Foray to Moray ... and beyond

Done a "Ewan & Charley"? Been for a fried breakfast and taken pictures? Share the tales of your adventure in here

Moderators: Gromit, Paul, slparry

User avatar
slparry
Moderator
Posts: 6589
Joined: Sat Sep 20, 2008 7:19 pm
Location: Wrexham
Contact:

Foray to Moray ... and beyond

Postby slparry » Wed Aug 14, 2019 8:59 am

this years trip (starting on Monday the 19th up to Glasgow) with me and Paul Davies (Welsh Weekends Tail End Charlie).

Possibly ending via Belfast > Dublin > Wales and home or just a hike down the M6

Pics to follow

https://goo.gl/maps/n7FSSovGr2ZK872n8
--
Steve Parry


Current fleet: '14 F800GS, '87 R80RS, '03 R1100S BoxerCup, '15 R1200RT LE Dynamic, '90 K1

User avatar
ianbcr
Member
Posts: 1471
Joined: Wed Mar 19, 2008 6:40 pm
Location: Walsall

Re: Foray to Moray ... and beyond

Postby ianbcr » Wed Aug 14, 2019 9:05 pm

Not the best weather to start your trip Steve, Enjoy though.
Your born with a certain amout of heart beats, Dont waste them on exersise. [smilie=rooster.gif]


04 boxer cup rep. Gone but not forgoten
99 tlr1000 (V twin) tricked.
Indian Roadmaster Elite
Mercedes EQC 400

Grip Fast
Posts: 715
Joined: Sat Jan 14, 2012 6:15 pm
Location: North Bucks

Re: Foray to Moray ... and beyond

Postby Grip Fast » Thu Aug 15, 2019 7:40 am

Yes, hope you get the weather on side, and have a great and safe trip. Scenery photos with bikes in view but without rain on the lens.

User avatar
slparry
Moderator
Posts: 6589
Joined: Sat Sep 20, 2008 7:19 pm
Location: Wrexham
Contact:

Re: Foray to Moray ... and beyond

Postby slparry » Fri Aug 16, 2019 10:21 am

not too fussed by the weather, a wet day on the bike beats a sunny day in work..... plus it keeps the tourists off the roads and if there's a breeze the midgies too :D

At the moment it's not looking too bad though, so fingers crossed!
--
Steve Parry


Current fleet: '14 F800GS, '87 R80RS, '03 R1100S BoxerCup, '15 R1200RT LE Dynamic, '90 K1

User avatar
big rob
Member
Posts: 659
Joined: Thu Oct 12, 2006 9:01 pm
Location: Angus glens

Re: Foray to Moray ... and beyond

Postby big rob » Fri Aug 16, 2019 2:33 pm

Have a great trip Steve.
Look forward to your ride report with lots of pics.

User avatar
nab 301
Member
Posts: 2374
Joined: Sat Dec 04, 2004 6:41 pm
Location: Dublin Ireland

Re: Foray to Moray ... and beyond

Postby nab 301 » Fri Aug 16, 2019 9:17 pm

Which bike are you taking Steve ?
_________________
Nigel

Keep smiling, it makes people wonder what you've been up to!
1999 R1100s (mandarin) '
2018 DL 250V Strom
2019 CB125F Honda.
MZ301 Saxon Fun ( currently retired)
'03 Bullet 65 project..

User avatar
slparry
Moderator
Posts: 6589
Joined: Sat Sep 20, 2008 7:19 pm
Location: Wrexham
Contact:

Re: Foray to Moray ... and beyond

Postby slparry » Sat Aug 17, 2019 5:42 pm

nab 301 wrote:Which bike are you taking Steve ?


I "really" fancied taking the R80RS but that will be for another year :) The BoxerCup has been north of the border for a Scottish Weekend at Moffat a while back. One day I'd like to take the K1 or the F800GS but to be honest the RT's "job" is the annual Highland Fling :D

So in short the RT is the chosen ride this time, with the others on the "list for the future"
--
Steve Parry


Current fleet: '14 F800GS, '87 R80RS, '03 R1100S BoxerCup, '15 R1200RT LE Dynamic, '90 K1

User avatar
nab 301
Member
Posts: 2374
Joined: Sat Dec 04, 2004 6:41 pm
Location: Dublin Ireland

Re: Foray to Moray ... and beyond

Postby nab 301 » Sat Aug 17, 2019 5:53 pm

Enjoy the trip !
_________________
Nigel

Keep smiling, it makes people wonder what you've been up to!
1999 R1100s (mandarin) '
2018 DL 250V Strom
2019 CB125F Honda.
MZ301 Saxon Fun ( currently retired)
'03 Bullet 65 project..

User avatar
slparry
Moderator
Posts: 6589
Joined: Sat Sep 20, 2008 7:19 pm
Location: Wrexham
Contact:

Re: Foray to Moray ... and beyond

Postby slparry » Wed Aug 28, 2019 9:16 pm

Well … trip done, just shy of 1500 miles and everyone, except for the motorway slogs, a joy.

The weather Gods were mostly kind :)

Paul Davies and I stopped for coffee at Charnock Richard before making our way to the Kirkstone Pass Inn in the Lakes for lunch for a spot of soup :D


IMG_20190819_121559.jpg
IMG_20190819_121559.jpg (180.36 KiB) Viewed 14844 times


IMG_20190819_121647.jpg
IMG_20190819_121647.jpg (161.83 KiB) Viewed 14844 times



then on upwards to Moffat for afternoon coffee and cake :)


IMG_20190819_145604.jpg
IMG_20190819_145604.jpg (93.09 KiB) Viewed 14844 times


IMG_20190819_145557.jpg
IMG_20190819_145557.jpg (127.56 KiB) Viewed 14844 times


bugged by wasps wherever we stopped which was irritating, I began to believe it was the same (fast) wasp :D

rather than go back onto the motorway we used the road that paralleled the motorway for a while from Moffat which broke the journey nicely

then onto the usual 1st night stop of the Erskine Bridge Hotel




despite the diet, caution was thrown for hols so a pint was in order after a splash in the pool :)

IMG_20190819_183422.jpg
IMG_20190819_183422.jpg (71.95 KiB) Viewed 14844 times


Day 2 was to head north east towards Aberfeldy and the awesome Dukes Pass ….. but was foiled … to find the Pass had been retarmaced and chipped … didn't stop at Killin as we would usually but went on to Kenmore for coffee for a change, pretty little village.


IMG_20190820_104237.jpg
IMG_20190820_104237.jpg (139.55 KiB) Viewed 14844 times
IMG_20190820_104233.jpg
IMG_20190820_104233.jpg (115.89 KiB) Viewed 14844 times
IMG_20190820_104228.jpg
IMG_20190820_104228.jpg (107.16 KiB) Viewed 14844 times
IMG_20190820_104223.jpg
IMG_20190820_104223.jpg (109.19 KiB) Viewed 14844 times



Then on via Pitlochry up to Glenshee for more soup for lunch, stunning piece of tarmac that invites much naughtiness :)

IMG_20190820_132930.jpg
IMG_20190820_132930.jpg (162.52 KiB) Viewed 14844 times


After lunch at Glenshee ski centre (more soup) … it was on towards Balmoral, Liz declined to offer us tea which was a tad rude but hey ho ;)

IMG_20190820_132930.jpg
IMG_20190820_132930.jpg (162.52 KiB) Viewed 14844 times

IMG_20190820_140252.jpg
IMG_20190820_140252.jpg (210.52 KiB) Viewed 14844 times


We had some time to kill before going to the hotel in Tomintoul (the Richmond Hotel) so we carried on towards Aberdeen for a while before getting the sat nav to take us to the hotel. Again it convinces me that as far as Scotland goes wherever you go the roads are often stunning

IMG_20190820_162703.jpg
IMG_20190820_162703.jpg (134.67 KiB) Viewed 14844 times

IMG_20190820_162712.jpg
IMG_20190820_162712.jpg (115.28 KiB) Viewed 14844 times

IMG_20190821_090641.jpg
IMG_20190821_090641.jpg (163.71 KiB) Viewed 14844 times

IMG_20190821_090653.jpg
IMG_20190821_090653.jpg (142.82 KiB) Viewed 14844 times


The hotel was very pleasant, we had dinner that night at the Clockhouse restaurant across the road. As a footnote I'm not sure what the catering industry is going to do after Brexit as everywhere seems to have Eastern European staff!

Next day after a fine breakfast in the Richmond we went up the A9 to Lybster Harbour for coffee (and cake)




IMG_20190821_125950.jpg
IMG_20190821_125950.jpg (124.98 KiB) Viewed 14844 times

IMG_20190821_125936.jpg
IMG_20190821_125936.jpg (139.84 KiB) Viewed 14844 times

IMG_20190821_121942.jpg
IMG_20190821_121942.jpg (106.9 KiB) Viewed 14844 times


Then up to John o Groats for the obligatory pics :)

IMG_20190821_144008.jpg
IMG_20190821_144008.jpg (129.8 KiB) Viewed 14844 times

IMG_20190821_144024.jpg
IMG_20190821_144024.jpg (128.02 KiB) Viewed 14844 times



From there on to the nights stop at the hotel that proclaims itself as the mainlands most remote hotel, The Garvault Hotel..... it is very very remote, took ages to get to and a 400 yard gravel track (off roading on an RT ….. wooo hooo :D)

IMG_20190821_165604.jpg
IMG_20190821_165604.jpg (72.63 KiB) Viewed 14844 times

IMG_20190821_170931.jpg
IMG_20190821_170931.jpg (139.51 KiB) Viewed 14844 times

IMG_20190821_180650.jpg
IMG_20190821_180650.jpg (128.17 KiB) Viewed 14844 times


lovely location, lovely eccentric owners, Adrian and Eva, no mains water, no mains electric, no phone, no tv.... wonderful!

Dinner that evening was with the owners and was a great way of spending an evening chatting and drinking and swapping tales. Adrian was ex RAF pilot and Eva was Austrian.

The battery lighting only extending to half of the hotel so navigating back to the room was via torch :) ….. the room itself did have lighting

Next morning was on the small B road on towards Altnaharra (which took ages) then onto Tongue and picking up the North Coast road and onto to coffee (and treacle tart) at the little café there. Have stopped there before, the owner, from Yorkshire moved up years ago and fell in love with the are and stayed, diving for scallops for a while before setting up the café.

Only moan was the amount of camper vans everywhere, and despite signage saying to allow traffic to overtake at passing places they'd trundle along blocking everyone else's progress.

IMG_20190822_103430.jpg
IMG_20190822_103430.jpg (149.79 KiB) Viewed 14844 times

IMG_20190822_103435.jpg
IMG_20190822_103435.jpg (151.2 KiB) Viewed 14844 times


Stopped for more lunchtime soup (Cullen skink this time) at the Pie Shop in Lochinver before rejoining the NC500 near Kylesku for Ullapool

IMG_20190822_124421.jpg
IMG_20190822_124421.jpg (173.52 KiB) Viewed 14844 times

IMG_20190822_124528.jpg
IMG_20190822_124528.jpg (143.46 KiB) Viewed 14844 times




There was a Harley event in the Highlands that week so there were a few of them in Ullapool, we stopped at the Ferryboat in for coffee and a chat with locals

IMG_20190822_153529.jpg
IMG_20190822_153529.jpg (104.37 KiB) Viewed 14844 times


IMG_20190822_154451.jpg
IMG_20190822_154451.jpg (61.62 KiB) Viewed 14844 times


From Ullapool we continued on to the stop for the third night, the Poolewe Hotel. The hotels rooms are in an annexe behind the hotel and are very pleasant.

IMG_20190822_173757.jpg
IMG_20190822_173757.jpg (191.53 KiB) Viewed 14844 times


after a lovely dinner I was "forced" to have a treble Ardberg 10 years old (it seemed a generous treble)

IMG_20190822_194523.jpg
IMG_20190822_194523.jpg (75.35 KiB) Viewed 14844 times


After breakfast in high winds and rain we set off towards Aplecross for the mornings coffee stop and the ride over the pass (stunning as always) …. stunned to find the pass is now covered by 4G so could post pictures as soon as taking them!

IMG_20190823_113955.jpg
IMG_20190823_113955.jpg (132.47 KiB) Viewed 14844 times

IMG_20190823_114010.jpg
IMG_20190823_114010.jpg (115.64 KiB) Viewed 14844 times

IMG_20190823_114024.jpg
IMG_20190823_114024.jpg (147.47 KiB) Viewed 14844 times

IMG_20190823_124333.jpg
IMG_20190823_124333.jpg (60.1 KiB) Viewed 14844 times

IMG_20190823_124350.jpg
IMG_20190823_124350.jpg (117.19 KiB) Viewed 14844 times

IMG_20190823_124359.jpg
IMG_20190823_124359.jpg (81.31 KiB) Viewed 14844 times

IMG_20190823_124410.jpg
IMG_20190823_124410.jpg (133.62 KiB) Viewed 14844 times


Then on to Eileen Donan for lunch …. guess what …. soup ….

IMG_20190823_133634.jpg
IMG_20190823_133634.jpg (150.22 KiB) Viewed 14844 times


afterwards riding over via Kinlochleven and Glencoe to the Green Welly


IMG_20190823_172426.jpg
IMG_20190823_172426.jpg (140.46 KiB) Viewed 14844 times


before riding down passed Loch Lomond to the Erskine Bridge again
IMG_20190824_075459.jpg
IMG_20190824_075459.jpg (181.59 KiB) Viewed 14844 times


Travelling home was on the bank holiday Saturday so traffic was a bit heavier. We did 1500 miles, the trip went all too quickly.
--
Steve Parry


Current fleet: '14 F800GS, '87 R80RS, '03 R1100S BoxerCup, '15 R1200RT LE Dynamic, '90 K1

User avatar
Paul
Wanna buy a sticker mister?
Posts: 2858
Joined: Mon Feb 16, 2004 8:44 pm
Location: Boxertrix Towers, Norfolk
Contact:

Re: Foray to Moray ... and beyond

Postby Paul » Thu Aug 29, 2019 8:34 am

Nice report Steve. It's good to see that Paul takes his tail-end-charlie-hi-viz responsibility's seriously, even when there are only two of you [smilie=mf_wink.gif]
You really need only two tools: WD-40 and duct tape. If it doesn't move and it should, use WD-40. If it moves and shouldn't, use the tape.

User avatar
slparry
Moderator
Posts: 6589
Joined: Sat Sep 20, 2008 7:19 pm
Location: Wrexham
Contact:

Re: Foray to Moray ... and beyond

Postby slparry » Thu Aug 29, 2019 9:11 am

Paul wrote:Nice report Steve. It's good to see that Paul takes his tail-end-charlie-hi-viz responsibility's seriously, even when there are only two of you [smilie=mf_wink.gif]


It's very perturbing having a white bike with a rider with hi viz and white helmet behind you constantly :D

(when you ride "exuberantly" :D )
--
Steve Parry


Current fleet: '14 F800GS, '87 R80RS, '03 R1100S BoxerCup, '15 R1200RT LE Dynamic, '90 K1

Humbug
Member
Posts: 637
Joined: Wed Oct 28, 2015 6:06 pm
Location: Nottinghamshire

Re: Foray to Moray ... and beyond

Postby Humbug » Thu Aug 29, 2019 9:58 am

Great report and pictures Steve
10 KTM RC8

User avatar
nab 301
Member
Posts: 2374
Joined: Sat Dec 04, 2004 6:41 pm
Location: Dublin Ireland

Re: Foray to Moray ... and beyond

Postby nab 301 » Fri Aug 30, 2019 6:29 pm

Thanks for the write up .
_________________
Nigel

Keep smiling, it makes people wonder what you've been up to!
1999 R1100s (mandarin) '
2018 DL 250V Strom
2019 CB125F Honda.
MZ301 Saxon Fun ( currently retired)
'03 Bullet 65 project..

PaulDavies
Posts: 8
Joined: Tue Apr 28, 2015 2:00 pm

Re: Foray to Moray ... and beyond

Postby PaulDavies » Fri Aug 30, 2019 9:21 pm

tail end Charlie.. being a very poor pensioner I only have my bike gear.. as you see.. sunday best..and two nighties.. one normal and one for Special occasions.. I didn't take the latter to Scotland I hasten to add.. ooooh hey vicar !!
--
Paul

User avatar
slparry
Moderator
Posts: 6589
Joined: Sat Sep 20, 2008 7:19 pm
Location: Wrexham
Contact:

Re: Foray to Moray ... and beyond

Postby slparry » Fri Aug 30, 2019 9:25 pm

PaulDavies wrote:tail end Charlie.. being a very poor pensioner I only have my bike gear.. as you see.. sunday best..and two nighties.. one normal and one for Special occasions.. I didn't take the latter to Scotland I hasten to add.. ooooh hey vicar !!


You mean it was your normal nighty the hotel complained about!!!!
--
Steve Parry


Current fleet: '14 F800GS, '87 R80RS, '03 R1100S BoxerCup, '15 R1200RT LE Dynamic, '90 K1


Return to “Ride Reports”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 16 guests