Granny tells of epic motorbike trip from Mexico to Alaska

Lynn Aitken, 58, made the journey from Mexico to Alaska.

An Edinburgh granny has published a book telling the story of her 3000-mile motorbike journey from Mexico to Alaska.

Lynn Aitken, 58, finished the epic journey in 2019 with her husband Mike, also 58.

She has now written a book, Long Roads and Lipstick, about the trip.

Ms Aitken made the trip with her husband Mike.

“I hope the book will inspire others to follow their dreams, whatever they may be,” she said.

“If you really want to do something don’t let age or gender stop you. Just do it because if you don’t you’ll always wonder what it would have been like.”

Ms Aitken and her husband were inspired to take on the trip after spotting a road sign while on holiday in Canada.

The sign on the outskirts of Hinton, a Canadian logging town, read: “Scenic Route to Alaska.”

The couple decided they wanted to take that route all the way from Mexico, and spent several years getting ready for their big trip.

“We did a lot of research, and my husband read a lot of books,” Ms Aitken said.

“It was all about preparation and getting quality equipment for camping as well. We did some off-road courses in Scotland on the bikes too, as there was quite a lot of off-road track in Mexico and Alaska.”

“We had our concerns going into Mexico – people were saying all kinds of things to us. Even as we were riding to Mexico we were still wondering if it was a good idea.

Lynn and Mike Aitken decided to take the trip after they saw a sign marking the 'Scenic Route to Alaska'.

“But the people in Mexico were really lovely. You’ve got to be unlucky for something to happen, to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

“We felt more threatened walking around Houston Texas to be honest – at one point we wandered into the wrong part of town”

Ms Aitken, who was born and brought up in Edinburgh but now works in Perth as a tour guide at Scone Palace, rode on the back of her husband’s bike for years before getting her own licence.

Although leaving her three children and two grandchildren behind for the five-month journey was a challenge, but the journey was worth it, she said.

“I love the freedom of the road, and being independent,” Ms Aitken said.

“It’s really exhilarating,”

The trip had other highlights, including a frequent animal sightings.

“The wildlife was incredible, we saw loads of animals including bears and a lone wolf,” said Ms Aitken.

“We met a lot of amazing people along the way as well.”

The couple set off in 2016 and intended to finish that year, but had to fly home for a family emergency before they could finish the trip.

They managed to reach Alaska before they had to fly home, but returned in 2019 to travel through more of the country.

“As well as a story about the journey, the book is a story about family, self-discovery, challenges and, unfortunately, some heartache along the way,” said Ms Aitken.