Scotland is busy again

 With the travel restrictions eased it appears every person in Scotland was out wearing out the tarmac at the weekend, some large groups of riders but in the main everybody seemed well behaved, luckily there are still some roads less well known so its still possible to escape the maddening crowds. The roads though are in a shocking state, the suspension on both Triumphs getting a good work out and despite doing only just over 110 miles my backside and arms were sore from holding on over the bumps and potholes. The weather was outstanding so no complaints at all. Spotted some "wild campers" in Dunning glen on Saturday, blocking the road with their cars and despite the fact overnight stays are not meant to be happening nobody seems to care. One group appeared to have a sound system set up next to a huge Bell tent, wild camping but not as we know it! Hopefully our slow (painfully slow) return to normality isn't just temporary!

Loch Tay, stunning but Kenmore was mobbed

Quick stop

Triumphs at rest

Fiona playing

With this!

Luch and cuppa stop, no telling you where, it was quiet!

Very warm out of the wind

Leaving our layby

Riding alongside Loch Tay

Some more freedoms

 Easy to see there is an election coming up, travel restrictions were eased a bit earlier than expected, our ability to travel further than the county line has been legalised so of course we decided to have an impromptu Norton layby meeting. It caught me on the hop and meant I didn't have a brace of Nortons ready for the meeting so the modern Triumphs had to do.

I will hopefully look back on these posts in a couple of years and be astounded by the incredibly weird times we are living in. I hope for everybody's sake this is the beginning of the end for this bloody pandemic and I hope to god I don't see another one.

I think we are all hoping the whole world gets back to normal soon (except the wars and terrorism thing, we could do with seeing the back of that as well) In our case we just want to be able to travel around Europe and meet up with friends, not too much to ask I don't think.

Saturday we were joined by Bill who quite by coincidence was coming out his drive as we passed, a good turnout and although only three Nortons turned out there was a very eclectic display of bikes at the meeting. I have to say it was great to see everyone and get a chance for some socially distanced face to face chat, Zoom, Whatsapp and E mail are all very well but the interaction with other humans is something I'm sure we all miss. Pictures tell the story.

Oh and it seems e mail notifications about updates are stopping soon, no idea why, just keep popping in if you want to keep up with the Nonsense

General pish being talked

Tea being drunk

Tyres being kicked

Ian once again turned up on his nice Guzzi

Bill on his SRX Manx Norton 

Peter brought along his 350 Morini, which coincidentally is the same model Bill is selling just now

The girls ignoring the Triumphs

Nice Norton

Good to see Phils sons appear on bikes, Tom on the Ducati

Phil on the Norton

David on the SV

Easter and things are getting better

 The mighty "Central scrutiniser" (Frank Zappa- Joes Garage) had decided we were to be slightly freed from our shackles and be given a slightly longer bit of chain so the rule this week (well this minute) is stay within your local council boundaries unless essential to go somewhere to get something you can't get locally. I needed to get the letter "U" in a place name for a photograph, unfortunately the nearest place that starts with a U is just over the county line in deepest Fife, Upper Largo, nobody was at risk, we only stopped for a photo, bikes still running and helmets firmly on heids! Then as quickly as possible back to the confines of Perthshire where we can go about our business without fear of persecution by big brother.

Now I realise some of you may be confused with the "U" thing but for this I blame the Triumph Owners club who suggested a while back that it might be an idea to visit places whose initial letters spell TEA CUP, always up for a cup of Tea we thought it a great idea and a fine excuse to visit such fine sights as Upper Largo whose delights may have gone unnoticed for centuries had the chaps at the TOMCC not come up with this wheeze. 

We visited (but didn't stop except for a photo) Trinafour, Enochdhu, Aberfeldy, Calvine, Upper Largo and Pitlochry, obviously not in that order. It was a almost bright but cold Easter Friday so what else would you do? In the end 170 miles gathered the necessary photos and we had a great run in the process, the photographic evidence below!

   

Bonnevilles ready for the quest

Over the County Line

Enochdhu or so it says anyway

Sunny Pitlochry

Calvine on the old A9

Chickens on a wall, the one on the left is doing some bizzare standing on one leg ritual

Trinafour with a sign that needs drawn in again

4pm before we stopped for lunch, time flies when you are enjoying yourself

I needed that cup of tea

Finally Aberfeldy and home, braw

Easter Saturday followed Easter Friday funnily enough and it was a lot warmer, a stunning day so we traveled the road well worn across Glenquaich, then over Ben Lawers and a fine tea stop in Glenlyon. passing through the glen we noticed a line of at least 20 cars and vans parked on the verges, All had parking tickets, a warning early in the season about inconsiderate parking and evidence the Cooncil needs the cash, be warned. We then rode to Kinloch Rannoch heading back over the hill towarsd Trinafour and over the hill to Dalnacardoch, a stunning day out and another tankful of fuel. all in all a brilliant couple of days but now the weather has turned cold again with snow on high ground, bugger, just when you thought it was Summer! More photos follow

Loch Freuchie

Stunning day for it

What a backdrop!

Nae Snow today thankfully

Over the pass at Ben Lawers

This sums it up, just brilliant

Stopped by a babbling brook 

Empty roads

Sometimes its just braw to look at nature in this way, as long as there is a bike or two to look at as well!