Jegs Blog

Norton Owners Club Tay Valley and Northumbria Branches annual get together in Town Yetholm.

I had left Perth in glorious sunshine and warmth, to be met with fog at Glenfarg which lasted all the way till Kelso. At least the tent was put up in the dry, but the ground was soaking from the previous days rain. A great night in the pub as always catching up with folks, some not seen since the same time last year. The Sunday morning was dreich and everything was soaking wet meant everyone just wanted to get the bikes packed and get on their way. The run home was a mixture of muddy roads and thick fog again over Soutra, just as bleak as the previous day. It was an uneventful run home filtering for miles along the Edinburgh bypass. Almost back to square one with the bike gear and tent all dried out, worth it for a couple of days on the bike.

Food stop in Kelso

Foggy squint phone box

Dreich morning

Packing up

The Rondelli's heading home.

After first seeing the Ratagan Pass on a tv programme in 2019 about a classic car, it had been on my mind to have a ride over it on the bike and have a trip on the Glenelg ferry, which is the last manually operated turntable ferry in the world. We had originally planned to do it last year and had booked a night at the Kinloch campsite in Dunvegan as I hadn't been further north in Skye than Portree before. Luck would have it that I did my back in the day before we were due to go, the campsite were good and kept our booking open for a year. The plan was to use the bikes as much as possible during our July holiday. We had a quiet run up the A9 and the most enjoyable run along Loch Laggan and Loch Lochy with our first fuel stop at Invergarry. The weather was still on our side as we made our way along Loch Cluanie giving me a chance to open the taps on the Big Yam a few times, sheer joy all the way to our turn off to the Ratagan Pass at Shiel Bridge. We had the pass almost to ourselves for an enjoyable run over, with a quick stop for photos and at the Shore Station Cafe for refreshments, whilst the ferry was on its way over to Skye. We did have an altercation trying to get on the ferry with a Dutch couple trying to reverse their campervan closer and closer to me, the Yam doesn't have a reverse gear, and paddling it uphill fully laden is no easy task. Words were exchanged before we boarded the ferry. Most of the 9 mile single track was good surface and stunning views all the way to its junction with the A87. We made our way on empty roads, stopping at Sligachan to see the Cuillin mountains and get something to eat, very much a tourist hotspot with busloads disembarking, some believing the fairy tale dooking their faces in the river for 7 seconds, supposedly giving you eternal beauty, we obviously didn't need to give it a try 😂 Arriving at the campsite we didn't have to wait to get shown some available camping spots and the amenities. The tent was put up and with a quick dicht and a change of clothes, we made our way into Dunvegan for our tea and a couple of beers. After retiring to the lounge we had lots of blethers with mostly with Dutch and an American. The next morning nothing was open for breakfast to non residents, thankfully I had brought the trusty stove and kettle for a cup of tea and a breakfast bar which had to do us till we got to the Sligachan Hotel again, which wasn't open till 11am and after waiting, there was nothing but tea/coffee and cakes. The Yam's gears were playing up even more than they had on the way up, I couldn't get down to 3rd or below, having to go up to 5th then it would engage 4th then 3rd etc, junctions and uphill were a right pain, especially when we had been on our way up over the pass. We stopped for breakfast at Eilean Donan Castle, it was pretty busy but food was needed. We had a fine run home with our last stop at The Apiary cafe in Dalwhinnie, a refreshing positive attitude and even serving hot food past 3pm, well worth a visit. Our Ratagan Pass and Skye run turned out to be worth the wait with great weather, and non weekend empty roads. I changed and bled the Yam's clutch which that has cured the problem thankfully.

Bikes packed up for our travels

Garage tea, canny beat it 😂

Ratagan Pass viewpoint

Self explanatory

Missed this one

Cafe stop before the next ferry

On the ferry

Looking like great weather down Kyle Rhea

Road to Broadford from Kylerhea

The Cuillin mountains

The Collie and MacKenzie statue

Tent up and bikes parked

Beautiful scenery to wake up to

Bubbling pools

Dunvegan

Not breakfast stop at Sligachan

Eilean Donan Castle

Keeping with using the bikes this week, we had another quiet mid week run, this time up Glenshee into Aberdeenshire, stopping in Potarch to see the Dinnie Stanes. The Potarch Cafe where they are kept was a great find, which helped me fuel up for my arsing about trying to lift the Stanes, being chained together and with a combined weight of 332.49kg, it wasn't easy but I'm sure there was daylight under the smaller one honest. With my back still intact, we got on the bikes and retraced our route, this time stopping at the Glenshee cafe. Another great run with a few miles added.

Attempting the Dinnie Stanes

Refreshment stop at Glenshee

We had both bikes booked for Mot's at Burnbrae on the Saturday morning, thankfully both passed and the weather was still on our side. Since we had started out west, we had planned on a circular route to Inveraray and back, the first stop being at one of our favourite cafes, the Artisan Cafe just before Tyndrum for good food and pleasant staff. A quick stop for fuel at Tyndrum then over the hill into Inveraray. It was pretty warm so we hunted out an ice cream shop and sat at the sun people watching.

Our return journey was by the Rest and Be Thankful and Loch Lomond, it was pretty quiet compared to peak tourist season, but I wont hurry back to be on that road. Another great day out on the bikes in the sunshine.