Between Christmas and New Year there is always a great few days when we are off work and I like to make the most of it. Last year we had amazing kitesurf conditions every day. This year I was already in North Yorkshire which is halfway there as far as I am concerned so I decided to head up to Scotland. Everyone loves a road trip and the first key ingredient is some great roads to drive. The way up to Scotland definitely delivers on this front. Next you need things to do and people to see.
Day one got off to a good start – a trip to Hyper-Trax – a new indoor electric motocross centre – this was super fun and has fueled my desire to get a bike myself!
After that a mission across to Edinburgh – the base for this Scottish road trip. A dinner in town then time to check the forecast for wind. It was looking like Troon would be the best option for a kitesurf, so the next morning we headed that way. We were greeted with sun and wind. Perhaps not as much wind initially as I would have liked but it picked up after an hour or so. It is always great to get a session in – it felt like it had been a while too! Scottish waters were quite different from my last kite session in Vietnam. It was full winter wetsuit, boots and hood – didnt need the gloves though!
The third day was dedicated to mountainbiking. Another early start from Edinburgh down to Glentress Mountainbiking Centre for a day on the trails. I recently picked up a full suspension bike so was keen to get a solid days riding in and put it to the test. It is always fun to ride new places too. The bike held up great and I felt really comfortable on it.
The Scottish landscape is always breathtaking and when the cloud lifted we got some great views. I packed the little Sony A6000 as well as the GoPro to get some shots. As well as a few of the group I got one of a tandem getting air off a drop being chased by a collie – not something you see every day! A great few days in Scotland!
