Back in 1995 I spent a delightful week traversing Scotland from west to east. It was a journey I took with a friend in my faithful Fiat Punto – but as wonderful as it was, I kept having a recurring thought on seeing the countless motorcycles that passed us. Wouldn’t this be even better by bike?
Fast forward 22 years to Autumn 2017 and I found myself sitting in an armchair putting serious plans into making that thought into reality. And on 1st June 2018, I left the urban sprawl of North Kent sitting atop a beautiful British motorcycle – a shiny new Triumph Tiger 1200 XRX – alongside Steve, my friend of 25 years, riding his own machine.
It wasn’t exactly an easy first day. At 3.40am that morning Steve and I set laden with enough clothing and camping equipment to see us through a full fortnight, and heading for our intended first overnight stop: the campsite at Oban, 526 miles away.
Setting off early proved a good idea. By 10.30am we had already covered 360 miles, stopping briefly for fuel top ups and welcome coffee breaks. The ease with which the bike covered these miles was impressive, having achieved a very respectable average of 51mpg at a speed around 70mph.
The fun was only just beginning, though, because negotiating the M25, M1, M6 and M74 isn’t what this trip is all about. So it was a delight to reach the A82 at Dumbarton and be on the final stretch to Oban, arriving after such a lengthy ride to pitch up at a wonderfully situated campsite with breathtaking views worth every mile travelled.
Stepping off the bike I patted the fuel tank, thanking my new found companion for making the journey so much more enjoyable than I had considered possible.
It really is a heck of a machine – in 30 years of motorcycling I can I honestly say I've not had the pleasure to ride a bike that is so competent, sure footed and economical over a long distance. And so much cooler than a Fiat Punto.
Tent pitched and suitably refreshed, we fought the expected army of midges and settled down for a well earned sleep.
Saturday morning saw a welcome break from two wheels: a two-mile stroll along the picturesque coast road into town, where ferries putter in and out of the harbour alongside dozens of beautiful sailing boats.
It’s a delightful little spot, full of interesting nooks and crannies. There’s a museum dedicated to the townsfolk, sharing the tales of local people and service personnel at the nearby Royal Air Force base.
The stories of the Sutherland flying boats of the Second World World and the first transatlantic cable – laid in the mid 1950s, and making landfall here – really caught my eye.
After a fish supper and a decent bottle of white we called it a day and hailed a taxi back to the campsite. In the morning, the Islands of Mull and Iona await and the next leg of our journey will continue.
Steve will be blogging for countrylife.co.uk throughout his journey across Scotland.
Spectacular Scottish castles and estates for sale
A look at the finest castles, country houses and estates for sale in Scotland today.
10 of Scotland’s most magical white sand beaches
What better day to celebrate some of Scotland's most stunning locations than St Andrew's Day? Here's our pick of 10
-
Will Hosie: I'm bored of West End remakes — risky business should be the norm, not the anomalyIs the West End becoming a broken record?
-
The Swan at Fittleworth review: The 500-year-old inn that’s as popular now as when Turner stayedThe Swan at Fittleworth's previous guests include Kipling, Turner and J. M. Barrie.
-
A new gilded age: Sir David Attenborough christens a rare golden eagletThe first golden eagle to fledge from the nest of a translocated bird has been rewarded with a name selected by Sir David Attenborough.
-
How Sir Walter Scott made the Dandie Dinmont terrier a legendThis week marked Sir Walter Scott’s birthday — and so it seemed the right moment to celebrate the terrier that owes its fame, and its name, to his pen.
-
'Two months to the Moon, three for rest and refreshment and two more for the return': The English stork success storyLong unseen on British shores, white stork chicks are hatching once again in the UK and a colony is now flourishing in West Sussex thanks to a pioneering restoration project.
-
How the acrobatic buzzard survived persecution to become one of Britain's best avian huntersIt may appear lethargic, but no one could argue with the hunting prowess of the common buzzard when it transforms into a surging missile intent on an unsuspecting victim.
-
From Lincoln to London, the crosses of Eleanor are a legacy of loveA grief-stricken Edward I built a legacy to love across the middle of England in memory of his adored Queen Consort, marked by 12 Eleanor Crosses. The historian Alice Loxton walks in the footsteps of the epic funerary procession.
-
Pier today, gone tomorrow: Blackpool pleasure pier up for saleA product of Victorian entertainment, piers are synonymous with the British seaside. But they need our help to survive.
-
Sophia Money-Coutts: Can my dog sit with me at the table when I’m eating out?'Admittedly, I did once offer Dennis a small piece of truffled arancini in a Mayfair restaurant, but I felt it was important that he try his first truffle.'
-
A hoover for goose droppings, a tree-planting battle with the Hilton, and a disgusting banana: Inside Buckingham Palace and its gardensThe summer tours of The King’s residence this year include two new state rooms and a peep inside his private gardens.
