Scotland, August 1994

In Summer 1994 we left Italy to solve the Loch Ness mystery.
We haven't found the monster, but we have seen a unique and wonderful Country.
You have to go there, if you can. You'll find an incredible landscape, castles, salmons and whiskies.
We were lucky and we spent our journeys with the sun, but it's better to be ready for the rain.
We were 30 persons with 20 bikes, if you can it's better to be less!!
If you like you'll may taste the pizza with pineapple otherwise you'll find fish (usually salmon) everywhere.
Be careful on the road after the "Monte Bianco", in France. Until you'll reach the motorway there's a lot of traffic. Of course in the UK you must drive on the left!!

Digione

Nice town. Worth a better visit, but for us was just a stop on the way to Reims.

Reims

Another stop just to sleep. The day after we left for Calais. The ferry needs about one hour, on the English side there are the well known White Cliffs of Dover, unfortunately they are no more so white. From Dover we went to Leighton Buzzard. Our journey to Scotland crossed Newcastle, one of the most violent town, best avoid it: we had to close all our bikes in two garages (they were one other the other!) while a car has been left in front of the Hotel, during the night it has been stolen and found along the river without the wheels but completely burned...

Edinburgh

This was the first Scottish town, full of history and monuments.
The city centre is around the nice castle and Holyroodhouse, the Royal Palace and summer residence for the Queen; they are joined by the Royal Mile, a lot of streets between 16th century's houses.
The day after, in the afternoon, we followed the Glenn Shee up the Cairnwell gap, across the Grampian Mountains. A great scenic route.
The road crosses Braemar, here there is Balmoral Castle, then reaches Ballater, there her Majesty goes for shopping.

Ullapool

Before reaching Ullapool we have discovered the most famous Scottish drink, the whisky. From Knockando to Aberlour there are a lot of distillery, new or old, where you have to stop for a sample, but not to many!
After Inverness, on the A835, there are just rivers, waterfalls, lakes and hills, the wonderful Highlands' scenery.
Ullapool is a typical small fisherman's town on the Atlantic Ocean. The day after we did a ring following the coast on the North Sea. The most strange village is John o'Groats, so called from the name of the first man went there in the 16th century to manage a ferry to the Orkney Islands. The journey was amazing. Small villages on the cliffs, fjords, archaeological sites, caves and the big Highlands peaks. Here quite all the streets are single track, just one small lane but not one way.

Mallaig

Before reaching Kyle of Lochalsh to take the ferry, we did a small deviation to Dornie, to see Eilean Donan Castle where many Highlander movie's take has been done.
After a small crossing we reached the foggy isle, Skye. Portree, nice town born on a bay, it's the chief town. Old Man of Storr, the Kilt Rock cliff, Duntulm Castle (old Mc'Donald's stronghold), Duvengan Castle, are all scenic places. At Armandale we took the ferry to Mallaig.

Aberfeldy

Finally we reached our goal, the Loch Ness lake, probably the most famous Scottish place. We didn't see the monster, other than into the visitor centre where the whole story is kept.

London

We have spent just one day here on a Sight and Seen tour with a very cold day, if you want to see it you need more days!...