Having rested (for a year or so!) after conquering Ireland's Corkscrew Hill, sixteen hardy bicyclists (plus me) felt ready for the next challenge. The lure of Bike Vermont's most recent venture, Biking in Scotland, proved irresistible.

So from June 13 - 20, 2001 we found ourselves enjoying Scotland's finest inns, savouring award winning cuisine, and bicycling through picturesque landscapes as varied as Perthshire's pastoral beauty and the Hebrides' rugged coastline.

Averaging 30 - 35 miles per day, with participants ranging in age from 13 to 74, the tour was at times a challenge, but not beyond the reach of a reasonably fit adult (although to be honest, the 74 year old is a former Olympian who still runs frequent marathons!). Despite all the exercise, I didn't lose an ounce - which says something about the aprés-bike!

This was my first visit to Scotland, but hopefully not my last. A friendly Scottish welcome was waiting at virtually every turn - at the airport, the inns, the pubs, a whisky tasting in Perth, during castle explorations, and while bobbing about in the Hoy Lass on the way to Staffa and the Treshnish Isles (to visit the Puffins - more on that later!).