Rays Trip to scotland 2008
By Jet setter Ray at 21/09/2008 03:41:46 PM
SCOTLAND TRIP AUGUST 2008
Friday 8 August
I was finally setting off on my two week holiday to Scotland. Debbie was travelling up in the car as she was picking up a friend in Halifax, while I was going on my Sportster Chop. I planned to stay overnight at my parents house in Gateshead, as my dad had just got out of hospital, before travelling the rest of the way to Aviemore. I loaded the bike up and set off at midday with the waterproofs on as it had been raining. I managed to get 18 miles up the A1 before I got rained on. By 32 miles it was hammering down, but luckily it only lasted for another 10 miles before it settled down to a light drizzle. Eventually after 50 miles the rain stopped. I pulled in for petrol after 125 miles and put a sweatshirt on as I was getting cold. By the time I reached Doncaster the sun had come out and the ride was turning out to be quite enjoyable. I pulled in for petrol at the Washington-Birtley Services after another 115 miles and arrived at my parent’s house just after 16.30 having travelled 250 miles.
Saturday 9 August
Next morning, after watching the weather forecast and seeing a severe weather warning for most of Scotland, I decided to stay at my parents for another night. Just as well, as it started throwing it down for most of the day. I rang Debbie to tell her I would be in Scotland tomorrow and she told me that she could hardly see the road for the rain. Had a quick check over the bike as the tank fixings had worked loose yesterday. Everything was fine and I had just finished when it started to rain again. Packed the tools away and went and had a cup of tea. I then got everything ready for the trip and relaxed for the rest of the day.
Sunday 10 August
The sun was belting down when I woke up, so after a shower and breakfast, I was on the road by 8.45am. I rode through Newcastle and headed north-west up the A696. Just before Otterburn I had to stop and put the waterproofs on again. By the time I got to Carter Bar and the Scottish border it had stopped raining but was cold. I took a photo of the ‘Scotland’ sign on a huge stone, very impressive. From the border I rode up the A68 through Jedburgh and stopped for petrol near Dalkeith on the southern outskirts of Edinburgh, 96 miles since I had filled up yesterday. I followed the Edinburgh by-pass (A720), it started raining again, and joined the M8 and M9 before heading towards the Forth Road Bridge, the rain had stopped. I was surrounded by a load of go-faster bikes as I crossed the bridge, so I tucked in behind them, not expecting to keep up with them. Going over the bridge the speed limit is 50mph, but,
they were only doing 40mph. I was being held up, so when I could, I went past them. Once on the M90 the rain started again, but I just carried on at about 60mph, eventually all the go-faster bikes came past me after the rain had stopped and turned off towards the race circuit at Knockhill for the BSB meeting. I guess they can only go fast when it’s not raining. I followed the M90 up to Perth where I joined the A9 heading north. I turned off at Pitlochry to get something to eat and filled up with petrol again (only 65 miles since the last time). Back on the A9 and heading north I finally arrived in Aviemore. I met up with Debbie and some friends and then headed off to the cottage we had rented, only stopping to park the bike in its holiday home, an old barn just down the road. A trip of 225 miles from Gateshead. We had something to eat and then went out for a quick walk over the big hill next to the cottage. We walked up the hill, sown the other side to Loch Morlich and then back to the cottage by the side of the road. Five hours after we set out, we got back to the cottage, in severe pain; we had walked about 12 miles. It certainly didn’t look that far on the map!
Monday 11 August
Everyone was having trouble walking this morning so we decided to head to the coast by car. We went north to Findhorn, had a hobble on the beach, and then had a pub lunch, before returning back to the cottage via Lochindorb, it was rainy and cold all day. I rang Tony, as he was in Scotland with some of the French guys who had visited our bike show the week before, to arrange to meet up. He informed me that because the weather had been so bad they had decided to cut their losses and had just got on a ferry from Heysham to the Isle of Man for a few days.
Tuesday 12 August
I walked to the barn where my bike was and gave it a check over. Everything was fine so I jumped on it and went for a ride. I planned to head south and then west into the Grampian Mountains to Rannoch Station. I rode down the A9 and just before Dalwhinnie it started raining again. After putting the waterproofs on I carried on south again. Just past Dalwhinnie I could see a wall of water if front of me, it was pouring down. I turned round and went into town for petrol, where a truck driver told me that it was pissing down all the way to Perth. Plan B came into operation. Head north and get away from the rain. I headed north on a quiet back road, I could see the A9 with loads of vehicles throwing up heavy spray, but I was the only one on this road, fantastic. I carried on through Newtonmore and Kingussie on the A86 before turning onto the B970 and went past the ruins of Ruthven barracks and Insh Marshes. I had a quick visit to Loch-an-Eilein and from there I rode past Loch Morlich to Cairngorm Mountain. What a great view from the base station of the Funicular railway I had. I would go on the railway another day with everyone else. Took some photos and then headed back to the cottage after travelling 80 miles.
Wednesday 13 August
We decided to visit Cairngorm today so we piled in the car and drove there. We got the train to the top and went out to the viewing platform. The clouds had come in and we couldn’t see more than about 20 feet. We had something to eat and then got the train back down to the base station. We saw some reindeer being fed by the car park and took some photos of them before heading down to Loch Garten and Loch Malachie for a short walk around the lochs.
Thursday 14 August
We decide to have a go at archery and clay pigeon shooting today. I have never done these before so I wasn’t expecting to be any good at it. I also had a problem, as although I am right-handed, my left eye is the dominant one, so I had to shoot left-handed. It would make things even more interesting. My first arrow missed the target completely but I managed to hit it with my next two shots. After being told where to aim, (the point where the rear leg of the target met the ground) by the end of the session I had scored 25 out of 30 with my last three arrows. After lunch we set off to the clay-pigeon shoot. Again I had to shoot left-handed. Out of the 26 shots I hit 19 clays. Now, how long to the London Olympics? I got dropped off back at my bike and went for another ride. This time I headed out through Nethy Bridge to Speybridge, onto the A95 and carried on north to Bridge of Avon. I then went through Glenlivit, passing the distillery, Auchbreck, Dufftown, Craigellachie, Charlestown of Aberlour and Maryport. I crossed the River Spey and headed south down a very empty back road to Grantown-on-Spey, and then back to the cottage. A short ride of 84 miles
Friday 15 August
There was heavy rain this morning so we had a lazy time watching the Olympics. We headed out to Carrbridge for lunch and went on a horse-trek in the afternoon. The rain stopped the moment we got on the horse and started again as soon as we got off at the end of the trek. The horse I was riding decided to have a battle of wills with me. It wanted to stop and eat all the time and I didn’t want it to do that. Most of the time the horse won, and I nearly went over its head quite a few times. By the end of the trek my legs were so sore I could hardly move and my hands were red raw. We drove back to the cottage to recover.
Saturday 16 August
Today we moved to our next cottage which was right next to where I had been parking the bike. After packing everything up we dropped off the stuff at the new cottage, had a trip out for lunch and then me and Debbie went out for a ride. We went out through Nethy Bridge and then used a back road to get to the A939 and headed of towards Tomintoul. What a fantastic road, up over the mountains and then down again, great! Up to Bridge of Avon and then returned down the A95 to Boat of Garten and back to the cottage, for a short trip of 56 miles.
Sunday 17 August
It was raining again this morning so we watched the Olympics again. By early afternoon the rain had stopped so we went out on the bike again. Out past Nethy Bridge and Grantown-on-Spey once more and up the A939 towards Nairn. We turned off the main road and took more back roads across country to Cawdor, to see the castle, before returning via Culloden Moor, Inverness and Aviemore to the cottage. A round trip of 78 miles this time.
Monday 18 August
We drove up to John O’Groats today, straight up the A9. What a great road this is as it hugs the coastline most of the way up to John O’Groats. We went on a wildlife watching cruise across to the island of Stroma, saw lots of birds and a couple of seals, before returning to the harbour and driving back to the cottage.
Tuesday 19 August
I was planning on doing some miles on the bike today but when I looked out the window it was hammering down, so we watched the Olympics again, and saw Chris Hoy win his third gold medal. In the afternoon we went for a walk around Loch-an-Eilean, visited Aviemore and then back to the cottage. It didn’t stop raining all day.
Wednesday 20 August
It was raining again today, so we watched more Olympics before going to do some more clay pigeon shooting. In the afternoon we went and watched a sheepdog trial, the dogs weren’t too good, lots of sheep seemed to go everywhere but the pen where they were supposed to go.
Thursday 21 August
Once again I had planned to do some miles on the bike but, once again it was pouring down, so the Olympics were switched on again. We then went on a gorge walk that we had previously booked. We got all kitted up and set off to the gorge which was in the middle of nowhere. When we arrived we discovered that we couldn’t do anything as the water was too strong with all the rain. We got our money back and went back to the cottage. I will have to hope that there is good weather tomorrow as it is my last chance before heading south again.
Friday 22 August
I was up early and looked out the window…….no rain at last. Off I went down the B9152 to Kingussie, onto the A86 and rode past Loch Laggan. I stopped to put the waterproofs on as it started drizzling. At Spean Bridge, I visited the memorial to the Commando’s, took a couple of photos and then set off up the A82 to Fort Augustus, where I took the waterproofs off as the sun had come out. I left Fort Augustus and took the B862, on the south side of Loch Ness, up past Loch Tarff. Fantastic road again, taking me right into the mountains. I carried on to Foyers and visited the Falls of Foyers for a while before carrying on along the banks of Loch Ness to Dores. I then used back roads, going past Loch Duntelchaig to Farr. I then crossed the mountains to the valley of the River Findhorn. What a road that is. A single track road with passing places, gravel everywhere, grass growing down the centre of the road in places and lots of hairpin bends. I eventually made it but a chopper wasn’t the best bike to do it on. After riding down the mountainside into the valley I passed three fishermen who, by the look on their faces, couldn’t believe that I had crossed the mountain on my bike. I gave them a wave and carried on up the River Findhorn valley. Turning round, as there was only one way out, I rode back to the A9 at Tomatin, where I headed south back to Aviemore, where I stopped for a while as the Thunder In The Glen HOG Rally had just started, so there were quite a few Harleys about. I stayed for a while before heading back to the cottage. A great trip of 144 miles.
Saturday 23 August
It was very misty when I woke up but by 8.00am the sun was out and the bike was packed for the trip south. Back to the A9 and south past Perth, over the Forth Road Bridge and round Edinburgh on the by-pass again. I took the A7 turn-off and once past Gorebridge the road turned into a joy to ride, I hit a bit of traffic through Galashiels and Hawick before enjoying the road again to the border near Carlisle. I stopped and took a photo of the ‘Welcome to England’ sign, made out of tin, very cheap. I joined the M6 and travelled south for a few junctions to get me past Penrith, before joining the A6 and turned south again. Through Kendall, Carnforth and Lancaster to Preston, passing the H-D dealer, before picking up the A59. Continuing south I went through Ormskirk and into Liverpool, where I discovered that scouse roads are as bad as London roads. I was getting bounced everywhere. Through the Birkenhead Tunnel and I finally arrived at Debbie’s brothers, where we were staying for two nights. 330 miles in seven hours of riding.
Sunday 24 August
Today I did nothing, just sat about recovering from yesterday.
Monday 25 August
I set off at 10.00am and took the M53 for two junctions, before turning off onto the A41. Round Chester and past Whitchurch and Newport before taking the A5, past Cannock, Brownhills, Tamworth, Nuneaton, Rugby, Towcester, passing the H-D dealers, Milton Keynes and Dunstable, before turning onto the M1 at Junction 9 and following it south to London. I arrived home at 3.00pm having done 187 miles.
A did round trip of 1434 miles and found the roads in Scotland to be in a much better condition than English roads.
Geordie Ray
West London Harley Riders
