Scotland road trip - .: XT660.com

jasext · # 1 12-06-12, 22:24

Huge thanks to Darren for the guide around the lakes and for sorting out the roads to take while up in Scotland, had a fantastic time and will be going back up again.H
Here is a report Christian done with a few pics and videos from me

Och aye

So here goes without putting on the old Scottish accent:

Will wee werny gonna be thinkin ov gunna tee old Scottish Lands for a holydee and chumped arooond the old subject with many a party residing around the old SWTRF table aboot the journt. Well Some of yas ended up crashin before hand and some of Irish contingencies ended up with too many commitments to commit at short notice.....

So’s Jason kept pluggin away at me when??? When??? when????...The answer would be short notice and only once i had applied sorted a new job out that i could provision for Ten days leave.....When??? when???.....Well the time came and we said lets go Friday...

We had several days planning....

o What time Friday?

o Early came the reply.

o Meet you in Senny Bridge for breakfast at 8am and we have the pleasure of a ride companion in the form of Moody Mike.

As for the rest of the planning it came in the form of a kit list four of everything seemingly and some camping gear such as tent etc......

So the build up to the off.......Well for me it was war. I had been attacked and infiltrated by a burgular. This imposter was creeping into my house eating my food and frightening my *****. Could be anyone of the SWTRF members i hear your thoughts but in fact was a ferrol cat. A huge wild beasty of thing rabid to the core.

I felt some empathy to the strong unhandsome scarred tom cat....He reminded me of my life in certain stages and thought i’d catch him before i left for Scotland and leave him on someone elses door....I set the cat flap trap to one-way, in only...alas four days and still no panther. So i de-alarmed and unshuttered the garage door and took out the bike for her 12000 mile service...The big one....i had stuck 6000 miles of pure pleasure on her in some four months. A third in only two days. Readily serviced and rearing to go i returned the bike to the safety of her compound. Scotland now ready new brakes and all.

The trap had been triggered with one day to go...i could finally snare the beast free for Scotland...I found him hidden under the kitchen cupboards...i removed the cupboard skirting and prized the beauty out, only to find he’d snook under the AGA. So i lit the aga no cat could survive that heat.....One hour of packing later i returned to not find the cat...so i removed the aga and could see he’d slipped into a hole in the chimney, quite safe and not too warm.

1am struck and the cat came out i tried to catch it as it headed upstairs to the bathroom. I cornered it and it snook under the bath...So i stripped off all the panelling and watch him run to the airing cupboard....I finally had Scotland looming so near... I made ready the sack of disposal to tie him up in ready for disposal. I picked him up cleanly by the scruff of the neck despite the devastation from the kitchen and bathroom it was a worthy prize of a weight. His howling and hissing no further concern as i awaited to get him in the hessian sac. Alas he sprang into action as his hind quarters felt the material he swung around and bit and scrammed at my paw....I immediately saw claret and many a score from his talons so i carefully prized him by the neck with my other hand and covered him in the sack.

I was dripping in blood as his fangs sank deep into my wrist between the wrist bones, i swelled up immediately and my Scottish trip looked doomed..Aye doomed i tell yah. Furious i drove the beast 2.5 miles and let him go. A kind gesture i thought after all i went through....Now My attention turned to Scotland again...Was i going to make it?.. My hand was already double the size and seizing up with pain.

I saw the doctor first thing who gave me a jab for lock jaw and such like plus antibionics and pain killers. He laughed at the thought of my riding a bike to Scotland. Oche what do Doctors know?I said i was hardy and from the SWTRF. He smiled and nodded knowingly. Aye off yah go.

Then some routes arrived in an unknown format the evening before 10 days of routes in ITN format....Eventually following the sneaky documentary that was given with these hieroglyphic routes i managed to convert to gpx format and upload to the satnav;one handed i must mention whilst washing and ironing my clothes....I nursed my swollen hand which could not pull in a clutch let alone get me to Scotland. I continued packing and swearing about cats and whistling bonny wee rhymes.

So

Day-1

dawned and i awoke at 5:30. I started loading the bike and taking my daily dose to keep the pain down. My glove just about fitted and i could not do up the strap. I left for Senny Bridge leaving the devastation behind. I Patch in day1 on the sat nav and whistled to Sennybride cafe. Shortly met by Mike of the Moody flown in on his CBR (???not sure what bike it was???). We ordered our breakfast and waited for the organised one. Jason rolled in his KTM adventured up to the max. We scoffed down our breaky fast and saddled up to head for North Wales three of us in tow. It reminded me of the film ...The good, The Bad and The Ugly...I will leave you to decide which characters are which.

The treck to North Wales was easy and painless apart from my wrist! Though i must note Jason did have a great yearning to visit each lay-by and playing with his bits! He kept complaining of discomfort and the direction being wrong. I was relieved to find him directing this at his satnav and Mike too grinned.

We arrived in North Wales and parted company with Mike. He headed to the bike shop to look at shiney shiney and we headed North to the lakes. We zig zagged our way up until evening fell we arrived at the campsite Day1 in the Cambrian mountains and what not a drop of rain. We demounted and pitched tents. Jason being slightly quicker with his two hands. A make safe wind break also adding to aid against the winds blow. We bivvied up our rations and fed till our bellies were fed. A good nights sleep and rest for my hand wore thin till early dawn.

Day 2

Yes Jason was up at 4:30am feck that he’s made tea at 4:40am a reminder of his army days i no doubt! I farmed and so snoozed till 5:30am and awoke gradually displeased with my hand still ballooned as much as before. We had our breakfast and packed away the tents and prepared the bikes ready to go.

At 9am Jasons mate Darren turned up with his 660 in tow. He greeted us with courtesy and pleasure for the days sun was also blessing us with its rigour. We left campsite again three in a flow. The XT660 at full throttle and Jason and my heavily laden packiderms following as quickly as we could. The kind XT man (Darren) stopping and pointing out certain sites and historical definitives. My arm ached and winced with pain and noticed the swelling increasing as we sped down lane after lane of winding and turning rigour. I was asked if i needed a break but was so numb by this stage i declared i was fine. There was no point as pain didn’t come into it i just had a limb which with at a push could pull the clutch lever succefully enough.

We went down to the lakes and all around. Round winding and twisty routes. Darren took us to the highest road in England i believe and i had difficulty in manouvering up its steep camber and around its tight bends....I noted Jason seemed to like my feet sticking out as my pain in clutching it around these painful bends was put to test.

Alas not to worry they found some off road to do. It was only stones and my wrist ached and ached and got number and number.

Darren had to leave back to his family duties. Off he went and Jason and we headed for more discovery down this pass and that pass heading West through Penrith as far as Haydoh Bridge going East again through Gretna and Annan to a beach campsite for the night. Only a mountain or so away from the last evenings retreat. We unpacked and setup camp my arm now aching even more. I grimaced with pain as this day’s ride took it out on my poor arm, big style.

Day 3

arrived and wow warm again and yes Jason still up at 4:30am. Breakfast came and we were saddled up again and alone for the rideouts from here. We satnaved day 3 up all carefully planned and headed North through wee Scotland. Keeping the coast to our left and the Dalbeattie forest and mountains to our right we meandered through the most scenic of lands. Passing back down to the coast and over to Kirkcudbright all along the mountain ranges through Glenquicken moor. We meandered passed Loch after Loch and right down to the Western tip of Mull of Galloway. We stopped for a coke and we had to stop as Jason had run out of fuel. Should have gone to BMW and purchased one of their fuel tanks!!!! I had loads. So a kind Scottish family well into their bikes ran off to get a fuel can and a siphoning tube. Cheers guys and sorry for thinking you were Scottish! We siphoned some fuel from mine and headed back inland over the Rhnes and inland as almost as far as Stranraer turning East again inland...Now i’m not sure what happened from here but we may have headed north and based at Airport or we may have gone east...can’t remember?

Day 4

Same old Scorchio day. Off we went on our wee voyage. Through Galloway forest park, the Glentrool forest and mountains around and around and landing up only as far as Prestwick. We camped by the airport and took a night out in Prestwick where we met some of the locals. We enjoyed their regale and took the piss, some liking it more than others. It was a strange land with accents thick and foreign. No butty or Dai but strange deep Oches and Ayes and weeell’s. We were finally foreign! We boozed as best we could and taxied back kebabed up to boot and slept till Jase woke up again but this time 5:30am...Hoora.

jasext · # 2 12-06-12, 22:25

Day 5

We put Prestwick behind us and headed south for some strange reason then back past Prestwick and North at last. The coastal road was preferred as the Sea air bled the Scottish ale away from us. We were definitely sober on arrival at Port Glasgow. A sobering city if ever i saw one. All windows boarded up and no place to pick a fight or breakdown with expectited plight. This town was rough. Rougher than rough which made Glasgow seem truly caribeaan. We left with haste glad to be saddened with its state and fled north to Loch Lomand and the Trossachs National Parks. Wow were we now in Scotland or what...This was uncannily beautiful with a capital Aye Beautiful.

We fled quietly zig sagging through the mountains over to Loch Linnhe and over to Fort William a truly beautiful Welsh town in the heart of Scotland. We then camped at base camp at the nether end of Ben Nevis. The highest mountain in Scotland. It was here that we started to meet the midges. They were everywhere and in abundance at that. We eventually escaped them by hiding in the tents with 20 litres of Avon midge cream.

Day 6

Awe Scorchio again and off we venture further North passing Loch Loch via Invergary and North Westerly to Loch Duich aye! We was munching some miles with these bikes and we were now eating into the following days inventory. So we flew round and round zigzagging up and down Loch Cluanie was the old military road and we stopped for some tea and some cakes. After the biggest breakfast we ate with extra chips the local vendor told us of the 2 year ago freeze which froze the loch and stayed minus 18 for 8 weeks. Wow how harsh a climate is that? He also said that two weeks ago this road was impassable due to snow. So how lucky were we with the dates and timing of this blisteringly hot trip. We were well happy and what with all the characters that we met along the route. We could not have wished for a better holiday.

So onwards we ventured through the mountains of Glen Shiel passed Loch Duich, now peninsular hopping on the West coast of deepest Scotland. AS we headed for the infamous AppleCross. Our lady in the campsite insisted that this was the best road in the UK for bikes and indeed it was. Without mistake this road is one for the bucket list. Indeed this whole journey is.

Applecross...well what can i say. From here on in was WOW and i mean WOW in every way as we journeyed North snaking through the mountains and pass all the wee lochs. WoW and i mean WOW with a capital WWWWWW!

We had possibly the most heavenly day and arrived for camp in Glen Affic. Off to the Pub to meet some of the locals and were really well greated by the hospitality of the inn keeper and her home cooking. The other clientel were charming and good company especially as they got more drunk and leary. Unotunately the Englishmans true English came out and the Scorn of the landlady was utmost. We left for home and took solice in the fact that all other travellers had seen deer and red squirrels apart from me. Hense Jason's posting pics of a wild cat, deer and squirrel!

We bedded down and slept well. Till 4:30 arose and Jasons Kettle started to boil! Thats right you guessed it .......

Day 7

So down from Glen Affic we came. Meandering down the thin tiny lanes with passing place signs every so many hundred yards. Meandering on and on and on again. Such lush meandering roads. Just passing Inverness and bearing through the Mondhliath Mountains we ventured to the Cairngorms National Park ranges. Passed Tomintoul another great whiskey outlet we ventured out of the mountains as far as Blairgowrie. WE stopped in Perth and asked the tourist information office about campsites as we had not overly planned this part. The headed us south and the rain became torrential. Not bad i might add that this was the only day of real rain out of all of them. We passed Kinross and headed as far as Dumfirmlin.

After speaking to Terry googling cheap accommodation as this was no time to pitch tents in this torrential downpoor. Alas we winged it and flung on through Dunfirmlin passed the Olive Inn and immediately swung roung to see if there was room in the inn for two humble wet Welsh travellers. Oh joy was the reply an Iranian man at the helm welcomed us in for us to dry and filled us with Muscles for starters and mushrooms to boot with macaroni and pizza and chips for the main course.

Watsy was text with such portions of hospitality.

The Ale was a plenty and he and his friends were so welcoming and hospitable. We made safe the vehicles and eventually turned in for the dispersemnt of the raindrops. We were eventually given the phone saying it was for one of us and he makes no sense and yes it was Wattsy stirring up trouble..... Stating our notes were forgeries and that we were untrusting. The Iranian laughed and we said feck off to Watsy and eventually drifted off to slumber after a few ales.

Day 8

Day eight came and we said our good bye�s to the Iranian. His kind hospitality and cosy clean rooms. We ventured off south for a night in Liverpool....We were in Liverpool and no reply from the contact we headed on through the municipal. Arrggh damn it was hot so we stipped off our wet weather gear again and scorched on through Liverpool to North Wales. So unhinged off target Jason asked where was the best place to be in North Wales when i lived there on a Friday Night. I immediately replied Barmouth, expecting a heaving metropolice of tourists and North Waleans alike.

We arrived in Barmouth and it was sparce with about 50 people. Two Canadian girls recommended a restaurant so we duly ate and congitated. This was not a good night out so we ventured for home and bumbled back. With tow police cars following me back i lost sight of Jason. We parted dirction me towards Llanguirig and Jason towards Aberystwyth... We raced in our separate directions and headed back to sennybridge were we arrived around the same time....

Well well welll.....

What a journey we had had our brains tingling with the mountainous terrain that was all around. One final last photo and a grand handshake when we parted for our different home directions.

We had covered well over 2000 miles in 8 days averaging over 250 miles of twisting, narrow roads each day on fully laden bikes which was a pleasure and believe we both need a job doing this daily forever, So if any sponsors are out there then please write that cheque.

Thanks to Jason for organising and letting me follow whilst my hand was so poorly and bad. I really had a great time and am grateful for the invite and YES i wanna do this annually!!!! And YES for longer and YES stay north longer!!! When???? When????

Excellent trip....Couldn't have been better.....Memories will live with me forever from this Wee Scottish extravaganzza

And forgor to mention on some other day the wee little off roady sction we did was also quite cool...WHAT WITH ME HAND BEING LESS SWOLEN AND ALL!

HWYL FAWR JASON...EXCELLENT TRIP AND COMMORARDORY
(Apart from your 4:30am kick offs!)