Scotland Motorcycle Tour - Day 11 - Inverness to Glasgow

From: Inverness

To: Glasgow

Via: A82, Loch Ness, Fort Augustus, Caledonian Canal, Rannoch Moor/ Glencoe

Distance: 164 miles

Today the weather has finally let us down and it was a damp start. We made the decision to put our full wet suits on just in case it got worse. It's easier to take them off if they are not necessary, than pull over and try to get into them in the pouring rain.

We had a Breakfast in a box in a cafe by the Caledonian Canal and watched some boats go through locks. Skirting past Loch Ness we saw no sign of Nessie and we decided to skip Nessieland.

There were lots of roadworks along the way which provided a great opportunity to jump to the front of the queues past all the trucks. This technique would  give us a couple of miles of open road before we hit traffic and the next set of roadworks with traffic lights. After almost 600 miles of riding on tyres that are at the wear marks, I'm taking things super steady in the rain.

We chatted to some Aussie bikers at roadworks and later met up with them at a viewpoint by Glencoe. One of the guys had brought a V- Strom over and 2 had bought bikes here for the trip, a Honda Pan European & a Honda Dullesville. Their next step is the Isle of Man TT  - let's hope they get better weather there.

By the time we reach Loch Lomond, it is pouring. Gaz slows, this time to point out the site of a friends crash on a former ride (the wall is still broken down, clearly a number of things have come off the road at this spot over the years).

As we enter Glasgow, the sun breaks through the clouds and we arrive at Alisa's parents just in time for a perfect Scottish summer's afternoon in the back garden.