A Scooter run North to Bettyhill with Bill

24th May 2016

I wrote a page a couple of weeks ago explaining that after a five year on and off rebuild the wee scooter, a Vonroad 21Th Sport (!) has passed an MOT. It used to do this run regularly when my son Hugh was preaching. I thought I’d make it its first major run.



I went to school as normal and did my very hard day’s teaching. I called at Morrisons on the way to get petrol, 6 litres in the tank and 6 litres in a container. I only had one class with study leave on!

After school I left as sharp as I could, just after the bell, and got to Bonar Bridge by 4.00. I had arranged to meet Bill at 4.15. I never thought I could do it on the wee 125 engine in this time! So I had a nice quarter of an hour to take in the scenery and relax.







This war memorial is quite an impressive large bronze.



And of course the bridge.



And then Bill came bang on time. Now its two old men on scooters. How have the hard men come to this?



We motored up to Lairg where Bill had to get petrol. His big tank takes it no problem without a supplementary tank!









Then on to Crask. This is the middle of nowhere. 





That’s Crask Inn ahead. Who makes their way to an inn out here?



Here is what we ride now. Cool.



We stopped above Altnaharra. That’s looking towards Strathnaver and Loch Naver where we are heading







And the whins are spectacular. we could just get that faint smell they have. It is a smell that is a delight just on the periphery – you wonder did I actually smell something that nice! It’s a wonderful time of year.  





Here is where we stopped to answer nature’s call. Well we are two old men. but what a place beside the loch. We could hear a cuckoo.









We pushed on up the loch and the Strath, coming to Syre. What a lovely wee church. I do hope people worship here and genuinely worship Jesus Christ.





And finally we reached the top and the north coast. This was all Hugh’s parish. I do hope they will get a pastor who will care for them.





And Bettyhill.



We parked and headed to the beach. The scooter is still leaking oil after taking the engine back out and puting sealant under the rocker cover gasket. I am hopeless at curing oil leaks. I can’t even make out where it’s coming from but must be from the head or barrels. I’ll try a new base and head gasket.



This is looking down from our picnic spot, the bridge to the beach.



We are just so old. It seems no time since we were young with our first bikes. We go easier now. As you get old you don’t have to prove your a great driver – you know your not. There’s our man clutching that bottle of Frijj. I was actually jealous. I had Pepsi which I love. But Banana Frijj is a sensation.



The beach is a sensation.











We then headed east along the north coast to Melvich where we made use of the public convenience. It was so cold we enjoyed the hand drier!









And then reached the Halladale road. It is a long haul to Helmsdale but I just love this road.



At Forsinard. We swapped bikes.















And then we reached the turn off to Glen Loth. Here is where it gets hardcore.





We stopped beside this posh house and swapped back to our own bikes for the serious stuff.



This is me arriving at the start of GLoth on Bill’s bike.





Look at the evening sunshine on the Scotch Pine.





And leaving to go up over Glen Loth on my own bike.

 







 

I got Bill to video me driving on the Loth road.







The next video is a bit crazy. I shot it holding my phone in my hand. It’s Hugh’s ex-Blackberry. All my stuff seems to be Hugh’s old stuff!

Well, all was going well till I got to the bridge, a bit too fast to brake with one hand! So it goes a bit harum scarum for a while. Also notice the deer on the right. There were hundred’s of deer.













What’s going on here? You are better not to ask.



This is at the top of Glen Loth. The evening is coming in and it is cold, very, very cold. I used my Garmin Etrex 20 to follow the route.



The plot from the GPS does say that at one point the scooter reached 57 mph!



Down the other side. The whins always make a great show here.







We then bashed on through Brora and Golspie to Loch Fleet. It’s 155 miles since petrol was put in the wee tank. I transferred fuel from the container to the tank. It took less than 6 litres to top it up. Works out as 119 miles per gallon. That is really quite amazing. If I could solve the oil leak I would really love this wee bike. Bill and I were frozen and we parted here.



So little light the photos are all fuzzy.





Then I headed onto Tain, onto the Scotsburn road and home. I reached home at 11.00 cold and very sore in the shoulders. Not an ergonomic bike but an awful lot of fun. I really enjoyed that. Shame there is school tomorrow, I feel as if I’m on holiday.

Another great adventure.