Scotland, 1158 miles, 4 days, 2 400cc's

[M1ke]

If you are in anyway interested in one day touring Scotland by motorbike... read on.

Well where to start.

Just over a week ago I randomly suggested to Wave2k that we should go visit Scotland and swim in the Lochness... Not believing that it would ever actually happen, we started to ponder the possibility. Wave had a knackered clutch and 50p to his name, and we had no route, no accomodation planned... So we did the right thing and set the date to leave for the following saturday. Our simple aim being to head as far north as possible, and swim in lochness... Read on to see if we succeeded in our quest.

Friday arrived quickly, Wave had been scampering around all week trying to get his clutch plates fitted, he succeeded and managed to con the parents into giving him lots of money, I had thrown together a rough plan of the route with a few ideas of places to stay. Wave rode to mine on friday night where I was busy doing the final packing of my bike and fitting my cheap fibre glass fairings just incase...
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SATURDAY MORNING - 7AM
The aim of the day was to get up past glasgow (all motorway) and hit the first set of twisties towards inverary down the A814 before sunset. The motorway journy was pretty uneventful, the only highlight was when the bog roll that I had packed on Waves bike (just incase we needed to go to the loo in the woods...) came free at some point, leaving us with the image of having to wipe our ar*ses on leaves that night, great.

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So we made it to Glasgow in excellent time, all motorway completed, some faffing about in glasgow later, we found THE A814, and OH MY GOD what a road. It it the most up and overy, twisty little road that I have ever encountered. For those of you that have ridden cadwell, imagine about 50 mountains all down one stretch of road. Imagine both ZXR400 and CBR400 fully loaded with panniers and tents AIR BOURNE over these nuts little bumps. Wave managed to nearly flip a mental wheelie and break his speedo cable on landing, fortunatly I didn't quite get the wheel that high, but it came up plenty enough to scare me.... several times. This road alone perked s up after the otherwise dull ride to glasgow. So we finish up on this road, scrape a few sliders (quite an achievement with the amount of luggage we both had...) and arrive at our planned destination, Inverary.

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We had planned to rough it a bit this night to save on costs, so we head up into the hills a bit and find a deep deep forest where we can get the bikes, and well out of the way of the road/people. After a bit of off roading (and wave nearly binning it in a marsh) we find a nice place to pitch.

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So we pitch tents and head off back to inverary to get food and visit a pub. After a while we head back to camp, and make a nice campfire, we managed to freeload some more bog roll from the pub, so we managed to avoid using leaves that night, thank god. Wave's cbr is also a good bog roll dispenser...

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That night a MASSIVE thunderstorm hit, being in the deep forrests made it even more spooky, it was picth black and this thunder was right over head. Never have I heard thunder that loud.

SUNDAY

So the thunderstorn disappears and the place begins to dry, we pack up the bikes, and whilst packing we have our first incident My bike stand sinks in the forrest pathway and the bike topples over, No worry about the fairings, but my major worry was if any levers had snapped it would screw up the trip for both of us. Anyway, we get the bike upright and find the only damage is to the fibreglass fairings, nothing that a bit of duct tape wont sort.

We get a late 11am start which we sort of planned to allow for the roads to dry a bit. The plan today was to head up the A819 also a very mental road, onto the A82 and up towards Fortwilliam/ben nevis and then final destination being loch torridon. All of the roads around here are knee down heaven, you can not go wrong using these roads, the surface is mostly good and the views are STUNNING.

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On route we picked up some disguises to help us blend in with the locals... and as you can see its already working, they are accepting us as their own kind. Wave has a go on bag pipes.

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The roads to Loch torridon were so remote, so amazing, and so picturesque. You could just lie in the road and you wouldn't see a car for agggges. this was proper highland. Proper Scotland. Exactly what I wanted to see, if not better. Somewhere in the twisties my headlight shakes loose... great, so the zxr4 gets more duct tape to hold the light kind of in place.

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That night we find a Youth hostel in Torridon, £11 a night, the only downside was that we were sharing a 10 bedded dorm with one other person. Not that it bothered us that much, since we went and found the only pub for miles around and got completely wankered. We had no dinner since we missed serving hours, so straight onto the pints. We had 1 hour and 5 pints... The 2 mile walk back to the hostel was very merry indeed, we practised yelling 'FREEEEEEDOM' into the mountains. Both of us being massive brave heart fans, that guys a legend. So we stumble back into the youth hostel just as the doors are being locked... Wave looking rather more merry than me as he attempts to walk in a straight line passed the youth hostel owner.

MONDAY

That morning I am greeted by wave pointing and a nice pile of spew next to his bed... great bloody southerners cant handle their drink... So if you were planning on staying in this youth hostel, think again... I don't think english bikers will be welcome anymore

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Making a hastey get away we head for the hills, more twisties, more knee down, and more dry roads. the plan today is to get to lochness for our last night and to fullfill our original plan of swimming with Nessie!

We make it in really good time, arrive and pitch tent by 4pm, loads of time to explore. We also managed to freeload our way into a castle... Screw paying £6 each for entry, we went over the fence... We only wanted a photo!

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So we eat first, so that we are nice and plump for when the loch ness monster comes to eat us. Once fed, we head for lochness, wave wears his waterproofs thinking they may act as a wet suit.... After 30 minutes of daring each other to paddle further and further into the lake we finally succeeded to swim! That water was sooooooooooo cold it was unbeileable, probably 3 degrees at best, it was hard to breath and actually hurt after a while. But I didnt care, I had fulfilled one of my life time ambitions, I have always wanted to swim in lochness and wasn't going to come home a failure.

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That night was cool, we just sat and chilled by the tents till it eventually got dark at midnight!

TUESDAY

We had a bit of rain in the night but not alot, roads were a tad damp. We had LOTS of progress to make today, basically riding from lochness to home, 450 miles for me and 700 miles for Wave. The ride was good, 200 miles of twisties before hitting the motorway. The twisties went fast and the views along the A82 are also amazing, but no time to take photos today!

Eventually arrived home at 8pm, feeling very tired, smelly and achey. All in all what a FANTASTIC 4 days. And I didn't have to wear my waterproofs once...

All I can say is, if you plan to one day ride around scotland, just do it, don't put it off, go now! Sometimes the best trips are ones that have little planning, like ours.[/img]

[Shaun]

Mike in long post shocker!

Looks like you had a pretty damn good time, excellent disguises too.

[Luke_Retrofly]

Hi
SOunds wicked, im so jeaolus clad you had a good time, i wanna go now .

Luke
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[mchaggis]

Excellent stuff.

Once upon a time I planned a mythical trip around Scotland, taking in all the houses I used to live in. Otter Ferry, about 20 something miles down Loch Fyne was one of those places. Have the Forestry Commission had their fun all the way up there?

The trip still hasn't happened, but neither has said mythical bigger bike yet.
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[JonB]

Looked like a great weekend/week! I'm guessing Wave is still trekking!

Wish I wasn't so scared of mileage.
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[KevTM]

haha, great little story!

Was on the A82 past Loch Lomond myself a few weeks ago, great road! but i've heard there's better!

Looks like yous had a good time and it's good to hear wee biking stories like that!

Makes me wanna head back up that way again

[DustBuster]

Lovely post just like a postcard but electronic. What bikes and biking is all about. Nice to see you went native.
Going there in a short while and i plan to do the same. Riding, camping, drinking (Mc`ewans 80 shilling). By the way don`t ask any of the locals what the 80 shillings represents.

Glad you had a good time. Will reciprocate with your post when i get back.

Kind Regards
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Take your time....and enjoy

[steveh]

Looks like a great trip out.. i want to do somthing totaly random like that...

poor wave with no farings the scottish dude made me chucle.

Great read


Steve
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Current : 06 Zx10r, 07 Wr450f SM, 74 850 norton commando, 63 bsa b40, 1962 Triton 650, 67 Triumph Tr6r, 1955 Triton 750, 1978 TY250E.

[Bendy]

Going in under two weeks... can't wait

Nice write up.

[map]

Good read, thanks for sharing.

A tip for anyone who doesn't fancy camping in Scotland (i.e. taking a lot of kit on the bike) then if you turn up at a local tourist information office they'll phone and book a local B&B for you. Just turn up before they close (obviously), say how much a night you can afford, pay a small charge, (from what I remember this may even be taken off your B&B bill) and they do the rest.

I agree with your route, get as far north as you can and the views and roads just get better and better. Shows you don't need to be Ewan McGregor or own an uber-tourer to have a bit of an adventure.


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[Slickfish]

Nice one guys!!!!!

Quality .

[EuropeanNC30R...]

Wave you fucker, those waterproofs better not be stinking of loch ness when I get 'em back

Sounds a good trip

[Gazdaman]

Awesome, when Wave said "Gaz come to scotland" I thought he was taking the piss.

Well done you two! You rock. The Deathrace stayed in one piece! Guess he wanted to get a decent ride in before it fails its MOT next week.

Gaz

[cc123]

Nice post, I also recognise where you stopped in one of the pics above, heading out to Inveraray, sounds like you's had a great time
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[JonB]

Awww Bless, Mike's gained all the good Karma, Wave will make a long journey home and get F all.
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Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it?s worth.

[Minky_monkey]

Fantastic write up, loved the photos.

I want to go.....

[Zero-G]

Excelent

I know people make small numberplates to be a 'tart' but does having an oversized massive one make you an anti-tart? (first pic)
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[shellshock]

Glad you had fun - looks brilliant

[Dom]

Niiice, looks like a fantastic few days. Makes me even more keen to get off my arse and do it myself.

[kb-zxr]

Sounded great mate.

1 problem the pics aren't working for me, is it just my comp?

[Wave2k]

Now for my somewhat the same as mikes story

first of all would like to say thanks to maurice for lending me all the gear top go with.
anyway, left on saturday at rushhour to go to mikes, took a wrong turning and ended up 50 miles out of my way, got the in the end and was all ready to go early sat morning

Saturday

left early, and set off for our long motorway journey.
after we got into glasgow we got a bit lost, sign posts are shit and we wanted to get onto a crazy road mike was told to go on, with the help of a local we got there, and omg ive never done a wheelie so big, u get airbourne of nearly everyone by at least a foot
we pulled over just after my giant wheelie to check the luggage and it had all shot forward.
https://www.wave2k.co.uk/gallery/albums/scotland/DSC01244.JPG
some amazing views were already popping up and i knew we were going to be in for a treat
https://www.wave2k.co.uk/gallery/albums/scotland/DSC01246.JPG
we started getting deeping into the highlands and the views were just getting better and better.
we got to Inverary where we were staying and set up camp in a random forest
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after we had set up we went to a nice pizza place then to the pub for a few pints and a game of pool, after we got back we started a fire then turned in for the night, and that night there was the biggest thunderstorm ive probably ever been in, it was a bad place to be with the thunderstorm right above us, so i didnt sleep much that night.

Sunday
Got up and packed away our soggy wet tents and as i was packing my bike i hear mike shout help, with him holding his bike bike just before he dropped it, and crack sounded like alot of things had snapped, but luckily nothing too serious and a bit of duct tape wouldnt fix, and so we set on the road, we had a long trip with loads of twisties, it was great fun and the views were again getting even better.
https://www.wave2k.co.uk/gallery/albums/scotland/DSC01261.JPG
We then pulled our at the side of a moutain road to buy our jimmy hats, and met a fully kitted out scotsman playing bagpipes into the hills
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we hit the road again and started heading toward Fort William
we were a bit behind shedule, because we kept pulled over for views like this
https://www.wave2k.co.uk/gallery/albums/scotland/DSC01264.JPG
and for pissing about climbing cliff faces.
https://www.wave2k.co.uk/gallery/albums/scotland/DSC01271.JPG
Anyway, we arrived at the most remote town ive probably ever been to, Loch Torridon, magnificent views but a 2 mile walk to the pub from the youth hostle.
we had a shower and went to the pub hoping for a nice dinner but it took so long walking they wasnt serving anymore, so crisps it was, and 5 pints of fosters with nothing to eat all day isnt good,
we ran home yelling FREEDOM and doing random silly things trying to get back for 11:30 aswell was very hard.
anyway i puked all over the floor so we made a quick exit and hit the road toward Loch Ness the legend of all Lochs, The Loch of Lochs.

Monday

We got there and found a nice campsite nearby
https://www.wave2k.co.uk/gallery/albums/scotland/DSC01276.JPG
we then had dinner and went to nessy for a quick swim
https://www.wave2k.co.uk/gallery/albums/scotland/DSC01278.JPG
but it just so happens that it is VERY cold moutain water, and u cant actually breath its so cold, but that didnt stop us
https://www.wave2k.co.uk/gallery/albums/scotland/DSC01287.JPG

Tuesday

Time to go home and a very very very long trip home for me
back through 200 mile of twisties and a long motorway journey
about 700 miles i racked up my 090s are pretty dead now.

Anyway Great trip, and if your bored of road riding like G go to scotland it will totally resore the fun in road riding.

I think im addicted to touring

https://www.wave2k.co.uk/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=6
for all pics
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[steveh]

Nice to see both side's of the trip, glad you had fun, love the blue gaffa tape on the side of Mike's bike

Both good reads.

Steve.
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Current : 06 Zx10r, 07 Wr450f SM, 74 850 norton commando, 63 bsa b40, 1962 Triton 650, 67 Triumph Tr6r, 1955 Triton 750, 1978 TY250E.

[M1ke]

If any of you have ever been in cold cold water.... you will know that your nuts are a rather sensitive area, hense me holding my balls and screaming

Just thought I best exlain that photo

[steveh]

Dont lie the little fishys thought it was food didnt they



Steve.
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Current : 06 Zx10r, 07 Wr450f SM, 74 850 norton commando, 63 bsa b40, 1962 Triton 650, 67 Triumph Tr6r, 1955 Triton 750, 1978 TY250E.

[Wave2k]

now this is sleeping ruff
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