Featured Rideout Costa Del Scotland

Oh Loch Inch looks lovely today. I did a Joint Services canoeing course in April 19&frozen to death when Loch Inch was 99.9% meltwater.

The swimming test was to swim out in light clothing 100 yds duck dive under a canoe, duck dive back and return to shore. I was well out of my depth when cold shock hit. I could not breathe but fortunately the heart attack held off. After maybe 30 yds there was a huge wheeze of breath sookin’ doon then in no time I doubled under the canoe and returned to shore with my skin on fire. As I struggled up the beach I felt my testicles in my throat...... Benidorm it ain’t.

Happy days......

 

Terrific photos, Dougie! I particularly like the one of your Speedy with the lake in the background. Thanks for sharing them. I did notice the sunbathers don't look like they've bathed in quite some time.

 

Well, out of morbid curiosity, I just did a bit of research (ok, I googled it) to see how many sunny days your homeland has per year, Dougie.

From the Gazetter for Scotland:

"Perth has average sunshine totals, with 1350 hours of sunshine recorded in a typical year."

Ok, my first clue that the answer to the question "How many sunny days does Perthshire have per year" is not many was that the measurement is in HOURS, not days. Sorry Dougie, I'd be laid up with SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) if I lived there! Tucson, Arizona averages 286 sunny days per year. Even Minnesota, where I grew up, averages 198 sunny days per year. 1350 hours of sunshine calculates to 56 sunny days a year using 24 hours to divide. Even at best if you just consider short daylight hours and divide by 8, it's 169 sunny days per year. I'm glad to see from the photos that you're out riding around in the SUNSHINE!!

 

I grew up in Minnesota, Dougie, and most all Minnesotans are also Peely-wally as you call it. Even though Minnesota gets more sun than your neck of the woods, a lot of those sunny days are so unbelievably cold that you just stay in the house and don't get any sun anyway! That Minnesota weather is what drove me West back after my college days. California for 10 years now Arizona going on 18 years. I did live away from Arizona one of those years. In Florida! Yes, there's a pattern here.

 

I won't even ask how many days of rain. Well, ok, I will. How many days of rain?

 

Gas prices here seem to stay fairly steady and are still at this point relatively affordable. I get great gas mileage with my bikes, particularly my Speedy, so that helps. Where were those road trips, Dougie???

 

Speaking of sunshine........

But I am NOT moving to Yuma!
T

 

Yeah, but if we had sun more than 75% of the time, we wouldn't be a green and pleasant land...… but a fecking desert like Arizona

 

Hmmm?? Here's the Arizona desert I know and love!

 

Wow you caught those pictures at a beautiful time and angle and those look inviting!

 

Well Sandi, in latitude we are Alaskan Panhandle to your LIbya. It puts the temperature gradient in perspective!

 

I gather the big problem is the complete absence of trackside facilities and planning restrictions. There are strong objections to development beyond the circuit itself.