The Morrison's "Flying Start" Tour of Scotland..April 2011

[Mr K]

Day 1:

There's probably a better way to start a ride report, other than half-cut and feeling a bit the worse for mileage....

But I'm a fat, soft , hoor, so on we go...

Ballistic come up to my house on Easter Monday and we went out for a few pints...

First stop was the Delaval Arms who had a couple of Braines beers on.... Milkwood and Rev. James as I recall...

Then we walked along to Seaton Sluice Harbour to The Kings Arms...

...then we went to The Melton Constable and had a few pints, before grabbing a taxi home and pizza and Stella, where required..

Day 2

The day dawned bright and after a coffe we set off up the road, stopping at the Morrison's in Hawick for petrol and breakfast.
May I recommend the "Flying Start" .. not so much as to frighten you, but enough to fortify the biking muscles....

Nice view from the cafe too..

This is the route:

Stopped just after Comrie, near Glenn Eagles (?) for tiffin..

....You local boys must be greedy feckers, coz the size of the first slab the lassie put on ballistics plate was akln to what my my Mam served up for Sunday Tea....and we did not starve..

We arrived at the Red Squirrell Campsite in Glencoe, welcomed by a dead friendly chap and pitched the tents...

...and wandered up the road to The Clachaig and got "relaxed"..

Bit quiet at first, but they were still selling beer... of a splendid quality...

...as folk came in off the hills and from their various pursuits it got busier..

I was drinking, mainly Warlock Stout...

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

...as folk came in off the hills and from their various pursuits it got busier..

Looks busy...............lots of happy couples

 

[Mr K]

So it dawned bright but cool the next day..

.... so we headed off for breakfast and petrol in Fort William.

Morrison's again and the ubiquitous "Flying Start"...

It's not lioke me not to take a picture of my breakfast, but you get; 2 sausage, a rasher of bacon, tomato, fried bread and an egg .... a drink... and 4 bits of toast for circa £4....

So then....

ballistic had planned the route in the sat-nag and emailed it to me. He has a Zumo 660 and I have a Quest, but we joked over breakfast: "What could my Quest possibly do to the route?"

Well... I got lost in the industrial estate and ballistic set off thinking he was behind, but was not........

I headed out of Fort Bill and sat-nag said to turn left for Mallaig and "The Road to the Isles" which seemed reasonable.. it was a sunny day....

I was loving the road and doing the "Don't touch the brakes" game - it's a lovely road...


It was only as I arrived in Mallaig and the sat-nag directed me into the ferry terminal, that I realised I was not likely to catch or be overtaken by ballistic....


£14

... oh well, I'd have had go to all the way back to Fort Bill, and I'd not done this crossing before...

...............half an hour later and we land at Armadale... and loads of stupid 40mph speed limits...

....eventually I arrived at Sligachan, about an hour after ballistic who took the conventional "Kylie Lochalsch" route...

 

[Mr K]

Looks busy...............lots of happy couples

I bow to your superior knowledge.

 

[Mr K]

So then... It's blowing like the F word at Sligachan, ballistic helps me put up me tent, and as it's only early we take a ride..

...Had a ride around over the top and to Waternish, met Johnny and PWCymru at www.lochbaybnb.com and had a pint.

Sorry Johnny, we must meet when I can get to the bar faster than you and return your generosity.

Ends up, we get back to Slig and the tents are still there....for myself, I get anaesthetised on "Cuillin _ Black Face"...at The Sligachan Hotel...

 

[Mr K]

It was a feckin windy night....and that's not my reaction to the Black Face and Scampi diet.... but it does not appear to have rained...

I cook myself a bucket of coffee..

....and admire the views..

 

[Mr K]

I think I set off about 09.45 and got home at 15.10, always keeping within the percentage.

Here's ballistics latest missive..


A bit miserable today... good in patches, but drizzle as well. I was hoping to have breakfast in the Flower Tunnel at the Applecross campsite, but it was closed, so it was the cafe at Kinlochewe instead... very good though.
Got into Ullapool at about 2:30 and the campsite reception was empty so, pitch your tent where ou want and pay later... but, wait! It's £13 a night!! For another £3 I could stay at the Youth Hostel, with unlimited showers, clean bedding, a pillow that doesn't leak, a drying room for my wet kit and several young Swedish ladies (I kid you not). This needed some serious thinking about, so I went to The Ceilidh Place and had a swift half of An Teallach (£1.65) whilst I surfed the Web to see if the YH had any vacancies... they had! Guess what I went for ;-)
I'm catching Ted's disease... I went to Tesco to get a copy of MCN and paid for it with cash... I forgot the £2 coupon in my wallet...d'oh!
Just as I was going out to The Morefield, three 1150 GSs turned up... see photo.
You made good time back home... a soak in the bath, a few beers, a pizza and bed is my guess for tonight's agenda.

 

[Hairnet600]

git

looking forward to june now.......

i haz the week before orkney off guess where im going

lap of ecosse

nice pics ya big lump

 

[ballistic]

OK, I may as well hijack this thread seeing as Mr K had to leave yesterday to get back in time for The Wedding... I really had no clue that he was that much of a ROYALIST
After a wild night drinking red vodka and playing Swedish sex games, I tore myself away and poked my head outside the Hostel... the sun was up, there wasn't a cloud in the sky and the Buttpad was dry, so it was away north up the coast.
I took the very small roads, perfect GS territory, and arrived in Lochinver to choose a pie for lunch... if you didn't know, there's a fabulous pie shoppe in Lochinver, they're extremely good, but very expensive... £3.95

 

[ballistic]

In fact, talking about expensive, I had a splash & dash to get me to the next Morrisons... check out the price

 

[ballistic]

My destination tonight was Findhorn... well, I'm an old hippy, they sell good beer, and it's about the right distance, so I'm stopping in one of the original bungalows from when the Foundation was started, about 40 years ago. I've got a room clad in curtains, rugs and prayer flags, and a session of Gaia with my (veggie) breakfast... all for £15, which compares well with the £13 the campsite wanted for "do it yourself"
Time for meditation and bed...

 

[Mr K]

I'll check the menu for tomorrow night.

 

[Mr K]

The menu for Saturday night: