Motorcycle Ride to Dunnet Head

I've been to all the other "points" on the mainland of Britain, and indeed John O' Groats and Duncansby Head. I hadn't been to Dunnet Head, (confirmed after a conversation with my father!..although he's been since I went on family holidays as a child ) so this needed to be ticked. A suitable target for a short trip on my recently acquired BMW F800s.

I dislike motorways on the motorbike so have a route I've used many times on trips through the Borders, here we see the entrance to the Kaygu Samye Ling Monastery near Eskdalemuir.

I stopped near Innerleithen for my lunch. The weather perfect!

I called in at South Queensferry for an ice cream....

and to see progess on the new Forth Crossing. The towers are visable "under" the "old " bridge. It's due to be completed in 2016.

Onwards via Blairgowerie and Glen Shee to Glen Clunie and Braemar. I was booked in at the SYHA for the night. I crossed the road at this very point on the TGOC in May this year.

Tuesday morning and the weather looked good again, down to Crathie then up the road towards Tomintoul. This is the view for those who look back...Lochnagar.

Corgarff Castle was catching the sunlight as I started the climb up and over the Lecht.

I joined the A9 near Carrbridge and followed it North stopping and exploring the small villages which I haven't been to for many years. This is the monument to Neil Gunn beside the quay in Dunbeath.

This is the harbour of Lybster, the old buildings beside the harbour converted into a very nice cafe. Coffee and cake were sampled....excellent eaten outside in the glorious sunshine.

A short distance further North are the Walligoe Steps...it must have been a different breed who carried full baskets of fish back up these steps!!

Dunnet Bay, another crowded Scottish beach!

The view from Dunnet Head lighthouse, ominously the rain is starting to drift in across the Orkney's.

The object of the mission achieved!
Amazingly it had been dry all the way from home, but as I turned to leave and ride to the hostel at Tongue it started to rain. Over the return trip rain would be a feature. Not many photos of the return trip!
Plus it was all on familiar terrain.

Tongue hostel, I stayed here many years ago when it was SYHA. It's now an independant.
I spent much of the evening chatting to a couple of guys walking Marilyns...one of them had done 1400!

It rained for much of Wednesday...infact only stopping when I arrived at the newly re-roofed Carn Dearg SYHA. This is a favourite hostel of mine, long may it remain within the network.
The ride home was on more familiar roads, wet until Fort William, but mainly dry from there on.