Scottish Easter Bike Tour

Easter Bike Tour

Plan 1
Me – 2 days off and no kids!! Can feel a little jolly on my bike coming along.
TT – What!! – on your own?
Me – errr…….. pity you’re working!!
Plan 2
Me – now 4 and a half days off!! Woop woop. Isle of Skye is calling!!
Pity you’re working TT, you might have enjoyed it!!
TT – leave it with me!! I’ll sort it!!
DAY 1
Bless his little cotton socks (or motor bike socks!!), he worked soooo hard and managed to wangle some time off – at least I’d have somebody to turn the bike around now I thought!! Weather forcast checked – looked like rain!! But hey it’s Scotland, what else can you expect!! After an uncertain and much later than planned start (problem with exes and their reliability!!), we set off from Wales at 9pm on the Sunday night. Ok some might call it madness but it would cut a few hundred miles off the following day’s journey. I felt like Sherpa CC – I appeared to be carrying the tent, sleeping bags, double airbed (at his age TT needs his comfort!!), stove, cooking utensils, cutlery, tea and coffee, walking boots and maps!! TT’s bike was neatly laiden with a little bag containing his neatly folded knickers, a pair of dress shoes (er we’re camping….. ) and enough clothes to last us a month. His rucksac contained enough electrical gadgets and leads to rebuild the Japanese economy, oh, and his talcum powder!!!! TT (the trainee electrician) had also managed to wire a cigarette lighter type gadget to his bike to maintain electrical supply for all his gadgets.
Disaster one happened about a mile down the road when TT’s lens fell out of his glasses (should have gone to Specsavers!! – other opticians are available). Was a bit disappointed when I realised it was not my expert cornering that had put me so far ahead, but more the fact that TT had stopped to perform eye surgery with his contacts, and a bit of engineering with his glasses. Regrouping a few miles down the road we had a fairly boring and uneventful journey to just outside Newcastle, arriving at 1am. Having offered condolances to my dad about his yet again crashed computer, we got our heads down for a few hours sleep before continuing north.

DAY 2
It was sunny!!!

Ready for the off, wonder which bike is mine!

Decided we would head up the East coast to Inverness and then across to Skye. Enjoying the rolling A68 through Northumberland, we stopped at the Border at Carters Bar – these roads are great said TT – makes you wonder what the main roads to Scotland are like – er this IS the main road dear!!!

The Border

Dodging the tour buses and the lonely piper we grabbed a couple of geocaches (google it and it’ll save me explaining!!) and headed to Jedburgh to make use of the facilities. Skirting round Edinburgh, we followed the satnav towards Glasgow – and I thought we were heading north!! However being the stingy person that he is, TT had put in no toll roads!! I’m sure the extra miles we used in petrol would have paid to use the Forth Road Bridge!! Eventually the satnav picked up the A9 and I was a happy bunny again. A brief stop in Aviemore for cuppa, and we were heading north to Inverness. Fantastic roads, no speed cameras, and no police cars meant we felt quite smug doing 62 mph (nudge nudge, wink wink) Arriving in Inverness for fuel (funny how the supermarket we stopped at just happened to have a cache there!!) we battled our way through the rush hour traffic. However the roads soon cleared as we headed down the side of the great Loch Ness. We hardly saw any traffic and made good progress to Kyle of Lochalsh before crossing the Skye Bridge.

Skye Bridge

Even though I was carrying half of Millets on the back, my bike was handling well, and I was certainly gaining confidence with my cornering. I’m sure TT’s dress shoes were having a comfortable journey too nestled in those knickers!! The roads on Skye were obviously maintained by Powys County Council, and we were soon back playing dodge the pothole and random sheep. We arrived in Portree at 8pm – 423 miles later!! (and still no rain). Tent up, air bed inflated with electrical pump from the cigarette gizmo, and a drop kick to get the lights working again on his bike and we were settled in base camp.

Managed to squeeze the tent in, just!!

Day 3
It’s still not raining!! Decided to have a ride around the island and a walk over to Oronsay as the tides appeared to be right for crossing the causeway – oh and yes there’s a cache there too!! We parked up in a little lane and asked one of the locals if the bikes would be ok there for a couple of hours. Poor TT must look under- nourished as the bloke asked him to knock on our return for some free eggs – the last time we went away he was given a bag of tomatoes!! Heaven help us when he comes back with the pig!! Luckily I was carrying the walking boots, TT had the essentials like Iphone, sat map, sat nav, leads, electrical toothbrush, oh and of course – the talcum powder!! We soon warmed up walking in bike gear, but being such a gent, TT managed to make room in his rucksac for my jacket ( I told him it had a lead to plug in to keep it warm so it was accepted as an ‘electrical’)

The causeway, hope Gadget Man got the tides right!!

The views across the island were stunning, and it was so peaceful, especially when TT paused for breath, he does have a tendancy to ramble on.

Oronsay Island

A couple of hours later we arrived back to claim our eggs – I nearly wet myself when he came back with 2 DOZEN!!!! They were definitely his for carrying – ha ha, and next to his electricals!!

Not from these though, they’re cockerels

Amazingly we covered about 70 miles around the western side of the island, and we were getting good at anticipating the whereabouts of the next suicidal sheep or cow. Not the best roads for bikes, but my U turns, one handed, on gravel are greatly improving. I must at this point say a big thank you to TT for always ensuring the piece of gravel I put my stand on was safe,and the constant reassurance that NO THE BIKE ISN’T GOING TO FALL OVER!!

DAY 4
Another non-raining day – this is starting to worry me!! Anybody who’s ever been to Skye knows that if it’s not raining it soon will be!! After a hearty breakfast of one dozen scrambled eggs (only 12 more to go!!), decision made to head around the north of the Island, cutting across the Quiraing to Uig and back across the top. However, I suddenly remembered that the Flodigarry Hotel did fantastic cream teas, and made an executive decision to go around anticlockwise in order to ensure TT had 2 of his 5 a day (fruit in the scones, and strawberries in the jam).

This one is for TT HONEST!!

Again the views across the Atlantic were fantastic and some of the roads were newly laid, pothole free, and perfect for bikes. The hairpin bends around the Quiraing were quite a challenge for me, especially with the freshly laid gravel, but I managed to keep the bike upright.

Twisty roads

Back on smooth tarmac, TT pulled over asking if I wanted a go on his bike. Never ridden a faired bike before, so decided to give it a go. Right height, and if I stretched could just about reach the handlebars. Nearly broke my ankle fighting with the stand, but after a bit of a wobble I was away!! It was lovely not feeling like the Churchill dog with neck wobble, and I was soon speeding along at 40 – I even managed to change gear!! Rather funny watching TT in the mirrors sitting bolt upright on my trusty steed though. Found a long staight on which to stop and had to wait to be ‘rescued’ with the side stand. Even several years of yoga would not allow my legs into a position where I could actually reach it!! Think I’ll stick to my bike from now on – at least it has drop bungs!! Another 80 miles covered, and no I don’t want eggs for tea!! Sad that this was the last night on the Island I love so much.

Portree Harbour

DAY 5
Time to pack up and amazingly still not raining. Millets was reloaded onto my bike, and Topman and Currys onto TT’s. We were planning on heading for Keswick to break the journey south. Heading off the Island always leaves me with sadness. Amazingly the roads were still quiet despite the looming Bank Holiday. Most of the traffic was heading in the opposite direction. For some reason TT was not happy with his bike, it kept losing power (should have looked in his backpack – plenty of power in there!!) Now if your bike is going to pack in choose your location carefully. A nice in the middle of nowhere road, no shops, limited phone reception, but at least a layby is always a good choice. Off came the Topshop bag, followed by seat, cigarette gizmo, fuel tank and anything else that his spanner would fit.

Any idea what’s wrong with this?

Settling in for a long wait I made use of the sun’s rays and enjoyed improving my skills in 37 foreign languages as tourists stopped to have pictures taken with the surrounding scenery!!

Taking in the rays

Pretending to know something about the workings of bikes, I offered my services at holding what was required. Fuel tanks do get heavy after a period of time!! Obviously TT is in very early stages of his electrical training – helps if you connect the negative terminal back properly when you add cigarette gizmos!! At least it wasn’t TERMINAL!! Topshop reloaded and we were off again!!

Ready for the off – again!

Lunch in Fort William, having paid our repects to the Commando Memorial just outside Spean Bridge,

At the memorial

through the fantastic Glencoe,

Glencoe

and following incapable drivers around Loch Lomond, we were all too soon in Glasgow. Oh and you’ve guessed it – rush hour!! A small battle along Great Western Road and onto the M8, and a boring last 150 miles to Keswick. Arrived at the campsite and enjoyed watching TT blowing up the double airbed up by mouth – teach him to rip out the gizmo!!

A bit busier than Portree!!

A quick nip into town for refreshments and then to bed. TT why is the airbed soft!! Another attempt to add air, and TT’s reassurance that YES the bung was in properly. Enjoyed a night sleeping on hard gravel – and apparently it must have been the gremlins who let the bung out overnight because it was definitely in – yeh right!!
DAY 6
Love an optomist- TT had set the alarm for 8-30am!! At 7am we were listening to some prat recalling his leadership skills in the outdoor pursuits world – his beer belly was impressive.

Look at those eggs!

An earlyish start as we were both at work later that afternoon. Left the Lakes via Ambleside, Windemere and Kendal before hitting the M6 south. The roads into the Lakes were solid from Windemere with nose to tail traffic right down to junction 34 – felt very smug whizzing south on fairly empty roads. The smugness soon went as Liverpool and Chester were a bit more static and I felt more filtered than a fine Scottish malt. Why is it a lorry driver in a very large truck can move to give you enough room to filter through, but BMW and Audi drivers (probably white van drivers on a day off) insist on closing that gap!! Arrived back home in Wales just in time for work, 1331.7 miles after leaving home on Sunday. And it still hasn’t rained!!!
Thanks TT for a fantastic few days – and yes I am actually quite pleased you managed to get time off work, the entertainment would certainly not have been as consistant had you not been there. And to anybody out there thinking about a camping/touring bike trip – go for it!!! I’ll show you how to pack the essentials and TT will show you how to stay smart!! Oh and I know you’re still wondering about the remaining eggs – they all made it safely back to Wales!!!

The happy travellers