Scotland is great!

[KEIFER]

Sorry to bore you all, but just got back from a holiday around the west-coast of Scotland. Just have to say that if anyone wants to see top roads and top scenery, you don't need to visit the continent!!!

Here is the route I took ...

Day Route Length Time
1 Southport to Perth 252 miles 4:05
2 Perth to Inverness 112 miles 1:55
2 Inverness to Inverinate 78 miles 1:24
3 Inverinate to Fort William 62 miles 1:08
3 Fort William to Tarbet 68 miles 1:15
4 Tarbet to Campbeltown 98 miles 1:50
4 Campbletown to Tarbet 99 miles 1:53
4 Tarbet to Southport 245 miles 3:59

As you see a bit intensive, actually wish had booked more time off. But the AT was brilliant, had a Touratech seat which was very comfortable and even after +5 hours in the seat was fine.

Had a Garmin V fitted for navigating which did the job, only got confused a few times unlike me. Would recommend anybody using a GPS system gets a power feed from the battery. As I seemed to get through 4 AA batteries a day.

Packed with a tent and other creature comforts the AT was a bit on the heavy side ... which almost came back to haunt me when negotiating 20% gradients around Campletown! Trying to turn and brake was an interesting exercise in buttock clenching, when the AT didn't seem inclined to do either

If you need some good roads ... try the A82 around Loch Ness; A87 around Shiel Bridge; the A83, well all of it!

Bitten by the bug, already planning where to go next.

Going to try and post a "few" snaps if can figure out what to do.

[KEIFER]

[Ralphie]

Hi Keifer
Nice pics - sounds like a nice trip
What's that luggage on the back - it looks massive - why did you bring the whole family on the bike?
Cheers
Chucky

[KEIFER]

Know what you mean about the luggage being on the large side, trying to filter is an absolutely nightmare ... think there are cars that have less girth

Is a complete Krauser set, which bought of EBay a while back for a couple of £100 quid. Bit of a bargain.

[Dilbert]

I thought it was Brave?
but yes it's a great (big) country and from memory (distant unfortunately) any road with an A in it is brilliant (wide and comparitively pot-hole free)

[Gregger]

Nice one

Off there myself tomorrow evening for 5 days

[Dilbert]

Gonna have to pay a visit next spring maybe, the road in that third pic looks like heaven, mind you nearly dropped my bike (and the missus) last time I went through a really quiet glen outside Oban, too busy looking up at the big goldy brown birdie to notice the hairpin

[KEIFER]

Well I did actually drop my bike on this trip!

Embarassingly enough was on the first day as I stopped just over the Scottish border to stock up on fuel

Was pushing the bike back with my feet after filling up to have a brew and my left foot slipped .. in slow motion the whole AT toppled over.

Had to get an amused car driver to assist.

Have Touratech crash bars and to be blunt absolutely no damage, except to my ego

[jvaughan]

Have to agree with you 100%. Scotland certainly gets the juices flowing.

Is that Givi MonoKey Luggage ?

I know when we headed up to Skye, filtering through Glasgow was interesting. I think Jeff was following me so he knew when I made it through a gap, there was "plenty" of room for him

[McVicar]

Keifer, Piccies look great. I have copied your route and will be following in your footsteps next spring. Thanks.

P.S. Can't find "Inverinate" (Day 2) is this a typo ?