The bike had been mouldering under its rain cover for the past three weeks. I was beginning to wonder if I still HAD one of these motorcycle thingies. Perhaps someone had silently stolen it some night and replaced it with a pile of cardboard boxes in the shape of a bike...
So, seeing as the weather was going to play ball for a change, a short spin on my bike, around some of the scenery on offer a short drive away from my home town, was very, very tempting.
And I thought I'd better take my camera and snap a few pictures whilst I was at it and post them here. Hope you like them.
So, up reasonably early, bike checked over, me shaved and showered and a breakfast of 'guid scots porridge' quickly stuffed down my neck. Flask of coffee shoved into a rucksack and off we go...
A quick blat northwards onto the M9 motorway takes you quickly up to Stirling. Cut westwards onto a smaller road, the A84, follow that onto A871 and that will take you past Scotlands only 'lake', the Lake Of Menteith. Every other body of water is either a Loch or a 'Lochan' if small (try saying 'law' then coughing up a hairball at the end...there you go, I'll get you speaking scottish in no time! No, not 'lock', try again...). Stupid me didn't stop for a piccy 'cos he was too busy enjoying the run....sorry!
Keep heading west and you hit Aberfoyle, a wee 'gateway' to the highlands. Sharp right north following the A821, at this point known as the 'Dukes Pass'.
You'll love this road...
Heck.
It's narrow, bumpy, goes up and down like nobody's business and is *****y twisty. Oh, and it's full of blind corners too. And the occasional patch of loose stones lying around, just for added interest.
Fun?
Hell yeah!
Here's a vid on youtube that'll explain things better:
Cup of coffee time.
I needed something to 'calm my nerves' after that so...
Eeh? 'Beinvenue'? As the french say? What the...
Well 'Ben Venue' here is the english translation of the scots gaelic for 'the miniature mountain'. Its a 4 mile walk up to the summit. Stuff that, snap some piccies instead...
Loch Achray (remember, cough up the hairball on the ch sound!), just across the road from the Ben Venue carpark. Wild, tranquil...where's my fly rod?! I'd love to tackle some of these waters...
Yeah, I know those chicken strips are wide but they are getting smaller, honest!
Coffee-break over.
Back on the road and follow the road around the north shore of the loch. It gets faster and runs past Loch Venachar. Of course, stupid me...too busy...etc, etc.
So, keep going then, then left onto the A84. Heading north this road is one of the main routes into the highlands. It's busy, even early morning. But the road is wider, faster, and the tourists weren't dawdling, for a change, so some nice corners could be enjoyed. All too soon it's time for a picture stop at the southern end of Loch 'Lubnaig'. It means'crooked' in english.
One of my favourite lochs. Three miles long, it does indeed have a bend in it. Thinks: I wonder if there's any big pike it? I'm gonna hafta get me a boat. Even a canoe would do...
All too soon the road leaves it and carries on to the village of Lochearnhead. Aptly named, it sits right at the western end of Loch Earn. Turn right onto the A85 and follow the north shore all the way to the end, six and a half miles away.
Quite a popular spot, lot of watersports there. There's even a floatplane service. It sits east/west on the map, aligned with the prevailing wind mostly. Because of the wind (and its length) it has the rare phenomenon of having a 'tide', despite being completely land-locked. It 'oscilates' with a 16 hour period. Weird or what...?
The textures, the colours. Purple heather on the hills...sigh...
Mind you, this annoys the **** out of me.
Totally illegal, no fishing permits I bet, fires started whenever. Let's just help ourselves to the freekin' landscape we all treasure (spot the pile of chopped wood!) and leave our crap lying about after we've gone... As I left the layby two guys came wandering by with a freshly chopped log on their shoulders...
This is not eastern europe, this is SCOTLAND! Haven't you heard of the Country-side Code???! This is a National Park!
Okay, internal rant over. Drink yer coffee...
Well, back on the road. Keep going All the way to Perth? Good, fast road, fancy that?
Nah, turn south at Crief and start heading home via Glen Eagles, the place (home of this years golfing Ryder Cup, they were setting things up as I whizzed past) and Glen Eagles, the pass, leading to Yetts O'Muckhart and Rumbling Bridge.
The glen is a great wee road. It is years since I'd been along it. Narrow but fairly fast with a few interesting bends. Scenic too, in its small way. I should have stopped for some pictures...
But then it's over the Kincardine bridge, a quick blast back along the M9 and up over the hill to my home town.
I arrived back tired (well, I am gettin' old!) but happy.
I'd been a run I'd last done 20 years ago. On another Diversion.
It felt a lifetime ago but the smile was still the same....
