hi,

I'd like to solicit any advice I can get about a couple weeks of bike touring in northern Scotland (flying in and out of Edinburgh with my bike). I'll be there for the first couple of weeks of June, hopefully a bit on the early side of the tourist season.

I've toured a lot, always by picking out suitable roads on a map and starting -- never planning much in advance, and certainly never using turn-by-turn directions. I bought the Sustrans book, Scotland: The National Cycle Network, which consists of turn-by-turn directions along designated routes. To my mind the book overemphasizes the national routes (which are especially spotty in the north) and makes the whole trip look like more of a difficult endeavor than I'd expected, perhaps because it is targeted at riders used to shorter distances. (Part of the problem is that the cycle network is not necessarily on the most direct routes. I had estimated Inverness to Thurso/John O'Groats as about 120-140 miles, whereas the book calls it 170.) Is my usual procedure of getting a map and getting on the bike going to work in Scotland?

Next, where should I go? I am primarily interested in good scenery, but I'd like to still having some towns available for food and accommodation. I have often toured in the Adirondacks, which is a fairly remote and hilly area, and I am thinking of northern Scotland (say, from Edinburgh north) as simply a larger version of that area. NW Scotland looks the best for scenery, but perhaps the most difficult and the hardest to find support, meals, and accommodations. I was originally thinking of heading up to Thurso and to the Orkneys, but the Hebrides seem somewhat more accessible. Favorite route ideas most welcome.

Next question: I'm waffling on whether to bring camping gear. I'd like to travel as light as possible to cover more miles more pleasantly. I'd estimate my base load at (roughly) 20 lbs. A light tent/sleeping bag/etc would add perhaps another 8 lbs, and I don't know whether that's worth it, or whether I should slim the load and count on hostels and B&Bs, of which there seem to be many. I've read other folks say that they've brought gear but rarely needed it. My goal in touring is to see Scotland, but *not* to go camping per se; camping just gives me more options of places to stay en route.

Finally, how much do I need to worry about locking my bike? I am very careful in the USA and ordinarily carry a pocket-sized kryptonite, which is extremely secure but rather heavy. In Edinburgh, at least, I assume I'll want to be very careful.

thanks for any advice.