Bikieman

2022 was here, and I had been riding the Benelli TRK-502 for just over a year now. I had become acustomed to its ways and was itching to do some big miles on it, after all, that’s what it is designed for! It had to be Scotland, but this time, extending to the far north coast and doing most of the NC500 route.
The buildup to this journey was quite the exciting period, I went off in search for new accessories that would make the trip that bit more relaxing & enjoyable. The Benelli comes as standard with a few nice accessories such as the USB charging socket and accessory bar for attaching phones/sat-navs. I had never experienced riding with such features until this bike, it really inspired me to go far and feel safer.

Day 1 – Dampened Spirits

Booked it, packed it… F**cked off. Day 1 would consist of riding 320 miles to Kingussie, just south of Inverness. Probably the longest time (and possibly the most boring time) of my motorcycling “life”. But you have to wade through the boring bits to get to the good bits, right?
The weather forecast leading up to the day was… Shocking. It’s almost a given that riding to Scotland, you will get wet. But this was silly. I’m pretty sure I was following the same weather system North. Constant wind and rain the whole 320 miles. The Benelli was superb though, shielding me as best it could. I was grateful.
The Oxford kit kept me dry and the Kriega/Lomo bags kept my gear dry, so all was good on that front. But it was a horrendous first day and I was glad to finally reach the hotel.

I had booked the Duke Of Gordon hotel, parked up, and got inside as quick as I could so that I could start the drying out process before the next day came.
It was a nice hotel, a grand old building that to be honest, is like its still in the era that it was built for. Not a lot seems to have changed, but it has a certain charm because of it. Especially with OAPs and coach trips, it seems!
Kingussie is a nice little town, I had a little wander, but settled in with a few pints and some great food. Much needed after that trip…

Day 2 – As North As Possible…

I woke on day 2 excited, beyond words. This was it. I’d made it to the point where hopefully, the fun can begin, and I would be seeing new places and riding new roads. Yay!
The Oxford kit dried out really well, all things considered. The laminated kit works wonders in these situations. So I was good to go.
I packed the bike up, said my goodbyes (thanks nice hotel people!) and made sure Bikieham was ready too. The weather was holding, great news!

Once you get past the crap bits of the A9, and you pass through Inverness, the road actually opens up quite nicely. I really enjoyed the scenes and twisty sections as you head right up the coastline. It was motorcycling bliss and made up for the poor start. I got some great snaps!

As I’m getting closer and closer to John O’Groats, the weather started to close in. A lot. I sighed, “here we go, the weather wasn’t going to last was it!”. It didn’t rain though, it was more like sea fog, it made everything quite eerie, cool!
As I rode on, I was popping in and out of the fog which made for some cool photos.

Eventually, John O’Groats popped into sight. Underwhelmingly so. I’m sure it’s probably great when you can actually see, but it was a bit of a let down. I got the obligatory photos and made my way to the gift shop, because I’ve become obsessed with fridge magnets and need to prove I’ve been somewhere by sticking things on my fridge.
It was nice to tick the box I suppose, but I probably won’t go back.

I knew Dunnett Head was a better place, so I wasn’t that bothered about John O’Groats being a bit underwhelming. So I plodded along taking in the lovely coastal road between the two sites.
There’s an awesome single track road that you have to drive/ride to get to Dunnett Head, that was a nice surprise. I think you’d struggle in a motorhome though!
Dunnett Head was breathtaking, the photos speak for themselves.

After taking in the views, I headed on to Thurso, where I had accomodation booked for the night (Station Hotel). I recommend it, great staff, rooms and food/drink.
Thurso was a nice little town (I seem to like most Scottish towns to be honest), I had some food & beers in nearby bars and settled in for a big sleep. I’d made it as far North as I have ever ridden, and day 3 was coming!

Day 3 – The Wild West

Day 3 was the real reason I wanted to do this trip. The stunning mountainous terrain of the West is unbeatable, in my opinion. It draws me in like nothing else.
The plan was to ride from Thurso to another hotel near Inverness, but via the West coast, so plenty of miles and things to see.
I didn’t have time to do Applecross, that would have to wait for another trip.

It was a beautiful morning in Thurso, I’d lucked out with the weather lately. After leaving the hotel, I took the bike to the waterfront to view the beautiful coastline.

I had some fun heading west, the roads are superb, although the surface becomes questionable in places. I knew that Tongue wasn’t far ahead though, and from the photos I had seen, it was an incredibly beautiful place.
The weather had really started to get rough though, the wind was battering me and becoming quite tiring. Had I bitten off more than I could chew? It stayed dry, but wild.

I arrived at Tongue Causeway, and my jaw dropped. I’ve never seen such crystal clear water in the UK before! I stayed here for a while, despite the windy conditions, taking photo after photo. Trying to take it all in visually, too…

The roads around Loch Eriboll were stunning (what road isn’t at this point!) but the winds did cause some problems, and the roads were jammed full of coaches and motorhomes trying to squeeze through. It did take some of the enjoyment out of the ride, but I tried to focus on how stunning the area was and that I had made it here!

The roads start to take me South again, but the fun doesn’t stop! Incredible mountain views continued.

I stopped at a viewpoint overlooking Loch Dubhaird Mor, it’s easy to sail right past this spot as it’s just over the crest of a hill, before it drops right down into the valley. A stunning spot to take it all in…

Up next, Kylesku bridge! A beautiful sight, so stopped for an obligatory photo.

By this point, I’m absolutely overwhelmed with the beauty of the changing landscape and the amazing roads. Biker after biker, feeling the same as I do. I deviated off route slightly, towards Corrieshalloch Gorge (A832). A quick win, as it’s a phenomenal view. I stayed here for a while to breathe it all in.

It was time to leave this behind, for now. I headed back towards Inverness to my hotel for the night, The Old North Inn. A fabulous place, staff were welcoming and I had a great evening there. The rooms were lovely too!

Day 4 – Finding Nessie

I woke buzzing, the last few days had been amazing, and now my sights were set on Loch Ness and winding my way West again. The plan was to stay in Arrochar that evening.
The road following Loch Ness is lovely, with the gorgeous water lapping at the shores along the route. I stopped for a few photos and to allow traffic in front to disappear… Win win!

I also found Nessie, not sure where everyone has been looking?!

I decided to take another route, as the A82 along Loch Ness was slow going. I headed for the A887 which eventually leads you to Skye via the A87. This road did not disappoint, and I’m so glad I took it. Mile after mile of fun and virtually empty!
I stopped well short of Skye, as I had to retrace my steps, but it was worth it.

I headed back to Fort Augustus for some souvenirs, I was reliably informed that there were a few shops there that could help me… They were right! It’s a lovely spot, with the lochs and scenery. I liked it a lot and it was a good point to stretch the legs.

I visited the Commando Memorial at Spean Bridge, an extremely moving sight. The memorial itself was having work done, so was mostly hidden from view, but you could still see the main point of it all. I’m glad I visited this on the way.

My route from here to Arrochar would be via Glencoe. I’ve done this road previously on the CB500X, but you can’t pass on visiting Glencoe can you?!
I’d packed my camping stove and some food to ahve a little camping lunch at some point on this trip, Glencoe seemed like the right spot for this.
I had a lot of fun winding my way through the valleys here, remembering the last trip fondly. It was great to spend some time here again.

After much fun during the day, it was time to make a beeline for Arrochar to settle in for the evening. The obligatory meal and pints would follow.

Day 5 – Homeward Bound

I was sad to leave Scotland, this had been an amazing trip, full of new sights. Almost invigorating.
I hadn’t had the best sleep due to the hotel fire alarm blazing at 0200… Apparently it was a test, but the whole thing seemed unorganised and left me not sleeping much. So in one way, maybe it was good that I didn’t have a big day ahead and could concentrate on getting home.
A long, boring route down the M6. But as I said at the start, the boring bits are a necessity…

The Lomo panniers were superb, they attach well and didn’t budge one bit. They never leaked, and I plan to use them on a trip to Germany this year (2023). I highly recommend them as a budget alternative to expensive pannier setups.
The Benelli was superb, an absolute mile muncher. I loved its weather protection and how it performed in the twisty sections. Time for a much deserved wash (the bike, not me!).