North Sea cycle route

[jimcrosskell]

There is a petition listed here by a guy on the Shetland Islands who is trying to reinstate a Summer link to Norway. If successful this would enable the whole of the cycle route to be completed as originally envisaged.
http://www.gopetition.com/petition/38144.html
Backwinds forever........

[Smudge]

I was signer 535

it would be fantastic to be able to complete the NSCR as it should be

Smudge

[Les Reay]

I did the NSCR a few years back, travelling from Bergen to the Shetlands en route with Smyril Line. This part of the tour was one of the highlights, so I really hope the ferry connection is brought back.

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“True knowledge lies in knowing how to live.”

[wallyone]

Signature No579.
I was planning on doing this route but then the ferry link stopped which changed things. I'd done some parts of the route before and found the Harwich/Cuxhaven ferry was useful in breaking the distances up into more manageable lengths, but that stopped some years before and to go from Esbjerg to Bergen is a long stretch especially if it's a dead end.
The crossing to Bergen also opened up Norway to many cyclists with regular tour reports in cycling magazines including the CTC magazine over the years.
Here's hoping the Scottish Government listen.

[horizon]

After a trip to Shetland in the 70s, I advised a family member that it may be possible to hitch-hike from Lerwick to Norway. He gave it a try and after a stomach churning few days aboard a Norwegian fishing boat arrived safely and free of charge in Norway (not sure which port). Would like to know if anyone else has tried it or might try it. A bike wouldn't be a problem. I presume Aberdeen would also be OK.

[saturn]

I work as a port controller in Shetland and whilst in lerwick harbour did manage to organise a lift for a cycling couple onboard a faroese fishing boat however as security measures have been tightened up there is a reluctance to take passengers onboard by many vessels . I have no doubts that the ferry to bergen will be re-instated in the near future if only for the summer season especially as the vessel passes within sight of Shetland's coast every week on it's route between Faroe and Scandinavia. At present the NSCR is still viable during summer months as there is a good ferry service to Lerwick from Aberdeen and then a direct flight link from Sumburgh airport to Bergen twice a week with Loganair/Flybe which carries bikes for ten pound each way and only takes an hour.

[horizon]

Thanks for your post saturn - really interesting and good news about the ferry.

[crankster]

I am thinking about trying to complete the route in stages next year. I can't get a good idea from the website of the Scotland distance - anyone have an idea?
Thanks
Crankster

[ccmackay]

Ref Scotland Distances.

I am doing some planning of my own and the have gathered the following rough information so far for the NSCR in Scotland.

Berwick-upon-Tweed to Edinburgh 115 miles (185km)
Edinburgh to Inverness 319 miles (514km)
Inverness to John O'Groats 172 miles (277km)
Orkney 77 miles (125km)
Shetland 98 miles (157km)

If you want to complete every mile of the NSCR in Scotland then Orkney and Shetland are difficult. The natural route during the summer is to take the ferry from John O'Groats to Burwick where NSCR starts in Orkney and heads towards Kirkwall (23.5 miles) which is your link for ferry or flight to (Lerwick / Sumburgh) Shetland. However the route goes past Kirkwall and loops round the island to Stromness, this would then require back tracking to Kirkwall which can add around 20 miles.

[crankster]

CC, many thanks - v useful info. I may skip the islands...