Camping up North....way up North.

Last weekend we headed up to Torridon, which is on Scotlands North West coast. It is beautiful, but it was wet. However, we had a great, if slightly mad time. There were meant to be about 8-10 of us, but all sorts of complications meant that instead there were 4. Penny, myself, Danny and Ally made the almost 5 hour drive up north after work on Friday. We arrived seperately on Friday night but found each other using the general rule of "if Scott is lost check the closest pub". We also found a couple of young lassies up for a laugh...Jess from Oz, and Maddie from Sweden, both were nannies over here and up to explore the highlands for the weekend. We all had a couple of drinks, and game of scrabble in the pub, then headed back to the campsite where at 1am we didn't want to wake the neighbours, but we did want to continue our wee party....so off to the ladies loo it was. This is where things got a wee bit mad...but a photo is worth a thousand words...so you can decide how mad yourself.

The next day the girls had left, and Ally, Pen, Danny and myself were left to our devices, Pen and I got up to go get breakfast, and feasted on a breakfast buffet before realising it was set out for hotel residents, not grubby, smelly campers like us .... oops. We deliberated whether we should just walk out and pretend that we were hotel guests....but the obvious difference in appearance between the guests and us left us somewhat obviously not showered, and slightly dishevelled. So I fessed up as Penny legged it out the parking lot...£12 for two brekkies, we both agreed we didn't eat enough...if we'd known it was going to be £12 we would have brought some back for Danny and Ally who were trying to get some sleep after the 100mph winds kept them up most the night....I of course slept like the proverbial log, Penny..not so much.
We got back to find Danny and Ally up and just about human, so we decided to go for a bike ride, and kill time till lunch....the ride led us up a dirt path and saw us get rained on every 10 mins or so of the hour or so we were out cycling. It was worth it as we came across a wee rocky shore with rock pools filled with fish, oysters (Penny kept insisting they were muscles until I showed her what real muscles were) and a dead crab...it was cool. There was an awesome view as well. Then we headed back for some lunch, and a game of pool where Danny got heckled by an older woman (in her 80's?) who very clearly scared the bejesus out of him. We headed back to the campsite and the girls went for a nap while Danny and I played guitar and sang (well I warbled off tune, and off beat but hey it was fun) then went for a bike ride to get some more photo's of Torridon.

After getting back from our ride the girls were up and it was time to get the BBQ going as the rain was only a light drizzle with small bursts of sunshine....so after a few trials and tribulations we managed to completely mangle my cauliflour bakes in the process of BBQ'ing them, and on the other end of the spectrum the beef eaters produced some truly inspiring BBQ burgers, it was all good fun even if Danny did produce more smoke than an Indian smokehouse.
After dinner we had a very quick game of frisbee while the sun was out for about 20 mins, then got ready for another big night out at the pub where we played pool for a while, and then had another game of scrabble before being booted out of the pub....at which point we headed back to the campsite and continued our wee party in the car...where smoking breadsticks seemed like a good idea....it was all fun and games until we collectively just about passed out and decided to head to our beds....
We slept in as best we could Sunday morning and then started to head home in the rain, just like when we arrived. We stopped at a wee cafe for lunch, and then opted to skip out on one last bike ride as we were pretty tired, hungover, and dry...but it was a great weekend despite the rain....and I'm looking forward to the next one already!

So the party moved with the ladies, to the ladies.

Domestic, and foreign ladies in the ladies, this is Maddie and Jess
A very happy to be in the ladies with Scott Penny
An absolutely classic photo....
Ally getting ready for a bike ride the next day.

The view from the rock pools and the destination we arrived at after our ride.
Me and my bald spot checking out the view, it was awesome (Danny's photo)
After the bike ride it was time for lunch and pool, Ally showing us how
A photo I took when Danny and I went out for our bike ride...

Photo's around the campsite before Danny and I went for a photo ride...it is a mushroom I swear.
This little dude kept bopping around the campsite, just hanging out with us
Danny and I playing guitar while the girls tried to sleep
Penny in the tent napping, and the view from the campsite.

One of the many waterfalls around Torridon
The sun came out while we were on our photography bike ride...very pretty.
Between the wind and the rain I just couldn't get as good a photo as I would have liked...but they were pretty.

After bike rides, photographs, and naps it was time for food!!
And more beer...I mean, we are camping!
Penny chilling out and becoming smoked "Sammons"
Oor wee fire, after dinner was cooked we converted the BBQ into a campfire!

My pretty little camping fish, with her reggae hat in the pub after dinner.
Same photo...but more pool was had..
Then a wee party in the car that led to smoking breadsticks, well not really smoking them...
Until some Ideot decided to smoke one...there's always one....

WHW again...but a mini version!

So just a few pics, Al, Lynn, Danny, Penny and myself all decided to tackle a section of the West Highland Way, one of my favourite sections. We started in Crianlarich, and cycled to Glencoe where we'd parked the cars earlier. The ride was brilliant with good weather, good company and outstanding views! All topped off with a pub meal and a few pints for those fortunate enough not be driving back! When do we do the next one?

Click on pics for a larger image.............




The data: roughly 26 miles and alot of climbing, the data came from my GPS, take with a pinch of salt!

The route: Crianlarich to Tyndrum, to Bridge of Orchy, to Glencoe, the red dot is where we crossed the motorway and passed the Bridge of Orchy hotel.

The people: Me, Danny and Al...Penny is taking the photo...

And the lovely Lynn

Sweeney taking a break at the top of one of the Climbs out of Crianlarich
All of us getting ready for more climbing

This me a few moments after having a ground/bike/groin interaction

I think the expressions say it all?

Al showing his prowess on the downhill, or at least why the Heckler is such an awesome bike!
Me with a grin and muck smeared across my face after the downhill after climbing the big hill behind Bridge of Orchy

Three happy to be stopped, watered and fed people

Pen in front of a pretty wee stream with some cool sideways rocks

Al happy to be in the middle of nowhere, Lynn happy to be alive?

Pen enjoying the sunshine in the remoteness of Rannoch Moore (or however you spell it)
Some people handled the stress of the ride well...others not so much

Danny was near breaking point...but he held it together for the team.

Lynn finishing up at last...after 26 hard miles we could all head over to the pub for much deserved food and drink...then home to bed...I can say Pen and I slept well!