The Shortest Ride of The Year (SRoTY) has established itself, since its original inception in 2019, disrupted by world events in 2020 but resurrected in 2021 and now
again in 2022, as the end of year blow out.
A simple concept – ride from the east coast/or eastern part of the British Isles at sun rise and arrive on the western side of the country at sunset. Semi-Top Gear style, not
quite enough hours according to sat nav but somehow achievable.
This year’s event ride from Peterhead to Neist Point on Skye was, on paper, one such ‘Top Gear’ challenge.
For the week previous the country was in the grips of the ‘Troll from Trondheim’ (thanks to the media), unusual low temperatures and snow that much of Britain on the whole doesn’t experience until the following year.
Constant checking of weather apps and websites suggested the temperature would have an abrupt about turn and the country would be basking in the usual
temperatures seen at Christmas over the last thirty years.
And so it came to pass, and the temperatures behaved and the road conditions improved and the four wise idiots embarked upon their journey north.
The day dawned, the weather was warm (5 degrees), a little rain, strong winds to cause tracker alerts, but no snow and no ice.
A few minor issues, the zip pull on the very expensive Chinese made bike gear with the Scandinavian branding broke (for the sixth time). Fortunately, when zipped up.
Second, the FJR had starting issues at the first photo point, but eventually fired up and we were off.
The route saw us travel along the northern edge of the Aberdeenshire countryside, a good three numbered A road with some good bends to work the grey matter to end
up in MacDuff and Banff.
Banff saw us take on a flock of Seagulls – not the eighties new wave beat combo but a large flock of birds more intent on fighting for road kill than oncoming traffic. Feathers, squawking, flapping, eyes closed…... but fortunately, no damage except a few wing marks on fairings.
Out on to the A98, temperatures steady at around 8 degrees, sun breaking through promised storm clouds, through the towns of Portsoy, into the county of Moray
through Cullen and past the Bell’s whiskey distillery, through Elgin, Nairn and into the Highlands.
Saturday Christmas traffic easily despatched.
On to the first scheduled petrol stop at Tesco with a catch up, before a short ride along the A9 to Tore roundabout where we headed to Ullapool and possible issues.
None came to pass and the four wise idiots continued on to Gorston where we turned on to the A832 and headed to Achnasheen.
An excellent road, mountain views obscured by the low cloud occasional showers but none of the poor road conditions of the previous week allowed steady progress, light traffic, a wet road but generally good grip save for a few locations of gravel washout and pot holes.
At Achnasheen we turned on to the A890 and continued through wonderful scenery. Little interruption by the weather allowed steady progress until Lair where
the roads narrows as its passes Loch Dughaill.
Left turn at A890 and we headed for Strathcarron along the shore of Loch Carron through the Strathcarron Tunnel over the mountain to drop onto the A87.
Once on the A87 it was a pleasant run along the shores of Loch Alsh with the bridge in the distance looming ever closer.
A little windy over the bridge before turning right and heading to an informal fuel and rest halt at Co-op Broadford.
Two of the four elected to stop a sample the delights of the local tabernacle and re-fuel while the two had re-fuelled earlier continued.
Clouds had broken and the vagaries of different sat nav systems came to the fore. For the most part different systems had followed the same route by once on Skye, one system went to Neist via Portree, Skeabost Bridge and through the clouds to Dunvegan and the other system went a different way turning left at Sligachan Old Bridge to follow the coast.
Arriving at Neist, the four wise idiots embarked on the most difficult part of the task, negotiating the steps and path to the lighthouse viewing point along with a large number of Far Eastern students who arrived on mass to watch the setting of the sun over North and South Uist.
After a scramble back to the top - in full bike gear, we beat a hasty retreat back along the road to Kyle of Lochalsh, negotiating twisty roads in failing light to the relative warmth of that night’s hotel, with beers, steak and ale pies, the bewilderment of bar patrons of what we had undertaken and where we had come from and the simplicity of a bent paper clip allowing escape from the straight jacket.
9.00am was the grand depart, and with the paper clip being substituted for a more robust zip tie, we departed for home with respects being paid at the Commando Memorial.
A superb way to end the riding year, fabulous scenery on empty roads.
again in 2022, as the end of year blow out.
A simple concept – ride from the east coast/or eastern part of the British Isles at sun rise and arrive on the western side of the country at sunset. Semi-Top Gear style, not
quite enough hours according to sat nav but somehow achievable.
This year’s event ride from Peterhead to Neist Point on Skye was, on paper, one such ‘Top Gear’ challenge.
For the week previous the country was in the grips of the ‘Troll from Trondheim’ (thanks to the media), unusual low temperatures and snow that much of Britain on the whole doesn’t experience until the following year.
Constant checking of weather apps and websites suggested the temperature would have an abrupt about turn and the country would be basking in the usual
temperatures seen at Christmas over the last thirty years.
And so it came to pass, and the temperatures behaved and the road conditions improved and the four wise idiots embarked upon their journey north.
The day dawned, the weather was warm (5 degrees), a little rain, strong winds to cause tracker alerts, but no snow and no ice.
A few minor issues, the zip pull on the very expensive Chinese made bike gear with the Scandinavian branding broke (for the sixth time). Fortunately, when zipped up.
Second, the FJR had starting issues at the first photo point, but eventually fired up and we were off.
The route saw us travel along the northern edge of the Aberdeenshire countryside, a good three numbered A road with some good bends to work the grey matter to end
up in MacDuff and Banff.
Banff saw us take on a flock of Seagulls – not the eighties new wave beat combo but a large flock of birds more intent on fighting for road kill than oncoming traffic. Feathers, squawking, flapping, eyes closed…... but fortunately, no damage except a few wing marks on fairings.
Out on to the A98, temperatures steady at around 8 degrees, sun breaking through promised storm clouds, through the towns of Portsoy, into the county of Moray
through Cullen and past the Bell’s whiskey distillery, through Elgin, Nairn and into the Highlands.
Saturday Christmas traffic easily despatched.
On to the first scheduled petrol stop at Tesco with a catch up, before a short ride along the A9 to Tore roundabout where we headed to Ullapool and possible issues.
None came to pass and the four wise idiots continued on to Gorston where we turned on to the A832 and headed to Achnasheen.
An excellent road, mountain views obscured by the low cloud occasional showers but none of the poor road conditions of the previous week allowed steady progress, light traffic, a wet road but generally good grip save for a few locations of gravel washout and pot holes.
At Achnasheen we turned on to the A890 and continued through wonderful scenery. Little interruption by the weather allowed steady progress until Lair where
the roads narrows as its passes Loch Dughaill.
Left turn at A890 and we headed for Strathcarron along the shore of Loch Carron through the Strathcarron Tunnel over the mountain to drop onto the A87.
Once on the A87 it was a pleasant run along the shores of Loch Alsh with the bridge in the distance looming ever closer.
A little windy over the bridge before turning right and heading to an informal fuel and rest halt at Co-op Broadford.
Two of the four elected to stop a sample the delights of the local tabernacle and re-fuel while the two had re-fuelled earlier continued.
Clouds had broken and the vagaries of different sat nav systems came to the fore. For the most part different systems had followed the same route by once on Skye, one system went to Neist via Portree, Skeabost Bridge and through the clouds to Dunvegan and the other system went a different way turning left at Sligachan Old Bridge to follow the coast.
Arriving at Neist, the four wise idiots embarked on the most difficult part of the task, negotiating the steps and path to the lighthouse viewing point along with a large number of Far Eastern students who arrived on mass to watch the setting of the sun over North and South Uist.
After a scramble back to the top - in full bike gear, we beat a hasty retreat back along the road to Kyle of Lochalsh, negotiating twisty roads in failing light to the relative warmth of that night’s hotel, with beers, steak and ale pies, the bewilderment of bar patrons of what we had undertaken and where we had come from and the simplicity of a bent paper clip allowing escape from the straight jacket.
9.00am was the grand depart, and with the paper clip being substituted for a more robust zip tie, we departed for home with respects being paid at the Commando Memorial.
A superb way to end the riding year, fabulous scenery on empty roads.
