Hi, I' m Mike Chalmers and will be showing you some of the best places to see in the Western Isles.

Being of Scots and German descent I am in the lucky position of being a Native of Scotland and being able to speak German.

I spent most of my motorcycling years touring Europe and Scotland whilst living and working in England.

I moved to the land of my ancestors early in the year 2000 and now live in a small hamlet next to the River Tay not far from Perth.

The opportunity to move here arose once I had finished my career as a police officer, retiring shortly before moving to Scotland.

During my time in the police I was privileged to be able to pass various driving courses which included becoming a class one police motorcyclist. I am also a member of the I.A.M.

The 'bike I use is the BMW R1150GS which is ideal for my style of riding. It is also one of the best machines for loading up and hitting the trail.

However just to put your minds at ease and to show that you really can do this trip on any bike, my first venture onto the Islands as a week long tour many years ago, was actually on a good old Honda XL185s loaded with camping gear as well !

Having covered most of Europe over the years including the Greek islands, I always finds myself drawn back to the beauty of the Highlands and Islands as the favoured place to ride.