CGB2602 Scottland and Isle of Man
Our first day on the road begins today in Edinburgh. We’re heading north to the first highlight of our tour: the Forth Rail Bridge. This red, steel railway bridge is truly impressive even from a distance, and even more so when we’re standing right in front of it. Before we leave this UNESCO World Heritage Site, we take a group photo in front of the bridge. We continue our journey northwards. The weather changes quickly and it starts to rain. Thank goodness we’ve brought our rain gear :) After lunch, we drive westwards through the countryside to reach our next tour hotel in Aberdeen.
Yesterday we got used to our motorcycles. Today, on our second riding day, we are looking forward to check out Scotland's three most famous things - its castles, its whisky, and its wild, remote Highlands. Aberdeenshire with its 300 castles and ruins is affectionally called the castle country. On our route we pass by the very pinkish coloured Craigievar Castle. After we've taken a few pictures, we mount the motorcycles again and are headed inland to the west now. Up the road, the River Spey flows from the mountains to the sea, supplying water for over 50% of Scotland’s whisky distilleries. We visit the Glenlivet distillery. The Cairngorm mountains show off Scotland’s vast mountain wilderness. For us, however, the view will be out of reach as fog and rain have come up now. At the end of our day, we reach Inverness and enjoy a delicious dinner together in town.
Today, our tour takes us round Loch Ness. In glorious weather, we set off on our motorbikes and ride along narrow country roads to Drumnadrochit, where we learn more about the history of Loch Ness in a small exhibition. Not far from here, just a few minutes’ ride away, we reach one of the highlights of this tour: Urquhart Castle, a castle ruin situated on the shores of Loch Ness. It stands picturesquely overlooking Loch Ness. After our visit, we ride round Loch Ness and stop at a lovely spot overlooking the water, where Angela is already waiting for us with a picnic. We enjoy the view and the delicious food. After our lunch break, the route takes us along narrow country lanes to Clava Cairns, a well-preserved Bronze Age burial ground. It’s incredible – the stones here are said to be over 4,000 years old. On our way back to the hotel, we stop at Culloden Moor. It was on this battlefield in 1746 that the Scots fought one last time for their independence. Today, this vast green field seems so peaceful and quiet. It’s hard to imagine what it must have looked like here back then. A very interesting day comes to an end and we return to our hotel in Inverness.
What a great riding day we had today! We left Inverness this morning and spent the first hour and a half of our ride on wider, faster roads to reach the Scottish Highlands along the west coast as quickly as possible. A very narrow strip of asphalt wound its way through the landscape—which, though almost deserted and barren, was incredibly beautiful—forcing us to focus all our attention on the oncoming traffic. However, the paved shoulders along the narrow road ensured a relaxed ride past the heather-covered mountain peaks and the many lochs (the Scottish word for lake). Our delicious lunch, which we enjoyed at a small, enchanting garden restaurant, gave us the energy we needed to cross the famous Applecross Pass. Unfortunately, it started to rain and a light fog rolled in, so taking photos wasn’t possible. After this very chilly but beautiful riding day, the hot shower at the end of the day was very much welcomed. A delicious dinner rounded our day off.
Today, our tour takes us to the north of the Isle of Skye. The spectacular scenery and the narrow, winding roads along the rugged coastline make this tour a real highlight. We’ll stop in Portree, a small harbour town in the east of the Isle of Skye. Here, we’ll take a break and enjoy a coffee in one of the many colourful houses here by the water. Eilean Donan Castle awaits us today. This picturesque castle is situated on a small island connected to the mainland by a small stone bridge. It was reduced to ruins following an attack but was faithfully reconstructed 200 years later. Now It is privately owned and has been the setting for several films, including *Highlander*, *Braveheart* and *James Bond*.
Although the weather forecast had predicted no rain, the weather gods treated us to a morning ride on wet roads. After leaving the Isle of Glencoe that morning, we rode through the barren Scottish Highlands one last time on this tour. As soon as we reached lower elevations again, it became drier, and we stopped in the small town of Callander for a coffee break. Our main focus today was on sightseeing. First, we visited the famous Stirling Castle, which was a bit harder to reach today due to a BBC music festival on the castle's premisses. Next, we rode to Scotland’s famous ship lift, the Falkirk Wheel. It’s very impressive to see how the ships are transported over a 24-meter elevation difference via the giant double wheel. The canal, which used to be used for freight transport, is now in operation solely for tourist purposes. Also definitely extremely impressive are the “Kelpies,” the two gigantic horse heads that—half mythical, half real—are meant to serve as a monument to the days when powerful workhorses pulled the ships along the canals.
Today we’re leaving Scotland and crossing the border into England. But before we leave Scotland, we’ll be driving through a region best known for the so-called Border Abbeys: Jedburgh, Kelso, Dryburgh and Melrose – monastic complexes all dating from the 12th century. They’re all ‘merely’ ruins now, but still very impressive. After a brief visit to Melrose Abbey, we’re now heading into England. We stop briefly to take some photos at the England–Scotland boundary stone. Unlike the Lake District, Northumberland National Park is still a true wilderness and a motorcyclist’s paradise. The landscape here is very green and hilly. We can even sit outside for lunch today. It has warmed up in Scotland. We continue our tour, riding along very narrow roads to Hadrian’s Wall, a 120-kilometre-long defensive structure built by the Romans in the north of England, and finally reach our hotel in the Lake District.
Today is the day - we finally will hop over from mainland England to the Isle of Man. Starting from our lovely hotel in the center of the Lake district, we're headed to Castlerigg Stone Circle, near Keswick. The stone circle on Chestnut Hill, is one of the most visually impressive prehistoric monuments in Britain. The plateau the stone circle sits on forms the raised center of a natural amphitheatre created by the surrounding fells. Standing inside, the circle opens up the view of the highest peaks in Cumbria. We then continue our ride through the Lake district, the country’s largest national park and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Famous for its stunning scenery, the region is home to England’s highest peak, Scafell Pike. We, however, chose the route over the Kirkstone pass. Besides, the region offers a unique mix of lakes, forests, and rolling hills. Mel surprised us with a delicious coffee & pastry picnic on our way to the ferry in Heysham. Isle of Man, we are coming! A good 3 hours later the ferry spits us out on the island's capital Douglas.
Yes! We’re on the Isle of Man. Today we’re setting off from Douglas and heading north towards the legendary Isle of Man race track, where the famous Isle of Man TT is held. This public road has more than 200 bends. We ride past walls and houses. Top riders reach top speeds of over 330 km/h here. We reach the highest point of this route at 422 metres. The view is fantastic!! We leave the race track behind and head south to the island for lunch. The view of the rugged coastline is breathtaking. What a fantastic backdrop! Finally, we reach Peel, a small town on the west coast of the Isle of Man. The little harbour, with its many small boats, looks picturesque. Opposite stands Peel Castle, surrounded by a 700-metre-long wall. We take a moment to enjoy the view before heading back to our hotel. And, what do you think, who won the race today? :)
Our last riding day has come up today! Our ferry back to mainland England leaves early in the morning. After the short breakfast, all riders are ready to go. The port, however, is very close so that we don't need to rush. But we don't want to be the last ones either, of course. Once we've arrived on the other side, we rode the winding country roads through the Forest of Bowlands to our final destination in Liverpool. Angela & Mel would like to thank you for this wonderful tour through Scottland and the Isle of Man. Until we meet again on one of these great roads.