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July 2018, and I pointed the KTM north with a loose plan and fifteen days to spend it. The Pennines first, crossing the spine of England on the old military road through Alston, arriving in Newcastle in time for the evening. Then up the Northumberland coast — Warkworth, Craster, Seahouses — before cutting into Scotland at Berwick and climbing into the hills.
Scotland delivered: the A93 through Glenshee in full summer light, Braemar quiet and golden, the run north-east to Tomintoul and the Lecht. A night in Grantown-on-Spey with the Cairngorms behind me, then a long diagonal south-west to Ayrshire and the ferry at Cairnryan.
Three nights in Portstewart on the north Antrim coast — met up with family there, which was brilliant, though at 46 that meant the inflatable bed in the kitchen. The Giant's Causeway, the Bushmills road, Balintoy harbour. The return south through the Republic, a night near Banbridge, then the ferry from Dublin and a long push through Wales, taking the Mach Loop at Dolgellau on the way home.
Places Visited
- Lake District — Lowther, Hackthorpe, Penrith
- Pennines — Alston, Haydon Bridge
- Newcastle upon Tyne
- Northumberland coast — Warkworth, Craster, Seahouses
- Berwick-upon-Tweed
- Scotland — Glenshee, Braemar, Tomintoul
- Speyside — Grantown-on-Spey, Aviemore
- Ayrshire — Ayr, Turnberry
- Northern Ireland — Portstewart, Portrush, Giants Causeway, Bushmills, Ballintoy
- Wales — Dolgellau, Mach Loop
Stats
| Dates | Thursday 26 July – Thursday 9 August 2018 |
|---|---|
| Duration | 15 days |
| With | Solo |
| Distance | ~3,000 km |
| Countries | UK (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland), Ireland |
| Route | Surbiton → Lake District → Pennines → Newcastle → Northumberland coast → Berwick-upon-Tweed → Glenshee → Speyside → Ayrshire → Cairnryan ferry → Portstewart → Giants Causeway → Dublin ferry → Mach Loop → home |
| Transport | KTM 1190 Adventure (2014) |
| Temperature | 11–25°C |
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