Thread by @MrMcEnaney

1 year ago I was outside the Scottish Parliament, ready to set off on the 10-day trip that eventually became my book: A Scottish Journey.

I'm doing a thread over the next 10 days & will give away a copy at the end to someone who helped out with a RT 👍

ascottishjourney.co.uk

Before I even left Edinburgh I was already soaked, although it had been snowing the night before so I was relieved to be able to ride at all.

After a couple of photos at @ScotParl I headed south towards Hawick.

The weather *did not* improve.

About now I was sitting cuddling a cup of tea in @HeartofHawick with my gear hung over the radiators. I hoped the rain might ease off if I waited a bit. I was wrong.

After riding through the worst weather I had ever experienced on a bike (until the next day...more on that tomorrow) I finally made it to Gatehouse of Fleet where I stayed with @writerkcampbell @campbell_dougie and Sam the dog.

I managed to squeeze in a wee walk to Anwoth Old Kirk (filming location for The Wickerman) then went back for an excellent dinner and a lovely chat with Karen, Dougie and a few of their friends who told me all about the area and the challenges it faces.

(Anwoth Old Kirk is fascinating, by the way, and well worth a visit if you're in the area)

So today (Day 2) is when things got *very real*. The weather forecast for the rest of the day included howling wind, driving rain and a significant amount of snow. The first 2 are manageable on a motorbike - the 3rd is not.

I was supposed to be leaving Gatehouse and heading to Girvan (following the road that Edwin Muir used in the 1930s). Then I'd wander through Ayrshire on my way to Portencross before heading back to Glasgow. It didn't work out that way...

With the weather closing in I decided to go for a fairiy direct route to Glasgow which took me via New Galloway and Dalmellington towards Ayr. I just about made it off the moors when the snow started to fall and everything went wrong.

In a stroke of incredible luck, I was near Stewarton (where my in-laws stay) when the weather became a bit too dangerous even for me.

But in the end I did manage to make it back to Glasgow. The day was pretty much a write off but at least the journey could continue.

Things picked up on day 3 (it wouldn't have been hard) when I would be riding up the west coast to Oban. This was a really, really good day.

The ride from Glasgow to Oban via the Argyll coast was great, but what really made my day was visiting @stramashoutdoor nursery.

Inwas there during the holidays so it was quiet but still...what a place.

And then it was down to the beach at Ganavan before stopping back in Oban for an excellent fish supper.

Day 3 ended a little further up the road near Appin with Pat and Fedor, who let me stay with them in their lovely little cottage. Although as it turned out this wasn't my first drive down that particular road (see pics 3&4).

(My wife confirmed that story before I put it in the book - it DID happen and I'm still not happy about it)

Anyway, after 2 days in pretty brutal conditions my third had been excellent. Onwards.

For some reason Twitter wouldn't let me tag Pat yesterday but she is on here - @PatTyrrell1

Anyway, day 4 - things got a bit wet again.

It was a bit drizzly when I set off, aiming for the northern tip of Skye via Mallaig via the Corran Ferry.

Around about now I was wandering about Mallaig trying to find somewhere to get some lunch that wasn't overflowing with dressed up Harry Potter fans.

By now I was well on my way to Geary on the Waternish peninsula on Skye. The weather was pretty horrendous but these things are all relative and compared to days 1 and 2 of my trip it was a fairly pleasant journey.

Day 4 ended at @Mintcroftskye, which is absolutely beautiful. It had been a bit of a wet and cold journey there but totally worth it.

Right - day 5! This was a big one - I was going from Waternish to Ullapool on the coast road via Applecross. It was a long way over twisty roads so I set off early. The rain was still hanging about but it wasn't too bad:

I had lunch at the @applecrossinn with @AlisonMacleod3 who told me about life in the area and, in particular, the impact of the @NorthCoast500

After that I kept on going north, around some of the best roads I've ever ridden on my way to Ullapool to meet @AilsaMcL (and @ullamuddle).

And look where I got to stay!

So day 5 ended with food, wine, music and lots of chat with wonderful people. I went to sleep that night feeling very, very lucky.

I woke up on the 6th day of my trip with a big rode ahead of me - from Ullapool to Kirkwall (via a ferry from Gills Bay). The ferry wasn't until the early evening though, which meant I had lots of time to enjoy riding right round the north west coast of the country.

This stretch of the journey was particularly soothing. It's an astonishingly beautiful part of the world and perfect for bikes. It's even better when the people in the camper van offer you a cup of tea.

And I can't recount the highlights of day 6 without a special mention for @cocoamountain. They claim - and not without merit - to sell the best hot chocolate in the world. It's worth the drive to Durness and fueled me for a blast along the country's northern edge.

About now I was waiting to get on the boat that would take me to Orkney for the first time. The weather hadn't been brilliant so far but things were looking up at the ferry pulled in.

The light was slipping and the rain had started (again) by the time I got to Orkney but it was all good, because I just had a quick ride from St Margaret's Hope to Kirkwall where I stayed with my pal Marianne. We shared a flat on Arran in our first year of teaching. She's cool.

(I can confirm that this photo was not taken during the trip.)

(I can also confirm that I am not, in fact, a fresh-faced 12 year but rather fully grown man.)

The next day was The Big One in many respects so it was nice to be able to relax the night before and spend some time with a friend I don't get to see much.

Anyway, here's some more top-quality content from Day 6.

ascottishjourney.co.uk

So on to day 7, which meant going all the way back to the early 20th century, because, after a few stops, I was getting a ferry to Wyre, the tiny island on which Edwin Muir - author of the original Scottish Journey - had grown up.

Visiting Wyre was a big deal for me, and I even got to take the bike over on the tiny wee ferry. It's a fascinating place with some serious history in the shape of an ancient Norse castle.

But the main reason to come to Wyre was to visit the house in which Edwin Muir grew up.

I ended the day back in Kirkwall where I went for a wee wander to let everything sink in. I also got an excellent chippy that came with (justifiably) high recommendations from some locals.

Having made it to Wyre it was time to turn around start heading south again, with 3 days to get back to Edinburgh. But there were 2 more things to see on Orkney - the cathedral and the famous Italian chapel.

The next significant stop was in Helmsdale, where I visited the The Emigrants, a statue which commemorates the people cleared from their homes on the surrounding lands.

The rest of the day was spent blasting through increasingly hostile weather to Inverness, where I was lucky to be staying with Werner, a German who came to Scotland decades ago and now think of it as home.

The penultimate leg of my journey would take me from Inverness to Aberdeen, and I spent much of the day following the coast eastwards through the beautiful old fishing villages.

And then came one of the (many) brilliant surprise discoveries on the trip: Tarlair outdoor pool.

From there I started to head for Aberdeen, although I did stop at Cruden Bay for a quick rest and some sand in my boots.

And so to day 10, when I would be ending my journey and heading home. I stopped at Stonehaven on the way south from Aberdeen and managed a very brief stop next to Dunnottar Castle. All in lovely, warm sunshine.

I'd also been invited to stop at Windmill House in Arbroath. It's now a Christian centre but has some cool history, not least the link to the Polish soldiers stationed here during WW2. One of them left the drawing below, which had been hidden for decades.

After that it was time for the final stretch - riding from Arbroath to Edinburgh. En route I met up with my father-in-law, crossed the Queensferry Crossing for the first time and once again managed not to crash in Edinburgh.

And then it was done.

And that was that. 10 days. Well over a thousand miles. No crashes or injuries. Some of the worst weather I've ever seen.

And a country that is beautiful, and fascinating, and bursting with stories - but also desperately in need of some serious disruption of the status quo.

Specifically, there is a marked disconnect between a key goal of devolution - power being closer and more accessible - and many people's lived experiences. Top many people feel alienated with little say in their communities and even lives.

Governmental structures are part of this (councils in Scotland are far too big and not fit for purpose) but it isn't just that. Issues like public transport and Scotland's central belt bias have a tangible impact on day to day life across Scotland.

Scottish independence and Brexit and swirling around in that same pot, because so much of it comes back to Scotland's idea (and ideal) of itself. And that's an issue we're still a fair way from resolving.

Anyway, thanks for reading as I've wandered through my memories a year on. If you'd like to read more then you know what to do: buy the book :)

ascottishjourney.co.uk

And one more thing - I very much recommend reading the book that sparked all this:

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