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 ISSUE 2 JULY 99 Picture this: it's the morning of your holiday. You spent three days last week trying to track down a B&B - how were you to know that they'd all be booked due to the local Grouse Groping Festival? Another morning was wasted on the phone to the RAC, does your breakdown insurance include bringing your pillion home to? You've packed as little as possible, even though you're going for a week, because there's not too much room left on the bike. You've had to include local maps but couldn't find space for the novel you're reading, the chain lube has been squeezed on somewhere but a change of clothes for the evening are still hanging in the wardrobe. If you plan on visiting Scotland then the answer is now a happy affirmative. HIGHLAND MOTORCYCLE HOLIDAYS can take all that aggravation off your hands, leaving you to sit back and enjoy the ride. Proprietor Nigel Newell say's "To travel this far and then keep on traveling around is a great adventure, but it is so much more relaxing to have a base to return to. We place people where they would like to travel so they can plan according to their Personal requirements and enjoy touring, without bags, panniers, bungee straps - and the nagging worry about where they're staying tonight." H.M.H. also offer baggage service which allows riders to send their kit on in advance, so that it's waiting at the B&B. For 99/2000 they've teamed up with Hoseason's Holidays to arrange cruises on Loch Ness and the Caledonian Canal, you can ride the Highlands, leave your Bike in safe hands and then spend a few day's mucking about on the water. Travel and breakdown insurance can be arranged too, Clubs are catered for, and you can choose your level of accommodation, be it Camp/B&B/Hotel. H.M.H. offer route-planning service plus discounts at local suppliers. Everything to take the organisational angst out of your holiday. You Don't Have To Do Anything But Ride ! ! ! 
So a Surf of UK based biking tour operators seemed like a good idea and first site up was www.highlandmotorcyclehols.com Which was a "Cracking site". Good graphics, clear contact info if you wanted to write or phone for more info, plus competitive prices, especially for groups. Based in Inverness and having travelled there myself I can assure you it is stunning, with miles of empty roads, especially in September.
MIKE THE 'BIKE' 'Highland Motorcycle Holidays' boss, Nigel Newell, made my comeback to motorcycling a painless and enjoyable experience. The two short breaks we've had with him (yes! I took my wife), were the culmination of my day dreams over many years. After five minutes in his company, it seemed as though I was talking to an old friend, and as most of the chat was centred around biking, he gleaned enough to make our ride-outs pleasant, not frightening. Not too fast at first, not too far in one go, showing a brake-light before rounding a sharper bend. A bit like a 'Direct Access Course' and holiday combined, and it didn't cost a penny extra. Not that I am a total stranger to big bikes, my last one being a Norton Atlas, and I have had the odd flirtation with Jap. Superbikes around the car park, but boarding a VFR750 with a pillion suffering from blind faith in me, and launching off into the great blue yonder (tinted visor), was a whole lot easier having a mentor of Nigel's cool up front. Open roads had become a fond memory of my dad in his 'Standard 12', driving the family around Wales: until Nigel lead us out of Inverness into 'The Highlands'. The traffic disappeared, a gently winding and swooping road unfolded, and once again, I was Mike Hailwood. Welcoming café stops, souvenir hostelreys where big boots and dripping clobber weren't scorned, beauty spots and visitor centres, Nigel knew them all. This year was not just about biking either. My mum and dad-in-law were in tow. Entertainment and excursions were organised for them while we were biking. The second half of the week we toured in the car, staying at a different location for three nights. All accommodation, routes etc., arranged by Nigel. Coping with the stress of family and job all year, planning a holiday can sometimes increase the strain. With HMH it's a doddle. Like the man says, 'All you have to do is ride'.
Yours sincerely Vic. Taylor
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