Adventure in Scotland

An adventure touring machine is just the ticket for Scotland.  Blasting down motorways and carving up B roads are achievable on many types of motorcycles, but it takes an adventure machine to handle the really good stuff.

Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park in central Scotland is the perfect place to start your adventure.  Mountain pass B roads make up a majority of the riding in this region with most riders choosing to stay at a B&B during their time here. The really great roads, if you can call them that, are unpaved dirt and rock tracks climbing through the mountains to the most remote of the Lochs and providing access to the most distinctive vistas. 

One area worth mention is about a 30 minute ride outside of Balquhidder along the south side of Loch Voil. This dirt and rock track will out your skills as a rider to the test as it hugs the banks of the loch past deserted crofts and old caravans left from a band of hippies during a surge in the 1960s. Eventually this will land you at the Loch Voil Hostel.  A nice choice for cheap accommodation but the owners also allow camping on their working sheep farm. 

Using this spot as a base camp will allow you to enjoy great walks along two lochs separated by a tiny spit of land as well as explore around a great example of an ancient standing stone circle. The hostel also has a row boat available to explore the lochs, but be careful as it also serves as the local ferry for hikers and bicyclists from across the way. 

If you're not interested in walking around and prefer to drop your gear and ride, head past the hostel and go explore miles upon miles of unpaved challenging roads. Ride up above the tree line.  If you can make it, be prepared for possible stream crossings as the tracks haven't been maintained in this area for some time. Though to me, that just adds to the adventure. Of course as always in Scotland, mind the sheep!