Barreling along the motorway into thick fog and driving rain on a hazy Sunday afternoon in England, having the time of our lives. This describes the closing moments of what was a 1000(+) mile motorcycle rally from the tip of Scotland to the toe of England, via Glencoe, the Lake District, Brecon Beacons and finally Lizard Point in Cornwall. The 1000 miles rally was a little longer in reality when you take in all the twists and turns, the detours and the pitstops, not to mention the 300 miles it took just to reach the start line from Edinburgh.
Our team met at 9am on the outskirts of Edinburgh to begin the journey north where we would meet 80 likeminded bikers on 'inappropriate bikes' to take part in the longest motorcycle rally in Great Britain. Our fleet; a Harley Davidson, a Triumph Bonneville, a Moto Guzi V7 and a brace of BMW R-nine Ts. Heading out of Edinburgh, split-lanning away from the congestion and heading for the hills.
Castle Mey is the most northern point of Scotland, a beautiful spot to line up 80 classic and custom motorcycles for some cerimonial flag waving, issuing of rally books and numbers and the start line of an epic journey south, as far as the roads can take you.
What followed was four days of pretty full on riding. We had breakdowns, we had sunshine, we had rain, we camped, we ate, we drank, but mainly - we rode.
The roads made the rally a unique and wonderful experience, from the open, winding roads of the highlands, dodging sheep and rain, to the beautiful Welsh coastline. For most riders, each day brought new roads and new favourites, whilst most of the time there'd be someone with memories of the past rides in the area.
Well done to Malle London on organising this event, The Great Mile, in its first year. This was clearly a massive undertaking and they did it justice. Thank you for the ride, the memories, and showing about 80 mostly English motorcyclists that Scotland has the best roads in the land.
Visit http://mallelondon.com/ and be ready to signup for 2018.