9th October 2017

A big loop down to Spean Bridge (205 miles)


The first day of the October holiday and all is ahead. What better way to spend the day than on my wee scooter. I set myself a route trying to get some new roads and new places. The target was to do down by Loch Laggan to Spean Bridge. I did phone my wee bruver to see if he could come but there was no reply from Dornoch.




I crossed the Black Isle using the back roads and went to Inverness after calling at Morrisons for petrol for the scooter and at LIDL for my own fuel. I went up by Culloden, past the battlefield and turned right onto the back roads. They are just brilliant roads. I stopped beyond Clava at the viaduct to eat and take a few pictures.





I stopped a couple of miles before Dulsie Bridge to answer nature’s call and to video the scooter travelling. Its autumn now and the leaves were gently falling.

And then reached Dulsie Bridge. This is all new to me; wonderful, wonderful countryside and great roads for scootering! I stopped to see the bridge and get a few photos. I used my new helmet camera to take a shot crossing the bridge.




Still following new roads to me,  I headed to Carrbridge. From there it was a loop back to Boat of Garten. I have been here when the children were small and we went on the wee steam railway to Aviemore.




Boat of Garten.





A wee bit beyond Boat of Garten the scooter reached 17000km. It measures speed in miles per hour and records distance in kilometers!

This is going down to Glen Feshie and Feshiebridge. I have been to Feshiebridge but never followed the road all the way down to Kingussie. Bill an I once stupidly walked from Kincraig to Feshiebridge intending to do some hill walking. We chickened out and phoned my dad to rescue us.


Now here is lunch. It couldn’t be better. That bag of crisps was very large and I consumed much more than needed, such is greed. But my word it was all delicious. I’m sure a pork pie is mostly offal but they make them so delicious.

What a place this is to stop to eat. The loch is called Loch Pityoulish, what a strange name. But it was really beautiful.



Strangely as I was getting ready to leave a couple cycled by and asked the way to Boat of Garten and how far it was. They wanted to know the name of the loch. I didn’t know but was able to show them on my GPS.

And the road came out at Ruthven Barracks near Kingussie. We stopped here often on the journey down to Edinburgh when the children were wee. Many a picnic and many a wander round the barracks was had here. I just took a couple of pictures and moved on.




It was on down through Kingussie and onto Newtonmore where I turned right onto the Laggan road. I stopped just at the start of Loch Laggan at this monument. The last time I was down here was on my beloved old XS650 which was none too reliable. It conked out by the lochside and it took ages to get it going. Bill was with me and eventually we continued on. That is recorded on my web pages.
It was just by chance I stopped at this monument. I’d never heard or known about it.




Then it was down all the way to Spean Bridge where I turned right to take me up the Great Glen. The day was much cloudier after the bright start. This is by Loch Lochy. The road here was very busy.



The traffic up the Great Glen was head to tail all the way till Fort Augustus. This is Loch Tarff above Fort Augustus. It is much quieter to go the East side of Loch Ness and I think the views and scenery are better. I stopped to eat here and as I was enjoying the peace and quiet a car of Italians stopped right beside me to take photos and talk loudly. Some people!



This time I went down to Foyers to keep beside Loch Ness, and then onto Dores. I stopped a few times to take photos and video clips.




This is the last picture and its of old glum face. I should try and smile a bit! I am getting a look of my dad as I get older!

Now here is the twist. My day couldn’t just end on a high. As it was getting dull I put my lights on after Foyers. By the time I got to Inverness the scooter had fried all its bulbs – the two headlight bulbs, the side light bulbs, the tail light bulbs, the number plate bulb and the instrument panel bulbs. The stator was overcharging the bike. It has done this before. Well some cars did not like it and flashed at me a lot. I had to rush home before it got completely dark.
However its all part of the adventure. I had a good day. The scootering days are nearly over for the year. I hate that.