Scotland Travel; 9 Days Singletrack Roads
Day 2: Newcastle upon Tyne to Nile Mile Burn. Wake up on board and delicious in the morning sun, like the last time, drink a cup of coffee and prepare for departure
You have seen the coast for a while, but before the boat is docked and you can come to the engine, it will take some time, so take a cup of coffee. Once the hustle and bustle on the way to the engine is overcome (Quiet, it is hot) you can get ready for offboarding. For those who need it, this is the time to stick that sticker on your dashboard and / or windshield, navi, etc with cow letters: LEFT RIDING! My experience is that in practice it is not too bad. With each boat, the road is arranged so that you "forced" on the right side of the road and there are signs enough that you also make clear that you really have to drive on the other side than what you're used to.
We leave Newcastle upon Tyne and set course for Edinburgh. We do this, to get out of the hustle and bustle quickly, via just about the only highway mileage of this entire trip. For the rest we stay far from the M and if possible, also the A-roads. The routes in this tour are made equal for all navigation systems, so on 4 maps and so you can use it. Of course you can give your own twist, but every day ends at a decent and affordable sleeping address, either a B & B or a hotel. Once on the road, especially from the motorway, you feel the peace over you and the engine part of the holiday has also started. Have fun! First stop you could plan in the Kielder Forest Park, or at the Kielder Water at RP14, 15 or 16.
Or, if you can not wait to visit castles, you can look at RP17 at Kielder Castle
Not much later, at RP18, and just after the town of Deadwater, we enter Scotland about the smallest "border crossing". For those who want to make the "forced" We-are-in-Scotland photo, this is the point in our route. In the UK, and thus also in Scotland, road numbers are as follows: The more digits behind the letter, the narrower the road. Singletracks usually have 4 digits, which we see a lot in this tour. Please note that if you have driven singletrack on your own for a while, without any other traffic, you will turn to LEFT by an oncoming vehicle, otherwise it will suddenly become exciting ...
We are touring at RP26 at Jedbury Abbey. Beautiful place for a stop, in the square is a small deli which serves delicious sandwiches, and offers views of the Abbey. With stuffed belly and full of fuel, a gas station is around the corner, we can go on the road again. The roads with curves and beautiful vistas automatically join together and offer opportunities for good steering and the occasional nice picture.
A nice point to stretch the legs is at Crichton, at RP 40 for example.
Edinburgh itself I switch to the motor, it is a beautiful city but not ideal on the motorbike. You can not really park anywhere, engines are stolen regularly and Edinburgh is also worth a long weekend, just by plane.
We set course for our first sleep address, in Nine Mile Burn. However, if you still have a puff and like walking, then a visit to Roslin (RP 44) is worthwhile. Beautiful surroundings and a nice walk of a kilometer or 4-5, which is easy to do. You can leave the helmet and jacket at the visitor center. Then after about 260 km we arrive at B & B Peggyslea, simple but good sleep and there is a delicious breakfast the next morning. The engine is safe, so sleep well. See you tomorrow!