What a fantastic Country!!!!

[mikepg]

Hello!

Got back yesterday from a truly fantastic ride with some mates.

We went from North Berwick to:

Callender
Tyndrum
Forth William
Kyle of Lochalsh
Skye (overnight stop)
Applecross
Plockton
Ullapool (the long way round) (overnight stop)
Durness
Tongue
back down South - by passing Inverness
Grantown on Spey (overnight stop)
Tomitoul
Braemar
The Lecht
Glenshee
back up North on A9 via Dalwhinnie to Fort William
then - we were going to go back via Oban, Killmartin blah blah blha -
but it rained..........so, back via Glencoe eventually getting back at 7 ish yesterday evening.

I think nearly 950 miles for me in 3 days ( I missed the first overnight stop in Skye)

Most of you know the roads - I have not been up there for donkeys years and all I can say is that it truly the best.

Only the GS's (mine and Nigels) made it all the way!! - the K12s broke down on day 1. The Aprillia developed clutch problems and the K12R retired a day early (no mechanical problems, but Andy had to go and catch a flight to London!)

The bike is great - I had my reservations beforehand, but I swapped my R12gs for the K12R for some of the time (a bike I really like) - and could not wait to get back on the R12gs!. The Anakees are now completely shot (6k miles) - but I think they are a perfect tyre for the roads. No sore bottom, arms nor legs (I have a completely stock bike too with no mods). Sore head though from all the beer and whisky!

It was HOT!!! - but got caught in a HUGE thunder storm south of Inverness on Saturday.

Those of you who live up in Skye and Lochalsh are SO SO lucky - the roads are perfect and scenery breathtaking. Loved all of the smells of the heather and trees and so on... The pubs in Ullapool a superb too.

The others nearly ran out of fuel 50 miles South of Ullapool after 5:30pm - so managed to blag some of a local polic! - who then phoned a hotel further North to ask them to expect us and so open up the petrol station!! - so thanks to whoever that was.

Yes - the Ben Loyal Hotel in Tongue is shyte -----------had to check it ooot!!

Happy days indeed.

 

[AndyT]

Your'e spot on is really is a fantastic place for bikes - no need to go abroad when the suns out to play. Pic 1 is great by the way

AndyT

 

[garfield]

cracking route and photos there Mike....

 

[cunning fox]

so i take it the knee's a wee bit better then

nice report an photies mike

 

[Trippy]

Very nice, shame it's so far away though.

 

[Deleted account rno]

Very nice, shame it's so far away though.

Stand closer to your monitor then

 

[Trippy]

Stand closer to your monitor then

Oh yeah thats better

 

[Voyager]

Very nice, shame it's so far away though.

Trippy,

Are you in Wiveliscombe ? (I went to school in Wellington, lived in Isle Abbotts and worked in Taunton for a while).

If I can do Edinburgh to Shepton Mallet and back in the day without requiring physiotherapy you can get to see the Highlands with no bother

Get on the bike and do it (but avoid Friday afternoons in the Midlands )

The thought is a lot worse than the deed

Bob.

 

[roddy]

Mike where was the first photo taken ?

 

[mikepg]

Mike where was the first photo taken ?

Roddy - I wish I knew exactly! - but I guess somewhere just after or before Gairloch. It could be Loch Maree but more likely Loch Ewe?

 

[Blackal]

It looks like a freshwater loch, but I've never seen Loch Maree that calm before.

Pic 2 is of the same loch.

Al

 

[mikepg]

It looks like a freshwater loch, but I've never seen Loch Maree that calm before.

Pic 2 is of the same loch.

Al

Yes - it is the same Loch!

 

[columbus]

Thanks for the photos, I'm off for the weekend at the end of the month. The route is similar but going anticlockwise. Lets hope the weather is as good.

 

[Voyager]

Thanks for the photos, I'm off for the weekend at the end of the month. The route is similar but going anticlockwise. Lets hope the weather is as good.

You got your clutch slave cylinder replaced then


Bob.

 

[columbus]

You got your clutch slave cylinder replaced then


Bob

Your mind starting to go and getting people mixed up or have you been fidgeting wi ma bike auld yin

 

[Gizmo*]

It looks like a freshwater loch, but I've never seen Loch Maree that calm before.

Pic 2 is of the same loch.

Al

nice route, one of my favourites.

i'd say that was Loch Maree, second shot is about 2/3rds way round going north west/south east i think , its usually blowing hard going over there usually accompanied by horizontal rain

 

[Voyager]

Your mind starting to go and getting people mixed up or have you been fidgeting wi ma bike auld yin

Oooops.

Must be old age getting to my memory (again), I thought you were having clutch problems recently.

Sorry !

(Now I'll have to hunt through old threads to get to the truth ).

Bob.

 

[Voyager]

Your mind starting to go and getting people mixed up or have you been fidgeting wi ma bike auld yin

And the truth is . . .

It was Yogi Bear.

I knew there was a connection .

Bob.

 

[Uinneag]

And the truth is . . .

It was Yogi Bear.

I knew there was a connection .

Bob.

Looks like you made a Boo Boo