Paging CC Ecosse - Mull and Moidart rides, first week of Sept, 2016?

[Fubar]

I doubt that would be a problem, as Colin says bikes are just strapped together on the car deck - going to/from Islay with 8 of us on 3 different ferries we never had an issue.

 

[fimm]

The road and railway from Fort William to Mallaig have been blocked by a landslide. I'm on my phone so I will leave you to search for more details.

 

[ColinJ]

The road and railway from Fort William to Mallaig have been blocked by a landslide. I'm on my phone so I will leave you to search for more details.

Drat! Thanks for that news - I was on the phone to my sister yesterday and she said that she and several other family members had been planning a day trip on the steam train.

Ah, I just checked ... the line should reopen in a couple of days!

I am hoping that one of them will drop me and my bike off at the ferry on their drive to Fort William and pick me up on their way back.

 

[Edwardoka]

Hopefully they'll have a better experience than I, but I didn't enjoy the steam train at all. Amazing scenery, but the carriages are dirty and noisy, can barely see out the windows because they are so dirty. Better to watch the train passing and do the route via Scotrail (or bike )

 

[ColinJ]

Hopefully they'll have a better experience than I, but I didn't enjoy the steam train at all. Amazing scenery, but the carriages are dirty and noisy, can barely see out the windows because they are so dirty. Better to watch the train passing and do the route via Scotrail (or bike )

Hmm, that doesn't sound great! I didn't realise that conventional trains run on that line too.

 

[Edwardoka]

Hmm, that doesn't sound great! I didn't realise that conventional trains run on that line too.

Tripadvisor reviews for it are largely overwhelmingly positive, and it's well documented that I'm a negative nancy, so YMMV!
Peering at the viaduct for 30 seconds through a murky window didn't really give the full Hogwarts Express vibe. Amazing to watch the train passing through, though - we saw it at Neptune's staircase and it was spectacular, and there were groups of people standing by the side of the road watching and waving.

There were several classes of carriage, we were in standard class (still ~£70!) I imagine if you had your own compartment it would be a lot better!

 

[ColinJ]

I was just looking at the Jacobite Express prices. About £34 for standard class return, which I imagine is what my family members would choose since they are not exactly well off!

The ordinary train costs about £14 off peak day return or £19 any time day return.

 

[Fubar]

Woo woo!

 

[Edwardoka]

Woo woo!

View attachment 139389

Yer a wizard Harry

 

[fimm]

Landslide now cleared, and I can post a link this time:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-37085468

 

[ColinJ]

It looks okay for me to borrow my cousin's bike. I don't have direct contact with that cousin (we have only met once - we are actually second cousins) - I am going through his brother who says that he will check the bike out for me. I already know that the tyres on the bike are perished so I will donate a couple of new ones by way of thanks.

I am still hoping to do the Moidart ride from Corran and may do it with my cousin if he can get a day off work. He will only want to do that if the forecast is ok. That ride would take place on one of the 3 days Mon 5th Sept-Wed 7th. It will probably be an evening before decision. I'll try to post details on the off chance that somebody wants to join us, but my Internet access may be restricted.

I'll do my best to report on my Scottish rides while I am up there but if the Internet access is too bad then I will wait until I get home.

The Mull ride is approaching rapidly - let's keep our fingers crossed for fine weather!

 

[Fubar]

It looks okay for me to borrow my cousin's bike. I don't have direct contact with that cousin (we have only met once - we are actually second cousins) - I am going through his brother who says that he will check the bike out for me. I already know that the tyres on the bike are perished so I will donate a couple of new ones by way of thanks.

I am still hoping to do the Moidart ride from Corran and may do it with my cousin if he can get a day off work. He will only want to do that if the forecast is ok. That ride would take place on one of the 3 days Mon 5th Sept-Wed 7th. It will probably be an evening before decision. I'll try to post details on the off chance that somebody wants to join us, but my Internet access may be restricted.

I'll do my best to report on my Scottish rides while I am up there but if the Internet access is too bad then I will wait until I get home.

The Mull ride is approaching rapidly - let's keep our fingers crossed for fine weather!

A repeat of today's would be fantastic!!

 

[Pale Rider]

A repeat of today's would be fantastic!!

The long range weather forecast isn't too clever.

About the best that can be said is there is a 'zero percent' risk of snow.

No doubt you and Ed will know what to expect, but it could come as a bit of a shock to soft northerners like me and Colin.

http://www.netweather.tv/index.cgi?action=uk714day;page=2;ct=20593~Island of Mull;sess=

 

[ColinJ]

A repeat of today's would be fantastic!!

My cousin emailed me and said that he had been out and done a long ride to make the most of it!

No doubt you and Ed will know what to expect, but it could come as a bit of a shock to soft northerners like me and Colin.

http://www.netweather.tv/index.cgi?action=uk714day;page=2;ct=20593~Island of Mull;sess=

I think that they would probably see us as 'soft southerners'!

It always amazes me that there is another 250 km of (mainland) Scotland to the north of Oban. As a child, I used to think of Oban as being 'the far north' ...

 

[Edwardoka]

I think that they would probably see us as 'soft southerners'!

It always amazes me that there is another 250 km of (mainland) Scotland to the north of Oban. As a child, I used to think of Oban as being 'the far north' ...

It'll be the BBC's weather maps to blame for that