Having decided with our good friends to organise a trip to Scotland in July, I found a suitable house to rent on the outskirts of Dunoon in Argyll and Bute and reserved hotel accommodation on the way there and back. 

Heading North, we called in to Squires Café Bar for a midday bacon butty on the way to our first hotel. In the centre of Barnard Castle, County Durham, which we found to be a great little market town with a ruined medieval castle, our accommodation was in an annexe across the road from the Three Horseshoes Hotel and we had garage parking for the three bikes. Our Triumph Tiger 900 and the Kawasaki Versys 1000 and Triumph Street Triple 765 belonging to our two friends.

Although quite breezy the next morning, it was a lovely ride from Barnard Castle via Alston Moor towards Gretna. Unfortunately, as we approached the Scottish border, the skies darkened and we were welcomed to Scotland with heavy rain and increasing gusts of wind. After a lunch stop at The Devil’s Porridge Museum & Cafe, the weather deteriorated further and we faced torrential rain all the way to Kirkcudbright and were frequently blown across the carriageway. 

Relieved to arrive safely at Arden House Hotel, our base for two nights, we were greeted warmly by the owner despite leaving puddles of water throughout the lobby. Arden House is on the edge of Kirkcudbright, about 15 minutes walk to the town centre at the mouth of the River Dee in Dumfries and Galloway. The hotel offered garage parking and served wonderful home-cooked evening meals. 

The weather picked up and our ride from Kirkcudbright took us alongside Lock Ken towards Ayr and Ardrossan before taking the scenic A78 up the west coast. We stopped for lunch in Largs and then continued to the vehicle ferry port at McInroy’s Point, near Gourock.

A short crossing brought us to Dunoon and our holiday home with amazing views over the Firth of Clyde. The online grocery order was delivered about 20 minutes after our arrival and we settled down to relax and enjoy our surroundings. 

Dunoon is set in a stunning location with sea views, beaches, lochs and forests. The centre of Dunoon was a pleasant 20-minute walk along the attractive promenade and has a broad selection of shops and a Victorian seaside charm.

Dunoon is located on the east side of the mountainous Cowal peninsula on the western shore of the Firth of Clyde. We had a ride down to the southern tip to Castle Toward overlooking the Isle of Bute.  A ride north took us around Holy Loch and alongside Loch Long to Blairmore and Ardentinny and then a single, gravelly track to Loch Eck brought us out on the A886. We then rode around Loch Fyne to Inveraray, where we had a nice lunch and came across a number of other motorcyclists. 

One grey and drizzly day, we took the foot passenger ferry to explore Gourock and passed the time in a couple of eating and drinking establishments and spotted a small pod of dolphins close to the shoreline. 

A highlight of the holiday was a cruise on the magnificent Waverley, the world’s last seagoing paddle steamer. Sailing from Dunoon to Rothesay on the Isle of Bute, we enjoyed an awesome day trip aboard this sole survivor of a bygone era. The views from the ship along the coastline were amazing and the view of the steam engine and paddles in operation was equally impressive. With time ashore in Rothesay we enjoyed a fish and chip lunch before our return sailing to Dunoon. 

Packing up and leaving our holiday home after six nights, we returned on the ferry and rode back down the A78 towards Irvine, then on to Moffat for lunch.  

Our overnight stop was at the Ashberry Guest House in Penrith; a convenient and comfortable hotel with private parking. A short 10-minute walk brought us into the centre of Penrith and we enjoyed strolling around the town with its independent shops and interesting buildings. 

Leaving Penrith the next morning, we found some stunning roads across the Pennines and concluded our 10-day trip with a determination to do more touring in Scotland.