A chilly trip to Lochinver with Billy.
I was needing to get away on my wee scooter and the forecast was for a dry Monday evening. I contacted Bill on the Sunday and met him at 4.45 at Bonar Bridge on Monday.
While waiting a foreign man came to speak to me having parked his camper-van. He was looking for a ‘poosher’. Well Bonar is not the drugs capital of the Highlands. He explained a bit more, he was wanting ‘poosher meat’. Eventually it dawned on me he was looking for a butcher. He was a very pleasant man and we had a chat. Bill then arrived.
The hardy men headed to Rosehall but took the Culrain road. It is just a wonderful route.
I wonder who lived here once upon a time.
Once onto the Lochinver road at Rosehall we just kept going. It was into the wind and very cold. This is the first view of Suilven.
Double chin.
Then we arrived at Loch Assynt. We were going to eat here at the end of the loch, but there was nowhere to sit and the wind was blowing a typhoon. So we moved a bit further up the loch.
To here. This is part of the old single track road. I first came to Lochinver when I was 4 – that’s 58 years ago. This must have been the road. We came several times on holiday in my early teens. My dad did the preaching supply and we got the use of the manse. It was an amazing huge old manse. A great place for children.
Bill kindly gave me a bottle of Asda’s own banana milk. Good stuff. I had three pork pies (from LIDL), a packet of crisps and a bar of chocolate (also from LIDL). I love LIDL. It was very satisfying if a bit chilly.
Two very chilly old men arrived at Lochinver. We stopped for a few quick pictures.
I think the old manse is to the right of the lamppost up on the hill.
We took the Inverkirkaig road to Ullapool. This road is amazing. Lots of bends and hills and very narrow. Great on a wee scooter. We both really enjoyed it.
I love Sutherland. The hills are amazing. Both Bill and I were born in Golspie so as well as being hard men and old men, we are Sutherland men.
Suilven looks very different from here. I went up it many years ago with Billy and my other brother Roddy. I cant remember where we did it from. I do remember it was quite a long walk in.
Stac Pollaidh.
I only took one video clip.
And eventually we got to Ullapool. The wind moved behind us and my wee scooter could at last make a little headway. The sun started to show but it was still pretty chilly.
This wee loch came after the Corrieshalloch Gorge.
We had to rest our weary bodies after Garve.
Then we reached Dingwall. Bill kindly bought me a poke of chips at 10 at night! I washed it down with a can of American ice-cream soda (yes bought at LIDL this morning!). I couldn’t finish all the chips though they were delicious. There were just too many. However that was an effortless task for my ‘little’ brother.
It is wonderful to have it so bright this late at night. But the longest day is the 21st, just two days away.
We moved along. We took the Old Evanton road back and at the Skiach junction Bill headed home. I got back about 10.40. A grand if chilly evening. Yet another good day out with my brother.