cont'd....
barsteward wrote:Haven't got much time at the moment and me cameras not brilliant but here's a couple of pici's load some more later.
Scotland Services.jpg
Bit of cloud about when I set off but by the time I met up with Tim at the Forton Services on the M6 the sun was crackin't flags. What did really surprise me though was he was actually there, expected the usual ring, ring, "I'm running a bit late Les, setting of now so should be there in a couple of hours"
So after a coffee and a fag we set off on time.
Scotland Detour.jpg
The ride up as far as Glasgow was great, one of the first times I've enjoyed using the motorway. Very little traffic plenty of Sunshine and time to enjoy some really nice scenery that you wouldn't normally take notice of because of the coont's in cages.
Unfortunatly by the time we got to Glasgow it was rainig a little and the M80 was like a race track for cages.
cont laterScotland Garmin.jpg
Scotland Ullapool.jpg
one for the calender.jpg
continued....actually it was the M8 ya knobsac....anyrode...over the Erskine Bridge we rode...mighty impressive too, and finally out of the nightmare traffic, and I mean nightmare, we headed out and up towards Loch Lomond. The weather had dried up and so we pulled in to a layby for a "debrief" and a chill pill. Whilst at the layby a biker from over the other side of the dual carriageway came running, sorry squelching across to us. Happens he was one of a Ducati group heading south. He was absolutely soaked. came to warn us that the road ahead was closed due to a biker fatality and the diverted traffic was horrendous.
Thanked him and took the Old Military road to Aberfoyle..........
can't stop Barsteward jumping off to take a pic of a mountain....Told him that this was nowt and it just gets bigger and better,,,but he aint deterred in the slightest...
..... and then Callender (sp?) before heading west and North via Tyndrum where we stopped at the Green Welly Stop for a break. .
......famous biker place so I've heard.
As those who have been up there will know, the roads here, are bloody stupendous as well as the scenery.
Once past Tyndrum we climbed up and over and down and up and over Rannoch Moor to Glen Coe. Somewhere I have been to but only in a cage. Breathtaking..all of it. Shall we stop?
Shall we ride? Shall we stop and take pics then go back and ride again?
Plenty of tourists about...as expected, but summat struck me during our time up there and the locals also had noticed it...the proliferation and clogging up of the roads with fekkin Camper Vans. Jezzus wept, I know they are great for them that has them, but the coonts ought to be banned off the roads and only allowed to travel during the hours of darkness.
"Fook everyone else, I'm driving around in my house and I don't care how much traffic misery I cause"
From Glencoe it was a short ride up the side of Loch Linhe(sp?) to Fort William where we just had to stop and try a genuine Scottish Highland Cheeseburger at MacDonalds, a traditional eating place of a particular clan, the name of which evades me at the moment....
With time marching on we rode North east to Fort Augustus, stopping at the Bridge of Oich(sp?) for some pics.
Watch yer head Barsteward !
By now it was a glorious late Summers evening and the roads were totally empty...riding heaven.
We arrived at Stavaigers Lodge/Campsite in Fort Augustus at about 8.00 p.m., time for a shit shave and a shampoo and then a coupla pints.
Great place to stay. Barsteward found it on t'interweb at the second attempt, spurred on by my succestion that if all else fails we could camp...
Basic facilities....2 single beds in a 6 foot cell, good showers and drying and breakfasting room...all for £22 pppn.
Here we are cruisin' the Town and on the pull...
Good night in the pub, met a couple of bikers that had just come back from Skye and couldn't stop raving about it..and then it was bed. Knackered but excited by the thought of a full days riding up the West Coast, in the morning.
cont'd....
Posted: Tue Aug 31, 2010 1:12 pm
