A small jaunt North

[John Armstrong]

Allowed a weekend away pass, so decided to "extend" it a bit and have a wander around the far North.

So into work on Wednesday so that I could get the trip underway at 4:00 pm

Quick blast up the M6, sort of quick because of all the road works and then a bit further north to the http://www.buccleucharmshotel.com/bedrooms.asp And the bike in the bike park:

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Next mornin away at 9, to try and avoid the Glasgow rush hour, and after a quick refuel stop in Dumbarton, a scenic piccy stop by Loch Lomond:

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And onwards, northwards:

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And then a 12 mile wander along the road to Glen Etive, very nice

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Through Glencoe, and it's not raining

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Filled up with fuel in Fort Bill and then west towards Glenfinnan and even more west, oh I do like to be beside the seaside:

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The straight bit of road heading towards Ardnamurchan:

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And the hotel for Thursday night: http://www.sonachan.com/index.html

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Not much further to the west of the bike now

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And for more info about the Tertiary Igneous Ring behind the bike have a look here: http://www.jncc.gov.uk/pdf/gcrdb/GCRsiteaccount15.pdf and the google map that shows it: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?sourc...s ring ardnamurchan&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl

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Tomorrow, West then North!

 

[G.C.]

On ma doorstep

Like this one,the wee loch to the right has plenty brownies, most folk just blast on past.
I was nearly over there today, went North instead. Enjot the rest of your trip

 

[AberdeenAngus]

Just like to appologise for the terrible traffic congestion you obviousy suffered.
And, we really should have had the best scenery out for you, rather than the everyday stuff.

Hope you enjoyed it.

Haste Ye Back.

 

[John Armstrong]

And todays aim? Most westerly point to most northern in mainland UK. Doubt I'll ever do any of the other cardinal points to the other

BTW most westerly point isn't Ardnmurchan point, allegedly it's a small headland a couple of hundred metres to the south, but I wasn't going to take a 1100 GS there

So from the most westerly hotel just a few miles west:

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Waiting for the traffic light to go green to get to the lighthouse:

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Not much more road to the west:

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And wait for the traffic light, again:

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And around the coast etc etc we go again:

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And onto Fort Bill:

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The weather had been dull, with the odd bit of sunshine today, but as I headed north it got better and better

Looking parallel to the Great Glen near Fort Augustus:

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And even the smallest of villages were badly affected by the First World War as this memorial by the roadside shows:

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Then on the almost deserted road to Inverness:

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Didn't have the time to stop and sample the local brew here:

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So on up the A9 forever northwards, in the sunshine, and needing the dark visor on too Could almost be the Mediteranean seaside on days like this:

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And not much further north on the mainland:

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But plenty of islands still to go, on another day:

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And a quick stop in JOG for the piccies to say I've been there, the hotel has seen better days:

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And then eastwards past the Castle of Mey:

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And the "real" most northerly point of mainland UK, some midges still out and about too:

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And then the last few miles to the most northerly hotel: http://www.northernsands.co.uk/

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And they do have a nice beach nearby, not many swimmers though

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The end of another long day.

 

[John Armstrong]

The weather for Saturday 20th was a bit unsure of itself according to the detailed forecast from STV. I wanted to go right along the top, then drop down to Ullapool and down to Fort Bill. But the "forecast" seemed to imply plenty of wind and rain, but as the forecast seemed to be more interested in snazzy grahics and a very presentable young lady, I decided to see what happened and hope for the best. And that worked well

Another earlyish (9:00) start, and didn't bother having and ready brek as this place is close by:

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With plenty more natural scenery to enjoy:

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The compass in Betty must be getting bored. Thursday was North then West, Friday West the North, today is West then South

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And of course I just had to take this photo

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The weather had stopped being 100% sunshine and sure enough in the west you could see some clouds. Stopped off at the Smoo Cave and had a quick wander around:

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I'll bet it's tourist hell in Summer.

The weather didn't look as bad as the forecast so kept on heading west and more scenic views, with clouds added fro dramatic effect:

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A short bit of rain then into showers and another touristy bit:

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Always been interetsed in Suliven,and have fancied climbing it, but never got arond to getting anywhere near prepared to do it etc etc, so taking some piccies would do instead, and just as I arrived there the clouds started to break

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And the roads clogged with tourists:

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And more scenery:

<a href="http://s591.photobucket.com/albums/ss360/John1411/Scotland%20Sept%2009/?action=view&current=IMG_1144-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i591.photobucket.com/albums/ss360/John1411/Scotland%20Sept%2009/IMG_1144-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

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Through Ullapool and another thought, done the most westerly to northerly points yesterday, I'll do a coast to coast today and here is the coast a few miles from Ullapool, but on the estern side

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<a href="http://s591.photobucket.com/albums/ss360/John1411/Scotland%20Sept%2009/?action=view&current=IMG_1151.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i591.photobucket.com/albums/ss360/John1411/Scotland%20Sept%2009/IMG_1151.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Then back along the road that parallels the Great Glen:

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And back to the view point that I stopped at on Friday:

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Then through Fort Augustus, again:

<a href="http://s591.photobucket.com/albums/ss360/John1411/Scotland%20Sept%2009/?action=view&current=IMG_1160.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i591.photobucket.com/albums/ss360/John1411/Scotland%20Sept%2009/IMG_1160.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

And onto Fort Bill:

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The end of another long day

 

[NA1959]

Super pic's keep e'm comming

 

[John Armstrong]

You may have noticed in a lot of the photo's I've taken them with the engine running. When I set off for work all packed and ready to go went to start the bike and nothing, only a lack of warning lights and no clock Had a play with the keys, took the seat off, tried again and it started Next morning started ok, but a couple of days later, it did it again

Went through is it the starter £190 battery £80 wiring loom £ expensive, and then it would start without any problem no horrible electric smells so decided to use the starter as little as possible. Happened a couple of times more and wondered if it was a sticky relay, but then on one non-start played with the +ve lead and it started Or maybe it was a chaffing lead, or maybe ....

Then a few more times it was ok, and then it didn't want to play at all for 10 minutes, so in Fort Bill I decided to get home with as few starts as possible. Had half a tank so guessed that filling up in Dumbarton would get me home And in Dumbarton it started on the first touch, so off south and the low level light comes on about 60 miles for home, burger, burger, burger. So into the services and £5 of fuel at £1.12 a litre And it wouldn't start another play with the battery cables and this time the -ve lit up everything every time it was touched, and there was a bit of play, so then the thought was it might be a burgered battery post. Got the bike started and sped off home, where after lifting the tank I found that the -ve lead was in fact, not fully tight and the +ve was then I twigged the +ve and -ve have accessory lead coming off the battery and they're tie wrapped together.

After that, half a dozen starts = starts every time. Such a cheap and easy repair

So not many photo's heading south today, except the obligatory ones near Rannoch Moor:

<a href="http://s591.photobucket.com/albums/ss360/John1411/Scotland%20Sept%2009/?action=view&current=IMG_1174.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i591.photobucket.com/albums/ss360/John1411/Scotland%20Sept%2009/IMG_1174.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s591.photobucket.com/albums/ss360/John1411/Scotland%20Sept%2009/?action=view&current=IMG_1175.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i591.photobucket.com/albums/ss360/John1411/Scotland%20Sept%2009/IMG_1175.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

And the other faff, very occasionally the bike would not go from 2nd to 3rd. Was only ever a problem with this selection and didn't happen enough to be a real problem. And having a look at home, I found the gear change ball pin was unscrewing itself, now screwed back in, and hopefully that's another cheap fix.

 

[John Armstrong]

Next 1100GS top tip, a tank range of 230 miles wont get you home if the GPS says it's 220

One of these will be on order tomorrow:

http://www.motorworks.co.uk/bmw/products/large_image.php?p=WHA06532&desc=

And another gratuitous piccy of the GS:

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[John Armstrong]

Sorting out the zumo tracks, here's the West to North one:

 

[John Armstrong]

And North to Fort Bill:

 

[Hairnet600]

excellent - must do scotland more often

lol @ at lights at the bridge tho

 

[Carefulkev]

Nice pics John. Thanks for the write up

 

[John Armstrong]

excellent - must do scotland more often

As long as it isn't pouring with rain all day it can be hard to beat for riding up there. But if you need the tourist facilities to be within 10 minutes reach, then the far north shouldn't be on the list of places to go to. I was lucky with the weather,

enough sun, but not too much,
a bit of rain, but it didn't stop me doing anything,
a bit of cloud, but most of the time it didn't spoil the views, only enhanced them,
a bit windy, but sometimes there wasn't any.

And once north of Crianlarich hardly any traffic apart from the PITA bit from Ballaculish to Fort Bill.

 

[GS TRV]

Nice pics John. Thanks for the write up

+ 1

btw - your rear tyre looks a bit bald

 

[John Armstrong]

+ 1

btw - your rear tyre looks a bit bald

It's got even less tread on it now I'm home

Just legal, just as well the roads up there have plenty of bends without too much striaght bits, and there wasn't too much rain either. Took it carefull over white lines, but then if you're 500 miles from home, going across the north of Scotland and nobody around for miles and single track roads, you would do. Well I did

 

[NA1959]

It's got even less tread on it now I'm home

Just legal, just as well the roads up there have plenty of bends without too much striaght bits, and there wasn't too much rain either. Took it carefull over white lines, but then if you're 500 miles from home, going across the north of Scotland and nobody around for miles and single track roads, you would do. Well I did

Excellent pic's and report. Look good.

What type of camera did you use? Did you use filters as some landscape shorts were super and look as if you had a polar filter fitted?

 

[G.C.]

PITA bit from Ballaculish to Fort Bill.

So take the back road

 

[Jazbee]

The far north...

Glad you enjoyed it Was up there as well over the weekend, overnight in Tongue on Fri and Ft Bill on Sat
Next time you come up try the centre road, up past Altnahara and loch hope etc...fantastic, even better if you can add in this bit beforehand...head for Blairgowrie first and take in Glenshee, the Lecht, Tomintoul, Granton etc Keeps the very boring A9 to a minimum before heaven on the other side of the Kessock bridge

 

[John Armstrong]

Excellent pic's and report. Look good.

What type of camera did you use? Did you use filters as some landscape shorts were super and look as if you had a polar filter fitted?

A Canon PowerShot SX110 IS, but I tend to take two photo's one with the sky for the exposure and one for the subject when taking piccies of the bike, then choose the one I prefer at home. So no filter and the quality of the air / light was good as the high pressure hadn't been around too long.

So take the back road

Is that the one via Glenfinnan and the Corran Ferry

 

[John Armstrong]

Glad you enjoyed it Was up there as well over the weekend, overnight in Tongue on Fri and Ft Bill on Sat
Next time you come up try the centre road, up past Altnahara and loch hope etc...fantastic, even better if you can add in this bit beforehand...head for Blairgowrie first and take in Glenshee, the Lecht, Tomintoul, Granton etc Keeps the very boring A9 to a minimum before heaven on the other side of the Kessock bridge

I think we had some good weather if the weather on Saturday had turned nastier and earlier, the route down through Altnahara was in the GPS. Fancy trying some more of the lesser roads up there some time soon.