Featured Touring Scotland Here We Come

Discussion in 'Rideouts, Trackdays, Touring & Spotted' started by Eldon, Sep 11, 2024.

  1. Eldon

    Eldon Elite Member

    Nov 14, 2018
    6,305
    800
    North Yorkshire
    #101 Eldon, Sep 17, 2024
    Last edited: Sep 17, 2024
    Well @Pegscraper are you sure you don't know me?
    Bear Grylls has nothing on me, wait until you see tonights tea :yum

    So this morning, I sorted the usb socket out and bought a pair of snipe nosed pliers to resolve it with as I also had a cunning plan.
    Now I must add, my workshop at home has at least x4 pairs of snipe nosed pliers already so I certainly didn't need some more but, I figured these would be more versatile, you know, for other jobs :idea:
    At Tingwall I had a chat with a fisherman and found out his return time ;)

    20240917_133948.jpg
     
    • Like Like x 6
  2. Eldon

    Eldon Elite Member

    Nov 14, 2018
    6,305
    800
    North Yorkshire
    #102 Eldon, Sep 17, 2024
    Last edited: Sep 17, 2024
    Went for a ride around, had an ice cream, did the Twatt signpost thing, then went back and I ended up with a passenger :heart_eyes: any ideas what?
     
    • Like Like x 4
    • Agree Agree x 1
  3. Adie P

    Adie P Crème de la Crème

    Jul 7, 2018
    3,647
    1,000
    MID DEVON
    Uhmmmmmm ....... a fish? For supper, perchance? Or are you just codding us on.......... :))))
     
    • Funny Funny x 5
    • Like Like x 1
    • Agree Agree x 1
  4. Eldon

    Eldon Elite Member

    Nov 14, 2018
    6,305
    800
    North Yorkshire
    #104 Eldon, Sep 18, 2024
    Last edited: Sep 19, 2024
    How about this beauty

    20240917_191954.jpg

    Fisherman said, "if you're camping, are you sure you have a pot big enough?"

    I said, " Nae bother, where there's a will there's a way!"
    :p:yum:yum deeeeelicious
     
    • Like Like x 6
    • WTF WTF x 2
  5. Eldon

    Eldon Elite Member

    Nov 14, 2018
    6,305
    800
    North Yorkshire
    #105 Eldon, Sep 18, 2024
    Last edited: Sep 26, 2024
    I specifically WORK Mondays as there are more Bank Holidays on a Monday :cool:

    :joy::joy::joy:
     
    • Funny Funny x 4
    • Agree Agree x 1
  6. Eldon

    Eldon Elite Member

    Nov 14, 2018
    6,305
    800
    North Yorkshire
    Yum yum

    20240917_195812.jpg
    A front claw.

    Had to do two 15 minute boils, tail in one, the rest in the other, so used best part of half litre of fuel, but it was worth it :yum:blush:

    Many smiles per gallon :cool:
    :joy:

    20240917_203135.jpg
     
    • Like Like x 10
  7. Eldon

    Eldon Elite Member

    Nov 14, 2018
    6,305
    800
    North Yorkshire
    What a cracking day to be out on the bike and not at work :blush:

    Absolutely gorgeous :cool:
     
    • Like Like x 2
    • Agree Agree x 1
  8. Eldon

    Eldon Elite Member

    Nov 14, 2018
    6,305
    800
    North Yorkshire
    Last night's sunset over Scapa Flow

    20240917_190740.jpg

    20240917_190823.jpg
     
    • Like Like x 9
    • Love You Love You x 2
    • Funny Funny x 1
  9. Eldon

    Eldon Elite Member

    Nov 14, 2018
    6,305
    800
    North Yorkshire
    This morning's breakfast to put me on :yum and ready for another hard day:joy:

    20240918_111223.jpg
     
    • Like Like x 9
  10. Vulpes

    Vulpes Confused Member

    Mar 14, 2018
    17,969
    1,000
    Netherlands
    • Agree Agree x 5
  11. Eldon

    Eldon Elite Member

    Nov 14, 2018
    6,305
    800
    North Yorkshire
    Weather just now, having boarded the ferry.
    Supposed to be 20⁰ but I think it feels hotter.
    Not great for a person wearing bike gear with the liners in, I can feel my legs melting :eyes:

    20240918_160145.jpg
     
    • Funny Funny x 4
    • Like Like x 2
  12. Eldon

    Eldon Elite Member

    Nov 14, 2018
    6,305
    800
    North Yorkshire
    What a cracking day not to be at work :heart_eyes:

    20240918_164751.jpg
     
    • Like Like x 5
    • Funny Funny x 2
  13. Eldon

    Eldon Elite Member

    Nov 14, 2018
    6,305
    800
    North Yorkshire
    So last night was a bit of a rush timing wise. The ferry got into Scrabster around 18.15 and I'd decided to head back to Invershin bunkhouse for a shower and a few pints.
    Managed to refuel on route and get there just as it got dark :cool:

    IMG-20240918-WA0031.jpeg
     
    • Like Like x 8
  14. Eldon

    Eldon Elite Member

    Nov 14, 2018
    6,305
    800
    North Yorkshire
    If your doing a similar route, be careful of travelling west this time of year i.e. anticlockwise NC 500.
    On at least x3 occasions I lost the road in a direct head on setting sun and couldn't see a thing. The worse part is coming round a bend or out of a dip.
    On one sweeping left hand bend and already wary of the sun situation, I was doing 60'ish :rolleyes: and a cow decided to saunter across the road :poop:

    Once heading south, the sun issue resolved itself to be replaced by a loose gravel centre line where I've put an X on the map.
    Be very careful as it would be easy to drop it on the brakes etc. and I had to let off the brakes on a few occasions to maintain grip.

    Screenshot_20240919_082902_Maps.jpg
     
    • Like Like x 4
    • Useful Useful x 2
  15. Pegscraper

    Pegscraper Elite Member

    Jun 12, 2020
    3,283
    800
    Yorkshire
    I think that's what they call "seat of the pants" riding!:joy:

    Whenever I encounter the setting Sun low in the sky it always reminds me of rounding the Gooseneck on the TT course on evening laps when the Sun is out. Even with sunglasses or tinted visor you can't see shite.
     
    • Agree Agree x 2
    • Like Like x 1
  16. Pegscraper

    Pegscraper Elite Member

    Jun 12, 2020
    3,283
    800
    Yorkshire
    A bit of a climb down from fresh Lobster!:joy:
     
    • Funny Funny x 2
    • Useful Useful x 1
  17. ajc400

    ajc400 Senior Member

    Jun 4, 2024
    379
    113
    Glasgow
    I'm not sure what the map is telling me, but the route marked with an X is the road I took when I was coming back from John O'Groats, and it is a great route through Altnaharra, Lairg and Bonar Bridge. Actually, I rode it from Tongue rather than Bettyhill, but same difference.

    Unfortunately this wilderness area is now the site of another windfarm, I guess we have to "keep the lights on" but is this really the best location for such a development? :confused:
     
    • Useful Useful x 1
    • Agree Agree x 1
  18. Eldon

    Eldon Elite Member

    Nov 14, 2018
    6,305
    800
    North Yorkshire
    #118 Eldon, Sep 20, 2024
    Last edited: Sep 26, 2024
    Many years ago, 1994 actually, I was camping in a garden in Onchan. Mick Lofthouse of DTR racing was using the double garage there for spannering. Cracking lad, he had two mechanics, all three were meticulous in their preparation.
    Once over coffe in the garage when they were doing some jetting changes, we discussed the course.
    I asked, " how do you cope with the fog up on the mountain?"
    Mick replied, " if you don't know where you're going, then you shouldn't be up there!"

    Unfortunately in 1996 that conversation would bite him on the ar5e.
    One morning in early practice, sessions used to be 05.00 to 07.00 roads closed, he rounded a corner and smashed into the wall. The only cause offered, he was blinded by the low sun.

    Rip Mick :pensive:

    Low sun easily disorientates and can be a killer.
     
    • Agree Agree x 3
    • Useful Useful x 1
  19. Eldon

    Eldon Elite Member

    Nov 14, 2018
    6,305
    800
    North Yorkshire
    #119 Eldon, Sep 20, 2024
    Last edited: Sep 20, 2024
    No @ajc400 not the same difference, both are like two legs of a capital Y.
    The route north from Altnaharra splits. Left goes to Tongue as I did going North.
    The right fork is what I came down going south and has recent, by the look of it, fresh stretches however, in between the car tracks is a very fine, easily not seen, sprinkling of small black tar chips which have probably scrubbed off and accumulated.
    This is nowhere near the size of gravel so easily missed, and not an issue if you don't run off the car track.
     
    • Like Like x 1
    • Useful Useful x 1
  20. Vulpes

    Vulpes Confused Member

    Mar 14, 2018
    17,969
    1,000
    Netherlands
    Yup. Very dangerous.
     
    • Agree Agree x 2
Loading...

Share This Page