Spring Highland Tour day 6 - going home

All going our separate ways today - Nige back to IoM, the other two back to North Lincs.
Al's had enough of motorways so heads South via A689 to Alston and then a great run along the B6277 to Middleton in Teesdale only interrupted by a classic looking Ferrari (246?) trying to do a U turn to get back to his mate in a Aston Martin parked up a mile or so further on. Don't seem to have much of a turning circle these classic cars. Stop for an ice cream in Barnard Castle before getting the A1 at Scotch Corner. Blue skies and sunshine all the way.
All together a 1700 mile round trip and mostly lucky with the weather as we seemed to miss the rain actually falling.
We averaged £21 per night each for accomodation ranging from £13 to £35 each, all but one included a breakfast, with half of them the fully cooked variety - you don't get breakfast included for £13!!. Accomodation secretary did well with his selection, and we'd go back to any of them.

Next up is the Alps again at the end of June - a first for Nige - and another Scotland trip end of September unless we think of something different
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Spring Highland Tour day 5 - she's lost her head.

Long day on the bikes today as we're heading down to Dumfries and it's a bit of a slog - Inchnadamph to Inverness, then A9 to Stirling, and M74 to Dumfries.
First stop is for fuel & a late breakfast at Morrisons near Alness, then banging on down the A9 again where we manage to leave Steve behind - traffic's heavy and we're overtaking alot to make progress. A quick text and we're back together again at the Stirling services were Steve has managed to arrive first and has had fish & chips and a drink - the other two had a detour into Perth to get fuel for Nige and Steve must have gone by then.
We're staying at the Mabie House Hotel tonight - managed to get a suite - very nice. The three windows on the middle floor are ours for the night!!

We spend the rest of the evening in the hotel & bar, food very good and guiness on draught. The one downside was this thing in the sitting room - we only saw it as we started going back to our room and gave us the creeps. As it happens, no bumps or screams in the night.

Spring Highland Tour day 4 - the bride

Looking out the bedroom window of the lodge first thing in the morning, and the deer are at the back door. There's a herd of about twenty wandering around, and we clocked them last night in the field between the lodge & hotel, and earlier over the road by the church. Think of sheep wandering about on the moors, but these are wilder and much ,much bigger.

Big loop further north and back to Inchnadamph is whats happening today. First stop is only just up the road about 10 miles and it's the Kylesku Bridge. Interesting memorial to the men of the 12th Submarine Flotilla who trained in this area for the X craft attack on the Tirpitz. Bit of a bonus that memorial as I didn't know it was there (viewpoint car park on the north side of the bridge) and I had just finished reading a book about the X craft attacks a few weeks ago and recognised some of the names on it.

Then something you don't see everyday- a bride & groom appeared - it was 10 o'clock on a Sunday morning. Next thing a photographer appears and they start taking pictures. Curiosity aroused we ask if they just got married, but as it happens the wedding was 6 months ago and they were taking wedding snaps in unusual locations all the way up the coast. Steve reckons something else was going on along the lines of a publication for men in trench coats with an unhealthy wedding fetish. They eventually saw the bikes and convinced Steve to let them use his for some of the pics. Bride hops on and we're all waiting for her to burn her legs or melt her dress on the hot exhaust or something, but nothing happened. Anyhow they took their pics and off they went.

Interesting and bleaker scenery as we head to Durness, which has the only petrol station for 25 miles and it's shut as it's a Sunday. Not a problem for me as I've got 2/3 of a tank left - 200 miles - and the other two are not too badly off as we will be passing through Lairg later in the day - 70 miles away - and that will have a petrol station open. However, it's a problem for a group of other bikes heading for Ullapool, some of whom are really low. A couple of them go to a nearby cafe and manage to find the owner and get him to open the pump specially for them, which he does grudgingly and then if they pay cash only and all fill up on one operation of the pump. Anyway, we take advantage to top up as well since all the hard work was done already and give our tenners to the 'gang leader'. Funnily enough a car joins the end of the queue but gets his marching orders from the garage owner!! Good of him to help the guys out but he could have done it with a smile. Onwards and halfway around Loch Eribol Nige suddenly takes a left and we're stoppin for a tea break at a place in some guys garden that looks like a converted garage. Nice enough ex steelworker from Ponty running it and he seems pleased for the excuse to have a conversation, but he's a bit slow with the beans on toast which takes nearly half an hour to make. Never mind, we spend the time chatting to a lady who's cycling all around scotland on her own & camping wild where she can.

We eventually get our order, eat up and head for Tongue and then turn south for Lairg and then NWish along Loch Shinn and back to Inchnadamph. I was bored stiff on the road from Tongue to Lairg (A836) but the other two seemed to like it! Stopped at the ruins of Ardveck Castle near the hostel and spent a good hour looking around - stunning evening again, and great views across the loch.

Spring Highland Tour day 3 - a free ride

Heading up to our favourite hostel at Inchnadamph today for two nights to use as a base for exploring further north. Weather is sunshine & blue skies early on and we've got slightly different routes - Al's going via Connan ferry and the other two doubling back up Glenfinnan and the plan is to meet up at the Cluanie Inn around midday.

Rain clouds gathering as I approach Ardgour for the ferry-blue skies & sun one minute but it starts to rain as we board, and then really tips it down on the way over - heaviest we've had so far and I sit there waiting for the ticket collector to collect the fare, but we get to the other side before he gets to me and his mate waves me off - free ride!!

Rain all the way into Fort William, but the riding gear is all o.k and I'm dry, got the weird crab claw looking overgloves on and they're brilliant. Pull in to fill up with fuel in Fort William and guess who's there? - Nige & Steve - so the intrepid trio are back in formation and off we go next stop Cluanie Inn as the rain shower stops. The other two say it's been dry the way they came.

Nige gets there ten minutes or so before the other two who have taken a planned little detour. We grab a table and decide to have soup & baked potatoes for lunch - Nige says he's having soup & coffee and pops off to the toilet. Al decides to have the same and orders Niges as well for him. Next thing, a coffee is plonked on the table virtually straight away and then Nige comes back. 'Ordered your soup and coffee for you' says Al - 'already sorted that whilst waiting for you' says Nige. So, Nige gets two soups and Al gets two coffees. as it's too late to cancel the order apparently.

Suitably replete, we turn head off and turn right just after Eilan Donnan to go over towards Torridon and Ullapool. We meet the the rain again at Ullapool so take a bit longer filling up at the petrol station as do a number of other bikers so it gets a little crowded under the canopy.

It's only about 30 miles to Inchnadamph and we get there for around 17:00.

Spring Highland Tour day 2 - black isle & commandos

Start the day with going up and over the Lecht to Tomintoul where we stop for breakfast at the old fire station cafe. Full of bacon & egg baps its over to Dufftown, Banff and into Portsoy on the coast. What a quant little place the old harbour area is - stopped for a coffee and mooched around for about an hour.

The Black Isle next to see the lighthouse at the point near Fortrose, then we double back to Inverness and down the east side of Loch Ness to Fort William. Now, I've been past the Commando Monument at Spean Bridge many times but never stopped - so today we do and it's a spectacularily clear evening with really clear views to Ben Nevis.

So far the weather has been reasonable and we've dodged the showers, Heading now for Glenuig via Glenfinnan, where we're staying at the Glenuig Inn. There's building work ongoing and the bunkhouse isn't ready so we have been upgraded to the holiday chalets and very nice they are too!! Downside is theres no draught beer only bottled. The other dodgy thing about Glenuig is the deep gravel on the car park - on a bike its like driving through sand with wheelspins everywhere and a bit disconcerting.

Spring Highland Tour day 1 - off we go

What was planned as a relatively swift 4 day solo jaunt around the Borders and Dumfries/Galloway turned into a 6 day grand tour with two others once Nige had decided he could get off the island for a few days and Steve found he couldn't resist.

As usual, A1 to Scotch Corner thenover the A66 to meet Nige at Southwaite services. Me & Steve have lunch at the greasy spoon at Stainmore Top - double egg, chips, beans, mug of coffee and two slices of bread for £4 - don't know how they do it.

So off to the very far north with Braemar bunkhouse as the first overnight stop. Going past Spittal of Glenshee theres a herd of about 30 red deer just coming down off the hills, but thats not the last we see of these beasts this trip.
The bikes will be secure tonight as Nige has bought a new chain & lock - its big enough to anchor a battleship and weighs about 13kg!!

Wales day 2

After yesterdays reasonable weather, set off from Cross Hands for Llantwit Major in pouring rain - 45 miles of motorway spray etc but the gear held up and dry as a bone. Thought my trousers were letting in but it turns out its water pooling in my bike seat. The covering has a basket weave effect and I reckon it traps the water a bit more than a smooth finish.
Usk and Monmouth next, then over to Worcester and then home. Set the sat nav to favour minor roads after Worcester which was interesting - took me through Coughton Ford amongst others.

The thing with fords is that you're never sure how deep they are, but you do know they can be very slippery - plenty of green slime on this one! Parked up and decided to wait to watch the next car go through - had a good 5 minutes wait before a range rover went through and made a really big splash. Still couldn't really see how deep it was and I wasn't about to wade out to the middle to find out. That got me thinking, so I went and had a look at the adjacent footbridge which looked a possibility on the bike. I'm stood on the bridge and I hear a bike approaching - its a youth on a Honda C90 and he's straight through no bother, although I think he showed off as it did cough a bit as he came out and the splash soaked his jeans & trainers. So, the big jessy on his big trail bike plucks up the courage and through he goes. I guess its about 6" deep as the front brake discs are just getting a dipping. Get a bit fed up of country back roads with gravel and grass up the centre of them shortly after that so head home asap.

Sun comes out at Nottingham and get home at 4 o'clock in time to vote in the next lot of crooked, selfish, grasping control freaks.

Another 350 mile racked up today, so a new back tyre will needed after next weeks Highland Invasion. Not a bad little trip over the two days, and 15 RBR landmarks in the bag - only 74 more to go.

In deepest Wales

A change of plan, the GS gets a run out as the Pan steering feeling not right again. reasonably clear weather until élan valley going toward Aberystwyth when it went all misty and wet with visibility down to about 50yards. Cracking road from Lampeter to Haverfordwest -a475,b4332, b4329. Been to some nice little towns-Tregaron,Lampeter ,cenarth,
Ten rbr landmarks in the bag, and having an earlyish night at the Cross Hands travelodge- booked in advance and got a £19 deal, bargain.
420 miles today, this blog entry done on the iPhone (connection is via edge as tlodge wireless is not free- unbelievable in this day and age). All in all a succesful day.

Off to Wales

Off to Wales again for a couple of days - cutting across the middle, then along the south coast.
The bit of the south west corner from Milford Have to Port Talbot is new territory for me, never been there so that should be interesting. Doing a few RBR landmarks as I go, as ever a good excuse for a ride about. Overnight in Cross Hands (travelodge £19 deal) and about 850 miles for the round trip. The Pan gets an outing again, as the GS is getting a spin around Scotland end of next week for an early Highland Invasion with Steve & Nige.
Going to try and do the Welsh trip report solely on the Iphone, so watch this space.