Scotland touring,

[Mart]

Thanks for all that info Bill,
There is more here than we will have time for. We only have a long weekend. My three travelling companions are all wage slaves. As a part time pensioner I may stay longer and leave the children to find their own way home, depending on the weather.
Mart

[themoudie]

Aye Mart,

Thank you for the reply. I do like the "part-time pensioner" phrase. At present, I am still like your three travelling companions, a "wage slave", but working on it for the future! 

I'll try not to jinks the weather for you at that time.

Oh! If you fancy a stop having crossed the Dukes Pass, there is a small tearoom dating from and still retaining the style of the between Wars cycling period, when people came out from Glasgow for "recreation in the countryside", at weekends. It's on the left-hand side of the road, opposite the village hall in the Brig O Turk, as your heading east towards Callander on the A821. Grand soup, bacon rolls, mugs of tea or full blown lunches, afternoon teas! 

Photo attachment, if it appears is of a small group of us on a memorial run for a friend in September 2011, stopping outside the tearoom.

My regards, Bill.

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[Mark]

Just got home, 2310 miles completed on the Enfield

My bike: Exhaust welded 3 times, 1 coil replaced, 1 plug, hole in tank plugged, blocked carb, a broken wire, rear engine bolt missing, snapped frame bridged with screw driver and tied with fence wire, 5 litres oil.

Petes bike: rotor threw magnets wrecking alternator in Tyndrum, waited 3 days for parts before we could continue then it seized just outside John O'Groats and he had to be relayed home, He had it repaired and I met up with him 3 days later in South Wales to continue together to Lands End.

Ended up at a small bike rally where I won 'best rat' and 'furthest rat travelled', cheeky bastards!

Took in a few of Bills and Andys suggestions for Mart, Glencoe, Dukes Pass and the Steak and black pudding pie in the butchers of Aberfoyle.(they really are the best) No problem with midges considering the freezing temperatures. Had to leave Applecross and Skye as well as the Corran Ferry until the next time due to loosing a couple of days.

Mark

[Steffan]

Would that be my/Jethros old black one you're talking about?

Steffan

[Mark]

No, that's my best one, the one I should have used, instead I used my tatty old green one.



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[BrendanO]

Re Midges - camping somewhere breezy/by the sea HELPS. Avon Skin So Soft is what many use, and a pie-smoker among you is handy. TICKS are becoming more of a worry recently (Lyme disease).

Waterproofs.

HOWEVER, lovely quiet roads (away from Glasgow, so Loch L can be full of nutters on old sports bikes at weekends...), scenery, free legal wild camping in MOST places (think Loch L restriictions due to massive weekend parties leaving burntout sofas etc...seriously!!).

I'd recommend anywhere in the country with single-track roads.

Worth taking a petrol can if space on one bike, or at least tube to siphon. How do I know?

Ardnamurchan peninsula great, camping gets dearer there I remember, and fuel stops limited.

For your NEXT visit, can I recommend our best-kept secret?  GALLOWAY!!!!!!


There, I've told them all. Sorry!

B

[themoudie]

Brendan! 

Agreed, but I also know some bampots down that way! 

Just in case anybody is thinking of using the Moffat to St.Mary's Loch road via the Grey Mare's Tail, its shut at present and you can't! Half the road has collapsed into the burn and been flushed away!      Alternative is to come up through Eskdalemuir or up the Devil's Beef Tub, but be warned the latter is known for loonies and hair dryer users! 

My regards, Bill.

[themoudie]

Further to my post of 23rd April 2013, the Moffat - Selkirk road has now been re-opened! 

Link: Moffat - Selkirk road

My regards, Bill.

[Mark]

I used this road on my way down a fortnight ago, wanted to see Tibbie Shiels and St Marys Loch.

It makes me laugh what makes an A road in Scotland, bloody great fun.

[Steffan]

I am in the same state of wonderment about many of our welsh so called A roads.

Is that the road over the beef-tub?

Steffan

[guest18]

A701(?) from Edinburgh to Abingdon is ok but a major route, south of there it's a right giggle though :-)

[themoudie]

Aye Steffan,

Leave Moffat heading north on A701 for the 'Devil's Beef Tub', its quick and both the users and the police know it, hence the 'due care' warning.

Leave Moffat heading south then east on the A708 for the 'Grey Mares Tail', nadgery road, with timber lorries etc that is little more than single track in some places and only a track and a half in most, until you crest the summit and head east towards St. Mary's Loch and Tibbieshiels. Tibbieshiels I gather is going downhill due to "domestics" and "opening hours", although this may change and the private life of the proprieter is none of my business. 

The cafe on the main road is nothing to do with Tibbie's and provides grand grub and tea etc. Popular place to stop, just watch out for ditherers, wanderers and stravaiging indolents, crossing the road on foot, cycle, motorcycle, car, vans and lorries. The RAF haven't put a Typhoon down for tea, YET! But if you go on the hill at the top of the Grey Mares Tail when 'training' flights are on the go, you might be forgiven for thinking otherwise!     

The Gordon Arms further down the A708 at the Mountbenger X roads, is now open for business after a period of closure and opened the doors at 08:30am to supply bacon butties, tea and or coffee for a pre site meeting for me about a month back. Grand spot, good food, some accommodation (camping) and a recording studio for the Thumper Club jug band rendition of "Inflate your cocoon", bardic renditions or whatever takes your fancy etc!    Regular live music sessions from the studio owner and friends, are a feature of the place.

Right, sun is shining, the grass is growing and as 'Cheif Cook and Bottlewasher' , with Kat crocked for another 4 weeks I had better organise soup and sarnies!

Relájese, las golondrinas vuelven un año más! Escoceses gringo.

[steveD]

I met Alistair at Tibbie Shiels when he had just got the place. He was very friuendly and the camp site was spot on. He had plans for site toilets etc. I have been up twice but it appears that he has turned into an arse. I had reports (first hand) that he was not allowing you to bring your own drink onto the site, the toilets had not been sorted and he was being picky about who stayed there. I went up once and he had some sort of competition / meeting going on. He could see that I was by myself and just wanted a small space for my tent, there was plenty of space I might add but he still turned me away, what an arse I hope he goes bust with his attitude. I did go down to Peebles and found a very friendly site there.
It's a shame as the camping in that region is quite limited and Tibbie Shiels site is superb.

Steve

[tj63]

Moffat here we come, first week of July. It's been a while since we were there on the bike (car last time in 2010). Day trips all over the place being planned now.

Never found a bad road in Scotland yet. A few adventurous goat tracks, but still entertaining.


Trevor

[Mart]

Many thanks for all the advice. Only three went in the end. Thursday night in Rowardennen youth hostel after a soaking on the M6 on the way north. Friday stocked up on pies in Aberfoyle, The Dukes Pass and a full breakkie at the Brig o Turk Cafe. To use a local phrase it was " Foggan Brullyunt"  Then followed the rest of Bill,s suggestions through Glecoe and then took the ferry acroos to Ardnamurchan. Met a bloke on the ferry who asked if we were going to Tobermory for the Mull festival. We replied we are now and had a great night's music, dancing and drinking, there after a fantastic days riding.
Saturday went for the ferry to Oban and got to Craigmure port 10 minutes before the ferry. Followed the coast Road from Oban to Lochgilphead and on to Tarbert for the ferry to Portavadie then northwards to join the A83 and then back south and the motorway through Glasgow and the B7078 and the B7076 [much nicer than the M74] to Ecclefechan. At Ecclefechan we found a campsite right by a pub which had a male stripshow on and hordes of excited women who had paid to see it. Sadly the pub had no proper beer but a ten minute walk took us to the Ecclefechan Hotel and a warm welcome with good beer and food. Today we awoke to rain again after two nice days. A few hours riding through the rain [isn't goretex grand] and back home this evening. Had a good soak in the tub and am now waiting for a Sainsbury's fish pie to warm up. All in all we had a great time and about a month's holiday in four days. Nowhere else in the worlds offers such good roads and such a friendly welcome.
Thanks again for all the tips.

Mart