Scotland is once again on my mind as, this coming weekend, I will be speaking at the Edinburgh Festival of Cycling (Friday, 6.30pm in the Pleasance Cabaret Bar – details and tickets here). The last time I visited the country was in 2014, shortly after the Commonwealth Games had finished and shortly before the referendum on independence. The reason for visiting – if indeed a reason was needed – was to experience some cycling in a slightly more hostile, remote environment than the first two continental cycles and in preparation for the third cycle, which would require me to travel to the northernmost point of the continent along the coastline of Norway. More of that in Spain to Norway on a Bike Called Reggie.
It was an excellent choice and, with the wild weather of August 2014, certainly prepared me well, throwing the elements at me in a manner that was the equal of anything that I would subsequently have to endure in the northern reaches of Scandinavia.
After taking the sleeper train to Inverness and, eventually, Thurso, I set off west in the direction of Cape Wrath, turning south thereafter with Skye being my final destination before jumping on a second train took me as far as Glasgow along the ‘Harry Potter’ line. Some very good memories indeed. You can read full accounts of how I got along by visiting this page of CyclingEurope.org but here are a selection of images from a trip that I not only thoroughly enjoyed but would thoroughly recommend; Scotland, on a bike Called Reggie…
…including post-Commonwealth Games Glasgow:
