Famous motorbike racer and television personality Guy Martin is adding some extra glamour to a vintage bike event in Lochaber.
The Scottish Pre-’65 two-day trial, which is held at Kinlochleven, got underway yesterday.
The celebrity of the sporting world generated lots of attention from the appreciative crowds.
Considered to be the most important Pre-’65 trial in the UK, the event is massively oversubscribed and the absolute maximum of 180 competitors always take part.
Organised by the Edinburgh and District Motor Club, the event is for motorcycles manufactured before 1965 and always draws a large crowd.
Riders follow a course travelling between markers and must use their skills to avoid putting their feet on the road. Points are lost for putting a foot down and the person with the least amount of points lost at the end of the two days wins.
The course is a figure of eight around the Kinlochleven area which takes in Invercoe and Callart.
Pre-65 Scottish Trial secretary Anne Gordon, said: “Guy Martin is riding in the event, the village was very busy this morning.
“It has started well, we had a parade of riders at 9.30am and started the trials a 10am. Thankfully the weather improved from the previous day.
“I suspect they will enjoy it regardless but if the weather is dry it is always better. They event is very popular, people come from all over to see it.”
The prizegiving takes place at 9pm tonight in the Leven Centre in Kinlochleven.
Another major event in the world motorcycling calendar takes place in Lochaber next week, this time with modern bikes.
Organised by the same club, around 275 riders will take part in the Scottish Six Days Trial (SSDT) from Monday May 2 to Saturday May 7.
SSDT clerk of the course Jeff Horne said competitors would be travelling from all over the world, including Japan, New Zealand, Australia, Canada and many parts of Europe.
He said: “The riders all bring people with them and there are many more people who come along to watch.
“An Events Scotland survey four years ago showed the two events to bring in excess of £1.6million into the local economy each year, so it’s probably more than that now.”
Mr Horne added that a new 90-mile route on the Tuesday would take in some new sections around Ardgour.