A highland and island fling by motorbike

For many an overnight ferry sees you arrive on foreign shores with the promise of a European adventure ahead, but #ride5000miles member Dan Dobson and riding buddy, Phil Winstanley, opted for a more homespun adventure.

Dan on his Honda Africa Twin and Phil on his Suzuki DR650, planned a riding holiday to Scotland and randomly added a night on Shetland. “I saw ferry crossings were really cheap from Aberdeen to Lerwick,” says Dan.

“We originally planned to spend the day on Shetland and return to Aberdeen the following night but decided to go home via Orkney. On Shetland we had the goal of going to Twatt, for obvious reasons, but other than that we roamed around to see what we could see.”

The Shetland Islands lay 200 miles north of the UK mainland. They’re as close to Norway as to Scotland, and with daily crossings from Aberdeen, is a destination worth exploring. Dan enjoyed the Nordic feel of the scenery. “The best road is the A971 back to Lerwick, it had a feel of the fjords.”

Dan loved his brief time touring these remote islands. “It’s difficult to say what the best bit about visiting Shetland is,” he said. “It’s a tie between the people and the roads. We saw a grand total of five potholes and these were all in a 100 yard stretch of a private road. Everywhere else was silky smooth.

“The people just couldn’t do enough for us. Whenever we stopped for a picture someone would pull up to talk and ask about the trip. They couldn’t have been friendlier.”

They were also lucky with the weather. “There was no rain while we were there and the wind was bearable,” said Dan. If you’re interested in these remote and beautiful islands, Northlink Ferries run daily services from Aberdeen all year. On alternate days the ferry stops at Orkney. There’s also a daily service from Scrabster, on the north coast to Stromness on Orkney.

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