Maybe it had too much whiskey!
It does not look like its going to rain,
All the cows lay down before it rains,
.
.
Pin
Made the trip from North Uist to Harris and Lewis.
Took the eastern ‘golden’ road along the coast to Tarbert
Did a check of the bike… and noticed the gravel roads were taking their toll on my balding tyre far faster than I had planned
A quick run up to the Butt of Lewis to think about my options
I rode back down to Stornaway and got on the phone, and found a tyre in Inverness. Instead of exploring Lewis for a day as planned, I would cut short my stay in the Outer Hebrides and leave that day - a ferry to the mainland was available, and I would ride to Inverness to get a tyre ASAP.
From bald rubber to metal canvas in just 200 miles. No option other than to replace it ASAP, meaning missing out on all of north Scotland 
Once I’ve new rubber I’ll see what my options are. I hope to get back up into north Scotland and complete all I set out to.
Sorry to see that the tyre has cut short your adventures…
I’m so jealous of the trip! Love the offroading you’ve been doing… Makes me want to get an adventure bike for touring instead of the trusty Ninja that’s seen me through my last few trips…
Lack of prep, the doom of all short rides.
I wonder if it’s a Scotland thing :ermm:
When I did my ‘Rab C Nesbitt - Two Ways Inn and Beyond’ jaunt last year I didn’t fully realise how squared off and lacking in tread the rear tyre was until I compared it against a new one. It got home like this :-
Got sorted at Essential Rubber, they’re both Avon Roadriders 
Indeed. The plan was to use up this tyre before fitting a new set in June, but the wear came too soon 
now if I get new rubber I have to nurse it the next 1000 or so miles to make sure it lasts to Noordkaap and back.
Haven’t you got somewhere you’re supposed to be? Job to pay for the travelling, that sort of thing?
Today’s trip: http://goo.gl/maps/SXxNM
Explored Inverness, waiting for the noon tyre delivery
At 11am good news arrived
And by 12 I was on the road again
Before running out of road at John O Groats
Inspiration break required
In for a penny
Fantastic stuff Martin. Very inspiring. Keep it coming and good luck!
Orkneys or Shetlands now Martin?
Wow love looking at those amazing pictures. What an experience.
this is all very beautiful, but…why no pictures of Nessie?
Or?
Now to find the most Northerly point.
So finding the Northerly point… I should add that I did no research before I undertook this, other than having an OS map and some general knowledge of a lighthouse called Muggle Fugger or somesuch.
The ‘Welcome to Shetland’ photo in the reply above is at Lerwick, and the most Northerly road looked to be in Unst - two ferries away. Fresh from the couch of the Orkney ferry, at 8am with no time like the present, the hunt began.
Didn’t stop in Yell and it was raining, so no photos.
Attempt #1. Follow the OS map to what looks like the road.
Rules are there to be… ahem but really the road was fenced off and falling away. Humph. Possible target visible in the distance too.
Next stop was another little road that ended up at RAF Skaw.
But still no sight of this lighthouse, was this really it? Turned back and followed my nose further.
With a park to walk across, perhaps this was as far north as I could go? I’d talk a quick stroll that ended up being four miles of hiking in MX boots :rolleyes:
Finally! Muckle Flugga and the Out Stack, the most northerly points.
So now I’ve personally been as far North as I can go, what about the poor KTM? The road to the military installation was the only unexplored route left (not on my map).
(no further progress permitted)
GPS check time. I thought there was one more possible option, back past RAF Skaw. And after checking this through, here is The Most Northerly Road in the British Isles:
Ok so a little underwhelming, but hey. Fun fact, you all live up this road:
I’m pretty sure that military road is the furthest Northerly one, however it’s not open to the public. So the road to the beach at Skaw gets it.
Back to Lerwick
Updates to follow from tomorrow, but by definition I’m now on the way back South.
Ah so it turns out that RAF Saxa Vord is no longer active (the MOD signs saying turn around, which may or may not have been fully observed by me…!), so I can post this picture after all 
The bike with Muckle Flugga in the far distance.
Apparently it was sold for £19k last year.
Martin I’m assuming you reprogrammed the buttons of your camera to enable to you take photos with your gloved left hand?
Keen to get a clearer picture of your technique…
Great write up and photos
I’ll be going from Aberdeen back down south and need advice. I’d like to stop in the Cairngorms along the way - any ideas? What is the Hawes loop?