Day 15 – Doune, Edinburgh
The morning is partially sunny and I soon arrive at legendary Doune Castle, backdrop for more than one famous medieval film scene.It has also played an important part in Scotlands history, as the audio guide, beautifully narrated by Terry Jones, explains. On the way...
Day 13 – Glen Coe, Glen Etive, Loch Etive offroad
It's still raining on and off in the morning, but there's more blue sky than yesterday. I start up beautiful Glen Coe on the main road and suffer both frequent traffic and rain showers. The views are stunning, though. Then I turn right into Glen Etive and the correct...
Day 14 – Inveraray – Loch Lomond
I break up early and start off to Taunuilt, where I'm aptly called a nutter by the local shop owner. 😉 I ride eastwards, along the shore of Loch Awe, where the Kilchurn castle ruins still have a commanding view over the lake. The next stop is Inveraray, whose castle...
Day 12 – Nevis Range mountain biking and Glencoe
The morning starts with sunshine and so I decide to ride up to the Nevis Range, site of the legendary Downhill world cup track, and hire an Enduro bike for the day. The weather doesn't hold long. Even on the four miles to the Range I catch some rain. Once there, I'm...
Day 11 West Coast – Glenfinnan – Fort William
Waking to continued rain is always disheartening. It sets the tone for the day, and so it is today. When there's a brief pause in the continuous stream of water from above, I pack my thing and visit 'one of Scotlands best beaches', as the camp owner called it. Perhaps...
Day 10 – South Skye, Torbhaig Distillery and a Ferryboat ride
With the weather rather appallingly rainy, I decide to forgo the north of Skye and find better weather south. In pouring rain I ride until the turnoff to the Armadale ferry, where I catch up to two english cyclists, who show me the hidden old road next to the main...
Day 9 – West Coast & Isle of Skye
I rise early and the day starts bright and sunny. Blue skies everywhere and almost no wind at all. The hilly route along the coast has some very steep but short climbs and I can enjoy the sunny views over the landscape. I make a little detour to see famous Eilean...
Day 8 – Through Wester Ross
Overall the first really rainy day until the evening. I ride down the west coast through many small villages, none of which really stand out. As I ride along Loch Maree, the clouds open up a bit and I can have lunch on some rocks overlooking the lake. The valley from...
Day 7 – West coast & Ullapool
Just as I open my tentflap in the morning it starts raining hard, so I close back up and wait an hour for the rain to stop. When it does, a rainbow appears and the sun shines. That's the rhythm for the morning: rain, sun, wind, rain, sun. I ride down the valley and...
Day 6 – Loch Ness – Inverness – Alness
Why the pheasants cried all night, I'll never know. Perhaps they were mourning for their comrades fallen on the road. I start early and ride on small roads towards Loch Ness. Scotlands largest lake only formed during the last ice age 10.000 years ago. Its volume is...