Still at home.

Franeker.

IJmuiden.

On July 24 we leave from Franeker at 1.30 pm. On arrival in IJmuiden we have to wait untill 5.30, before we can get on board. Then fasten the bikes, but because of the calm weather, we're not worried that something will happen to the bikes during the trip. I put the bike in first gear and had a rubber band around my front-break, so both wheels were blocked. I had it on the side-stand. Then pull the front-end in the suspension and see to it that the back can't go side-ways.

Bikes on board.

Inverness

Near Loch Ness.

July 25: Arrival in New Castle upon Tyne. It is drizzeling until we reach Edinburgh, there we see the sun shining through the clouds. It ain't easy to get a group of 10 bikes together through a city like Edinburgh. We arrive at our hotel in Newtonmore at 5.30 pm. I choose Haggis for dinner, real nice!
July 26: My biological clock still has Dutch time, so I wake up real early. So I get dressed and grab the bike and go on my own for a ride right after breakfast. I take the road to Speanbridge. In Speanbridge I realise that it is getting late and I have 46 miles to go. At the hotel, I come to realise that the others did not wait for me to return and they have left. So I drive up north and have a look around in Aviemore, later I drive to Inverness. All together I drive 395 km that day on my own. Eventually I drove to the truckstop for my tea.
July 27: Before breakfast to Laggan Dam and back. That's the first 74 km for the day. Then with the group we drive by the north shore of Loch Ness to Fort Augustus en via Speanbridge back to the hotel. The part from Speanbridge I took the lead, because I'd driven the road before, just stopped at the Laggan Dam, as it was interesting for the others as well.

Fort Augustus.

Fort Augustus.

Laggan Dam

July 28: Today we do Skye, with 6 bikes. I'm the only woman driving. It is quite a ride this day and at 7.30pm we arrive at the truckstop for our tea. At 9 there is a pipe-band in the other hotel and we go and have a look. Later that evening we go to the pub at the back of the hotel and there I have a talk with the coach-driver that I overtook the day before. Newtonmore - Skye and back 508 km = 316 Miles.

On Skye.

On Skye.

Skye-bridge.

July 29: We do the "Devil's Elbow" from the Braemar side to Glenshee. From Pitlochry I drive back to the hotel on my own. Hangover from the day before I guess. Probably because of the adjustment of the medication for my thyroid.
July 30: Before breakfast via Laggan and Dahlwinnie, back to Newtonmore, nice scenery. After breakfast, we do the Queensvieuw.
July 31: Today we drive via Perth, where we say goodbye to the 5 that are going home. From there we go by Sterling to Crianlarich. After arrival, we dump our luggage into our room and go and see the "Green Welly Shop" at Tyndrum, to find a nice bottle for the evening. Here is where we meet our B & B-host and he offers to take the bottles home by car, which gives me the chance to take the bike for a ride to Inveraray, on my own.

Queens'vieuw.

Inverardran House.

Inveraray.

August 1: Before breakfast, I took the road through Killin and stopped 1 mile before Callander to go back for a bite. After breakfast we go to Oban with the group. Later we go to Fort William, through Glen Coe. Another 2 have left for the boat, so there are 5 left. Had a nice meal in the Benmore at the other side of the road. We park the bikes first, freshen up and go for tea, so we can have a drink to acompany it. This evening Mr. Webster from the supermarket from Killin joins us to get aquainted. He drives the same "Pan" as Roelof does. We'd been mailing since the beginning of this year and he offered to have a ride with us one day.
August 2: Have to stop taking rides in the morning, as my counter is rising. I'm insured up untill 15,000 km and then I have a problem. We visit the "Falkirk Wheel" and Roelof and I stay in the neighbourhood, because we are seeing some internet-friends that evening in Grangemouth.

The Falkirk Wheel.

Skilift, Glen Coe.

Int. Highland Games, Killin.

August 3: When I start driving that morning the bike is pulling to one side, but it might be gravel. On the road I realise I was not mistaken and on the first lay-by I stop and check. My front tyre is soft. So we drive not to fast to Tyndrum to pump it up and check it now and then. After 50 km we realise it is leaking air. So we go back and try and find someone to help us out. We make a call to Crieff. Strathearn Tyres has a tyre that fits, so we drive there. In 15 minutes I was back on the bike again and at a reasonable price. So we continue exploring Scotland together with my new tyre.
August 4: We drive to Glen Coe and go with the skilift all the way up, but the mountain is still in the clouds, so no vieuw from there. After that we drive to Killin, to the International Highland Games. Later that afternoon I drive with an internet-friend through the mountains. On a passing place, I slip on wet moss, drop the bike and tumble down the mountain myself. My right mirror is broken.
August 5: Today we do Mull of Kintyre. All the way up, narrow roads with gravel in the middle, with passingplaces. My confidence got a dint the day before, so I am cramped on the bike these 6 miles and I'm aware that it is 6 miles back as well. A total of 450 km this day. Every day we need to clean our visors, because of the "Midgy's", small insects, that can cause a terrible itch.

Devil's Elbow, slopes: 20%.

Mull of Kintyre.

Oban, harbour.

August 6: We do the "Devil's Elbow" once more, only this time Mr. Webster from Killin has joined us. The weather is beautiful, the heather starts to bloom, nature is at it's best, just a perfect day. We even met Klaas and Paul in Lecht ski-centre, they were on their way to Inverness.
August 7: Mist is hanging over the mountain on the other side of the road, meaning, yet another lovely day. We drive to Oban to find some last souvenirs. That evening 4 of us decide to have Haggis for our last meal. I love it!
August 8: We have breakfast at 8. A real "Scottish breakfast", to keep us going all day. We leave early. Before breakfast everything is loaded on the bikes, so at 11 we are in Edinburgh, where Roelof realises, that his rear-tyre is soft. He tries to pump it at the fuell-station, but it does not work. Some bikers of the "Forth-riders" help us out and later we even get an offer from Del Stewart of the "Motherwellmcc", to call him later that afternoon, if we can't find a solution, because he's on a sunday-run and has a shop that does tyres as well. We decide to call the AA, who menages to push a plug in and it is still there as we come home the next day. We are delayed by an hour, but are in time on the Royal Quays for the boat.

Haggis, neaps and mash.

On board.

Wieringerwerf.

Link with more pictures and a report in Dutch.