Scotchland....This summer?

[Zakalwe]

Right...getting near the end.

Had a good few pints in the Seaforth (great seafood). Got talking to a couple of blokes form the NorthEast who were on their way back from going over the top, and were going to head down the west side the next morning. Staggered back to the B&B suitably refreshed, one huge Goliath in the kharzi later and I was out like a light ;)

Next morning it was fairly clear, but very windy. There was some showers blowing over, and the forecast was giving for some really bad weather, with high winds. Bike loaded up again, and I headed for the A835 towards Kylesku.

I know this road well, having spent a fair bit of time up here over the years, but it never fails to amaze me. I love the scenery up here....the mountains of the Assynt are truly spectacular. The A835 is an awesome road, loads of great corners to, with a lot of re-surfacing going on.
After Ardmair Bay and I can see the twin summits of Cul Mor in the distance, with the fractured peaks of Staic Pollaidh looming in the distance.


I stop at Knockan and gaze at Cul Mor. It's been a good few years since I walked up there.....the views from the left hand summit over the Assynt park is nothing short of breath-taking. In the col between the summits I remember seeing piles of "pancake" shaped rocks layered one on top of each other....very strange looking.




I bomb along, then take the single track road up to Staic Pollaidh.

This used to be one of favourite walks up here. i remember trying to go up it on the nearside flank in heavy fog. The next year, I managed to find an easier path round the back, up onto the fractured summits, and then scrambling up to the mound on the left hand side. Amazing hill. A couple of years ago I was up there and they were building a new path (the old one was eroded from so many walkers). They were using a helicopter to fly in 1-tonne bags of rock....pretty amazing seeing the skills of the pilot at the time, whizzing that sort of load around the sky.
It must be one of the most recognisable hills in Scotland....I always think that it looks like the back of some slumbering prehistoric jutting out of the ground.




I toy with the idea of heading to Lochinver, but decide to head for Kylesku. The wind was getting stronger, and I was wary of the weather reports. I had been warned earlier of the exposed roads heading to Scourie, so that was in the back of my mind. Back on the A835, I turn onto the A837 at Ledmore, and head for Inchnadamph. I won't be able to do justice to the rugged beauty of this place...truly, truly amazing. The road to Kylesku twists and turns as it drops down form the Assynt hills. At this stage I am getting properly blown about all over the place, but the views are making up for it. Quinag is on my left and the vista out over Loch Glencoul is something else.






Sheep sit placidly chewing away as I stop to catch my breath


I continue down to Kylesku and cross the Kylesku Bridge. now this picture does not do it justice, but it really is a spectacular spot:

[Zakalwe]

The wind was properly blowing at this stage........coming across the bridge was fun! I have a wee stop to have a think, and decide the head back to Ullapool. I didnt fancy going further north as the sky was black as hell that way. heading back up the A894 I get blown out in front of an approaching motorhome, which properly shits me up. I try to relax as much as possible, but my butt was doing the old "50p-5p-50p". Dropping back near Ardmair Bay and it starts to bucket down...proper stinging rain, bouncing off the road.

I stop in Ullapool to fuel up, and it is looking grim, so I suit up in the (torn) rainsuit, put the rain covers on the panniers and make my mind up to head further south. The weather was looking decidley iffy and the forecast was giving bad for a good few days. I am sort of glad to be heading a bit further south to be honest.
So I bomb back towards Inverness, along the A835 which is another one of those "must-do" roads in Scotland. I keep hitting heavy rain, though by the time I hit Inverness, it is getting a bit better, so I am getting into better weather. I persist with the rain oversuit until I get outside Inverness (bright sunshine at this point). Of course, I hit rain 10 minutes later!!!

Anyway I press on.....I start thinking of doing the whole journey back home in one hit (just for the sheer perversity of it!). Done the A82 by Loch Ness. What a superb road (apart from all the twats that cannot drive faster than 25MPH)....heaven must be being able to ride that road over and over again on a quiet summer evening. Amazing bit of tarmac. Back to Fort William, bomb through Glencoe at a rapid rate of knots (hitting heavy rain near Ardlui). Bit of lunch at Spean Bridge.....and I am seeing all the places that I passed a few days earlier.

Back on the A82, down by Loch Lomond again......great stretch of tarmac. I can see signs for Glasgow, so get the bit between my teeth. The weather fairs up, and there are blue skies ahead. I finally hit Glasgow at about 4PMish. Somehow I manage to get lost, and end up in the city centre. It is scorching hot now...beautiful day, so it looks like I left the bad weather in the Highlands. Back onto motorway (nearly ran out of petrol outside Glasgow), I get my head down, get into some sort of comfortable position by wedging my ample gut on the tank, and bomb along at just over 90MPH. 110 miles to a tank, so that lets me stretch my legs. The scenery along the M74 changes to rolling hills and forests. Enter England, head for Carlisle and I feel I am on the home stretch.

I finally roll into Lancaster at 8:30. Thats me on the bike since 9:30AM. I have covered just under 500miles in one go (the odo rolled over 16000 miles as I turned for home in Kylesku. Auspicious?). I am stiff, but not that bad really.

[Zakalwe]

Right, so what did I learn?

1800 miles in six days is doable on a Fireblade. It aint no tourer, but if you travel light, then the bike will handle it fine.

I love the scenery in Scotland. I really feel at peace in the far highlands, and being up there is good for the soul.

Fireblade engines are wonderful things. I was able to rip up the scenery at will, pootle along whenever I wanted to. In the rain I could control exactly what went to the back tyre. I know loads of peeps saw that 04/05 Fireblades have a boring poweer delivery (how exactly is 160BHP ever boring)....I thnk what they mean is that the power curve is linear. Which is exactly what you want on a pissing wet Scottish single track road. Thank you Mr. Honda.

Scotland has some of the finest roads going. I was constantly amazed at how well surfaced they are, compared to the pothole strewn shite we have down here. How do they do it, when their winter is twice as hard as ours?

Old age and dementia is horrible. I think that I want to go with more dignity than that.

Oxford throwover panniers are good bits of kit.

Having warm dry feet makes a massive difference to your outlook.

I love riding by myself. Riding a bike with no real destination, to me, is almost a meditative process. It allows me to clear my mind and gives me "headspace" to think about things. And when I don't want to think anymore, I can yank the throttle open, and concentrate of moving man and machine at dubious speeds.

I love the Highlands. The solitude of it, being off the beaten track, the majesty of those hills.


Finally, if you have ever thought about doing Scotland, well then, don't wait. Do it now.

I can't wait to go again.

[tattie]

Have been waiting for the concluding episode, fantastic write up, pity the weather was not so good, mind you the occasional shower is good for washing the midgies off the visor.

Cheers

A.M.

[Pete.L]

Nicely said
got me thinking about doing a southern one now just not to be out done
fully with you when mentioning about riding alone, there's almost an equanimity of mind,and release of the daily interruptions, bike responding to the body and mind responding to the surroundings.
Git!!

Pete.l

[Jazzscot]

Great write up Zak dude. Your talents are wasted mate you should write a book. I really enjoyed your thread and wanna go out and ride now.


Jazz