We couldn’t decide whether to go camping or live the life of luxury by going B&B or a mixture of both. We settled for B&B and another book was purchased to assist, this was Stilwell’s Ireland B&B book and contains some excellent value accommodation. Their average B&B price was £16.50. Planning our route caused a few problems because we wanted to see as much as possible without spending all day on the road a task which was damn near impossible, so a few sacrifices had to be made, well, we have to save something for another day don’t we. We were also unsure whether to book accommodation in advance or go on spec’ and this decision was made after reading through the Rough Guide. We were taking our tour during August, the height of the season, and several locations, especially around the Ring of Kerry and Dingle peninsula, accommodation could be hard to come by. What we didn’t want to do was arrive at a place and spend hours looking for somewhere to stay. On the other hand, we didn’t want to be committed to going to a certain place but the later seemed the best choice. Once our route had been pencilled out we booked all the overnight stops via the Internet. Ferry tickets there and back were also done via the web but one thing it couldn’t do was give us Euros. A trip into the building society soon solved that problem. The bike was expertly service by Phil Hawksley in down town Leicester and all that remained for us to do now was to pack those panniers. Whilst our friends were packing their sun creams and swim suits we were digging out the waterproofs.

Day 1 (12 Aug)

The K100LT was loaded up with expertly packed panniers and a two-tier Baglux tankbag. Our route to Ireland was simple enough, we live in the West Midlands so we headed for Fishguard. The one thing we don’t like doing is chasing the clock so we left our humble abode in Coventry at about 09:30 for the 16:00 sailing for which we had to check in about 45 mins. before sailing. All of the route finders on the web pointed us towards the M5 and M4 but I had decided to go another way and avoid all this motorway riding. Quite frankly it bores me to tears. Good old mapping reading skills were brought into action and the route to Fishguard was chosen via the A46, M5(Part) to the M50 and thence via the A40 to Abergaveny and the A465 through the Vale of Neath before joining the M4 and A40.

Today’s weather was excellent and we hoped for more of the same it was dry and sunny with a light wind and just what we needed at the start of our hols. Traffic was fairly light too until we got towards the M5 on the outskirts of Tewksbury where road works held us up a bit. The M50 was virtually empty and some excellent scenery was the order of the day through Wales. We stopped once to fill up, this was just before the end of the M4 on the edge of Swansea.

Again traffic was light and we made great progress to Fishguard arriving there at about 14:10 with loads of time to spare. We were then advised that the ferry was going to be delayed by about 90 minutes, something to do with an engine fault at the Rosslare end. Not much to do now but sit around and wait. We eventually departed at 17:40. Not such a good start after all, but at least it wasn’t raining….yet!.

We docked at around 19:30 or so and we still had about 50 miles to do on unfamiliar roads. Our pre-arranged B&B was in Tramore, which is just South of Waterford, and we intended to be there by 20:00. Once we had disembarked a quick phone call was made to our hosts to advise of the delay and new expected arrival time. A reassuring “take yer toim” was the reply.

The weather had changed slightly by this time and the mist was rolling in. Thicker clouds were also forming but it wasn’t raining. The route from Rosslare to Tramore all seemed straightforward on the map but don’t they all? I had read in the ‘Guide and The Journal that the signposts in Ireland can be few and far between and also that road surfaces can be very rough. We hadn’t come across this yet as the main N25 was very smooth and well surfaced. Getting used to the new signposts was easy but some could be misleading. The main N roads have distances in Kilometre and the side roads are in Miles. Speed limit signs are in mph and not kph.

We negotiated Waterford without any problem, our first big Irish town, and found the back road to Tramore with no problem. The directions we had from our host to the Seamist B&B were spot on and we arrived there just before 21:00.

The house is about a 20-minute walk from the bars and restaurants of Tramore, which is situated at the bottom of the hill. We headed into town thinking the guesthouse was very aptly named as the mist continued to roll in. The none too bright street lighting was of little use in these conditions and thoughts of Buggleskelly and Will Hay came to mind. The hazy glow of the town centre lights soon became evident and guided us in safely.

All the restaurants seemed to have closed for the evening and we couldn’t find any bar food. In fairness though, it was kind of late

on, so we weren’t really expecting much. Our first Irish bar was entered and the much hyped Guinness was not available!!. We had a pint of Smithwick’s instead which isn’t the best pint in the world by any means, it’s a kind of Irish Youngers Tartan if you see what I mean. It was strange at first when the barman asked me for 6.30 but before I questioned this I realised it was Euros.

Tramore itself is quite a popular resort and along the seafront there were the usual array of arcades and fast food outlets. It was to be one of these that provided us with an evening meal and we sat outside in the mist to eat our freshly cooked cheeseburger and chips to the sound of the sea, we couldn’t actually see it but we knew it was there.

It had been a rather long day in all so we headed back up the hill and eventually hit the sack at about 23:30. Miles today: 268.

Day 2 (13 Aug)

After our first excellent Irish breakfast it was time to say our farewells to our hosts, pay our bill and hit the road. The double en-suite room cost 54 Euro (about £35). The previous nights mist and drizzle was still evident when we set off at about 10:00 but we didn’t put on the waterproofs at this stage. It did look a lot brighter in the direction we were going but this proved to be a false outlook. We headed along the coastal road but we hadn’t gone too far before we were forced to stop to put on the leggings. The drizzly rain was becoming too heavy with no sign of it clearing which also spoilt the views out to sea. This day was also our introduction to the back roads and their notorious reputation for bad surfaces and lack of road signs. We had to stop a few times to consult the map, there were many junctions without a single signpost.

We cut inland at near Bunmanon, which was a change of plan as I had intended to head for Dungarvan before doing so. There didn’t seem much point in continuing along the coast due to lack of visibility. We were only a few miles away from the coast when the weather improved dramatically, the clouds and mist lifted to reveal a few blue patches in the sky and the sun was actually breaking through the haze.

We took a brief stop at Carrick-on-Suir and it became so warm it was time to put the leggings away and they were never to return for the rest of the day. Carrick-on-Suir provided us with our first daylight visit to an Irish town, it was quite busy and the people were very friendly indeed. We entered the town across the river bridge, which, I believe, was built in 1491. It’s a very picturesque small town and sits in a lush valley near the Comeragh hills. We had a wonder around some of the shops but were disappointed with the lack of a gift shop.

Our next port of call was Tipperary and despite the popularity of that well known song the town itself was a bit of a disappointment. Although there were the usual array of shops it didn’t give the impression that Carrick on Suir did but at least they had a gift shop to enable to the wife to obtain a thimble for her collection. We took lunch at the Kickham House, which was very reasonably priced. The bikes tank was also fed before setting off once again.

We travelled down through the Glen of Aherlow along the R663 which is very scenic but slightly spoilt by the low cloud and rough road. Care had to be taken in a lot of places, especially on the corners where road chippings would accumulate in vast quantities. This roughness was ended after going through Mitchelstown where we picked up the N73.

Our destination for the night was Mallow where we arrived at about 16:10. Unfortunately the directions to our B&B were not the best and it took a while to find the house but find it we did, eventually, and off loaded the panniers again. Once settled into our en suite room I re-read the directions and it all fell into place, I’d taken a wrong turn which threw me into some kind of disorientation (well that’s my excuse anyway).

The guesthouse is about a quarter of a mile from Mallow town centre and is a steady walk up the road. Our feeding venue for the night was the White Deer and again the food was very good and reasonably priced. Yet again there was no Guinness available but the Murphy’s was going down well. We stayed here for quite a while, we were told that traditional music is sometimes taking place here but not on a Tuesday it would seem. It was still a very pleasant evening out on the town all the same.  Miles today: 118

Day 3 (14 Aug)

During the planning stage of our tour we had decided that a visit to Ireland would not be complete without a trip to Dublin. I had read many things about traffic congestion within Dublin and that parking was also difficult, even for a bike, so we decided it was to be a ‘rest day’ for the bike as we tried out Irish Rail for the first time. The station was only a short walk from our guesthouse, which was just as well after another full Irish breakfast. Our train starts it’s journey from Cork and calls at about nine stations on the way. Coaching stock is very similar to those in England and although the loco’ on our train was only built in the early nineties it did look rather old. They were built by General Motors and have a maximum speed of 100 mph.

The train inside was very clean with plenty of room and vacant seats when we got on however, it did fill up during the journey and was full by the time we reached Dublin. This journey took almost three hours because of all the station stops. Life does not appear to be so hectic over here either as most people and railway staff just ambled through their day without, it would seem, a care in the world. Until we reached Dublin that is.

Our train took us to Heuston station, which is about a mile or so from the city centre. There is a bus that runs back and forth but we decided to walk along the banks of the river Liffey, which sounds nice but believe me it isn’t. Crossing the road is an absolute nightmare. Some pelican crossings would stop the traffic one way and then leave you in the middle of the road to await a gap in traffic coming the other way. The constant hustle and bustle was a total pain and trying walk around what seemed to be the only gift shop in town was akin to a January sale. To get away from all this we found sanctuary in the form of a bar, had a drink (no Guinness here either) or two and a bite to eat. Not sure of the name of the place but wasn’t really worth remembering.

All too soon though we were back out into the congested streets and did battle with traffic whilst  trying to cross roads. Our Rough Guide had a section on the Temple Bar area of the city so we paid a visit here. Again we couldn’t see what all fuss was about but maybe night time would be the best time to visit this area. We did however, come across a pub, the Brazen Head Hotel which claimed to be the oldest in town dating from 1668 and it certainly looked like it. It wasn’t too far to Heuston station so we sought sanctuary again from the madding crowd and spent some time here watching the clock tick away before catching the train back to Mallow.

Heuston station is very clean and believe it or not has a large television suspended from a ceiling so passengers can watch TV before catching their train. Neighbours was on when we got there. Our train left at around 17:10 and it was a quicker journey back to Mallow, it only stopped once and the journey took about 2hr 15mins. The train fare ?..I have no idea because working within the railway industry in England I can get it for free.

Weather wise the day had been dry and warm until we got back to Mallow where it was absolutely chucking it down. On the previous days visit to the town centre we spotted an Indian restaurant and decided that it would be our venue for tonight but the weather put a stop to that. However, there was a steak house by the station called the Roundabout Inn so we headed there instead. We weren’t disappointed. By the time we had finished here the rain had stopped and we heading home reasonably dry…on the outside that is. Still no Guinness though but I’m now getting to like the Murphy’s. All in all though we couldn’t help thinking that the day had been wasted. Miles today: 0 by bike, about 220 by rail.

Day 4 (15 Aug)

Even after the previous nights steak I still found room for a full Irish, at this rate I’m going to need a crane to get me on the bike but, hey, I’m on my holidays. Our host Winifred O’Donovan took E102 (£68) off us for our two night stay in en-suite accommodation and gave us an old towel to wipe the bike down. Thankfully the rain had all but gone to reveal a glorious day with a clear blue sky and bright sunshine. We left Mallow along the N72 past the racecourse before turning off down the R619 towards the Boggeragh Mountains. This sounds nice but they really aren’t big mountains by any means and some only stand at 430 metres. The road itself was very rough so speed was keep down. The fully laden bike was on it’s highest suspension pre-set but this didn’t stop it bottoming out on a couple of occasions. Road signs too are conspicuous by their absence but at least it kept the map reading skills well up to speed. We crossed over the Inishcarra Reservoir before briefly having a good road surface in the form of the N22 which connects Cork with Killarney. This all too short section soon came to an end when we headed down the R590 to Bandon before joining the N71 for the South coast.

We were beginning to think that the Southern coastline of Ireland would never come into view but glimpses of it were found near Clonakilty. The route itself wasn’t too scenic and we were rather disappointed but at least the weather made it into a great motorcycling day.

We took a lunch stop at Balleydehob, which is a small town at the head of Roaringwater Bay, but lunch consisted only of liquid, as we were still full from our earlier breakfast back in Mallow. From here we headed out towards Mizen Head but stopped at a craft and woollen shop near Toormore for another thimble! From here we headed along the R591, which skirts alongside Dunmanus Bay and provided some the best scenery, which was missed earlier in the day. Our overnight stay was pre-booked at Bantry where we arrived at around 16:30.

Our accommodation at the Leyton Guest House was up a small hill and the view from our room overlooked the bay. Very scenic indeed. Our host then advised us of the good places to eat and drink in the town and pointed out a short cut instead of walking all the way around the road. It was only a fifteen-minute walk anyway but helped build up an appetite. Bantry is situated at the head of Bantry Bay in West Cork and is a busy little market town and fishing port. We dined at ‘1796’ , which was named after the Irish uprising when French fleets entered the town in support of Wolfe Tone, and it served excellent good value bar food but, yet again, the Guinness was not evident. I was beginning to wonder if the stuff actually existed ! As I mentioned earlier though, I was nowgetting used to the Murphy’s quite nicely. Miles today: 113

Day 5 (16 Aug)

It had been our intention that today’s tour would take us around the Ring of Kerry and the Dingle peninsula with an overnight stay in Dingle or Milltown. We were finding accommodation in the area hard to come by and our host advised that the Ring’ is very busy at this time of year especially towards the weekend. Many coaches also traverse the route and very often don’t go around the same way, which causes congestion. The weather forecast too wasn’t particularly brilliant and the following day would be even worse. So, instead of going through all that and also facing the prospect of wet and windy ride on the Saturday we headed for our pre-booked Saturday overnight venue for a two night stay. A quick phone call ahead confirmed that the room was available.

Another full Irish was consumed before paying our bill of E46 (£31) for the non en-suite room before hitting the road again at around 10:30. Although it was rather cloudy it wasn’t raining so we decided to get underway without putting on the leggings. The wind coming in across the bay was fairly gusty and it did blow the bike about a bit but this eased once we had gone inland. Our route took us along the N71 towards Glengarriff and Killarney which was very scenic indeed. We stopped on several occasions to take pictures and at this rate we probably wouldn’t reach our destination. The road also goes through a couple of rock tunnels, which are unlit and quite damp, care had to be taken through these.

We passed through the small town of Kenmare before reaching Molls Gap, which was full of tourists whose coaches took up most of the parking spaces. It would have been tricky parking the fully laden K100LT on the shale surface which was on a steep slope so we continued a bit further up the road before stopping at the Ladies View viewpoint instead. The view across the Killarney National Park, the Upper Lake and Lough Leane was truly spectacular and took up a lot of film. I felt a bit like a professional photographer with two cameras on the go, my Kodak digital was working overtime as was my trusty 35mm effort.

Killarney was very busy with tourists, we had no intention of stopping for a look around, which was probably just as well. The town is very popular for horse and cart rides, these very often hold up the traffic as well as covering the road surface in dung. Care had to be taken when putting your foot on the floor when traffic came to a stand !. It wasn’t hard to see that the Ring of Kerry would have been very busy indeed.

From here the scenery becomes more open and not so spectacular. We skirt around the town of Tralee and head past another racecourse before stopping for lunch near Listowel at the Half Way House. Upon entering this establishment there was a distinct ‘OK Coral’ feeling about the place when conversations suddenly stopped and eyes started to glare at the strangers in town. All that was missing was the tumble weed!. It was by no means busy but still took about five minutes to be served by the rather glum looking staff that seemed even glummer when I asked for only two halves of ale. The bar food menu was pointed out to us but, for some reason or other, we weren’t hungry right now. This was by far the most miserable place we had been too so far and not in keeping with Irelands tradition of friendliness.

Listowel too has a racecourse which is passed on the way into the town. The town itself was congested with traffic which was caused by a wedding taking place at the church in the middle of town. Cars were parked almost anywhere causing a jam for through traffic. We were actually heading for the ferry that goes across the River Shannon to Killimer from Tarbert. It is operated by Shannon Ferries and sails daily from 07:00 – 21:00, weather permitting, hourly on the half hour from the Tarbert end. We managed to catch one about ten minutes before sailing and it cost E7.50 for the bike and two passengers. It only takes about ten minutes to cross the river which saves something like a 90-mile detour if you went all the round via Limerick.

We headed along the N67 towards Kilrush before picking up the R483 via Miltown Malbay (is this Irelands ‘Melton Mowbray without the pies?) before taking a photo stop at the picturesque Liscannor Bay. From here we continued on to the Cliffs of Moher which are truly spectacular. These cliffs get bombarded by the Atlantic Ocean and stand some 200 metres high. Many tourists were roaming around and it was difficult to get a clear photograph of the cliffs without having these folk in the shot. I’m very fussy like that. Further along the cliffs is O’Brien’s Tower which overlooks the raging Atlantic. The well laid footpath along the edge of the cliffs are littered with various buskers all plying there varied trades from crafts to playing the tin whistle. There is also a good ‘scam’ here whereby you enter the car park before realising that you have to pay to get out. Very cunning indeed but it was worth the E2.50. Definitely worth a visit but they are very popular with visitors.

We reached our destination, Lisdoonvarna, at around 18:00 which was later than previous days. Our host at the Gowlaun Guest House welcomed us in and we were soon settled.

The town itself is famous for it’s matchmaking festivals. Matchmaking soon became one of the main activities of Lisdoonvarna’s holidaymakers. Bachelor farmers used to flock to Lisdoonvarna in search of wives. The matchmakers prospered as matches were contrived and marriages made.

We visited a gift shop for yet another thimble and other small gifts, we were also informed by the staff that later on during the evening some traditional music would be playing in the back room for which we were invited along. Before doing so we had to dine and we chose the Roadside Inn, which was recommended within the paraphernalia at the guest house. Unfortunately it wasn’t as good as stated as we, yet again, came across some miserable faces behind the bar, slooow service with the food and I was diddled out of a few Euros at the bar into the bargain. I never noticed the ‘error’ until I had sat down by which time it was too late. The food itself was nothing special and not worth the money. Again no Guinness, which was probably just as well. So, after consuming the so-called meal all too quickly we headed off back to the gift shop to savour the music which was in full swing when we arrived. It then became clear that the gift shop was part of the Rathbaun Hotel and the entertainment was free to non-residents. The band was a four-piece outfit and were very good indeed – a kind of Corrs meets Westlife if you see what I mean. This entertainment saved the evening for us. Miles today: 142

Day 6 (17 Aug)

As per the forecast the wind and rain had spread in overnight, we consumed another full Irish, this time to the sound of rain splashing on the dining room window. Our host had informed us that it should clear up to leave a showery kind of day. We had a stroll around this small town of Lisdoonvarna after breakfast during which time to rain had stopped and the sky was clearing up. We headed back to the guest house, got the map out and devised a small tour of the area.

We actually got underway at around 11:45 and headed out towards the West coast. It was nice to ride the bike without it being fully laden for a change. The area we were heading for is known as The Burren which is from the Irish – ‘bhoireann’ meaning a stony place. It’s lunar landscape appearance looks very bleak indeed and well worth a visit. Its formation has lain unspoiled since the ice age and is composed of karstic limestone, the largest area of such in Western Europe and occupies an area of approximately 300 sq. kilometres. We paused to take pictures near Derreen on the R477 where the waves from the Atlantic meet Galway Bay and, with the assistance of the strong wind, were being whipped up and were crashing against the rugged rocks of the coastline causing them to crash over the top. Sights like this could be seen all the way along the coastline and, personally, I could watch that kind of thing all day.

The day tour continued with a visit to the Aillwee cave’s which are situated off the R480 road about 4 miles South of Ballyvaughan. These cave’s were not discovered until the 1940’s and were found by a herdsman who was searching for his lost dog. He also discovered remains of brown bears and the indentations of the bear pits. Bears have been extinct in Ireland for thousands of years so his discovery caused great excitement. The cave’s extend for over a third of a mile into the mountain and some magnificent stalagmite and stalactite formations can be seen. A guided tour is available for E7.50 per adult with reductions for children, students and oap’s and are well worth a visit. The temperature inside the cave remains at a constant 40 deg f. Getting to the caves involves a steep uphill climb for the bike with a couple of hairpin bends on the way but once at the top the view across the Burren is excellent and on a clear day Galway Bay will be in view.

From here we headed towards Ennis before taking a right turn to head back to Lisdoonvarna. I had underestimated the distance we were actually clocking up during this day out and the mileage was creeping up with no signs of a fuel station, my own fault really for not topping up before we left. We did come across a small outlet near Inagh on the N85 which was a local grocers shop with added petrol. I had to ring the bell for service and soon after a little old lady poked her head around the door to say the pump was now switched on and to help ourselves. Can’t really see that kind of thing happening in England!. From here we continued through the rocky landscape and must have passed at least eight more filling stations before arriving back in Lisdoonvarna at around 17:30. I wasn’t really worried – honestly.

We had intentions of making the evening a lot more enjoyable food wise so we headed for the Irish Arms pub which we had seen earlier in the day. The bar was decorated with Celtic FC memorabilia so perhaps it was just as well I wasn’t wearing my Inverness C.T shirt !. The staff were friendly and welcoming which was unlike the previous night. We sat down, chose something to eat which was all served quickly. The food was excellent and great value for money. My first pint of Guinness was consumed here and, quite frankly, I am not sure what all the fuss was about, this legendary stout, to me, was nothing special and, unlike what I was told back home, didn’t taste much different. I didn’t let it spoil the night though.

Our entertainment for the night was found at the Royal Spa Hotel where we came across some real traditional Irish music with a group of men sat in a corner. It was also an opportunity for others to join in. We got chatting to a NYPD officer, who was involved in the atrocities of the twin towers, his wife then got up to ask about the instrument that the old chap was playing. He was playing the Bodhran, which is a goatskin drum, he then proceeded to show her how it was played before sitting her down to join in with the next tune. It was excellent entertainment and was our first taste of real traditional Irish music. It was late when we left here but it rounded off what turned out to be a great day out. Miles today: 63

Day 7 (18 Aug)

Another full Irish was consumed this time without the accompaniment of the rain. The forecast for today was a mixture of sunshine and showers with temperatures around average for the time of year. Our bill for the two-night stop in en-suite accommodation was E108 (£72), we loaded up the bike again and then headed out of Lisdoonvarna along the N67 towards Galway. The route was very scenic with the rugged landscape of the Burren on our right and views across Galway Bay to our left. The road surface prevented any rapid progress which was, perhaps, a blessing in disguise as it provided more time to take in the scenery.

We picked up the N18 at Kilcolgan and this road appeared to have been recently resurfaced and was quite smooth, I believe my speedo' reached to heady heights of 60 mph and so I had to slow down a little in case I got a nose bleed !.

We had no intentions of visiting Galway town itself as we picked our way around the ‘ring road’ passing another racecourse before, eventually, finding our way to the coast again near Salthill by means of the R336. The traffic heading for the town centre was very heavy so perhaps it was a good idea to give Galway a miss.

We stopped briefly near Spiddal for a leg stretch and to get the camera out for the first time today. Views across the bay were very clear despite some low cloud and the water of the bay was also quite calm. The blue flag, which advertises the good condition of the beach and water, was fluttering in the breeze and there were even some folk paddling. They must be hardy soles in these parts, we didn’t think it was that warm and we’d got bike gear on!.

After passing the small aerodrome near Ballynahowen the road turns away from Galway Bay and heads inland a little. We took a left turn at Screeb Cross onto the R340 and started to look for somewhere for a lunchtime stop. Roadside pubs were few and far between but we did eventually come across one near Gortmore. It was a general stores / pub establishment going by the name of John R Conroy, I mention the name because it really is one to miss.

We were greeted with glum looks and once again we had that ‘OK Coral’ feeling of being unwelcome in this town ! However, we did have a half pint of ale each which took about ten minutes to serve. They charged E4 for these drinks with the advertised price of pint at E3.15 I couldn’t help having that feeling of being ripped off again. To question the charge might have caused a scene as the natives looked none too friendly. We supped up quicker than we wanted to, saddled up again and rode out of town.

The R340 provides some great views of the distant Connemara and Maumturk mountains and q few photo calls had to be made. The weather tried hard to spoil some of the views with some low cloud, there were spits and spots of rain in the air, but it wasn’t enough for the need to tog up as we rode out some of the sharp showers. The road surface once again improved when we picked up the main N59 and headed for Clifden and our destination for the night.

Clifden lies of the Western coast of Connemara and is enhanced by some spectacular scenery around Clifden Bay and the peaks of about 12 Bens can be seen. The town itself has an array of shops ranging from gifts and souvenirs to sweater shops and antiques. We checked in to our B&B at accommodation at Baymount House before heading back into town for something to eat.

I had read that Clifden is fast emerging as the ‘Gourmet Capital’ of the West and this built up our hopes of finding an Indian Restaurant, something we had missed during the seven days on the road. But, before finding a place to eat, I was itching to follow up on something I saw on the way into town. We’d passed a building on our left which was named the Station Hotel. I knew that there wasn’t a railway station in the town and I had this urge to investigate. It appears that there used to be a line that ran from Galway to Clifden which was opened in July of 1895. The intention had been to improve communications with a developing fishing industry and the MGWR (Midland Great Western Railway) engineers designed a route to follow the coastline. The Royal Commission on Public Works thought otherwise and directed that an inland route should be followed via Oughterard. Largely as a result of this decision, freight traffic failed to materialise, and the railway company chose instead to develop the tourism potential of the area. The line closed in April 1935. The old buildings have been thoughtfully restored to house part of the hotel and gift shop. Some of the rails are still in place and an old carriage stands near the former engine shed.

Our search for an Indian ended in failure so we decided to head for D’Arcy’s for our evening meal as recommended back at the guesthouse. They’d stopped serving food at 8 p.m. so we found Mannion’s instead. The area for bar food was too busy so we went upstairs to the restaurant instead. The meal was excellent and was all served with a smile, the only thing that spoilt it for us was some small children running around whilst their parents took no notice.

Traditional music was advertised at King’s but by the time it all started to room was too smoky for our comfort so we decided to leave. Miles today: 110

Day 8 (19 Aug)

We awoke to glorious sunshine and the forecast for the day was much of the same. Another full Irish was forced down before loading up the bike once again. Our bill of E52 was paid for the en-suite accommodation. The guest house itself comprises about ten rooms and was a small hotel rather than a guest house. It wasn’t one that we would return to in a hurry. We never had that feeling of ‘true’ welcomeness like you would associate with smaller establishments, but, having said that it was clean and comfortable with an excellent breakfast, it just wasn’t for us.

We headed out of Clifden along the N59 and had only gone a few yards up the road before realising we were heading the wrong way. There are only two ways out of town, trust me to pick the wrong one. The mountains provided the scenery for the first part of the day and several opportunities for photographs were passed by until we reached Klyemore Lough. This tranquil setting with its gently rippling waters also gave home to a couple of lads who were camping by the lakeside. The blues skies and small while clouds reflected in the water. We could have stayed there all day.

The N59 gave us a smooth ride most of the time but I wasn’t being lured into a false sense of security as it gave a few reminders now and again that all is, perhaps, not quite as it seems. Pot holes would appear without warning and the adverse camber on some corners had to be looked out for. All in all though it wasn’t as bad as previous days.

The small town of Westport was passed by as we continued along the N59 before reaching Mulrany for a brief leg stretch. This small village had a Spar shop where we purchased a bar of chocolate and bottle of water, the rather glum looking assistant struggled to add up the two items and gave us the look of ‘why bother’. Maybe he’s used to basket loads of items or did he just have a bad night ?.

The coastal route of the N59 through Ballycroy to Bangor gives some great views across Blacksod Bay and the mountains of the Nephin Beg range give excellent scenery. At Bangor the road takes a right turn and heads inland for a while passing the odd Lough here and there. We had planned to stop in Ballina for lunch but the town was fairly congested with little room to park a motorcycle. The town itself didn’t appear to be that inviting anyway so we headed out of town before turning onto the R297 back towards the coast.

We came into Inishcrone in glorious sunshine and decided that we would stop here instead. A roadside pub provided friendly service and although they had stopped serving cooked food they did make up a sandwich, which was consumed in the sunshine outside. Inishcrone is a charming resort on the shores of Killala Bay, which provides glorious sandy beaches, a small caravan park near the shoreline indicates its popularity with holidaymakers. Although the sun was shining it didn’t feel that warm and we were made to shiver a little when we spotted people bathing in the waters of the bay. They really are hardy folk in this part of the world.

Coastal views across the Atlantic and Donegal Bay were excellent and many photo’ calls had to be made. The coastal route does re-join the N59 which then takes us to our destination of Sligo.

Sligo is the largest town in Western Ireland and by far the biggest we have stayed in during our tour so far and we were hoping that it would come up trumps with an Indian Restaurant. We had been on the road now for eight days and are beginning to get withdrawal symptoms. After checking in to the delightful Tree Tops guest house we headed into town, we were on a mission. We had also arranged to stay in Sligo for two nights with the intention of having a day off the road by taking another train ride. We went in search of the railway station to check out train times but, once found, we were greeted with locked doors. A timetable poster on the wall did give us the information we sought but, with only about six trains a day, it wasn’t going to be easy unless we got up at 6 a.m…we had no intention of doing so. Just across the road from the station was the excellent M J Carr’s bar and loft restaurant which also serves bar food. On the menu was a chicken curry and, as we hadn’t seen the ‘real thing’ whilst walking through the town, we settled for the next best thing. It was truly excellent and all home made.

We also tried Hardigon’s bar as recommended in the Rough Guide, it was like walking through a time warp, this former grocers shop still had its array of oak shelves and crock pots.

On the way back to the guesthouse we came across an Indian Restaurant which stopped us in our tracks somewhat - we would have passed it on the way into town earlier. We stood for a while trying to work out how we missed it. No need to guess where we were going tomorrow night. Miles today: 149

Day 9 (20 Aug)

With our plans for a day out on the trains ending in failure the map was perused and a short tour of Co. Sligo was scribbled down. More Irish breakfast was forced down before we hit the road at about 10:00. We weren’t long into the ride when a wrong turning was made and it looked like we were heading for someone’s back yard. The mediocre signposts are to blame yet again. Eventually finding the right road we were heading towards Carrick on Shannon along the N4. This road had also been recently resurfaced and was very smooth.

Until recently this main Dublin to Sligo road used to go over the rolling Curlew Hills but it now curves around them with this new road. It is still possible to go over the hills which is what we had intended but I never found the signpost. However, we did come across a rather interesting sculpture at a viewpoint which overlooks Lough Key. It was made up of pieces of scrap metal welded together in to the shape of a horse and rider, the plaque described it as ‘A Gaelic Chieftain – Inspired by the Battle of the Curlews fought in 1599’.

Carrick-on-Shannon gave us the opportunity to have a roam around and collect another thimble. The town itself reminds me a lot of Stratford-upon-Avon with the river running through the town and all its associated craft. The road bridge across the river was built in 1846 and replaced a previous nine arch structure which, in turn, replaced a wooden structure. We sat near the bridge in glorious sunshine supping an ice cream before heading out of town.

Once again the signpost system let us town by sending us on a wild goose chase before eventually finding the right road. We found the R280 and R207 after a struggle and headed alongside Lough Allen towards Dowra. The Lough is about six miles long by three miles wide but the scenery wasn’t as good as expected and the lack of suitable parking spots on the narrow road didn’t provide many photographic opportunities.

Before long we were back to a main road in the form of the N16 and heading back towards Sligo. It was far to early in the day to return to the guesthouse so we continued our little tour by heading North out of Sligo to take a look at a rather interesting mountain. It is known locally as the tabletop mountain and goes by the name of Benbulben. It is one of Ireland's most beautiful mountains, and, together with much of Sligo's surrounding scenery it became a source of inspiration to the poet W.B Yeats and he lies in rest at its foot in the graveyard in Drumcliff. We turned off the main N15 down an unclassified road that runs to the right of the mountain. Some fine views were had along this road but once again there wasn’t really anywhere to park up safely to take pictures. An opportunity did arise at Glencar Lough, its perfectly calm waters gave a mirror reflection of the surrounding scenery and was quite spectacular. A better view of Bunbulben is from the main N16 which has a small parking spot to enable those all-important pictures to be taken.

Evening time was taken up with a short walk back into Sligo to savour Hardigon’s for the last time before heading back up the road to consume the much sought after Indian meal. We weren’t disappointed as it was well worth waiting for and will almost certainly be visited again in the future. Miles today: 117

Day 10 (21 Aug)

Our host, Doreen MacEvilly, who had looked after us during our two-night stay, fed us with another excellent Irish (I really must book that place in the gym) and took E118 (£77.60) from us for our en-suite accommodation. Today was our penultimate day in the Republic as we made our way over to Northern Island in readiness to depart for Scotland via Larne.

We took the N15 out of Sligo and headed North, this necessitates going through Sligo town centre which was very congested when we hit the road at around 10:30. The N15 takes us past Bunbulben again and it’s shape changed at every corner in the road. We also pass through the gorgeous scenery towards Bundoren with some great views across Donegal Bay. North of Donegal town we pass through the Barnesmore Gap which is an opening between Croaghconnelagh (Connall's mountain) and Croaghonagh (Owen's mountain). This pass is shut in between these two great hills and the excellent road traverses the gap.

We are now nearing our entry into Northern Ireland and I had all intentions to fill up before crossing the border near Strabane due to the cheapness of petrol in the Republic but, before we knew it, we had crossed the border. I was expecting some kind of ‘last chance to fill up’ sign and a possible border crossing sign but I certainly didn’t see any. Oh well, its only money!

The difference in road surface and standard was noticed fairly quickly and the N15 which had guided us from Sligo suddenly becomes the A5. With this better surface came a slight increase in speed which the bike seemed to lap up. We filled up after passing through Londonderry before turning off the main road to head for the Antrim Coast. For a late lunch we decided to call in at Portush and parked up by the harbour. The aptly named Harbour Inn was our port of call but unfortunately no sandwiches were available so it was a quick half and a bag of crisps. The blazing sunshine had the locals out in their droves and getting out of town was very slow indeed.

The Antrim Coast provides brilliant scenery and there were places you could pull over easily enough to take pictures. We called in to see the Giants Causeway which was formed by volcanic lava millions of years ago but, unfortunately, the excellent weather had attracted the crowds and this, for us, would have spoilt any visit. On entry into the car park you have to pay the £2 fee before you get in, the attendant told me to park up and come to pay but I said we weren’t stopping, did a u turn and returned to the coast road.

The other attraction on our calling card was the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge which spans a chasm about eighty feet deep. Its construction of rope and widely spaced slats was built to allow fishermen to traverse across to catch salmon from the adjoining small island. It was the same scenario as the ‘Causeway with it’s crowds and pay-as-you-enter car park. I doubt whether we’d have gone across it anyway.

Back to the coast road again a viewing area was found just up the road from the ‘Bridge which did give some fine views out to sea and also a good view of the Rope Bridge albeit at a distance. From the viewpoint we could see across Rathlin Sound to Rathlin Island and beyond that to the Mull of Kintyre (que singing!). The Western Coastline of Scotland could also be seen in the hazy far distance and also the bens of Islay and Jura to the North.

Our journey along this fine coastline took us near Ballycastle where a ferry used to cross over to Campletown but was taken out of service due to lack of funds. There is talk about it reopening and is, apparently, open to tender and plans for it’s reintroduction were announced by the Scottish Executive.

Our home for the night was the excellent Cullentra House B&B in Cushendall and is situated about a mile or so from the village centre up a steep hill. The view from the B&B was fantastic and I certainly wouldn’t mind waking up to that every day, but, as our host said, it isn’t very often that it’s clear but when it is you savour every moment. After a quick wash and brush up we walked in to the village in search of food. This was found at the recently opened Harry’s licensed restaurant which served excellent food from a fairly comprehensive menu. Good prices too. We also tried McColloms bar which was just up the road from Harry’s and this was another place akin to walking through a time warp. Apart from some typical modern day alterations its basic layout hasn’t changed for years, a real gem and well worth a visit. This rounded off a really excellent but long day and it was nice to be spending ‘real’ money again. Miles today: 158.

Day 11 (22 Aug)

Yes, you’ve guessed it, another full Irish and a bill paying ceremony. Our en suite room was £36, which was more than reasonable given its panoramic surroundings. Today was our last in Ireland as we headed down to Larne for the 1235 (I think) sailing across to Cairnryan savouring the last few miles of the Antrim coast on the way. Checking in at the port was a doddle and there were no delays expected, the sailing was also expected to be smooth with little wind and calm waters. P&O Super Star Express service skipped us across the sea in just under an hour and they proudly announced that they are the quickest ferry across the Irish Sea.

Disembarkation was simple enough and we paused shortly after to connect the various wires into the helmets to maintain communications before heading North. The route that was given to me using Michelin’s on line route finder didn’t particularly appeal to me so I made a few alterations. We are heading for the Erskine Bridge and the route I printed off was via Paisley, which didn’t appeal to me. I decided to go via Irvine and Jonstone, which proved to be a mistake with traffic congestion at every town and village the A737 passed through, which wasn’t helped by some car driver holding up traffic whilst she tried to decide what a green traffic light meant. Time was getting on as we hit the environs of Glasgow and I was conscious of the fact that the rush hour was getting ever closer so decided to forfeit a short break in favour of reaching the A82 beyond Dumbarton. Looking back I reckon I should have taken Michelin’s advice!

The toll free Erskine Bridge was eventually reached and crossed with little fuss as we progressed North just in time to beat all the traffic heading out of Glasgow. We had been on the road since disembarkation at Cairnryan and, apart from a fuel stop near Prestwick, had not had a break, so, once we’d reached Loch Lomondside we turned off the A82 to take a well-earned leg stretch at Aldochlay. The glorious sunshine and millpond waters of Loch Lomond provided an excellent photo’ opportunity and was gladly taken. This truly was the kind of picture that wouldn’t go amiss on any calendar.

Our progress along the A82 was slowed down around the twisty bits which was no bad thing really as it gave time to savour the surroundings. The scenery just gets better and better along this route especially after Bridge of Orchy as we travel through the glen. The cutting of the West Highland railway line can be seen etched along the hillside to our right but there was no train in sight today. We took a brief pause at a viewpoint that overlooks Loch Tulla and the threatening skies over Beinn Achaladair gave an aura of wildness. The entrepreneurs of the tourist trade were also event with their wares of souvenirs and a burger van.

Continuing on through the Pass of Glencoe, which is always spectacular, we turned off the main road and headed towards our venue for the night, the Clachaig Inn.

This was a little surprise for the wife who had expected another guesthouse. Not only does this Inn sell real ale, which is something we had missed during the past ten days, but it also does B&B accommodation in the form of wooden cabins. Ours was a mid-priced offering at £36 per person for en-suite B&B and the room also had little extra’s like an iron and hairdryer, not that the later would be of any use to me!. The Inn is set in idyllic surroundings and is very popular with walkers and climbers as well the general tourist. The bar at the rear had a selection of nine real ale’s, we started with the one on the left and gradually progressed along the line of pumps….needless to say we did have a good drink but didn’t finish the row. Bar food too is excellent and very reasonably priced. Definitely well worth a visit. We met up with a Triumph rider who was out with some pals from the TMOCC for a bank holiday ride around the Highlands. He told us about a coolant leak on his bike which was solved by using the waters of Loch Rannoch. Miles today: 187.

Day 12 (23 Aug)

This morning we didn’t have the full Irish that we had been accustomed to over the past few days, we settled for the full Scottish instead!. Pretty much the same fare in all but name.

It was hard to leave here, the gorgeous scenery becoming a magnet with the low cloud shrouding the surrounding Bens. After passing through the sleepy village of Glencoe we then headed off for a ride around Loch Leven. The B863 road used to be the main route to Fort William before the bridge was erected at Ballachulish even although there was a ferry in place before that. Loch Leven can be seen in all its glory at various points along the route, which sits high up on the hill, and yet more photo opportunities were taken. Kinlochleven sits at the head of the Loch and lost a lot of passing trade when the bridge opened in 1975 but does now attract foot weary walkers from the West Highland Way. Heading back along the shore of the loch provides many vistas across the water, which was very calm and gave a mirror like reflection of the surrounding hills. This was a wonderful 14 miles diversion before reaching the A82 to continue towards Fort William.

Today’s weather was dry and breezy with a little sunshine but the forecast was for wetter things later on during the day. We filled up shortly after Fort William and headed for Inverness via Roybridge and Newtonmore, this route is little used by the average tourist and is fairly smooth for most of the way and is a very good alternative route. The road isn’t quite as scenic as the A82 route through the great Glen but it does have it’s moments through Glen Spean as we pass by Loch Moy and Loch Laggan where most of the filming for the TV series ‘Monarch of the Glen’ took place. This route is almost devoid of the caravan fraternity as well which makes for a more comfortable ride. There are very few places to fill up en route to Newtonmore so it would be best to make sure you have enough by topping up at Spean Bridge or Fort William.

Newtonmore itself is a very sleepy looking Speyside town (or is it a village?) and was also a location for the aforementioned TV series but despite it’s TV fame it did seem very quiet when we passed through the main street. Further up the road is another Speyside town that featured in the TV programme, Kingussie, which is also the traditional capital of Badenoch. The town lies in the foothills of the Cairngorm and Monadhliath mountains and its ever-changing scenic outlook is popular with visitors. The Highland Folk museum is also located in the town.

We pick up the infamous A9 just North of Kingussie and head up the road towards Aviemore. Views across the Spey valley and the Cairgorm Mountains were for ever changing so my throttle hand was eased off to enable it all to be taken in. We pulled in at Aviemore for a late lunch-time stop to find the town overrun by Harley Davidson riders who had gathered for their annual Highland rally. I’m not sure about you but I find those that ride these machines to be very self-righteous and don’t even offer a nod or a wave because you ride something else. We pulled in at the Winking Owl pub, which we have used before, for a quick half and a sandwich only to find that they have stopped selling ‘real ale’ and they had also stopped serving food after 2.30p.m. We found it hard to believe that there was no food considering the amount of people there were in town. I doubt if we’ll be going there again.

Aviemore itself has become very commercialised and has that ‘new’ feeling about it which isn’t in keeping with the area. It’s status as a winter resort is very clear to see. The one thing it has got going for it is the recently restored Highland Railway station, which is still in use today by Scotrail. It has been done in such a way as to recreate years gone by. Check out the station lights, they look like gas lamps but they are electric. The station is also home to the Strathspey Steam Railway which is well worth a ride along if you have the time. It has recently been extended from it’s previous terminus of Boat of Garten through to Broomhill, whose station was also featured in that TV prog’ Monarch of the Glen and was called Glenbogle.

We leave Aviemore behind us to re-join the A9, which is still, surprisingly, devoid of holiday traffic. The weather was still dry and sunny despite the forecast at the start of the day and we had every chance of reaching our destination without the waterproofs. It was a bit windy though, which kept my wits alive as cross winds would catch the bike from time to time. It was particularly breezy going of Slochd summit  which made life interesting when attempting to overtake high-sided vehicles. The A9 is highly criticised amongst the AA and RAC as well as local people and the Police for it’s bad safety record. Several locations now have speed cameras and unmarked police cars operate along the entire Perth to Inverness section on a regular basis but this still doesn’t stop some maniac drivers from speeding and overtaking when it isn’t safe to do so.

The road crosses the river Findhorn near Tomatin and there is a fine view of the railway viaduct away to our left before we come across the warehouses of the Tomatin distillery and that aroma of whisky is in the air. Resistance is futile!..but resist I did as we continued are weary way to Inverness. I always know I’m getting close to the Highland capital when I pass the small church at Daviot which sits up on a small hill overlooking the village. It’s looks better at night when it is lit up. Soon after here we come over the brow of the hill to see the City of Inverness and the bow of the Kessock Bridge in the distance.

We arrived at our destination in Fairfield Road at around 6 p.m. We were staying with friends here for the rest of our holiday, they run a small B&B business, but don’t worry, I do pay my way it is the holiday season after all and it is their income.

The evening was taken up with a visit to the Clachnaharry Inn (try saying that when you’ve had a few) for some excellent real ale and bar food. The pub has won awards for it’s beers and is well worth a visit. Miles today: 123

Day 13 (24 Aug)

A day off for the bike (and us). It was taken by visiting the shops, drinking, going to the football match Inverness Caledonian Thistle v Ross County, drinking, more drinking because we (ICT) won 2-0, curry and more drinking. All in all a very good day indeed.

Day 14 (25 Aug)

Woke up with a little bit of a sore head but this soon cleared after a couple of gallons of water and a Paracetomol. Breakfast was consumed with difficulty be we got there in the end.

The weather outside was just begging to be taken advantage of and a route was quickly scribbled down on a piece of tissue. It has been quite a few years, twenty in fact, since we last had the experience of Applecross and the Bealach na Ba or ‘Pass of the cattle’ as it is also known, with it’s tight hairpin bends and panoramic views. The route I had chosen was the old A9 (now the A862) out off Inverness via Beauly and Muir of Ord, turning off at Muir of Ord on the A832 via Marybank before picking the main A835 towards Ullapool. We then take the A832 shortly after passing through Garve and the road then follows the railway line all the way to Achnasheen. There are only eight trains a day along this route so if you’d like your photograph to include a train you’d best get a time table.

The A832 has been upgraded in many parts to two-way traffic which makes the going quite rapid in places, not that you’d want to, but there are still some single-track sections. The superb scenery along this route includes Loch’s Luichart and Achanalt with the peaks of Scuir Vuillin and An Cabar adding to the delights of Strath Bran. Unlike Ireland, there are many places to pull over to take photographs.

We pulled into the petrol station near at Achnasheen for a quick top up, there were several other bikers here too who were out enjoying the glorious weather. From Achnasheen we take the A832 turning and head on to single-track road past Loch a’ Chroisg, through the scenic Glen Docharty to Kinlochewe. We turn off here for the A896 which brings us to the more rugged scenery of the West coast of Scotland. Glen Torridon was truly magnificent with its Bens providing different outlooks after every turn as the sun highlighted different peaks. The road, albeit briefly, goes double track for about 4 miles as we past alongside Upper Loch Torridon towards Shieldaig.

Shortly after Shieldaig we take the unclassified coast road to Applecross. This coast road was completed in 1975 which seems hard to believe, the small hamlets were, until then, only accessible by footpath or by sea. The scenery now becomes more rugged and the remoteness of some of these little ‘townships’ is clear to see. Road surface is generally good, but the constant pile up of grit and loose chippings on corners had the effect of keeping my wits about me, memories of Ireland come flooding back!. This coast road takes in views of Loch Shiedaig and Loch Torridon, the later eventually heading out to sea. After passing through Fearnmore the road then heads south and the Isle’s of Rona and Raasay come into view. The calm waters of the sea gave another example of perfect mirror like scenic vistas.

The approach to Applecross village itself is one to behold as the road sweeps around a left-hander and Applecross is spread out in front in all its glory. The clear views out to sea had the Cuillins in view on the distant Isle of Skye. The village itself was basking in the sunshine with the Applecross Inn doing a roaring trade in food and beer. It looked so packed we didn’t even try to enter, not that we wanted to anyway as we were more than happy to have a stroll around and savour the delights of the fresh air and views across the bay.

It is from here that the road becomes a little interesting by way of its single track and the, gently at first, then sudden climb up to the viewpoint at the top of the Bealach. Hairpin bends on steep inclines were the order for this part of the route. It all makes for interesting riding and keeps the riding skills tuned to a fine art. The pass itself is the highest in Scotland (if not in Britain) at 2053 ft above sea level and is well worth the trip just for the views of the Cuillin of Skye and the Applecross hills. From the viewpoint the road starts to down the other side and more hairpins, steep 1 in 5’s and single tracks were to be found. This time braking skills were in order as well as some excellent clutch and gear control. On the way down the breathtaking scenery across Loch Kishorn does just that – it takes your breath away. All too soon we have completed our ride around the Applecross peninsula and pick up the A896 to head through Lochcarron for a short rest at the Strathcarron Hotel for a well deserve half pint of real ale.

From here we backtracked towards the A890 and progressed down through Glen Carron back to Achnasheen. The reverse of the outward journey was then undertaken back to Inverness. Another truly excellent day out and one that we will be doing again in the near future. Miles today: 176.

Day 15 (26 Aug)

The weather continues to be excellent with fine dry and sunny conditions and, as these opportunities to not come around that often in these parts, another tour of the Highlands was scribbled down. Our outward route was the same as the previous day as far as Garve, we then continued along the A835 towards Ullapool. This road was in very good condition and almost traffic free so it was tempting to open the throttle just that bit more but this was resisted in favour of a leisurely ride through the Strath Garve scenery with the peak on Ben Wyvis away to our right. After passing by the Aultguish Inn, we come across the Hydro Electric dam at the head of Loch Glascarnoch and continue to ride alongside the Loch for about four miles and the still waters provided reflections of the surrounding Strathkvaich Forest. The continues to offer scenic delights as we pass by Loch Droma before following alongside the River Broom which leads to Loch Broom and eventually Ullapool.

It is from here that the Caledonian MacBrayne ferry sail across to Stornaway and it is also here that the BMW Club held the longest day camping event. The town itself appeared to be very quite with very few tourists about to savour the glorious views across Loch Broom. We continue North along the A835 and climb out of Ullapool and the panoramic view of the town could be seen in my rear view mirror. There was a viewpoint near the top so a brief stop was made for pictures.

The scenery is now becoming more and more rugged and barren with the odd hamlet or crofters cottage appearing now and again, this really make us wonder how these folk cope in adverse weather, they are so isolated out here in the wilds. At Ledmore Junction we take a left turn onto the A837 and continue through Inchnadamph, alongside Loch Assynt before turning off North onto the A894, the junction signpost simply pointing West and North. We paused for a while at Kylesku where a ferry used to cross the waters of Loch’s Glendu and Bhain to Kylestrome, the ferry was replaced by a concrete bridge, which was opened by the Queen in 1984. The curved structure is only 276m long and blends in well with the surrounding scenery. There is an opportunity to take a closer look at this structure from the north side car park where a plaque commemorates the opening of the bridge. From here there is, basically, nothing apart from the gorgeous west coast scenery that takes your breath away as views out to sea appear on the approach to Scourie. Scourie appears to be popular with hikers and cyclists, a campsite is situated by the rocky bay, and seems to be the only source of petrol between Ullapool and Durness along the main route.

The road north takes a left turn at Laxford Bridge onto the A838 and takes in more rugged highland scenery via Rhiconich and then goes into single-track with passing places shortly after the turn off for Kinlochbervie. We were only on this single-track section for a short while when we were caught up in a traffic jam, yes, that’s right, a traffic jam up here in the far north. The hold was caused by re-surfacing work further along the road and, as there was no alternative diversion available, traffic had to wait until the job had been done. This caused a 20-minute hold up and in that time there were about eight cars in the queue. At the head of the queue was a Wallace Arnold coach which failed to let the faster vehicles go first once the road was re-opened.

Durness, the most Northwesterly village in Britain, was reached mid-afternoon and we took a brief respite here to take on water and an ice cream. This small village offers the traveller the chance to take on provisions and seems well equipped for the tourist trade with a hotel and quite a few guesthouses dotted around. The spectacular mountain scenery is complemented by silver sandy beaches, high cliffs and deep caves. It was also near here that a young John Lennon shared his boyhood holidays with his cousins on a croft in the Sangomore area of the village.

The road continues to follow the Northern coastline of Scotland, the sandy bays looking very inviting in the sunshine especially near Smoo Caves and the views out to the Pacific Ocean just complement the already outstanding scenes. More spectacular scenery was seen around Loch Eriboll, the distant peaks of Ben Loyal and Ben Hope adding to the already breathtaking views. The A838 looses it’s single-track along the eastern shore of Loch Eriboll as we head towards Tongue. Between Durness and Tongue there is, basically, nothing apart from the scenery and wild life. Make sure your visor is down!!.

We enter Tongue after crossing the heavily engineered causeway over the Kyle of Tongue, which replaced a ferry across the Kyle in 1971. Tongue is not dissimilar to Durness with its array of tourist accommodations and a small outlet for basic provisions, the village also has a petrol station.

From Tongue we start to head south by taking the A836 and the coastal views change into yet more spectacular mountain views. The peak of Ben Loyal accompanies us for what seems like miles and the road skirts along the shore of Loch Loyal. The road ahead could be seen for mile after mile, which helped a lot on this single-track route, and rapid progress could be made, not that we wanted to. Altnaharra appears like an oasis in this habitation free area with its large hotel sitting snugly between the trees, it looks after the holidaymaker with fishing and shooting interests. The feeling of loneliness continues along the A836, there is nothing but scenery in the form of the distant mountains to our right and the baroness to our left. The odd croft appears here and there to, this really is a place not to break down!.

Crask is the next habitation we come across and is marked on the map as Crack Inn and consists, basically, of just that, the Inn and few small houses. I suspect this Inn has been here for years and must have provided very welcome shelter for the weary traveller for many years. We eventually come to the shores of Loch Shin and eventually the end of the single-track road before coming into Lairg.

Lairg is not the prettiest of Scottish towns and in this part of Scotland it is very much on its own, it isn’t really close to anywhere else!. It does have a railway station, albeit a mile from the town, but you’d probably get bored of waiting for one its six trains a day (three North to Wick/Thurso and three South to Dingwall/Inverness). It does, however, offer places to eat, drink, shop and stay.

After about 40 miles of single-track road we now enjoy the open two-way bit of tarmac, more excellent scenery, and head further south to Bonar Bridge. Again this not one of the prettiest towns you’ll come across but does over more amenities than Lairg. The town is recognisable by its elegant looking bridge that crosses the Kyle of Sutherland. It was opened in December 1973 replacing a structure that was ruining by floods. Bonar Bridge was the main waystation for the route from Inverness to Caithness (A9) and the town suffered financially when the Kessock Bridge was opened thus diverting traffic away from the town.

We called in to see some friends in Ardgay who treated us to cups of tea and dinner before heading back ‘base’ via the Struie Hill route of which we have traversed many times before. Every time we go this route the views across the Dornoch Firth never cease to amaze.

With the daylight now fading fast it was time to open the throttle a little bit more and we eventually arrived back in Inverness at around 9 p.m. Miles today: 241

Day 16 (27 Aug)

A change in the weather was now on the cards but there was still time, or so we thought, to get another long ride in before the rain arrived. Our plan for today was to take a trip over to the West coast and visit the Isle of Skye and, hopefully, see a lot more of the Island than our previous visit by motorbike back in 1982 when it became a bit of a wash out.

The route I had chosen was along the shoreline of Loch Ness and the infamous A82, which twists and turns its way along the Northern shore of the Loch.  The road is very popular with tourists for obvious reasons and is also well used by locals, the road being the main artery between Inverness and Fort William. This morning it was quite busy and progress was slow in parts. The surface of the road was an absolute disgrace with its sunken manhole covers, potholes, ruts and the dreaded over-banding so, even if the road relatively clear, rapid progress would have been somewhat curtailed.

Our escape from this awful road was reached when we turned off on to the A887 at Invermoriston, the surface changed dramatically to give a smooth(ish) ride alongside the River Moriston to the A87. To me, the A87 is probably the best road in Britain;