Guest Posted August 18, 2009 Posted August 18, 2009 Thursday 6th Aug.Day one started at 7:30am at Menai Bridge, took the A55/M56/M6/M74 to get into Scotland asap, then at last the A82 and our earlyish stop at the Lodges at Luss on Loch Lomond. 331 miles and a beer followed by the lodges nice pool and sauna etc were very welcome and then a walk around the pretty village of Luss.Luss lodgeshttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02329.jpgthe sauna in our room lol http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02309.jpgour room with a viewhttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02338.jpgand the view at dawnhttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02354.jpgpretty little Lusshttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02335.jpg Quote
Guest Posted August 18, 2009 Posted August 18, 2009 day two, A82 all the way to our BnB in Inverness. Booked the same place for the next 4 nights giving us 3 days of 'no luggage' riding in the Highlands on 3 different circuits. Absolutely stunning roads and scenery! I expected a lot today and despite Glen Coe being smaller than I imagined and Loch Ness being inconspicuous behind trees I still had a fabulous day!Glen Coehttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02356GlenCoe.jpgand Glen Coe againhttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02358GlenCoe.jpgGlen Coehttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02359GlenCoe.jpgLoch Linnhehttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02360LochLinnhe.jpgUrquhart Castle Loch Nesshttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02362UrquhartcastleLochNess.jpg Quote
Guest Posted August 18, 2009 Posted August 18, 2009 Not trying to overstate this but day three would turn into one of the best bike days of my life. Ride up to Lairg then on to Altnaharra and right on up to Tongue, 95% of todays ride is to be done on single track A roads lol, bit scary at first but they are good roads when treated with respect and the other road users are all very very gracious people when it comes to who stops at the passing spaces After a fill up with fuel at the local Spar shop in Tongue (£1.20L ) we set off for Loch Eriboll, the road winds its way all around the sea loch and takes you round to Durness (passed John Lennons old house too!) then on to Richonich, from where we wound our way back to Lairg and then back to Inverness for the evening. Total time on the road today was 8 hours.Dornoch Firthhttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02367DornochFirthviewpoint.jpgLairg to Tonguehttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02374LtoT.jpghttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02376LtoT.jpghttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02377LtoT.jpgLoch Eribollhttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02678Locheriboll.jpghttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02679Locheriboll.jpghttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02677Locheriboll.jpg Quote
Guest Posted August 18, 2009 Posted August 18, 2009 Riconich.... Midges here were spectacular lolhttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02388Rhiconich.jpgsomewhere on the Durness to Lairg road A838http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02389A838toLairg.jpghttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02685.jpghttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02687.jpghttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02690-1.jpghttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02691.jpg Quote
Guest Posted August 18, 2009 Posted August 18, 2009 day 4 was supposed to be nice and easy after yesterday, a little jaunt up to the girlfriends old hometown of Bettyhill on the north Coast. I figured we'd head out to John O Grotes since we were so close and that brought in a whole bunch of other roads to explore............ so we ended up out on the road for near on 10 hours Brilliant day again but this time totally different scenery.Glenmorangie's Barley fields around the Cromarty Firthhttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02393cromartyfirthfromblackisle.jpgA99http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02394A99.jpgWarth Hill looking down at JOGhttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02695.jpghttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02693.jpghttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02698.jpgFarr Bayhttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02397Farrbay.jpgTorrisdale Bayhttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02399Torrisdalebay.jpgrush hour at Strathnaverhttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02406strathnaver.jpghttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02407strathnaver.jpg Quote
Guest Posted August 18, 2009 Posted August 18, 2009 Strathnaverhttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02409strathnaver.jpgMoved on to some weird and wonderful B roads........Syre to Kinbrace roadhttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02412StoKinbrace.jpghttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02414StoKinbrace.jpghttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02417StoKinbrace.jpghttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02415StoKinbrace.jpgLoch Naverhttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02706.jpgDunrobin Castlehttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02420Dunrobincastle.jpghttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02422Dunrobincastle.jpghttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02421Dunrobincastle.jpghttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02714dunrobincastle.jpghttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02715dunrobincastle.jpgLooking for Dolphins in the Moray Firthhttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02716.jpghttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02717.jpgdid find sammy the seal http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02423Cromartyfirth.jpg Quote
Guest Posted August 18, 2009 Posted August 18, 2009 day five, after two long days on the bike we decided that the run out west to Ullapool could wait till another year so we did a little jaunt out east along the Moray Firth to Spey Bay. Stopped in at the wildlife center and had a coffee and a wander, Dolphins had been up the bay at 10:30 that morning but nothing there at 1pm for us but still a nice place to hang around There's the worlds largest whisky tour in this area so it seemed a crime not to stop at one of the distilieries We took a tour of the Glen Moray distiliery and had a fine informative and interesting tour, sampled a small amount of some very fine single malt too...... £70 a bottle but absolute magic the stuff was! Glen Moray Mountain Oak.Nice easy day and back in Inverness by 3pm. Spey Bayhttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02718.jpghttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02719.jpghttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02723.jpghttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02726.jpgGlen Moray Whiskyhttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02734.jpghttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02424GlenMoray.jpghttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02732.jpghttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02733.jpghttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02729.jpg Quote
Guest Posted August 18, 2009 Posted August 18, 2009 day six we leave Inverness and head to Callander for the next BnB taking in Killin an then Dukes pass along the way. The weather all week had been warm and sunny with one rain shower on two days. Today we woke to rain......... and it rained all day! ho hum get on with it and get used to it, waterproofs work fine so we still had a good day.Bridge and river at Killinhttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02429Killin.jpghttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02430Killin.jpghttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02432Killin.jpghttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02433Killin.jpghttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02434Killin.jpgDukes Pass and very wet lolhttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02440Dukespass.jpghttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02442Dukespass.jpghttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02737churchdukespass.jpghttp://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02438.jpg Quote
Guest Posted August 19, 2009 Posted August 19, 2009 day seven, Aviemore and the Cairngorms and then England and then finaly home to north Wales. It wasn't wet but it was chilly! so chilly in fact that I just got on with the job of riding home, some nice scenery along the route but I didn't take one picture, well not until I got home when I got off the bike and took this picture and went in for a coffee and collapsed on the sofa 1647.1 miles later and I'm back home.http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a45/der888/DSC02443Homeagain.jpg Quote
techno Posted August 19, 2009 Posted August 19, 2009 Nice trip and some stuning pictures do love scotland its a fabulous place need to get bak up there some time and take the blade maybe next year! Quote
YamahaWolf Posted August 19, 2009 Posted August 19, 2009 Amazing pictures mate. I ould love to go to scotland. Quote
nman1 Posted August 19, 2009 Posted August 19, 2009 You have just convinced me that that is my next year holiday. Looks stunning scenery and some great quiet roads. I`ll bet you`re glad you`re back.....NOT Quote
Guest Posted August 19, 2009 Posted August 19, 2009 Wow amazing... been to Scotland a few times but always in the car and never really to enjoy the roads.This is starting to tempt me... I am planning a four day trip somewhere between 1st - 4th October and riding up to Scotland and then spending my time there exploring is starting to seem more and more tempting!*plans* Quote
Guest Posted August 19, 2009 Posted August 19, 2009 Wow amazing... been to Scotland a few times but always in the car and never really to enjoy the roads.This is starting to tempt me... I am planning a four day trip somewhere between 1st - 4th October and riding up to Scotland and then spending my time there exploring is starting to seem more and more tempting!*plans* I hope to get up there again before winter sets in. A couple of mates with bikes have suggested 2 nights away in the western isles of Scotland and I'm finding it hard to refuse! We were thinking of heading up onto one of the isles travelling through it and taking a ferry to the next and then through it and a ferry to next etc. then a blast home on the mainland. Tentative plan anyway, it'll get more concrete soon enough over a few beers Quote
TC Posted August 20, 2009 Posted August 20, 2009 Looks fantastic Jota, every route up there seems different Quote
Guest Posted August 20, 2009 Posted August 20, 2009 Right I think this has now changed what I am doing on those four days! Some of the roads up there look awesome... one day to get up to Scotland, one day to get home... leaves two whole days up there. Those roads/scenery up to Lairg and then Altnaharra etc. lool great and so I may well do something along those lines.Must sort out breakdown cover first, and work out what tools I will need to take! Quote
Fazer Pete Posted August 20, 2009 Posted August 20, 2009 Fantastic trip Derek. Been along most of those roads in an Artic, must get the bike up there 1 day. Just got to convince Lynne that she would enjoy it Quote
Mk5Centurion Posted August 21, 2009 Posted August 21, 2009 Looks like you got the weather then; glad you enjoyed your trip...there are very few places nicer than the far north.Aren't we the lucky ones..... Quote
psycho Posted August 27, 2009 Posted August 27, 2009 Fantastic pictures and a great write up , Ive not done Scotland for 2 years now but that will get corrected next year Quote
Guest Posted August 27, 2009 Posted August 27, 2009 Cheers for the comments! I'm still smiling from the trip I'm sure a softer/comfier seat would have got me to Ullapool for the third 'loop' in the Highlands so I am currently searching for a seat better than original. Quote
Fozzie Posted August 28, 2009 Posted August 28, 2009 Good choice of bike to use for that trip!Good pictures, Good write up and looks like a stunning holiday!The weather was on your side for most of it as well which is especially good. Glad you had a good time! Quote
Guest Posted September 9, 2009 Posted September 9, 2009 Great pics, enjoyed that. Glad you had a great time up here in Scotland, you've done more than me and I live here,,, Just back from Cairngorm, Lochleven, Inverness and Ullapool run last week, stunning roads. Quote
DG Posted September 10, 2009 Posted September 10, 2009 Great pics Jota! Lovely place to visit and the roads are awesome too. Looks like you had a fab time? What are those things on the ground in the second pic of spay bay?? Quote
Guest Posted September 10, 2009 Posted September 10, 2009 Great pics Jota! Lovely place to visit and the roads are awesome too. Looks like you had a fab time? What are those things on the ground in the second pic of spay bay?? they're mosaic's of wildlife found in Speybay as well as stuff from it's history, looked really old and interesting.......... then read a sign saying they were drawn and made up by local school children all good stuff though really enjoyed the whole week and would go again at the drop of a hat but am feeling a draw towards the continent again for next year, especially after reading your trip report. Quote
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