(not the OG) Route de Petite Ecosse trip
Discussion
I was going to just post a couple of pics on the Picture a Day thread, but seeing as Time4another’s OG Tour 2026 - Route Des Grande Alpes thread seemed popular I thought I’d just do a new (not the OG) Route de Petite Ecosse thread.
I am an Old Git…a VERY Old Git, but couldn’t commit to the Grande Alpes trip when it was announced, and by the time a could it was full. I still fancied another wee trip before the year was out, and so planned a jaunt round Scotland. All the guys I know locally ride vintage/classic bikes and so weren’t up for a trip, so I put the word out to the OGs, and 2 of the guys bit – one from Leeds, and one from Kent (no names to protect the innocent…they can identify themselves if they want).
So not one of black-K1’s ‘official’ OG tours with great organisation and the like, just me proposing a short 3-day jaunt round Scotland, starting and ending in the vicinity of my place in Fife.
Started off with a bacon roll in Fife…Stephens being the local baker of note.
We kicked-off proper under the famous and photogenic Forth Bridge. Only no-one thought to take a picture of it, only the Forth Road Bridge and the Queensferry Crossing
Dry start up past Knockhill, Rumbling Bridge, Crieff, the Sma’Glen, Loch Tay etc. Stop for photo at Falls of Dochart.
Then on through Crianlarach for lunch at the Green Welly…by which time the rain was on. It’s been a year or two since I’ve ridden up that way and I see average speed cameras now. That must make it a real PITA in the summer where there’s lots of traffic as most cars seem to think 40-50 is what you need to do in an average speed zone.
But in fairness, once we got through Glencoe the rain stopped, so waterproofs off again. I see Jimmy Saville’s cottage has now been pretty much destroyed. Hell, it wasn’t the cottage’s fault; it was a nice wee landmark.
On to the Corran Ferry and across to Ardgour, then up the west of Loch Linnhe.
Single track road, but really good surface (and dry) and I don’t think we came across a single vehicle going our way, and maybe just 2 coming the other way the whole way up to Kinlocheil. Stopped off at Neptunes Staircase on the way to Spean Bridge for some photies.
Not a photo trick, but an ‘art’ installation.
Next day first stop at the Commando Memorial. Memorial, as always, very impressive; but the remembrance garden also very moving with so many young folks being remembered, and some really recently.
Another stop, this time Eilean Donan castle – obligatory pic of Red Indian again.
Chips and curry sauce, the lunch of champions. The on to Applecross across Bealach Na Ba. It was dry at sea level, but got progressively more wet as we climbed. As wet as an otter’s pocket up top – and no waterproofs for me.
But dry again back down at sea level just afterwards, and another Indian pic…with bin.
…and a submarine spotted.
More miles on great roads and virtually zero traffic all the way to Strathpeffer, but light/moderate rain most of the way. But the weatherproofing on the Roadmmaster is quite astonishing (and one of the reasons I got it) and so long as I keep moving all that really gets wet are my knees, and that’s not noticeable over the knee armour, so arrived dry despite a few hours of riding in the rain. Was happy to be riding a bit quicker in the wet too, as I’m usually a but of a woose when the roads get wet. But they were just wet, and not greasy at all so easy to do almost dry road speeds.
But I couldn’t be arsed putting on more layers, so even with heated grips and seat (and summer gloves and trousers!) arrived a bit chilled, so heat-up juice required.
We stayed in the McShining hotel, with lots of old folks from bus parties there of an evening playing quizzed and other non-drinking pastimes. Then I realised most of the buggers were probably younger than me!
Next day another wee tourist stop at Culloden with the sassenachs.
Then down to Grantown past the famous old AA box. Dry, but crazy crosswinds! I gather it was a bona fide gale!
Then across the old military road to Braemar and on to lunch at Tea at the Shee, and onwards back to Fife. (And on to Leeds and Kent for the others).
It was actually a great wee trip, but maybe not up to the standards of black-K1’s Grande Alpes trip and Time4another’s writeup.
It’s been a few years since I toured Scotland; it’s been euro-tours of late, and I’d forgotten how great some of the roads actually are. We didn’t do much that would be on the official NC500 route, and all the better for it – there are far far better roads. Going late in the year had some advantages, very quiet roads and no midges. I can’t blame the time of year on the rain, as it can rain any time of year up here! But I expected late in the year hotels would also be quiet and cheap; sadly no. Hardly any vacancies at all! We spoke to some of the staff in the hotels and all are saying the summer season (and full bookings) are starting much earlier and ending much later. But still a puzzle where the people are since there was little traffic on the road, and none of the usual convoys of Porsches and the like and biker groups.
No other road trips in the pipeline until next June's proper OG trip to Spain.
And a final word of praise for the Roadmaster. It’s such a capable bike, although I accept not everyone's cup of tea. The handling is superb, by any standard, not just that of a heavyweight tourer. It’s quick – not superbike quick, but it pulls hard and I think has the legs of most of the regular 900-1300cc adventure bikes you meet on tour. A slight irritation is it’s limited to 110mph or so (which it romps up to on private roads), I gather it’s some arse protection mode based on the tyres if it’s fully loaded. But I gather unrestricted they’re good for 140-150mph, despite having a huge frontal profile. It might look like a typical ‘mercan heavyweight tourer (AKA Harley), but it’s a very different beast. Brembo radial brakes, upside down forks, aluminium chassis, 112cu in water cooled v-twin with 4-valve heads, yadda yadda. I know loads of folks choose to tour on adventure bikes but never go offroad. You maybe want to look at a Indian with the PowerPlus motor. I’ve also an Indian (Chief) with the Thunderstroke (aircooled) motor, and while it looks and sounds glorious and handles pretty well, it isn’t a patch on the Roadmasters/Challengers.
I am an Old Git…a VERY Old Git, but couldn’t commit to the Grande Alpes trip when it was announced, and by the time a could it was full. I still fancied another wee trip before the year was out, and so planned a jaunt round Scotland. All the guys I know locally ride vintage/classic bikes and so weren’t up for a trip, so I put the word out to the OGs, and 2 of the guys bit – one from Leeds, and one from Kent (no names to protect the innocent…they can identify themselves if they want).
So not one of black-K1’s ‘official’ OG tours with great organisation and the like, just me proposing a short 3-day jaunt round Scotland, starting and ending in the vicinity of my place in Fife.
Started off with a bacon roll in Fife…Stephens being the local baker of note.
We kicked-off proper under the famous and photogenic Forth Bridge. Only no-one thought to take a picture of it, only the Forth Road Bridge and the Queensferry Crossing
Dry start up past Knockhill, Rumbling Bridge, Crieff, the Sma’Glen, Loch Tay etc. Stop for photo at Falls of Dochart.
Then on through Crianlarach for lunch at the Green Welly…by which time the rain was on. It’s been a year or two since I’ve ridden up that way and I see average speed cameras now. That must make it a real PITA in the summer where there’s lots of traffic as most cars seem to think 40-50 is what you need to do in an average speed zone.
But in fairness, once we got through Glencoe the rain stopped, so waterproofs off again. I see Jimmy Saville’s cottage has now been pretty much destroyed. Hell, it wasn’t the cottage’s fault; it was a nice wee landmark.
On to the Corran Ferry and across to Ardgour, then up the west of Loch Linnhe.
Single track road, but really good surface (and dry) and I don’t think we came across a single vehicle going our way, and maybe just 2 coming the other way the whole way up to Kinlocheil. Stopped off at Neptunes Staircase on the way to Spean Bridge for some photies.
Not a photo trick, but an ‘art’ installation.
Next day first stop at the Commando Memorial. Memorial, as always, very impressive; but the remembrance garden also very moving with so many young folks being remembered, and some really recently.
Another stop, this time Eilean Donan castle – obligatory pic of Red Indian again.
Chips and curry sauce, the lunch of champions. The on to Applecross across Bealach Na Ba. It was dry at sea level, but got progressively more wet as we climbed. As wet as an otter’s pocket up top – and no waterproofs for me.
But dry again back down at sea level just afterwards, and another Indian pic…with bin.
…and a submarine spotted.
More miles on great roads and virtually zero traffic all the way to Strathpeffer, but light/moderate rain most of the way. But the weatherproofing on the Roadmmaster is quite astonishing (and one of the reasons I got it) and so long as I keep moving all that really gets wet are my knees, and that’s not noticeable over the knee armour, so arrived dry despite a few hours of riding in the rain. Was happy to be riding a bit quicker in the wet too, as I’m usually a but of a woose when the roads get wet. But they were just wet, and not greasy at all so easy to do almost dry road speeds.
But I couldn’t be arsed putting on more layers, so even with heated grips and seat (and summer gloves and trousers!) arrived a bit chilled, so heat-up juice required.
We stayed in the McShining hotel, with lots of old folks from bus parties there of an evening playing quizzed and other non-drinking pastimes. Then I realised most of the buggers were probably younger than me!
Next day another wee tourist stop at Culloden with the sassenachs.
Then down to Grantown past the famous old AA box. Dry, but crazy crosswinds! I gather it was a bona fide gale!
Then across the old military road to Braemar and on to lunch at Tea at the Shee, and onwards back to Fife. (And on to Leeds and Kent for the others).
It was actually a great wee trip, but maybe not up to the standards of black-K1’s Grande Alpes trip and Time4another’s writeup.
It’s been a few years since I toured Scotland; it’s been euro-tours of late, and I’d forgotten how great some of the roads actually are. We didn’t do much that would be on the official NC500 route, and all the better for it – there are far far better roads. Going late in the year had some advantages, very quiet roads and no midges. I can’t blame the time of year on the rain, as it can rain any time of year up here! But I expected late in the year hotels would also be quiet and cheap; sadly no. Hardly any vacancies at all! We spoke to some of the staff in the hotels and all are saying the summer season (and full bookings) are starting much earlier and ending much later. But still a puzzle where the people are since there was little traffic on the road, and none of the usual convoys of Porsches and the like and biker groups.
No other road trips in the pipeline until next June's proper OG trip to Spain.
And a final word of praise for the Roadmaster. It’s such a capable bike, although I accept not everyone's cup of tea. The handling is superb, by any standard, not just that of a heavyweight tourer. It’s quick – not superbike quick, but it pulls hard and I think has the legs of most of the regular 900-1300cc adventure bikes you meet on tour. A slight irritation is it’s limited to 110mph or so (which it romps up to on private roads), I gather it’s some arse protection mode based on the tyres if it’s fully loaded. But I gather unrestricted they’re good for 140-150mph, despite having a huge frontal profile. It might look like a typical ‘mercan heavyweight tourer (AKA Harley), but it’s a very different beast. Brembo radial brakes, upside down forks, aluminium chassis, 112cu in water cooled v-twin with 4-valve heads, yadda yadda. I know loads of folks choose to tour on adventure bikes but never go offroad. You maybe want to look at a Indian with the PowerPlus motor. I’ve also an Indian (Chief) with the Thunderstroke (aircooled) motor, and while it looks and sounds glorious and handles pretty well, it isn’t a patch on the Roadmasters/Challengers.
Respect, that first day was a lot of riding, and a lot of fun! I'm glad the accommodations are full, the prices put us off most of the time: if we're going for a week Spain or France are usually cheaper even taking travelling costs into account, which is nuts.
That big bike is impressive, maybe one day.
That big bike is impressive, maybe one day.
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