Why this ride
460 km from Stromness to Stromness, about 10 h 17 of riding. On the way it passes Munsary & Shielton, East Halladale, The Flow Country and back through East Halladale. It suits an unhurried touring pace.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Stones of Stenness and The Flow Country
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 460 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 10 h 17
- Journey
- Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
The recorded total and the leg detail need reconciliation. Inspect the leg notes before using this record for timing or navigation. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Scenic road chapters
North Coast 500
Expect company on a summer weekend. Early is better than fast. For 90 km this is North Coast 500, a road with a name of its own and a reason for it.
Chapter facts
- Length
- 90 km
- Named road
- North Coast 500
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Stones of Stenness
At the southern end of the narrow neck of land between Loch Harray and Loch Stenness, four tall stones stand against the sky. They are all that is left of a circle that may have had twelve, laid out around 3000 BC, which makes it among the oldest stone circles in Britain. The tallest stone is over five metres, thin as a blade, cut from the local flagstone that splits into slabs, and the whole group has the stern, upright look of something that has stood a long time in the wind. Inside the circle are traces of a central hearth, and archaeologists have found bones of cattle from feasts.
Read the complete Stones of Stenness write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Stones of Stenness is where the day begins. Next is Munsary & Shielton.
2. Munsary & Shielton
Inland from Wick, in the far north-east of Scotland, the land flattens into a vast, rolling expanse of peat bog, brown and gold, dotted with pools and lochans that reflect the sky. Munsary and Shielton are areas of this blanket bog, part of the Flow Country, which was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2024 as the largest expanse of blanket bog in Europe. Here, sphagnum mosses have built up peat over thousands of years, storing vast amounts of carbon, and the bog teems with life: insect-eating sundews, cotton grass waving white in summer, and birds such as golden plover, greenshank and dunlin nesting among the hummocks.
Read the complete Munsary & Shielton write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Munsary & Shielton comes up 50 km in. Next is East Halladale.
3. East Halladale
Strath Halladale is one of the emptiest valleys in mainland Britain, and East Halladale is a scatter of crofts and sheep fields along it. The A897 runs up the strath from Helmsdale on the east coast to Melvich on the north coast, following the Halladale River for much of the way, and for long stretches you will see more deer than cars. It is single track with passing places, so the rules are simple: pull in to let faster traffic by, wave, and never park in a passing place.
Read the complete East Halladale write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
100 km in you reach East Halladale. Next is The Flow Country.
4. The Flow Country
Most people who first see the Flow Country think it is empty. It is not; it is simply flat, wet and enormous, and it takes a while to understand what you are looking at. Spread across Caithness and Sutherland in the far north of Scotland, this is the largest expanse of blanket bog in Europe, a landscape of peat built up over thousands of years, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2024. The surface is a patchwork of sphagnum mosses, cotton grass and heather, studded with countless small pools called dubh lochans that shine like broken mirrors when the sun comes out. Under your feet, the peat holds an extraordinary amount of carbon.
Read the complete The Flow Country write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
The Flow Country, about halfway. Next is back through East Halladale.
5. back through East Halladale
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete East Halladale write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through East Halladale sits at 199 km, about halfway. Next is back through Munsary & Shielton.
6. back through Munsary & Shielton
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Munsary & Shielton write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Munsary & Shielton comes up 249 km in. Next is Stones of Stenness.
7. Stones of Stenness
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Stones of Stenness write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Stones of Stenness closes the day.
Leg by leg
Stones of Stenness to Munsary & Shielton
Stones of Stenness → Munsary & Shielton is 90 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
Munsary & Shielton to East Halladale
Munsary & Shielton → East Halladale is 30 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
East Halladale to The Flow Country
East Halladale → The Flow Country is 29 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
The Flow Country to back through East Halladale
The Flow Country → back through East Halladale is 29 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through East Halladale to back through Munsary & Shielton
back through East Halladale → back through Munsary & Shielton is 30 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Munsary & Shielton to Stones of Stenness
back through Munsary & Shielton → Stones of Stenness is 90 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.