THE ROAD TO SCOTLAND
Written by MOTORBIKE EUROPE Road Writers -
Scotland has everything you want as a motorcyclist; great roads, wild mountain scenery in the Highlands and Northern Islands, from cosy country pubs, to gardens and national parks, museums, science centers and local workshops.
You’ll be overwhelmed by the number of historic villages and castles, such as Braemar, Balmoral and Blair Castle, as well as the many miles of great coastline, as you ride through East Lothian's and Scottish Borders' countryside. Blair Castle, is home of the Atholl Highlanders, the only remaining private army in the UK. You should take the time to visit the mountainous Cairngorms National Park, Britain’s largest, and a living landscape in the heart of the wild Highlands.
Visit the Highland Folk Museum at Kingussie, where a 1700’s township has been recreated, to preserve Highland rural life, culture and heritage. Kingussie is roughly 68 km south of Inverness, 19 km south of Aviemore.
Loch Ness, the 37km long freshwater lake, with a depth of 230 meters at its deepest point, is the result of an ever-shifting tectonic fault line, The Great Glen Fault. Over 400 million years old, it stretches from Inverness in the north, to Fort William in the south. The land mass west of the fault is slowly moving northeast, and the area east of the fault, is moving in a south-westerly direction. The fault continues on the Canadian side of the North Atlantic Ocean.
Scotland is littered with many fine Whisky distilleries, whether on the Isles of Islay or Oban, or on Speyside, which is home to more than half of Scotland's distilleries. The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival is a unique celebration of whisky and the cultural heritage of Speyside. Many whisky-related events take place throughout the Speyside area, also known as Malt Whisky Country, including exclusive tours of distilleries, which are normally off-limits to visitors.
