Touring With 8 Wheels To Scotland

Day 1 of 9:
On Friday we started our tour with 8 wheels to Scotland.
Since we unfortunately do not have enough time for a motorcycle trip of several weeks, we are on the road with our car. The 4 other wheels can be found on our mountain bikes, which we take along on a bike rack. With this, extended sightseeing tours are planned at the respective place of arrival.

Start was this time at 0530 hours and our trip led us from Austria to Germany, a short piece in the Netherlands, to Calais in France. Because of a serious traffic accident in Germany near Cologne and numerous traffic jams around Brussels and other major cities we lost about 3 hours driving time. At 2100 hours we finally arrived after 1.350 km at our quarters in Calais.

Our prepared car.

 

Day 2:
After an early breakfast we started at 0600 a planned 10 minutes ride to the harbour to get to our ferry. - This was our plan. We had prebooked a trip with Irish Ferries, but we didn't find the right building to get our tickets. In the main office building we were informed by a very unpleasant lady that we are on the wrong spot, but she was not willingly to describe us the right place, where we could get our tickets. After about half an hour of "harbour rides" we met a local harbour employee who told us where we could find the right desk office.
A view minutes later everything was fine and we queued in the right line waiting for our ferry.
At 0805 the ferry headed to Dover in Great Britain. About 0830 local time (-1 hour) we arrived in Dover and started our trip up to our first destination, Edinburgh in Scotland. After a 10 hours and 763 km trip we arrived in our accommodation. The trip itself was great. Many interesting sights and of course, everybody is driving on the wrong side of the streets! It took us only a few minutes to get in touch with this kind of driving situation.

In the right line.






The first impressions of the British coastline near Dover.


XXL height


My car displays the local speed limits (miles) automatically in km/h.




The border of Scotland.


Our accommodation in Edinburgh.

 

Day 3:
After a restful night we started this morning an extended bike tour through Edinburgh.
At all the sights was incredibly busy!
The bikes have really paid off, otherwise we would never have seen so much of the city.
In the following some impressions of Edinburgh.



The lighthouse at the harbour.






Edinburgh Castle


A bagpipe player in the old town. He played great.


A very traditional bagpipe player. He also played great!






The "Scott Monument". He was a writer. It is the second biggest monument of the world which was ever built for a writer.

 

@Boothman: The forecast is a mixture of dry and wet weather. But we take it as it will come.

 

Day 4:
Today in the morning we set off after breakfast in the direction of the Highlands. In Fort William we took a long break, strengthened ourselves and then visited the whole city.
In various stores we tested of course kilts including accessories. That was really funny to change us so. From about €700.- one would be completely equipped like a traditional Scotsman.
Then we drove further through the Highlands towards the northwest. In Invergary we turned west and left civilization. Our destination for the day was our lodging at the end of Lochhournhead. A very narrow road leads there, which is partly very challenging. Right at the beginning you are informed by signs that no cellular reception is possible anymore. After about 22 miles we reached our destination. An unbelievable beautiful landscape can be found there.
Tomorrow we get a real Scottish breakfast with porridge, beaked beans, ham, sausages, ...

Following again a few impressions of today.

Loch Lomond


Some impressions of Fort William






On the small road to our today's accommodation.








Lochhournhead


The end of the world in the Highlands.


To be continued.

 

You are right. Haggis is missing. But my wife and I don't like it.

 

Day 5:
After a delicious breakfast we started our 22 mile tour back to the civilization and rode about one hour back to the "normal" Highland streets. Great views along the whole way back.




On the way we met some hairy friends. A big group of Highland Cattle (Kyloe) which walked along the narrow road with their calf's.
The "Boss"


Some curves later we met a group of sheeps. I think one of their former relatives had a love affair with a Bobtail in the past.


After reaching the normal street we crossed the Highlands and headed to the Isle of Skye where we had prebooked a guided tour and tastings at the Talisker Destillery. The tour took about 1,5 hours and ended with 3 different tastings of their wonderful Whiskies.
Before the tour we strengthened and prepared us at a local bistro.
The shop before/afterwards is also great. You can get there nearly every product of Talisker and many other Scottish products. Also Talisker branded Gifts and goodies are available.


After the tasting we left the Isle of Skye and rode another time across the Highlands to the city of Dingwall to our accommodation for the next two nights.




Tomorrow we try to meet one of the most famous "Highlander" of the world. We'll see.

 

Day 6:
After our breakfast we rode down to Loch Ness and were looking for "Nessie". At a small hidden place at the shore we moved to our observation point and waited. And suddenly it happened. The surface of the Loch began to bubble and we think Nessie was there for a short moment.
After this 'historic" event we drove further to Urquhart Castle. The Castle was errected around the year 1230 and used until 1692 by local sovereigns.
After this step back to history we drove to Inverness.
Around the whole Loch Ness you can find museums, gift shops and merchandise centers with "Nessie" products.

Inverness is the only official "city" of the administration region of the Highlands and it's capital city too.
There we did a long sightseeing tour and enjoyed local food and pastries.

In the following some impressions of our day.

Tomorrow we'll head in direction south and start our journey back home.

Loch Ness in the morning. It is the second biggest Loch in Scotland.






"Nessie" is moving under the surface of the Loch Ness!!!


Urquhart Castle


Some impressions of Inverness


Cathedral Church of St Andrew








To be continued.

 

Day 7:
Our today's tour over 700 km led us to the small village Tuxford. On the way we passed the border from Scotland to England again. We followed some historical waypoints of "Robin Hood".
The most interesting part of our today's journey was the changing of the landscape. We started in the southern parts of the Highlands and crossed nearly the half of Great Britain today and ended up in the surroundings of Manchester in the village Tuxford.
There we went on foot on an extended sightseeing tour and had a great dinner with some drinks in our accommodation, "The Fountain". You can get there great meals and more than 12 sorts of fresh tapped beer. Of course we tasted some of them.
Tomorrow we will leave the "island" and take the ferry back to Europe.

In the following some impressions.

Leaving the Highlands




Today we had lots of houses on the streets!!!




Back in "good old England"


For "Robin Hood" enthusiasts


Some impressions of Tuxford.




A very "friendly" house owner in Tuxford.


Of course this is a very special "must have" here!

 

Day 8:
Today we did a 5 country tour.
We started at 0700 hours in Great Britain in Tuxford and went down to the coastline in Dover. There we took the ferry to Calais in France. This time we had a smaller one, but it was extremely filled by the ferry employees. No more lorry or car would have been able to get on the ferry. Every place was completely used. Therefore all passenger places were crowded too!
Nevertheless we enjoyed the trip and the good weather.
In Calais we headed to the Belgian border and following to the Netherlands. 3 hours later we reached the border and another half an hour later we reached the fifth country this day, Germany. Only a view minutes after the border we arrived at our last accommodation of this journey in Aachen.
Today we drove 688 km and sailed 35 with the ferry.

Early morning near Tuxford.


At the harbour in Dover


The way up to the second transport deck of the ferry.


Only mice would have been able to find some places!


Last view back to Great Britain




Arrival in Calais, France


The border to Belgium.


The border to the Netherlands.


The border to Germany.


To be continued!

 

Day 9:
Today we started our last trip across Germany and half.of Austria to get back home. We drove 1.020 km from 0530 until 1530 hours. We were very lucky this time with the traffic and had no real traffic jams on our route.

The last 9 days were great. We had many lifetime experiences.

Total of our journey:
7 countries
5.300 km by car
70 km via ferry
100 km via bycicles
xxx km on foot
Cost for fuel: about €700.-
We found the lowest price for fuel in Scotland, the highest in Germany.

I hope you enjoyed my reports.

 

Thanks @Boothman !

 

@Wessa: Thanks!