Rogue Runners in Scotland 2021 *Photos added here*

[DJ.]

We are currently staying in Strathpeffer and driving the fantastic roads in the Highlands. Tony is doing a great job writing up each day on his blog, so I thought why not let you guys read that rather than wait until we are back:

http://blatterbeast.blogspot.com/?m=1

[ChrisL]

Thanks for the heads up, I hadn't noticed the new posts on the blog. Hope today's weather stays with you

Edit: Seems I'll have to remember to reject video calls from Tony, just in case!!!

[SJLB]

Have a great time guys !!

[DJ.]

Day 1, I didn't take many photos, here's one in the car park at ?Grassington? in the Dales, the car park was expensive with a very long queue so we went on to Tebay for tea

Day 2 Selkirk tp Strathpeffer via the Cairngorms and the Tomintoul road- great rods but very cold and wet as we went north. I took a detour to the Forth rail bridge:

Here we are driving up Glenshee

And a viaduct somewhere near our destination

[DJ.]

Day 3 was wet, but supposed to be drier in the west so we headed to Skye. Roof stayed up all day unfortunately, but this was the only day it did

Dat 4 we headed east to the A9 before turning inland to head north on a single track with great views. Unfortunately our satnavs took a shortcut up a very potholed track with lots of grass. It was so bad it destroyed Roger's number plate and a local stopped him to help him remove it as it was caught under his Elise!

Once we reached the north coast road, we looked for coffee, but most places were closed, finally we found a nice spot and the weather really warmed up:

The Ben Wyvis hotel was a great base and looked after us well, but had seen better days:

[DJ.]

Day 5 we went to Applecross. Stopped for petrol at Lochcarron

Then we headed up the pass, at the top it was in cloud so a bit damp and miserable but weather down in applecross was great again. We stopped for a coffee, but it wasn't very good.

Further up the coast the roads improve and Robert, Tony and I stopped for a very nice coffee and cake at Shieldaig.

[DJ.]

Day 6 and with great weather, we discussed a route and I suggested a loop starting near Kylesku bridge that a biker had told me was brilliant. We didn't have a route on the satnav, but there were only about 4 turns so how could we go wrong!

Well it all fell apart at Ullapool, I pulled into a car park to get everyone together, but we then missed the fact Tony had parted up and Linda was in a huge queue for petrol. We couldn't find the official car park and ended up with me leading to Kylesku, only I missed the turn and we ended up in Lochinver for coffee where we found that Linda's car had boiled and Tony was helping her back to the hotel.

We proceeded to try the loop in the opposite direction planned, but it was very narrow and we ended up in a dead end in a caravan park! Here are some photos taken at Kylesku:

To try and salvage something from the day, I suggested we head to Lairg and then back towards Dingwall, which worked well but I managed to lose the other three in Lairg when I couldn't find the visitor centre they had gone to!

[DJ.]

Day 7 was our final day in the Highlands and the routes went west again. Linda was in Tony's Cactus as we were waiting for a new fan from CBS (they had sent me a new clutch master cylinder earlier in the week too!). We headed up to Lairg again and then to the north coast on a different and rather beautiful road and then followed the coast road around the top left corner and back to Ullapool, beautiful scenery, brilliant roads and sunshine . The only prolem is that at the first break at Tongue, the pub refused to just serve coffee/cakes despite not being at all busy and the Scourie coffee shop had shut early...........it is very difficult to give your money away in that area!

[DJ.]

Day 8 had a great drive along the bank of Loch Ness, but a normally nice drive down Glencoe truned into a drag with constant traffic coming the other way stopping any overtaking and long stretches of average speed limits. We all got separated and most cut the route short, all credit to those who did it all! Sorry no photos.

Day 9 we had arranged to meet Robert from the Scottich Kit Car Club in his very rapid Quantum. He arrived at breakfast time having already done 97 miles! We did an excellent route on B roads devised by Graham , Our Robert had a minor incident which meant we had to go back and help him get going, so we went for coffee- shut again! Then we planned to regroup at a petrol station and lost Robert (from Scotland) and had to send him the longitude/latitude! After that we finished the route and everyone had a good time. Here are photos to prove it happened:

[graham b]

A little bit of scotland....
driving along side the Loch with a couple of overtakes

https://youtu.be/h6bOAtWKFvc