Hello Everyone!

The Edinburgh H.U. Community are planning an informal weekend 'travelling meet' for the weekend of 19th to 21st September. The plan - begun in the pub like these things are - is to put our money where our mouths are: As a community of travellers, surely the best activity for a weekend would be to go touring?

So the plan is this: have a number of times and places throughout the weekend where we will 'definately' be. That way, people can join or leave as they can manage/see fit. We are hoping this flexibility will encourage people to travel up from further south. Perhaps some of you with a couple of days leave burning a hole in your pockets could pop up to meet us on Friday or Saturday?

We've decided on an itinerary that shows our country at its beautiful best. Great views, superb roads, excellent food and drink and, like all the best trips; a ferry ride to an island! Here it is:

FRIDAY
4 pm: Official start: Castle Street, Edinburgh. DougieB will be there waiting!
6 pm: Tyndrum. Lovely chips at the real food cafe.
Overnight: Gorton Sands Campsite (on the Mallaig Road)

SATURDAY
Late Morning: Mallaig to Armadale ferry to SKYE! Perhaps Scotlands most beautiful Island. (Cost £12.90 bike & passenger)
1 pm: Lunch on Skye. Location to be decided. Back to the mainland via the bridge.
7 pm: Dinner at the famous Applecross Inn. The langoustines are amazing! Followed by .
Overnight: Applecross Campsite.

SUNDAY
The ride home. Across to the A9 and South. Lunch/Dinner locations decided on the day.


You will notice the itinerary is pretty sparse. We hope this will help keep the informal, relaxed atmosphere we intend for the weekend.

Please note, ** NOTHING WILL BE BOOKED! ** We're just going to ride and turn up like independant travellers do! However, at that time of year, there should be no difficulty. The campsites will be forewarned, though, just to keep things running smoothly.

This means you can choose to stay at the 'official' campsite, or another one, or stay in a B&B. You can eat with the pack or pack your own lunch. Whatever you like!

Please let us know if you want to come along though, so we have some idea of numbers.

EVERYONE WELCOME!

Link to Applecross Inn and Applecross Campsite.:

Applecross Peninsula - Wester Ross, Scotland - Mountain and Sea Guides - Applecross Inn - Applecross Campsite - Flower Tunnel cafe/bar

Matt

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http://adventure-writing.blogspot.com

http://scotlandnepal.blogspot.com/

*Disclaimer* - I am not saying my bike is better than your bike. I am not saying my way is better than your way. I am not mocking your religion/politics/other belief system. When reading my post imagine me sitting behind a frothing pint of ale, smiling and offering you a bag of peanuts. This is the sentiment in which my post is made. Please accept it as such!

I'm up for this. I'll have to leave from Livingston but if there's an appetite for it can meet at the layby heading North just across the Fife side of the Forth Road bridge as close to 430 as I can....although I don't want to start a theme of meetups every few miles up the road!

Cheers

For info. I will be leaving from Dunblane at about 4.30 pm. Will keep my eye out for possible HU-ers!

Matt

__________________
http://adventure-writing.blogspot.com

http://scotlandnepal.blogspot.com/

*Disclaimer* - I am not saying my bike is better than your bike. I am not saying my way is better than your way. I am not mocking your religion/politics/other belief system. When reading my post imagine me sitting behind a frothing pint of ale, smiling and offering you a bag of peanuts. This is the sentiment in which my post is made. Please accept it as such!

I was thinking of using the M9 to Stirling, and then A84 to loch earn then A85 to Tyndrum. The Edinburgh/Dunfermline/Stirling triangle will be busy with commuters at that time on a Friday, so no point getting bogged down in it. Therefore can arrange to pick you up along the way, Stirling services?

For anyone thinking of coming along, the details for Edinburgh:

Time: 3 - 4 pm, leaving at 4pm to miss the traffic
GPS: N 55 57.105 W 003 12.194
Streetmap: Streetmap.co.uk- search results

There are lots of 'solo m/c' parking bays all along George St (see streetmap), try to park in sight of Starbucks at the top of Castle St. There is no legal parking on Castle St itself, though I'll sit there with the bike (dark silver DL1000, reg: SK 07 ***).

cheers,
Doug

In that case I will be at the Tesco in Calendar a little before 5pm. That might be a good spot for people from various parts to meet up? Not a firm arrangement, that can still be Tyndrum, just a 'pull in if you see my bike in the carpark' deal.

My bike is a Yamaha XT with Ally panniers and white tank. It looks knackered.

Matt

__________________
http://adventure-writing.blogspot.com

http://scotlandnepal.blogspot.com/

*Disclaimer* - I am not saying my bike is better than your bike. I am not saying my way is better than your way. I am not mocking your religion/politics/other belief system. When reading my post imagine me sitting behind a frothing pint of ale, smiling and offering you a bag of peanuts. This is the sentiment in which my post is made. Please accept it as such!

Sounds like a good weekend and the route you have planned is excellent so count me in.

I will be leaving from Glasgow so will meet in Tyndrum at 18.00. Anyone else planning on heading up from the West of Scotland let me know and we could meet up somewhere in or around Glasgow.

Cheers
Trev

Nice one Trev, you're the first non Edinburgh Community m,ember to sign up!

Matt

__________________
http://adventure-writing.blogspot.com

http://scotlandnepal.blogspot.com/

*Disclaimer* - I am not saying my bike is better than your bike. I am not saying my way is better than your way. I am not mocking your religion/politics/other belief system. When reading my post imagine me sitting behind a frothing pint of ale, smiling and offering you a bag of peanuts. This is the sentiment in which my post is made. Please accept it as such!

here's a google map of the main meeting points and times:

Google Maps

let me know of any additions/errors.

Sounds like a good weekend away won't be able to make it..... going to be in Spain.

Rob

__________________
.. no gods .. precious few heroes ...

Yeah Matt - I met up with Darren for the HU meeting in Ripley earlier on in the year and will be good to catch up with the rest of you guys

Stirling Services it is – I’ll try to leave work before 430 so you are not hanging around for me. Will be around the tourist office in the car park (not that you could miss me there) Will try to get there as close to then as I can. Will be on a blue DL1000 – “SX03 ****”

Doug – you have my phone number too so you can always give me a quick ring to say “too late – see you there ;-> “

Wasn’t thinking straight when I said Forth Road Bridge – it wouldn’t have been the first time I’ve headed across the bridge thinking “sh**”, confused which of the main two routes I bomb up north at the weekends on!!

Hi Trev - will be good to catch up again after the run down to and back from Ripley.

Lads! What have you done? If you'd picked the weekend before I could have tagged along. Sadly I'm working that weekend Still, I hope you have a good trip.

yeah, sorry Jim, but we heard you were unavailable that weekend... :-)

next time, there will be a next time soon I'm sure.

In the grand tradition (ahem!) I propose this weekend needs a name which is an acronym including the letters 'HU' at its start.

I think the 'HUGS Weekend' (Horizons Unlimited's Glorious Scotland Weekend) adequately sums up the infamous cuddly nature of us Scots and have therefore changed the name in the subject matter of the thread. If anyone has a better alternative I will be pleased to hear it!

Hopefully this will encourage a few more of those flint hearted Englishmen and Women to join our trip!

Matt

__________________
http://adventure-writing.blogspot.com

http://scotlandnepal.blogspot.com/

*Disclaimer* - I am not saying my bike is better than your bike. I am not saying my way is better than your way. I am not mocking your religion/politics/other belief system. When reading my post imagine me sitting behind a frothing pint of ale, smiling and offering you a bag of peanuts. This is the sentiment in which my post is made. Please accept it as such!

Apparently, due to the relatively hot spring we've had, there are 1/3 less midges up here this year.

cheers,
Doug