That’s not my wife, it’s Pete’s wife Mary Beth, that is American, I just kept hearing it as Pete introduced himself to the many American visitors we encountered on our latest Scottish adventure, the isle of Mull, the Kintyre peninsula and Arran.
We headed up through Yorkshire on the back roads, Masham, Leyburn, Reeth, Alston stopping overnight in Dumfries before catching our first ferry of the trip at Dunoon. Sunday we encountered rain, stopped for a coffee, which became a guinness which became several more and an overnight in the hotel.
An earlyish ferry from Oban over to Mull had us in Tobermorey for a coffee and bite to eat before a bit of exploring.
We ride round to the bottom end of the island, into rain, views drifting in and out of the squalls, mist and clouds.
The sunshine returns as we head back up the western coast road, single track road, breath taking views at every turn.
The afternoon is spent on the fabulous A816 and A83, to Tarbert, double fish n chips, a few beers and the only midges of the trip when we wake up the next morning. We ride down the Kintyre peninsula to Cambletown for a breakfast before catching the ferry over to Arran.
Our last ferry of the trip, back to Ardrossan, riding to our last night at Alston.
1200 miles or so over the week, a few hours of rain, no dramas, on old bikes, perfect. The Kintyre peninsula is a highlight for me, empty, well surfaced roads, someone could write a tune about the place….