Wullys Version -4 Corners of Scotland

[wully]

The reason was to raise money for this- a good cause if ever there was one

The plan was to go to the farthest four accessible compass points of Scotland and take in some great biking roads while we were about it.

Mission on.

Departure was early and the mighty Cruachan was just shaking off the cloud duvet as I passed through Taynuilt.

Hopefully things would brighten up- I'd been woken during the night with the rain battering the windows and as we were camping I was hoping for good weather to follow..

It had brightened up a lot a few miles farther on at The Green Welly Stop where the troops were assembling ( well, milling about the bike park fuelling bikes with petrol and bodies with coffee.

The route had been planned out on Mapsource by some numpty ( that'll be me then) so what could go wrong?
We set off for the most southerly point in the sunshine stopping off for coffee somewhere south of Ayr where I decided the time was right to drop my bike instead of parking it properly. Obviously this coffee stop was a bit overdue...

Onward and southward we went only pausing to find out the correct route outside of Stranraer.

The troops arriving at The Mull of Galloway Lighthousewhere we were greeted by a good cafe with a turf roof:

A cool lighthouse run as a community business:

Where you can park up:

Stretch your legs:

Look out the windows:

and take in the views:

So after the obligatory team foatie- which I didn't get on my camera
we headed off for some fuel and our first nights stop at Lochside Campsite in Castle Douglas.
I was planning on stopping off in Creetown where my father's family come from and where I spent most of my childhood holidays but there was an illuminated road sign just out of town warning of very heavy rain,thunder and lightning with possible flooding...So plan B swung into to action- get to the campsite ASAP and get the tent up....I took off down the road at a good rate with Tractor Pilot who obviously had read the signs and wasn't keen on spending the night in a wet tent- it might have dampened down his snoring.
We were a few miles out of town when the rain started, followed by the lightning- couldn't hear the thunder through the earplugs and music in my helmet...
Luckily the rain didn't last long and my Aerostich didn't leak and we were met at the campsite by Raboomdea who unwisely decided to move her tent closer to the group- a mistake she won't repeat in a hurry...

Tents up, pub and food followed by an early night was the order of the day.
In the morning we were off to the east....

TBC.

 

[Uinneag]

 

[wully]

Part 2

After a night out in the bright lights of Castle Douglas we woke to a misty dawn

People stumbled about bleary eyed greeting each other with morning salutations

"Who the feck was that snoring last night?" being the most popular- whilst a certain nobbly shod 1200 pilot was quietly going about his morning business...

A brisk run through some quality borders roads brought us to a coffee and bacon buttie stop in...ehm... some nice town who's name escapes me but this is it.

Another shrt blast took us to Rosslyn Chapel which is well worth a visit if you are in the area.

No piccies from inside as it's forbidden....

there is a major restoration project under way and the building is covered over while the roof is restored.

Allegedly bits of Jesus, bits of some other god-botherer bloke, bits of the true cross, the Holy Grail and a bunch of masonic mumbo jumbo are all hidden here- depending on what book you read.
All I know is that it is a beautiful building which is still a working church. ( although it's changed sides)

We headed north round Edinburgh to have lunch in South Queensferry under the rail bridge

Once again, I didn't get a group photos so I've nicked Raboomdeas

The team stopped off in Crail for a fag break after an interesting trip over the Forth Road bridge where the drop- off system was sabotaged by a slow moving bus and a set of traffic lights but we all made it in the end.

From there it was a short blast to St Andrews where we pitched camp for the night and set about getting fed. A bunch of us headed into town for a curry where much hilarity ensued discussing the bill and the kitty......

Then the rain came down all night long, morning brought no respite so camp was broken in the persisting rain and all but one of us headed off north.

Our departure time was not the best as we hit the Tay Bridge at rush hour and it was nose to tail. I was leading and though it best to try and keep as close together as a group as we could as the drop off system would be a bit dodgy in the heavy traffic. So no filtering and a slow crawl over the river. From behind a cloud of steam containing an over heating K series driven by an over heating Stewart came past and headed on trying to cool down.
It was still raining.
So no pics on the road north towards the farthest east point in Peterhead which is a pity as we hit some decent roads and one great one- over the Cairn 'o Mount.
The planned lunch stop on the beach in Aberdeen tested and broke the drop off system but everyone made it and I got to stuff my face in the Inversnecky Cafe after a break of fifteen years.

The farthest east point is in the fishing port of Peterhead, known as 'The Blue Toon' The main business apart from fishing in mega trawlers is the prison and oil field support. Tourism just doesn't come into it and you could tell.

The farthest east point of mainland Scotland.

The road leading to it..

The group photo

Still some one is obviously a 'Glass half full' kind of a guy.

Still, there were some cracking wee sections of road on the way there and the route on to our night stop in Inverness would be through some nice country..

 

[Uinneag]

 

[Mzokk]

The wee town who's name escapes you is Moffat an the low building is the old town hall. Looks like the photo was taken outside the Rumblin Tum Cafe.

 

[wully]

The wee town who's name escapes you is Moffat an the low building is the old town hall. Looks like the photo was taken outside the Rumblin Tum Cafe.

That's the one

Tum certainly wasn't rumblin when I came out

 

[wully]

Onwards and Upwards

I was pretty knackered by the time we rolled into Inverness and my GPS was too- fecker took me all round town and when asked to take me to the Premier Inn said " OK" then after some random turns through the 'Snecky' said " Turn right, arrive at the Hilton Hotel" Cupid stunt....
Anyway got there in the end using the force. Bumped into some of the troops unloading bikes and after being checked in by the cheekiest receptionist on the planet I staggered up to my room with all the camping kit and turned a perfectly respectable hotel room into a hell hole of wet camping kit slung over every available surface.
After a shower it was next door to the restaurant for food and beer - not necessarily in that order.

Then an early night.

Next morning it was a 0900 prompt start for the long run up the A9 to our farthest north point.

Everyone split into groups travelling at roughly the same speed and we 'made progress' north.

I met up with Tractor Pilot south of Wick and we headed into town for a brew only to be accosted by this fella on returning to our bikes.

One swift phone call or three and Klanky shot off home to get his bike and tent to join us for a day or two I hate to think of the brownie points he's lost in getting this organised....

The obligatory photo- notice that these two were to tight to fork out 17 odd quid to get the sign changed to something more appropriate for the occasion..

John 'o Groats is a bit of a tourist dump and is not even the farthest north point.

This is.

It's a pretty rugged and impressive coast here - and it gets better the farther west you go ( IMHO)

Along roads like this.

With views like this.

It was one of the most scenic roads I've ridden and my photos just don't do it justice.

Sorry, go see it for yourself on a sunny day.

So, into Durness, tent up, cairry-oot scooped, pub right next door. What more could a camper ask for?
One excellent steak pie and the odd beer later, washed down with a fine malt and I was crashed out and not even Tractor Pilot in the next tent snoring for the Republic of Worcester-sester-shire could keep me from sleeping the sleep of the half pissed.
I would be glad of a good nights kip in the morning.

 

[AndyT]

Such a pitty you didn't get the weather. I quite fancy a trip like this when I can find some time to do it. Nice report.

..

...

Den/Grizzly - thats the bike I was trying to explain to you yesterday the R1200CL... I kind of like them, look very comfy for eating up the miles listening to some tunes.....

 

[Uinneag]

Mair like Tumchie heid

 

[Deleted account W]

Great read so far, will there be a map of your tracklog?

 

[wully]

Great read so far, will there be a map of your tracklog?

Only if if you can explain how to do it in words of one syllable

 

[wully]

Such a pitty you didn't get the weather. I quite fancy a trip like this when I can find some time to do it. Nice report.

The weather was good on the whole- we had the heavy rain in St Andrews that lasted until lunchtime then on the last day from Portree.

 

[Popeye]

Yeah come on get the tracklog up.

I'm scooting up that way (west coast) for a couple of days on Friday and would be interested in some of where you went.

Good write up too, well done

 

[Tractorpilot]

Working on the tracklog now
Will be there later this morning
TP

 

[Tractorpilot]

The following is a mix of Google Earth snapshots and images from Mapsource

Day 1 - I was travelling up from Englandshire and met the others at the lighthouse. Then on to the campsite at Castle Douglas

Day 2 - up the A701, round the Edinburgh bypass to South Queensferry then over the bridge and to St Andrews. Reason for the extra miles round the bypass is because I had to go shopping for a warmer sleeping bag!!

Day 3 - up past Aberdeen to Peterhead then on to Inverness

Day 4 - Up the A9 to JoG and Dunnet Head then on through Tongue to Durness

Hope that helps - will put up more maps as the story continues....


TP

 

[wully]

We woke to another nice day after a good nights sleep aided by a night in the pub and my new Q-jays aided in turn by Pink Floyd keeping the Olympic snoring at bay..

After breakfast people taking the luggage off their bikes hinted at the day ahead...

We set off for the short drive to the 'ferry' and parked up to wait for it to arrive.

The wait gave us a chance to check out the ramp to where the ferry would dock.

Then it arrived. And was loaded with some ever so slightly nervous looking bikers.
There were a few refusals and really, who could blame them?
Anyway someone please help out with some photos of the loading- I didn't manage to get any as I was busy stripping the luggage off my bike...

Departure...

It did look a little ropey but they transport army trucks over on this barge and they tell us that they haven't lost anyone yet but I was rehearsing the call to BMW assistance:
" Eh, yeah, I think I have some water in the ignition. Oh, and by the way I think my panniers are letting in water- Where's the bike? Well............."

Anyway, we all made it over. Us rufty-tufty adventure bike riders, Christine on her VFR, Bobby on his RT and Ian on his cruiser.

Felt strange being separated from the water by some rusty steel gratings..

It was a cracking we run out a crumbling single track road.

With some secret bays that you just knew very few get to see.

there were also some interesting road signs that you don't get on the 'Mainland'

Note: Before viewing this next photo, turn monitor 90 degrees...
('cos I can't be arsed uploading it again)

Cape Wrath is well named, we were there on a decent day but it doesn't take much imagination to picture it on a stormy day.

Some bloke lives there on his own all year round....takes all sorts I suppose.

Some piccies on the way back.

Lonely house.

Tractor Pilot on the shoogly bridge.

The mainland.

The ferry back.

Once back on the 'mainland' we got loaded up and headed south to Ullapool for lunch on one of the best biking roads in the land....so good that I didn't think to take many photos.

TBC.

 

[garfield]

enjoying this........

 

[Klanky]

Now, that be called the Cathedral.

 

[Tractorpilot]

Maps for Day 5

Day 5 - From Durness to the slipway to go over to Cape Wrath then on down to Gareloch

More to follow as the story continues...
TP

 

[wully]

What a road... Heading down towards Ullapool. Bliss.
Apart from the feckin wind that had a habit of gusting hard just when you were leaning into a corner
Anyway, we got to the pit stop in Ullapool and fuelled up at the excellent chippy then headed out of town to visit Corrieschalloch Gorgewhich is well worth stopping to view if your in the area.

More crappy photos- go see it for yourself.

Then the road to Gairloch.....

You owe it to yourself to go and see for yourself.

The traffic was murder....

I think I saw one car. I knew that Tractor Pilot and Go anywhere K were somewhere ahead- apart from that I had all this to myself.

So after a great ride ( again) we arrived at the campsite in Gairloch and got the tents up.

Then spent a pleasant little while being entertained as
Allthegearnoidea lived up to his user name and got some help with his tarp.

Eventually it was up, the show was over and he could relax safe in the web he'd spun...The tarp was up but it was going to be torture getting out of that lot for a piss in the middle of the night.

All that entertainment had given us an appitite so it was off to the pub for food and beer.

Go anywhere K is almost too fast for the camera to catch as he does a speed eating number on his supper.

Next morning we broke camp for the last time this trip and headed for the bright lights of Portree on Skye where we'd sleep under a roof in a real bed before our last compass point- Ardnamurchan.