End of season solar trailer tour

[matthewslack]

After unbeatable weather back in June, my next holiday might be a bit more challenging. Shorter days, sun lower in the sky and definitely not an Indian summer just yet!

There is a rough plan, which starts with three days from home southwards until the sea gets in the way at Mull of Galloway, then cross country via the Forth bridge to somewhere near Peterhead, then to Inverness and a judgement call on days and miles remaining. If it works out, it will be S, E, N and W most points of the Scottish mainland. About 1200 miles, about 17 days.

Day 1 done, routine Oban to Duck Bay via Taynuilt, Tyndrum, Crianlarich, Tarbet. 76 miles, 6 hours and 20 minutes riding time. Nothing broken yet. Battery at 39V and some good conditions in tomorrow's forecast.

New wheel bearings in the trailer wheels, and new faster rolling Road Cruiser tyres, either I'm fitter or it is faster!

Familiar terrain so not many pictures today!

 

[matthewslack]

Unexpectedly tough day 2. Virtually all on cycle path or cycle route, but at least half the distance on woefully rough tarmac surfaces, taking a heavy toll on man and machine!

Very slow going to avoid damage, added to awkward barriers and intricate navigation kept average speed below 10mph. 72 miles in 8 hours of riding, but at least it was almost traffic free!

Morning sunshine.



Cycle path sculpture.



Impressive tall bridge.



Remains of Greenan Castle.



Big clouds over Ayr.



Camp 2, Arran and Holy Isle in the distance.

 

[Oldie]

I figured that you might be heading for Browncarrick Hill so kept an eye out for you on the Greenan Castle track yesterday evening. Must have only missed you by a few minutes.

 

[guerney]

End of season solar trailer tour

It smells like the end of summer too, it's quite depressing. I really should have made more of it.

Sorry to link the following, but I joked about this on one of your solar trailer adventure threads. There's an awful lot of lonely road out there in vast empty privately owned Scottish land. Deffo carry your own shovel, so you can fence and joust with road pirates Errol Flynn-stylee! (Ooarr!)(shiver their timbers!)(you're not allowed a cutlass, sadly [those would shiver anyone's timbers])

Driver who killed cyclist Tony Parsons then buried body is jailed

"left him to die on the A82 near Bridge of Orchy"

"Alexander McKellar's girlfriend left a Red Bull can at the site of the grave

She left a Red Bull can to mark the location before contacting police.

The court heard that Mr Parsons' body would probably never have been found without her revelation."

Driver who killed cyclist Tony Parsons then buried body is jailed

Drink-driver Alexander McKellar knocked Tony Parsons off his bike and left him to die on a country road.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[matthewslack]

Day 3 ending very well, with bright sunshine giving 240W into my solar battery when the forecast had me sitting in the tent in drizzle.

78 fairly slow miles under bright overcast skies with a fair amount of laborious level 1 assist. Almost entirely minor roads, some of them almost deserted, plenty of moderate hills. I called into Stranraer for shopping and to say I had been there, then via Port Logan which is probably lovely in sunshine, not much of Ireland visible, and then the tranquil spot where the lighthouse stands. Here the opposite side of Luce bay and the Isle of Man dominate the view.

I'm camped in sight of the Mull of Galloway lighthouse above a beautiful informal campsite full of end of summer fishing, camping and general seaside family fun. I keep the sun for longer up top, which is good insurance for tomorrow, and allows full use of chargers for phone and GoPro.

Already done the formalities at this first cardinal point, so tomorrow leg 2 begins. Staying off the main roads, aiming south of the Pentland hills and over the old Forth road bridge is as far as the planning has got. Looks like three good weather days to come, so leg 2 part 1 should be plain sailing from an energy point of view.

Two very passable chunky soups for easy dinners, a local rich cake and possibly Morrisons best cheese.



Can't pass Ailsa Craig without comment.



Yellow sheep? Apparently they get a better price at market if they are painted the colour of the day!



Pretty garden in New Luce. I left Route 7 a while back, but the Whithorn way and Southern Uplands way both come through here. The roof is an info point and sheltered seat.



First view of the lighthouse, arrival, and detail view with handy signpost.







Mileposts reduced to the bare minimum and well looked after. N is New Luce, B is Barrhill and later S was Stranraer.





I'm charging still, whilst below the shadows have arrived.

 

[snafu]

Fabulous, an area I know well having stayed in Drummore many times and cycled off to Port Logan, Mull of Galloway, Ardwell bay etc. (Bloody steep hill up to the Mull, but it has a great cafe as a reward). Looks like your campsite was above East Tarbet?

TTFN
John.

 

[matthewslack]

Fabulous, an area I know well having stayed in Drummore many times and cycled off to Port Logan, Mull of Galloway, Ardwell bay etc. (Bloody steep hill up to the Mull, but it has a great cafe as a reward). Looks like your campsite was above East Tarbet?

TTFN
John.

Yes, great little spot I never knew existed. I've sailed past here many times, in some interesting conditions, but never been here onshore before. There's a yacht anchored off the beach in perfect shelter, not that it's needed tonight.

 

[matthewslack]

Bright morning sunshine had my solar battery full as I set off, but it didn't last and most of the morning was drizzly showers and bright overcast between. The miles went by easily on minor roads mainly, with the odd bit of small A road, pleasant enough but would be better in sunshine.

I just followed the R73 and then R7 signs, until the gem that is Wigtown appeared. Proper sunshine for an extended lunch and welcome charge, accompanied by the sound of turning pages from every direction.

I resisted the acquisition of a library and continued through Newton Stewart and Gatehouse of Fleet to Carrick foreshore and a few minutes of sun at a good enough camping spot.

I've ridden 80 miles on the excellent cycle route, but still several miles short of Kirkcudbright, which in theory was only 63 miles by road. Worth the extra to avoid the A75, but a substantial overhead all the same.

A short day tomorrow, just over 50 miles to Lockerbie where I have a 9am appointment on Wednesday to catch up with my bad driving reporting admin.

Monochrome sea and sky .



Impressive railway architecture in the rain.



Looking back towards the Mull.



Those mileposts again. Glen Luce and Port William I think.



Wigtown centre. Paved one way, lovely enclosed garden the other. The trailer tilt shows how low the sun is even just an hour after solar noon at this time of year.





Something about rare fish in Newton Stewart.



Glad that one was downhill.



Impressive houses in Gatehouse of Fleet.



A little bit of single track on route 7.

 

[matthewslack]

A day of two halves, before Dumfries and after.

Perfect sunny start and a fairly short day ahead so a lazy getaway with my somewhat depleted battery getting the benefit of panels pointing at the sun for an hour and a half. Almost full by the time I set off.

A long chat with a local farmer, whose opening line was 'you win the prize!', by which he meant I was the first proper wild camper he'd seen on his local patch. All the others have cars or vans...

More lovely cycle route and villages, and proper cycle path links where minor roads don't quite reach the destination. I'll come back here.

I ventured off the route to look at a couple of bays that looked inviting on the map. One was, the other a bit private.

Then Kirkcudbright a bit early for lunch, but a good baker for pies and an attractive place to pause, then on to Castle Douglas and a prime lochside bench in the park for tea pie and charge.

More good riding until the outskirts of Dumfries where some really good new infrastructure is under construction, but the new sign pointing to the old cycleway to the town centre is plain wrong! Took me out of town, signs ran out, path on map was closed...so backtrack and road into town.

Dumfries centre is probably excellent if you live there, but very hard to move around on a bike from A to B. All one way, pedestrianised and needing prior knowledge to get through. So several wrong ways up short link streets and a ride up a pedestrianised bit to try to find the police station. No one available to report today's horror story, so that goes on the list for tomorrow. Few of them except the first day, but the bad ones are really bad.

Then more interesting riding than intended for the last few miles to Lockerbie via Lochmaben as I enthusiastically rode up a substantial hill on what the OS map said was a road, but in reality is a farm track, complete with gates and electric fence barriers. In for a penny, in for a pound, so I put it down to experience and carried on.

I rejected the chance of a campsite for £25 as taking the Michael for me and my tiny tent, so a final few miles to outskirts of Lockerbie and a verge I know from previous trips. My short day became 70 miles in the end, compared with route planner road distance of just 45! Other than the shenanigans in Dumfries I wouldn't change a bit of it.

Tomorrow, police statements, a small repair job and perhaps Edinburgh via the smallest roads I can find.

Ready to roll from one of the best camp spots of the year.



I accidentally left a GoPro battery sitting on the trailer...still there when I remembered 10 miles later!



Kirkcudbright waterfront from the unusual concrete bridge arches.



Impressive roofless building in Kirkcudbright. Who's that sitting in the window?



Is this the southernmost @Wisper dealer in Scotland?



Castle Douglas Loch and park. Very attractive, and a great kids play park too.





That road: disbelief at the end of the tarmac and rewarded by the view.

 

[matthewslack]

Day 5 started with an appointment at a police station that had not been notified to them, so a bit of confusion before statements given and the day proper could begin.

I took the smallest roads north from Lockerbie, via Castle O'er, Eskdalemuir, Ettrick to Innerleithen for a late lunch, then onwards to the outskirts of Edinburgh. Wild and remote, with mostly good road surfaces as this is a timber transport route. Other than the regular timber lorries, almost no traffic until after lunch.

It was a good bright day, so easy running in level 2 mostly, just as well given the hills. This day was my passage through the Southern Uplands, a real geographical landmark on the journey.

By the end, I was about 10 miles short of the Forth bridge, and camped on a nicely mown area opposite an Asda with useful clumps of shrubs keeping me out of sight. Needs must.

After six days, the total mileage is 456, average of 76 and the forecast looks kind. Inverness in another four days looks about right.

Ready to roll from my Lockerbie camp.



Charging whilst waiting for police station to open.



I saw no castle, but love the name.



Late harvest just before Eskdalemuir.



Bales and signs at Ettrick.



One of few road junctions, and a less than welcoming hostelry.





Forestry country.



This innocuous bend after 60 odd miles of fields and forests in narrow valleys...



...brings you to a wide open 180 degree view with Edinburgh and the Forth laid out below.

 

[guerney]

No one available to report today's horror story, so that goes on the list for tomorrow. Few of them except the first day, but the bad ones are really bad.

What happened?

Day 5 started with an appointment at a police station that had not been notified to them, so a bit of confusion before statements given and the day proper could begin.

I do hope that was regarding a UFO.


Bonnybridge – Most UFO Sightings on the planet
‘The Falkirk Triangle’ averages around 300 UFO sightings per year

Bonnybridge – Most UFO Sightings on the planet

Watching for Aliens Scotland has a fantastic reputation as a tourist destination, the dark rolling mountains, the crystal clear lochs and misty glens. Every year thousands of visitors flock to Scotland from America, Japan, Europe and um err Outer Space! But strangely our little green...

www.scotclans.com

 

[saneagle]

Bonnybridge – Most UFO Sightings on the planet
‘The Falkirk Triangle’ averages around 300 UFO sightings per year

When I was at uni, I went out with a girl from Bonnybridge, so I visited it many times. She lived in Drove Lone. I did look out for UFOs, but I never saw one. If aliens were going to come to this planet, I can't see any reason why they'd choose Bonnybridge over Chelmsford or Leighton Buzzard, and it's a bit strange that they're seeing 300 a year, but nobody can get a photo or autograph.

We all hope that the aliens will come and save us, but, sadly, it's just another hoax to scare you into accepting tyranny.

 

[guerney]

When I was at uni, I went out with a girl from Bonnybridge, so I visited it many times. I did look out for UFOs, but I never saw one. It's a bit strange that they're seeing 300 a year, but nobody can get a photo or autograph.

Were you drinking what Bonnybridgers were drinking?

LSD Beer and the Origin of Witches
https://www.mclaughlinpc.com/blogs/lsd-beer-and-the-origin-of-witches

I had drunk a lot of Guinness when a short time after uni, I saw a big gold croissant shaped unidentified object streak silently right across the clear night sky from right to left within a couple of seconds at high altitude, while minding my own business sitting on a bench atop a hill near a military case. Too large to be a satellite, also too fast to be a plane. No, I don't believe we're visited by aliens, and I haven't seen it since or anything like. I'm actually rather annoyed I saw it. Gone off Guinness is my explanation.

We all hope that the aliens will come and save us, but, sadly, it's just another hoax to scare you into accepting tyranny.

" In the darkest days of the cold war, the military lied to the American public about the true nature of many unidentified flying objects in an effort to hide its growing fleets of spy planes, a Central Intelligence Agency study says."

C.I.A. Admits Government Lied About U.F.O. Sightings (Published 1997)

Central Intelligence Agency study says military lied to American public about true nature of many unidentified flying objects in effort to hide its growing fleets of spy planes in darkest days of cold war; deceptions were made in 1950's and 60's amid wave of UFO sightings that alarmed public and...

www.nytimes.com

 

[saneagle]

Were you drinking what Bonnybridgers were drinking?

LSD Beer and the Origin of Witches
https://www.mclaughlinpc.com/blogs/lsd-beer-and-the-origin-of-witches

I had drunk a lot of Guinness when a short time after uni, I saw a big gold croissant shaped unidentified object streak silently right across the clear night sky from right to left within a couple of seconds at high altitude, while minding my own business sitting on a bench atop a hill near a military case. No, I don't believe we're visited by aliens, and I haven't seen it since or anything like. I'm actually rather annoyed I saw it. Gone off Guinness is my explanation.




" In the darkest days of the cold war, the military lied to the American public about the true nature of many unidentified flying objects in an effort to hide its growing fleets of spy planes, a Central Intelligence Agency study says."

C.I.A. Admits Government Lied About U.F.O. Sightings (Published 1997)

Central Intelligence Agency study says military lied to American public about true nature of many unidentified flying objects in effort to hide its growing fleets of spy planes in darkest days of cold war; deceptions were made in 1950's and 60's amid wave of UFO sightings that alarmed public and...

www.nytimes.com

If enough people look long enough for UFOs, somebody will see one and tell their friends about it. The military can then pretend that they have man-made secret aircraft based on UFO technology that they reverse engineered. That's in the hope that their enemies will believe them and be too scared to give them aggro. Some are probably stupid enough to fall for it. After all, you can see how many people believe in Aliens.

You have to ask yourself why do the BBC keep recycling the old videos "leaked" from the military, who say that they have no idea what the thing on the video is, when they've all been debunked and explained by rank amateurs on youtube.

This was the last one, though the BBC have repeated other previous ones since. debunking the green triangles starts about half-way through:

It's a bit like climate change. Any climatologist knows about Milankovich Cycles and other climate cycles. They're very consistent, and they show that the CO2 levels match exactly with temperature. Some years ago, politicians and other tyrannists figured out that the cycles were all ascending, so both temperature and CO2 were going up, and they could blame it on normal people and use it to leverage their tyrrany. People are very religious, so they accept these new religions extremely easily. You could say that they're gullible, but pride prevents people from accepting that.

 

[matthewslack]

Today was highly successful although rather short. I've been carrying a trailer injury since the ferocious road and path surfaces of day 2, and late yesterday my temporary fixes failed and a fracture of the main tube of my fourth axle occurred.

Cutlery and several large cable ties got me the last few miles to Screwfix before closing time last night, where I bought a 6mm drill bit and a pack of 5 hacksaw blades.

This morning I rebuilt the axle by sawing off the cracked end, discarding the broken one, turning mounts round to make the mounting holes accessible, tapping the steel stub axle sockets back into place, making new holes with Swiss army knife bradawl and new drill bit, trimming the wood adapter and sawing off the handbrake holes from the inside face of the wheel hubs.

Then just 8 nuts and bolts to put it back together and another couple of cable ties to provide enough friction to stop the sockets migrating outwards, and I have axle number 4b, as good as new. Just enough length remains to fix one end again should that be necessary.

Huge sigh of relief, as although it seemed a possible repair, it was quite challenging on the roadside. In its 4a guise it managed about 3,000 miles, so should see me through the next 8-900.

As a result, I didn't start until 11:45, although I took full advantage of perfect charging conditions whilst fixing axles and left with solar battery, both phones and all GoPro batteries fully charged.

In the end I'm content to have made Perth, back on the banks of the Tay where I spent a soggy night last summer. It is now a slight stretch to make Inverness in three more days, as I want to visit a whole set of coastal places new to me, not just Peterhead harbour for the eastmost point. I'm probably fine for time, but this is no walk in the park!

Axle state before surgery.



During...





That looks better!





Random Edinburgh street scene.



Bridges as impressive as ever.





Finally escaping into countryside north of Dunfermline.

 

[matthewslack]

What happened?




I do hope that was regarding a UFO.


Bonnybridge – Most UFO Sightings on the planet
‘The Falkirk Triangle’ averages around 300 UFO sightings per year

Bonnybridge – Most UFO Sightings on the planet

Watching for Aliens Scotland has a fantastic reputation as a tourist destination, the dark rolling mountains, the crystal clear lochs and misty glens. Every year thousands of visitors flock to Scotland from America, Japan, Europe and um err Outer Space! But strangely our little green...

www.scotclans.com

Big van diving through a gap between me one side and oncoming car the other, with less than 100mm space to the car. It's driver would have had a bit of a shock.

The other three reports are from day 1, on the A85 and A82 unavoidable sections, just the worst of 20 or so bad incidents in about 50 miles. A classic 'follow through', where driver of second vehicle has not seen oncoming motorcyclist, a 'down the middle' merchant, planting themselves dead centre on the white lines and forcing a third lane where there are only two, leaving inches either side to me and oncoming cars, and a big rigid box lorry overtaking into the face of an oncoming SUV towing large rigid inflatable boat and having to cut in to avoid a collision.

All pretty run of the mill on those sections of those roads!

 

[guerney]

Big van diving through a gap between me one side and oncoming car the other, with less than 100mm space to the car. It's driver would have had a bit of a shock.

The other three reports are from day 1, on the A85 and A82 unavoidable sections, just the worst of 20 or so bad incidents in about 50 miles. A classic 'follow through', where driver of second vehicle has not seen oncoming motorcyclist, a 'down the middle' merchant, planting themselves dead centre on the white lines and forcing a third lane where there are only two, leaving inches either side to me and oncoming cars, and a big rigid box lorry overtaking into the face of an oncoming SUV towing large rigid inflatable boat and having to cut in to avoid a collision.

All pretty run of the mill on those sections of those roads!

All that sounds horrendous! But sadly, unsurprising - it can be hair-raising towing trailers during the day, which is why I took to towing very early mornings and very late at night. There are fewer opportunistic lunatics early morning, depending on how early. Neither times are any good for a solar trailer however, unless somenight:

The Dark Twin of a Solar Cell Generates Electricity at Night From Thermal Radiation

Scientists from the University of New South Wales found a way to generate electricity from the thermal radiation escaping our planet at night

www.autoevolution.com

Did you provide original photos or video as evidence? While providing evidence to the police in the past, I've observed that they do check media timestamps and sometimes other metadata (which can of course be manipulated to match the originals) and insist on originals. Although I haven't reported any crazy drivers yet (nothing's happened for awhile, thanks to the Oxford), I keep original videos for a couple of weeks, in case I decide to do so.

I'm going to give you earache again... about mounting an Oxford fold out safety arm/reflector to your right handlebar, because I believe doing so would reduce drivers risking your safety and others. It's not just me who has experienced their extraordinary driver repulsing effect - @WheezyRider and @trevor brooker have reported their sidearms also work. I didn't actually believe @WheezyRider's account of how effective his 3D printed safety arm was, until I assembled and tried a version myself.

A simple way to affix a Oxford safety reflector to your rhs handlebar end, would be by utilising a small but strong right angled bracket (use two, if one isn't strong enough), a wingbolt, wingnut and two washers: Using the handlebar-endcap bolt, bolt through the right angle bracket and a washer into rhs handlebar end, then bolt a wingbolt through the bracket and Oxford safety arm and another washer. Tighten the wingnut just enough to overcome wind resistance, in case one of those vehicles hits the reflector - in a collision you want it to move out of the way, so your direction of travel isn't altered (I tested mine by running my reflector into lamp posts and railings). So far, no vehicle has ever collided with my front mounted Oxford safety arm - I think it's because they're nervous of damaging their paintwork. The wider you look on the road at initial glance, the safer you'll be, and drivers should see the Oxford sticking out beyond the width of your trailer. I also don't get vehicles cutting in alarmingly close in front anymore. And instead of zooming by a few inches away, they safely zoom a few inches away from my Oxford sidearm, which is 39.99cm away from my handlebar. If you want to be considerate on narrow streets, it's easy to fold in. Flipping it in and out really is like an on/off switch for close passing. Other angles are available, to suit your mood.

I'd file off the sharp corners, and you may need to increase hole diameter depending on what size wingbolt you use. "Cyclists are safer sidearmed" - this is the new advertising slogan I'm trying out, because sales have slowed "Drivers must feel the width of the front" was rejected. I'm printing "SIDEARMED CYCLIST!" T-shirts for sale.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/203477513624

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/385138553185

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/321260177558

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Oxford-Fold-Out-Safety-Reflector/dp/B004H1QYG2/


As you know, I used GoPro extension mounts, which also enable stable positioning on the vertical axis:

 

[matthewslack]

Yesterday was very long, more than making up for the previous short one. 109 miles, my second longest day ever, leaving me just short of Aberdeen.

Easy enough on minor roads from Perth to the beginning of Dundee and then the best and longest cycle path I have yet seen along the Angus coast until Arbroath, then continuing on well signed minor roads. It wasn't fast, as not on fast rolling tarmac much of the time, but easy going with great coastal views and straightforward routing through the several towns and villages.

I had hoped for 90 miles, but the end of the day did not present a camping opportunity until after sunset, and I was feeling fine so on I went. A sequence of milestones passed the time, first the 90 miles, then 100, then 1,000km on the trip, until with battery down at 37 volts, an open field with medium length grass beside the railway turned up.

Nice open view to the sea, so getting a good charge now over breakfast with another blue sky day in prospect. I'll reach the second, eastmost, cardinal point today after five and a half days going roughly NNE, and shortly after I make a major turn west for Inverness.

I had a nice response from the company whose van I reported in Lockerbie a couple of days ago: their regular driver on holiday, so an agency driver at wheel. Unlikely to be asked back.

View north to the blue sky shortly after leaving Perth.



Wind turbine tower sections just after Dundee.



Sign after a level crossing, bottom part no doubt intended for traffic going the other way.



Just wide enough, deep into a cycle path section. Could have been trouble.



Arbroath, where the Bell Rock lighthouse project and shore station were based.



Montrose harbour.

,

Impressive railway viaduct on the cycleway.



Lunan bay, lunch stop with farm shop for supplies nearby.



Stonehaven harbour.



Late evening low sun under railway bridge.

 

[matthewslack]

Another fairly long day, but not even close to yesterday's mileage. The overhead in distance to follow cycle routes, and time when they are not top quality is quite high! By 5pm, after 7 hours I had only covered 64 miles. So a late camp as I insisted on getting round the corner past Fraserburgh.

Aberdeen was well provided with cycle paths, many I suspect newer than Sustrans route 1, which delayed me with barriers I could not pass and more than a mile of unpointed cobbles, which I will never ride again. Destructive to everything except a well shod walker.

Cruden Bay for lunch a bit earlier than I like, but it was there. Picnic table and sunny grass, sheltered just enough from the wind.

Then to the business of the day: end of leg 2 formally at the edge of Peterhead harbour, where I attracted the attention of a curious security man, then the remote windswept Rattray Head, the one in the shipping forecast, and eventually the real coastal turning point of Kinnaird Head in Fraserburgh.

By then it was 6pm and overcast, and any idea of getting as far as Macduff was stuff and nonsense. As so often, a convenient camp turned up on cue at a picnic area below a small stone tower.

Sunrise after a cold night.



Aberdeen harbour.



A large rabbit on the cycle path bridge in Aberdeen.



Cruden Bay with kite foilers preparing for action.



Peterhead harbour. Last visited by small sailing yacht in 1997.



The unsalubrious eastmost point, just beyond the Heras fencing.



The seawall at Peterhead.



Rattray Head lighthouse.



Kinnaird Head lighthouse.



Tonight's camp.

 

[matthewslack]

A really good day, finishing with a beach side camp in Nairn as darkness fell having used all the time and energy the day had to give.

91 miles, pushing a severe headwind with full blue sky not arriving until 1pm. I started with less than full battery as I pushed quite hard at the end of yesterday and the forecast had the sun appearing first thing.

The gradual brightening was just enough to keep me going until the sun arrived, and a long lunch with 7 amps going into my battery was almost enough. I rode all afternoon without thinking about it until shopping in Forres I checked the voltage and found it down to 36. A timely gap in the afternoon cloud gave another charging opportunity whilst I passed the time cooking and eating the first course of my dinner.

Another very gentle 10 miles or so with one false start of a camp spot and then a good backup spotted in a shady park by the river, and finally a quiet corner with a park bench and sheltered from the wind.

My route has been off the Sustrans route 1 since Dyce, and mostly follows a signed Coastal Trail driving route on minor roads, so much of the route finding was done for me. I rejoined route 1 at Macduff, and just followed signs for the rest of the day.

This north coast of Aberdeenshire and Moray has a picturesque harbour and village in every nook and cranny, and is worth far more time than I have given it. The whole route from Perth round to Inverness and back over route 7 through the A9 corridor would make a great circular tour.

I have not quite made Inverness today, but after 10 days and 798 miles, I am only 17 road miles or probably 21 cycle route miles short. Not too worried about that as the next few days still look good, and I'm about to rejoin known roads.

Hoping for Dunnet Head in a couple of days, and then there will have to be a proper consideration of time vs distance to choose the route from there.

Four field colours in a row.



Banff, attractive little town, opposite more workmanlike Macduff.



Portsoy, where the harbour side cafe owner was concerned for the welfare of my trailer until I showed him quick release wheels and the increase in amps from angle. Nice to know help is there if needed.



The smiling harbour, I forget which!



Cullen from the cycle path which makes use of the railway viaducts.



Impressive railway bridge over the Spey. Great sound effects from my many wheels as I rode over, almost like the sound of a train on old fashioned fishplated rail.



Fast moving river Spey, where I had lunch just before the bridge.



Remarkable clouds.



Another large rabbit. Can't remember where!



Last light at Nairn, looking over to mouth of Cromarty Firth.