sunshine does the same. On a bike you will not notice them.

Last year I did a 10 day tour up in the far north of Scotland, starting in Inverness. From Inverness I headed up to Durness and then Cape Wrath before following the coast as closely as possible south to Skye. Superb scenery, loads of hills and very little traffic. You can include the UKs only alpine-esque pass - the Bealach na Ba - on the Applecross peninsula.

The midges will be bad that time of year. You'll be fine when you're cycling, its when you stop that they become a problem. Camping won't be much fun unless there's a good breeze.

Our favourite European cycling is Iceland. Reasons why here. I need to take antihistamine tablets if I get a lot of midge bites, and for that reason refuse to go to the land-of-my-birth (Scotland) in high summer. No biting flies in Iceland. Norway is also wonderful, and the midges are more sporadic than Scotland, especially if you choose a more northerly area, ie north of Trondheim. In all of these nordic places, you need to cross your fingers for the weather.

Lake District,Wales,Cornwall,Devon the list can be as lon as you like without even bothering with the scottish midge by using Sustran Routes long periods of no vehicle touring can be achieved.