Highland gathering..of the"TEDIUMS"

[jono49]

Phew...it's hot up here

[jono49]

Well now were back from our intense 4 day tour of the West coast? Highlands of Scotland tour......I can post some pics and do a little bit of a "TRAVELOGUE"
Setting off from my place Sunday morning....It was hot at 10.30

Tedium Central

After a stretch the legs and a bit of fuel at "Hamilton Services" we carried on through Glasgow and on to Loch Lomond.

Loch Lomond

Then onto the "Green Welly Stop" at Tyndrum for lunch (roast beef in a big Yorkshire pud)

Green Wellie

And who the fook learned the coont to pose like this..

Fabio MKll

A Quick stop just up the road as we got our first sight of some proper highland scenery, between Tyndrum and Bridge of Orchy!

Mmmmm Nice

More pics at Glen Coe.......and what a lot of BIRDS we seen on this section of road!!!!!

Glen Coe

Anither stop at Loch Linne just before Fort William...to skim some stones! It's a true "Boy's Own" adventure

Loch Linne

Next stop Shiel Bridge for an ice cream stop (It's a must have stop mid-afternoon)

Shiel Bridge

Pushed on a bit and after talking to a mate of mine on the phone at Shiel Bridge (Hammy) he said we must stop and take piccies of some castle that was in the film "Highlander"

Eilian Donan Castle

Next stop, the Isle of Skye, we crossed the Skye bridge and tried to get some B+B but the locals were having none of it......I think it's because we didn't have Panzers, and we didn't walk to the door with a goose step, and give the Nazi salute and shout sieg heil as a greeting!
So we crossed the bridge again to Kyle of Lochalsh, and it didn't look promising, all had no vacancies signs up, and just when it looked grim..........we found "Grannys Heeland Hame" and it was cracking!!!! £30 each and spoiled rotten by Donnie and Anne Even run us down the Pub

Kyle of Lochalsh B+B

There endeth day one.....to be cont............ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

[jono49]

DAY 2......After fueling up (200 mile+ on a TEDIUM ) we leave the kyle of Lochalsh, and take the A890 to lochcarron, where we turned left for Applecross! and round it's "Peninsula"

Load em up

Loch Carron...I think

Loch Carron end and start the accent of the Applecross "Peninsula".....doesn't it sound grand!

Couldn't get going for taking pics, every corner brought a new breathtaking view!

The start of the Climb

Shame we couldn't take pics of the last bit of the climb as it's a replica alpine pass (Stelvio)

First big Mountain on the Peninsula!

then it's rest and be thankful that you didn't get caught at one of the last bends with a slow cage driver at the viewing lay-by!

Looking onto the isle's of Raasay and Skye

Then all down hill to Applecross and lunch......More stodge!

The Pub

The Bay

Then we headed off again following the "Peninsula" (Sounds better every time you use it )
and just more beautiful scenery,

Mmmmmmmmmm

Mmmmmmm

Mmmmmmm

Then we were off the "Peninsula" (I'll miss it) and picked up the A896 north past Loch Torridon.

Loch Torridon lay by

Then we saw our first "Golden Eagle" a brief encounter, but spotted 'none the less' and the twitcher in me got exited.....not cum in yer pants exited....more a quick twitch

Big budgie........don't strain yer eyes

After this excitement, I thought the rest of the day would be an anti-climax......nope it doesn't work like that up here.........it's wow round every corner
Thirsty work this touring lark, so we stopped at a nice little tea rooms at Kinlochewe

The whistle stop cafe

then on with more spectacular scenery, and as an added bonus the roads opened out, and it was game on, and treble figures for some

and salmon farms

Fish

And it all come to an end when we rolled into "Ullapool" only 163 miles today but we were ready to park up early, as it's been a high concentration day, lot's of cliff edges to go off if not careful, (Note, to anyone who fancies this? allow plenty of time for this section!)
We were getting lucky with the B+B lark and got another good one £27.50 single rooms

Ullapool B+B

After a mandatory Shit/Shave/Shower, we hit the town and decided to dine Al-fresco with a local delicacy......well it would be in a fishing port!

Murphy are you salivating....I was!!!!!!!!

But it wasn't without it's problems, this dining Al-fresco lark has hidden dangers.......

"The Enemy" A Fookin Big Rat With Wings!!!!

"Bandits" Not the Suzuki type.....but "BIG" fookers with wings,this bastid was playing the waiting game! but the old skills kicked in!!!! they were useful 30 odd years ago, when "Bandits" tried to Nick the chips off yer plate at school dinners!
Anyroad it was the end to a cracking day, and just get's better every day

[jono49]

Day 3 Doh! and 4 I forgot we done 4 day's (Silly old Codger)
Anyroad.....We said goodby to Ullapool and the local fishing fleet...

Local fleet

Also the harbour seal, who was a bit of a poser.....wonder who taught him that??????

Seal

We didn't go far up the road to stop and take photo's of the scenery again.....the "WOW" factor never stops up here!

Wow Factor

Then we come to bridge we thought was worth a couple of runs over for that special picture I think it was at Loch Dubhaird Mor?

Bridge

So I said to "David Bailey" (The Photographer) get a good shot of me coming into the lay-by.....I'll be using me Cal Crutchlow leg dragging technique (Yes I know he nicked it from "Rossi" ) So as you can see.....he cut me fookin leg off!

Cal Crutchlow leg out technique

After this we push northwards towards Durness, and the WOW factor never ceased

More WOW

And more wow

We arrived at Durness for lunch, and the best bit of Strawberry cheese cake I've ever had....and boy did we pay for it!
Heading for tongue now and we were stopped in our tracks by these beaches, It would have been nice to dive in! but this was a big mileage day.

Paradise......Could be anywhere in the world

Paradise 2

These we thought were the icing on the cake......we'll see.......Onto Tongue next, were we headed south on the A836...Fookin "A" Road, it's single track with passing places but it did widen the further south we got!
Topping up the fuel at Tongue was a mistake....£1.55 per litre

£1.55 a litre

Heading towards Lairg we saw a hut with a camouflage roof....How cool is that!

Unusual roof

After Lairg the road opened out and the scenery became featureless and soon we were in the smoke!... Inverness, after Glasgow on Sunday, it's the first time we've seen traffic congestion, although it was easy going, it spoiled the rhythm Soooo Inverness was dispatched fairly quickly and we headed for Loch Ness on the A82..Wow
No time to look for "Nessie".....This road was the Dogs Danglies we got into this so much We had to remember to stop and take a piccie!

Loch Ness

Then we arrived at Fort Augustus.....and the routine of finding digs....Ramo come up trumps and the cheapest yet £25.00 and the best Breakfast yet!!!!
DAY 4...................
We had a cracking breakfast Mrs Basil Faulty done us proud, with full fry up, and our new found German friends enjoyed theirs too, they were on a 22 year old FJ1200.....and what good example it was too, he rides it regular, and has no other bike! Not even a GS?....But I feel he may have a notion of a TDM soon

22 years young

Fort Augustus loch gates

True to form we didn't travel far to find another beauty spot for a piccie...at Loch Oich, then past Loch Lochy.......lots of them "Lochs" up here, but only one "peninsula"

Loch Oich

More Loch Oich

Our next stop was the Commando memorial near Spean Bridge

Commando memorial Spean Bridge

Which landmark guide

Ben Nevis was the only mountain with a little bit snow left on it.....But you can't see it on this pic!

Ben Nevis

Well it looks like I've fooked up good and proper.....No more room for attachments Ill have to start finish further down.......

[aj]

.

oh.. you had a lie-in on day 2 and 3 then,,,

regards
aj

[T.Murphy aka Tim]

Aww , c'mon ya bugger. You've just got me hooked here and enjoying ya trip. So where's bloody Day 2 and Day 3 eh?

Looking good so far and that weather ! Wow and wow again. Bet there aint many who've been up there and seen weather like that. Stop fookin about and get the rest of the trip posted. Lovin' it ( spoiled only by the presence of TeDiuMs and the absence of BLACKBIRDS !!!!!!!

[joeboxer]

And who the fook learned the coont to pose like this..

IMG_1592.JPG

Me baby! me! - Looking good Ram

cracking ride fella's, always fancied going to see that castle - "Highlander" being my fav movie

[XXtremist]

.

Great write up and pics lads.

Wot fantastic weather

Brought back memories of trips on the GS and Bird.

Chris

[jono49]

Thanks Chris....As Judith Chalmers said......"Wish you were here" or "There" as the case may be!

[Oldbull]

Crackin read me ole muker

Never been that far up yet and really want to do it now.... you would get better odds on the Euro millions than you would on a scotland bimble with no rain

I was under the impression that you got fleeced with the B&B, hotels etc up there due to the lack of competition and they have you over a barrel ??
Glad you dodged the bandits lads , but what about them pesky little people....' midgets' .. I think there called, been told they are nasty fekrs also

I will get out yer way now pal while you do day three ... hope youve got a garmin file between you

[Simmo]

great write up jono keep it coming

not sure if Ramo has quite got the pose

[daveb]

Glad you both had a cracking time just gutted I missed it

[T.Murphy aka Tim]

great write up jono keep it coming

not sure if Ramo has quite got the pose

Oh fekk ...another stalker for Fabio.

[jono49]

Crackin read me ole muker

Never been that far up yet and really want to do it now.... you would get better odds on the Euro millions than you would on a scotland bimble with no rain

I was under the impression that you got fleeced with the B&B, hotels etc up there due to the lack of competition and they have you over a barrel ??
Glad you dodged the bandits lads , but what about them pesky little people....' midgets' .. I think there called, been told they are nasty fekrs also

I will get out yer way now pal while you do day three ... hope youve got a garmin file between you

Threw the Garmin in Loch Lomond.......Used an OS folding map, and lucky if we looked at it half a dozen times!

[bluegas]

Lucky b'stards with the weather, fantastic scenery, food, b&b,s, can you imagine how good it would have been on some decent bikes?

[Mister Majestik]

Know what ya mean BG, not really a BB trip

I'm so envious, you pair of Lucky, good looking b'stards you even got good weather, what fantastic scenery, good food, b&b,s,
I can only dream how good it was on decent bikes

[The Budgie]

Cracking write up guys...

[T.Murphy aka Tim]

Brill write up of Fab scenery and that weather ! Wow and wow again. Bet there aint many who've been up there and seen weather like that. Loved ( spoiled only by the presence of TeDiuMs and the absence of BLACKBIRDS !!!!!!!



I'll bet your arses are sore? fab wants to know who was the best giver, who was the best taker and who squeals when you bite the pillows. I don't quite understand what he means but hey ho, whatever you fekkin Gaylords get up to is your business.

"Not Blackbird country"? Not fookin many. Well at least until you started heading from Durness to Tongue and then south on that singlke track...that's what me 'n' Barsteward got caught out on, however we were fortunate enough for it to be absoloutely fekkin stair-rod pissing it down from Tongue back to Fort Augustus .

Know what you mean about the Wow factor. Remember having, yes having to stop when we crested the last climb prior to dropping down towards Durness as the landscape just literally took my breath away and I felt what I can only describe as an almost "spiritual moment".

LOL at the "filling" station at Tongue. One fekkin tatty pump. At least you were lucky and they had some fuel no matter what price. That shop is like summink out of "League of Gentlemen" aint it.
.
.
.

[jono49]

[smileymiley]

Great write up

Even greaterer photos

I'll have to keep this away from Ro Ro.....

She'll be wanting me to take her there....

[T.Murphy aka Tim]

Great write up

Even greaterer photos

I'll have to keep this away from Ro Ro.....

She'll be wanting me to take her there....

Don't you worry yassen Smileybloodymiley. Tell the lovely lady to give me a bell.

[Mister Majestik]

Kin el letch, knew that was coming before you put it on the launch pad

[jono49]

How embarrassing have to finish the Travelogue down here ........Anyroad we had to get cracking today, with rain forecast thursday and Ramo talking of doing a run home in one hit We passed through Fort William, and onto Oban, A walk round and some Fish and Chips (sit in job)

Oban Harbour

More Harbour

Then we picked up the pace a bit, and for added wow factor we come upon a section of road that was so much like "Hartside" in fact at the next piss stop (Old boy's run this!)
The first thing Ramo said was......Wasn't that bit back there like "Hartside" .....Next stop was Inverary and we stopped in front of the harbour, and it was then I was hit with a bit of Melancholy, when a I saw "The Vital Spark" the boat from the Scottish television series "Para Handy" oh memories the original and the best was made in black and white, and only 3 episodes survive, because some Fookin eejit erased the other 27 episodes when they changed the library to "Digital"

The Vital Spark

Then onwards on what was left of the A83 and what a cracking road it has been, unlike the next one, the A814 to Helensburgh well worth a miss this one! I only come this way out of Curiosity Lesson learned!
Through Glasgow rush hour but a bit of nifty filtering got us through that nicely and then the last filling of fuel and down the M74 for Home!
A great four day's (got it right in the end) Great company great weather, 1,011 miles when I got home, and Ramo.....1,443 miles I think and what a feat that was on the final day from Fort Augustus, to Notts via Oban....."Old Iron Butt"

[Ro Ro]

Great write up

Even greaterer photos

I'll have to keep this away from Ro Ro.....

She'll be wanting me to take her there....

Absolutely I want to go there, it looks amazing, and if you're not up for it I'll go with my friend Tim


Ro Ro

[Ro Ro]

Great write up

Even greaterer photos

I'll have to keep this away from Ro Ro.....

She'll be wanting me to take her there....

Don't you worry yassen Smileybloodymiley. Tell the lovely lady to give me a bell.

Let me know when you're ready.

PM me your number

Ro Ro