My last trip in 2021..September Scotland Highlights

Hi Folks, hope you’re all well?

Its been a quiet a while since I’ve posted, but thanks to the horrible cold and damp UK winter weather, and my bike wrapped up in the garage ( with its heater), I’ve finally had the time to look back to September, my last trip of 2021; as well as doing lots of planning for 2022!!

Due to international Covid travel restrictions for most of 2021, my trip to Alaska was just not possible so the big plans had to be postponed; my touring focus was England, Wales & Scotland. Still managed to clock up 8,500 miles exploring our best roads and countryside. In September the weather forecast looked good for a trip up to Scotland, so I set off on a hastily planned 7 day adventure 🙂

Make sure to click the YouTube link at the end of this post to watch the video which showcases the highlights of my trip, featuring the “Skyfall Road”, North Coast 500, “Pass of the Cattle”, the Cairngorms and lots of beautiful scenery.

I travelled up via a nice route through Yorkshire and the North Pennines, all the roads up there are made for motorbikes! I hopped on the M74 North to make up some time, then came off and headed West, across Ayrshire, to Irvine on the Firth of Clyde. Continued the journey North along the coast, avoiding Glasgow, to catch the McInroy’s Point to Hunters Quay, Dunoon ferry .

I can recommend this route which has far less traffic as it avoids Glasgow and the main A82, with the option to join the A82 further North. The ferry costs just £5 for a motorbike!

For my first night in Scotland I stayed at the Wistlefield Inn, at Dunoon. A really nice friendly pub/restaurant with rooms overlooking Lock Eck.

On the second day I rode through the fantastic Glen Coe, which is a beautiful valley with spectacular Scottish Highland scenery. I stopped off along the way to ride the “Skyfall Road”, so called as it was used as a dramatic location for one of the main scenes in the Bond movie “Skyfall

I continued riding North to my hotel for the night at Kyle of Lochalsh; my route took me along the fantastic stretch of the A87 from Invergarry to Kyle; 50 miles of some of the best riding in the Highlands!!

Kyle really is a one horse town at the start of the bridge across Loch Alsh to the Isle of Skye. I arrived at the hotel on Saturday night after 200+ mile ride, to be greeted with the information there would be no dinner served that night due to Covid issues!! So where am I going to eat in this shitty little town? I was not best pleased after a long day!!

The day was saved by the Chinese takeaway shack down the road, the food (which I ate in my room) was actually quiet good. Followed by a couple of pints in the hotel bar being talked at by an old local guy whose accent was so strong I had no idea what he was saying! That’s life on the road 🙂

For my 3rd day I would pick up the North Coast 500 and follow it hugging the coast all the way up to Ullapool for that night. Starting off with the treacherous and barren single track road Bealach na Ba..”Pass of the cattle” to Applecross. During my last trip it was raining heavily and the top was covered in cloud; this time I made it without crashing! (check out my 2020 trip video) Then on past great scenery along the coast, much of the road being single track with passing places. I had allowed for slow progress and planned on a short 150 mile day.

Around lunchtime it started to rain; it always does on a Scottish trip!! I stopped at a petrol station for some shelter and a coffee; got talking to a couple of other bikers, turned out they were also planning to stay in Ullapool. They had heard that none of hotels were serving dinner due to a shortage of chefs caused by Covid!

I arrived in Ullapool wet and tired; thankfully there was a very good fish & chip shop near the hotel that was doing great trade. When you realise where Ullapool is and in September the tourist trade is tailing off,I can understand why they would have trouble getting chefs to work there!!

The route for my 4th day in Scotland would take me along the A939 through the Caingorms National Park. This is fantastic motorcycling territory, with very little traffic. In winter it is a popular skiing area.

A quick stop off at Braemar to take a pic of the 17th century castle, which is currently being renovated.

That night I stayed at Kinross, on Loch Leven, between Perth and Edinburgh. Nice family run hotel, gave me a great big room and I’m pleased to say served a very good dinner, which I was please to see after the last 2 nights of enforced takeaways!

Day 5 would see me cross back into England then ride down the North East coast, through Northumberland National Park across the North Pennines to Barnard Castle. As a send off they gave me the biggest breakfast I’ve ever seen, certainly no need for lunch!!

It usually rains every day when I visit Scotland, but this time only wet for half a day 🙂 Each time I’ve visited Scotland before its been late September, this time it was early September and it was definitely still midge season! These things swarm around you, get in your hair and bite you..best to be avoided!!

Overall this was a great trip, about 1700 miles in all. I met lots of other bikers along the way and had many good chats during rest stops. One particular guy really made an impression on me!..and no I didn’t ask what we wore underneath 🙂

So thanks for reading this post; now its time to bring it all to life by watching the YouTube video which showcases the highlights of my trip, featuring the “Skyfall Road”, North Coast 500, “Pass of the Cattle”, the Cairngorms and lots of beautiful scenery. (Turn your sound on!!)