Bonneville America Forums Forums Off Topic Discussion Forums Lounge Scotland in February

Hi all, I decided I would set a challenge to ride up to John O' Groats and back in three days.

Well, I'm back, but it took three and half days. Yes, partially due to the cold and also all the flippin' road works everywhere!

It was great fun, the weather was very dramatic with sun, mist, fog, rain, snow, hail and sleet, but every moment was memorable for one reason or another. The scenery was stunning, epecially riding through the highlands! I've ridden upto Scotland before but to see the snow not just on the very peaks of the mountains but in every direction you look was beautiful.

A9 10 miles south of Inverness:



A back road where I filled up:



Making sure she would start up after the coldest night of my life:



With a stove burner on and off all night it was still frosted:



Enough said:



My trusty steed:



The sun rising over the moutains near Braemar where I camped:



A victory shot:



Ben

Hard Core!

Beautiful, and you have my respect for camping out in that very, very cold weather!

Mad !! I live in Scotland and even we don't do that.

Still as long as you had a great time. Where did you start at?

Where's the plow on that bike? Man you have guts! I'd never subject my bike to that kind of abuse. Were the roads salted at all? That's my concern with riding anytime after the first snows...salt corrosion.

Many thanks for the beautiful pictures.

VERY impressive.

Hey Ben, I really appreciated those FABULOUS pictures!!! Quite the story oh hearty one. One o' those 'when the going gets tough the tough get going' kinda stories. Why let a little cold stop us, eh? Thanks for the inspiration!!!!

You should have asked FastEddy to go with you.

Some nice pix there Ben bbrrrrrrrrrr...

" Hi all, I decided I would set a challenge to ride up to John O' Groats and back in three days.

Well, I'm back, but it took three and half days. "

Hope you didnt get in trouble getting back 1/2 a day late at the mental asylum matey

At this time of year that is such a great feat well done You must be a real guy well at the time you must have been
Better than the trip that Top Gear did atb geoff

Nice pics Ben, and I take my hat off to you bro, I was in the Lakes on Friday up on Kirkstone Pass and the snow was around 3 foot deep......

Yeah there was plenty of gritters and snow ploughs about.

Ray, I met a guy on his Rocket three, he had spent this week riding around the Lakes and over the Pennines!

Ben

great pics Ben , it is truly beautiful country up in that neck of the woods. i lived up there for a few years in the early 80s( Beauly and Tain).there are some incredible back roads up there that are very rarely traveled . well worth another trip in the summer . thanks for sharing ....................are you thawed out yet

I rode in weather like that once, but it was an unplanned event and I was 30 years younger.

Thanks for posting the pictures. It appears that you are on a "red one", so that explains a lot

jh

I look at the pictures and think "I wish I was there"
Then I remember my right hand turns to a block of ice on the 40 mile trip to Rugby and so I think "Maybe in the summer"

Ben, you are indeed worthy
I, however, am not

Respect,
Nice trip.

Totally awesome pics!! Great ride, but I'd like to wait until the summer!!

In the third pic, are you warming your helmet with your exhaust? That's hard core dude!

Ben (or should you be called Ben Nevis from here on in).

I though I was hardcore until this. I'll ride in almost all weathers but to camp out in in is on another level altogher bro!!



Few of us are riding to Ullapool overnighting on 2/3rd April - but we are staying under slate not canvas.

Ride (or is it SLIDE) safe!

Well done Ben, you deserve every bit of respect coming at you.
I remember when I was younger, lots younger, riding in weather like that.
Wouldnt have camped out though even then.
A bit of rain in Dent is going to be a breeze after that.
Again well done.

Respect to you Ben. Knowing you, you probably did it in just your leather jacket and a pair of jeans!

Wow big respect. Hopefully you have warmed up by now..

Bonfire boy, nah I had to actualy sort some deccent kit out for this trip lol but next time I need heated insoles or something as the feet suffered worst.

Brindle, I had heated grips which worked amazingly and a set of hand guards - they didn't make much difference.

Ben

Wow, man.

Mad dogs and Englishmen sprang to mind ......I ride all year round ..but I would avoid Inverness and the A9 like the plague during bad weather.....you have my respect ....even if you are totally barking.....

Wow and I though it was cold camping in Vermont in the spring....

you are a nutter

Balls of iron, my friend. I salute you.