A late in the year scooter trip (190 miles).
I had to get a trip in before the winter closes in. Daylight is short enough and it is getting cold. However today had an amazing forecast and the day lived up to the forecast. I first went down to the bank to drop off a collection from the church. I then headed over to Inverness to see my mum and collect a prescription for her at the pharmacy. She gave me a coffee before heading on my way.
I headed East using the Croy and Cawdor back roads to Auldearn. This is somewhere out there. Autumn trees, autumn colours, autumn shadows.
At Forres I headed out to Edinvale hoping to keep to back roads and avoid Elgin. Near Rafford I tried to get a picture of this pig at a pig farm but it went crazy and started running round its paddock making complaining noises. I had to zoom the camera. I went to take a road at Birnie Kirk but as I went up there was a sign “Mud on Road”. It wasn’t kidding. I nearly came off the scooter. It was a pig-farm again and what a mess they had made of the public road. They had also closed off the road so I had to go back and come out at Elgin. Elgin is a disaster of roundabouts. I just decided to follow the A96 to Keith as all the roads the satnav tried to take me were marked as closed.
Somewhere out here I picked up the nail last year in my back tyre which led to an aborted trip.
I was so filthy after that pig-farm road that I stopped at the public toilet to clean up. I took the rubber mats off the floor panels to clean them. I also had to clean my boots.
Then it was Tesco to pick up petrol.
This is just above Keith, beautiful countryside.
I stopped in a layby at a place called Haggieshaw Wood. I had taken my old camping stove and a tub of curried noodles which I ‘cooked’. I made another ‘Scooter Gourmet’ video. Too many people came into the layby and you get a bit self conscious making a video.
My delicious curry.
I had to make better time so I kept going and took less photos.
Dufftown.
Ben Rinnes
The old pack horse bridge at Glenlivet.
Looking down to Tomachlaggan.
I by-passed Grantown on Spey and headed by Duthill to Carrbridge. The day was cooling now but what an amazing day for November. I then took my favourite back-roads by Slochd and Farr to Inverness. This is where you cut into the wilds.
I stopped before the road really climbs to get something to eat.
Don’t you hate how the wild parts are spoiled. Good old Scottish Nationalists energy policy. Cover Scotland in windfarms.
The sun is going down. The days are so short. Look at the altitude.
And down to Loch Farr. It was then down to Inverness.
I crossed the Kessock Bridge and took the A9 home instead of back-roads. The daylight was fading fast. What a great day for November. There is nothing quite like a solo scooter trip.