Day 5

We put Prestwick behind us and headed south for some strange reason then back past Prestwick and North at last. The coastal road was preferred as the Sea air bled the Scottish ale away from us. We were definitely sober on arrival at Port Glasgow. A sobering city if ever i saw one. All windows boarded up and no place to pick a fight or breakdown with expectited plight. This town was rough. Rougher than rough which made Glasgow seem truly caribeaan. We left with haste glad to be saddened with its state and fled north to Loch Lomand and the Trossachs National Parks. Wow were we now in Scotland or what...This was uncannily beautiful with a capital Aye Beautiful.

We fled quietly zig sagging through the mountains over to Loch Linnhe and over to Fort William a truly beautiful Welsh town in the heart of Scotland. We then camped at base camp at the nether end of Ben Nevis. The highest mountain in Scotland. It was here that we started to meet the midges. They were everywhere and in abundance at that. We eventually escaped them by hiding in the tents with 20 litres of Avon midge cream.

Day 6

Awe Scorchio again and off we venture further North passing Loch Loch via Invergary and North Westerly to Loch Duich aye! We was munching some miles with these bikes and we were now eating into the following days inventory. So we flew round and round zigzagging up and down Loch Cluanie was the old military road and we stopped for some tea and some cakes. After the biggest breakfast we ate with extra chips the local vendor told us of the 2 year ago freeze which froze the loch and stayed minus 18 for 8 weeks. Wow how harsh a climate is that? He also said that two weeks ago this road was impassable due to snow. So how lucky were we with the dates and timing of this blisteringly hot trip. We were well happy and what with all the characters that we met along the route. We could not have wished for a better holiday.

So onwards we ventured through the mountains of Glen Shiel passed Loch Duich, now peninsular hopping on the West coast of deepest Scotland. AS we headed for the infamous AppleCross. Our lady in the campsite insisted that this was the best road in the UK for bikes and indeed it was. Without mistake this road is one for the bucket list. Indeed this whole journey is.

Applecross...well what can i say. From here on in was WOW and i mean WOW in every way as we journeyed North snaking through the mountains and pass all the wee lochs. WoW and i mean WOW with a capital WWWWWW!

We had possibly the most heavenly day and arrived for camp in Glen Affic. Off to the Pub to meet some of the locals and were really well greated by the hospitality of the inn keeper and her home cooking. The other clientel were charming and good company especially as they got more drunk and leary. Unotunately the Englishmans true English came out and the Scorn of the landlady was utmost. We left for home and took solice in the fact that all other travellers had seen deer and red squirrels apart from me. Hense Jason's posting pics of a wild cat, deer and squirrel!

We bedded down and slept well. Till 4:30 arose and Jasons Kettle started to boil! Thats right you guessed it .......



Day 7

So down from Glen Affic we came. Meandering down the thin tiny lanes with passing place signs every so many hundred yards. Meandering on and on and on again. Such lush meandering roads. Just passing Inverness and bearing through the Mondhliath Mountains we ventured to the Cairngorms National Park ranges. Passed Tomintoul another great whiskey outlet we ventured out of the mountains as far as Blairgowrie. WE stopped in Perth and asked the tourist information office about campsites as we had not overly planned this part. The headed us south and the rain became torrential. Not bad i might add that this was the only day of real rain out of all of them. We passed Kinross and headed as far as Dumfirmlin.

After speaking to Terry googling cheap accommodation as this was no time to pitch tents in this torrential downpoor. Alas we winged it and flung on through Dunfirmlin passed the Olive Inn and immediately swung roung to see if there was room in the inn for two humble wet Welsh travellers. Oh joy was the reply an Iranian man at the helm welcomed us in for us to dry and filled us with Muscles for starters and mushrooms to boot with macaroni and pizza and chips for the main course.

Watsy was text with such portions of hospitality.

The Ale was a plenty and he and his friends were so welcoming and hospitable. We made safe the vehicles and eventually turned in for the dispersemnt of the raindrops. We were eventually given the phone saying it was for one of us and he makes no sense and yes it was Wattsy stirring up trouble..... Stating our notes were forgeries and that we were untrusting. The Iranian laughed and we said feck off to Watsy and eventually drifted off to slumber after a few ales.



Day 8

Day eight came and we said our good bye�s to the Iranian. His kind hospitality and cosy clean rooms. We ventured off south for a night in Liverpool....We were in Liverpool and no reply from the contact we headed on through the municipal. Arrggh damn it was hot so we stipped off our wet weather gear again and scorched on through Liverpool to North Wales. So unhinged off target Jason asked where was the best place to be in North Wales when i lived there on a Friday Night. I immediately replied Barmouth, expecting a heaving metropolice of tourists and North Waleans alike.

We arrived in Barmouth and it was sparce with about 50 people. Two Canadian girls recommended a restaurant so we duly ate and congitated. This was not a good night out so we ventured for home and bumbled back. With tow police cars following me back i lost sight of Jason. We parted dirction me towards Llanguirig and Jason towards Aberystwyth... We raced in our separate directions and headed back to sennybridge were we arrived around the same time....

Well well welll.....

What a journey we had had our brains tingling with the mountainous terrain that was all around. One final last photo and a grand handshake when we parted for our different home directions.

We had covered well over 2000 miles in 8 days averaging over 250 miles of twisting, narrow roads each day on fully laden bikes which was a pleasure and believe we both need a job doing this daily forever, So if any sponsors are out there then please write that cheque.


Thanks to Jason for organising and letting me follow whilst my hand was so poorly and bad. I really had a great time and am grateful for the invite and YES i wanna do this annually!!!! And YES for longer and YES stay north longer!!! When???? When????


Excellent trip....Couldn't have been better.....Memories will live with me forever from this Wee Scottish extravaganzza


And forgor to mention on some other day the wee little off roady sction we did was also quite cool...WHAT WITH ME HAND BEING LESS SWOLEN AND ALL!

HWYL FAWR JASON...EXCELLENT TRIP AND COMMORARDORY
(Apart from your 4:30am kick offs!)

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