The Quick Quacks in Scotland

May 2002

Certainly, from my point of view, this was the best trip to this point. Probably because I got to spend time in great company on some of the best roads in the country. However, in some ways this trip will not go down as the most successful in the annals of QQ history. There were a number of incidents, though only one was predictable in my opinion.

We had a great weekend in Lockerbie. This was our first trip to the Lockerbie Manor Hotel which is fortunate to be in an excellent location and to look most imposing. I say forunate because on this our first trip it was a little seedy and run down and the rooms downstairs were rather damp and smelly. This has since been rectified and a later stay there was most pleasant. The roads in this region are excellent and most entertaining. I was a little unsettled from the off by the antics of a couple of locals who had come along for the ride. They were quick but not very good at it and rather not to my surprise one went into a bend too hot and overshot, breaking dry stone wall, bike and a couple of bits of his body. I gave him a lift down to the town so he could get to hospital to be checked over. Unfortunately he was later joined by Lee who rather less predictably ended up in the trees and badly damaged his leg. I was right behind him and still cannot fully understand what went wrong, bad luck Lee :( . This was the end of the Lockerbie run for me as I went to hospital with Lee and was impressed with his courage and sense of humour whilst being attended to.

When I left Lee (he was off to theatre) I returned to the hotel and spent a useful afternoon sorting out accommodation for the extension. I got a great deal at the Colymbridge Hotel (cannot recall if it was Stakis or Hilton at the time). On the Sunday we had a wonderful run to Colymbridge via the Lecht, Tomintoul, and Nethybridge. This means I got to ride my favouriute section of road between Grantown and Colymbridge on the B970. Taken at a reasonable pace this becomes an exciting and technical road, but usually good visibilty and light traffic. I love it. This trip up provided us with an excellent song. "Busted Blackbird Cam Chain Tensioner Blues". Poor old Adrian's Blackbird was sounding very tractor like on the way to The Lecht.

During the next few days we had some wonderful trips. Unfortunately one particularly excellent run (to Skye) was spoilt by another incident. This time just after we had got off Skye I was looking for a left turn and caught sight of Bonny's indicator flashing left. I rather stupidly panicked and assumed I should be turning left up the little road that was looming up (rather than the more significant left just down the road /doh). I braked firmly for the turn and was just turning in when Bonny ran into the back of me. Target fixation can be a bugger. I'm inclined to take the blame for this as I should have gone past the turn rather than braking for it. Unfortunately Bonny went base over apex and broke his collar bone. Poor bike didn't fair too well either :( Bonny got to be treated in the rather nice little hospital on Skye. I think he'd agree he got treated very well by the hospital and the local constabulary who later made sure the train driver looked after him when he left!

Despite these episodes this trip was fabulous and has set the template for some great trips since.

Riding in Scotland invites filming, the roads are great and the scenery fabulous. Below are a few snippets.

To view these clips you may need to downoad Divx

Quickies

Recorded at 340kbs and 29fps

Longer

Recorded at 340kbs and 29fps

Broadband (or patience)

Recorded at 340kbs and 29fps

Quick Quacks Pete the Free