Welcome to Liverpool England for the start of our great EDELWEISS Tour "Scotland & the Isle of Man"!

Welcome to our first day of driving together. We slow down and get used to the left-hand traffic, which is still foreign to all of us. With the best weather we get out of the city without any major delay and head north along the coast. We are not allowed to dawdle much, as our destination is the ferry to the Isle of Man. And in case of doubt, it leaves without us. So only a small cafestop after 90 minutes and a short gasoline chat. Then it went on. A few drops accompanied us through the narrow English streets and we arrived on time in Heysham. The ferry, however, did not, so we had to wait some time. But that was not too bad, because we were in good company with other bikers. The crossing was then quiet and we could eat dinner together a little late. However, it was recommended to go to bed early, because something very special was waiting for us the next morning: a lap on the race track of the Isle of Man.

Isle of man, or better "MANX" as the island is affectionately called by locals.

Legend, myth, adventure playground for motorcyclists who are enthusiastic about racing and we are right in the middle of the whole racing circuit. We start the day at 6.00am with a lap of the track, a 37.7 mile ride, giving us a very personal taste of what it means to be a racer racing around the track at an average speed of 130mph !

After breakfast we explore the southern part of the island.

We pay Mr. Murray a visit to his exceptional MANX & Motorcycle Museum and marvel at his collection of racing motorcycles.

At the southern tip of the island we stop for coffee and scones in a breathtaking landscape full of purple flowering heather before we head back to Douglas for lunch in a relaxed round over the mountains.

At 2:15 p.m. it was time. We were then very lucky to be part of the 100th MANX Grand Prix and marvel at the start of the Senior Classic race, in which only motorcycles aged at least 25 years took part. Fascinating and unbelievable at the same time!

The rest of the day we enjoy the special atmosphere and the great weather in Douglas. The MANX myth has fully captured us!

Isle of man, oder besser "MANX" wie die Insel liebevoll von Einheimischen genannt wird. Legende, Mythos, Abenteuerspielplatz rennbegeisteter Motorradfahrer und wir mitten drin im ganzen Rennzirkus.

Wir beginnen den Tag um 6.00 Uhr mit einer Runde auf der Rennstrecke, einem 37,7 Meilen langen Fahrgenuss und verschaffen uns so einen ganz persönlichen Eindruck zu verschaffen was es bedeutet, als Rennfahrer mit einer Durchschnittsgeschwindigkeit von 130 Meilen pro Stunde über die Rennstrecke zu rasen!

Nach dem Frühstück erkunden wir den südlichen Teil der Insel.

Wit erstatten Mr. Murray einen Besuch in seinem außergewöhnlichen MANX & Motorrad Museum und staunten über seine Sammlung an Rennmotorrädern.

An der Südspitze der Insel stoppen wir in atemberaubender Landschaft voller lila blühendem Heidekraut zu Kaffee und Scones bevor es für uns in einer entspannten Runde über die Berge zum Mittag wieder zurück nach Douglas ging.

Um 14:15war es dann soweit.

Wir hatten wir dann das große Glück Teil des 100. MANX Grandprix zu sein und bestaunen den Start des Senior Classic Rennens an dem nur Motorräder mit einem Alter von mind. 25 Jahren am Start waren.

Faszinierend und unglaublich zugleich!

Den Rest des Tages genießen wir die besondere Atmosphäre und das tolle Wetter in Douglas.

Der MANX Mythos hat uns voll erfasst!

Today we had to leave this beautiful and motorsport-loving island unfortunately already again. The ferry was on time this time and after a great coffee on board we eventually arrived in Heysham. It went further north into the Lake District. We should really arrive today on the tour. It was Sunday and accordingly busy in the region, which is highly popular with the English. Some small roads we have then but still found and had our fun. The weather remained stable and in beautiful evening light we arrived in quiet Keswick. The evening did not go long, because the day full of narrow roads needed a lot of concentration and we were all tired. 

Today we left the fantastically beautiful Lake District and drove north through England to the border with Scotland.

We stopped at the impressive Langley Castle amidst woodland, glens full of pheasants and sheep and enjoyed a good cup of tea in a medieval setting.

The next stop took us to Hadrian's Wall, a mighty protective wall built by the Romans that stretches over 1000 kilometers through the whole of Europe.

A great and always legendary and brilliant EDELWEISS picnic awaited us there.

We drove the rest of the way to the hotel near Edinburgh through the slightly hilly farmland of southern Scotland.

Again we arrive at the hotel full of new impressions and, above all, dry

Today many highlights awaited us that some of us had already been waiting for. First we went to an engineering work of art, the Falkirk wheel. A lock of a very special kind. Afterwards we should visit the most important castle of them all: the stirling castle. Many battles were decided here. Wonderful curvy roads awaited us in the afternoon, but to avoid the approaching rain we made an extended coffeestop. Afterwards we could admire the Glencou valley and the now truly present Highlands in bright sunshine. What a sight. Quite gripped we arrive in Ballachulish.

Early in the morning we set off towards the Isle of Skye.

In the traditionally changeable Scottish weather, we first go to the Glenfinnan Viaduct, a railway bridge known from the Harry Potter films, among other things.

Our next sightseeing stop lets us stop at Eilean Donan Castle. This is again known from the Highlander films, “There can only be one!”.

Then it's through a magnificent valley full of woods and rocks, finally over the bridge to the Isle of Skye.

When the weather is perfect, we enjoy the mountains carved by glaciers during the Ice Age, full of purple-flowering heather, the sea gently stirred by the wind, and the refreshing air.

After every bend, another postcard motif awaits us in the truly rare sunshine in this area. What luck, what a day of driving!

Today we had a lot ahead of us. The longest stage was coming up. We wanted to drive a large part of the Great 500. First we went up the apple cross pass in fabulous sunshine. Afterwards we could stretch our legs a bit in the walled garden. What a sea of flowers. Another hour later we finally arrived at the much anticipated coffee stop on the peacefully calm water. But we didn't eat much, as we were to be surprised by an excellent picnic shortly thereafter.

Saturated and full of new energy we started the afternoon. Narrow roads through unique rocky landscapes. A small stop at the waterfall and a little later we were on time and exhausted at our destination. And what a welcome!

Today on the "rest day" we can't just leave the motorbikes behind, but we decide to go on a tour around Loch Ness to pay a visit to Nessie.

Through another magnificent landscape over red-lit mountains, through fresh forests and of course along the lake, we encounter deer, Highland cows and lots of ducks and sheep. We have different opinions about Nessie, some people think they saw something.

After a coffee stop in Fort Augustus, we arrive back at the hotel early in the afternoon in a good mood, leaving enough time to explore the old town of Inverness and buy a souvenir or two.

We end the evening with live music, good food, beer and of course a sample or two of the best Scottish whiskey

A wonderful morning awaited us on this penultimate day of driving. In a small group we left Inverness in bright sunshine and entered the lovely fields and meadows only to suddenly change back to the Scottish plateau. What a sight and driving pleasure in addition. 

After a small coffee stop we went up into the Cairngorms Mountains and down again along the river Spey. This river feeds the countless distilleries in this region. And you could clearly smell them with your nose. A wonderful smell. So it was not surprising that we should spend the rest of the day on the small but nice "Whisky Trail". Castles and distilleries left and right. Scotland as in the picture book. Exhausted and overjoyed, we arrived at our castle after this demanding day.

With great weather again, we start our last day of driving with a relaxed ride over hills, through forests and valleys and past countless sheep and cows until we finally reach the Cairnwell Pass. In winter a ski area extends up to 670m high mountains, full of red-flowered heather. Then it's like a rollercoaster along the long Glenshee valley to a delicious lunch stop in Grandtully. With full bellies we now head towards our final destination, Edinburgh. A final stop at the 2.5km long Forth railway bridge until we finally reach our hotel, Melville Castle, a magnificent castle from the 12th century, happy and exhausted. We end our last evening together in a relaxed atmosphere with a good atmosphere and a look back at the past few days