Discussion
Patrick Bateman said:
I was only ever talking about the ability to push on. 
Quite.From your response to my earlier post (re the B976), you appear to be equating driving with the need/opportunity to do so.
I never suggested nor implied that WOT was a necessary ingredient.
I have driven that road one way or the other in almost all of my trips to the Highalnds.
The number of cars I have met going in the opposite direction is minuscule.
I reckon the fingers of both hands would cover it.
The timing may well be relevant because all of them have been outwith the tourist season.
I'll be doing it again next April so will see how many I encounter.
Who me? is spot on. When an oncomer hoves into view I can almost always tell whether they are a local or a grockle.
GetCarter said:
'ere ya go:
...and you might want to send this link to 'orange stripe'
Great images as ever Steve, I guess you live across the Loch from where you shot these? I suppose we passed by what must be the top road by you after our Applecross lunch stop. Presumably you heard an engine or sixteen passing by. ...and you might want to send this link to 'orange stripe'
(Yellow Mc) If you drove from Applecrosss to Shieldaig via the coast road you will definitely have passed the track which leads to his gaff.
M838T said:
Great images as ever Steve, I guess you live across the Loch from where you shot these? I suppose we passed by what must be the top road by you after our Applecross lunch stop. Presumably you heard an engine or sixteen passing by. (Yellow Mc)
Ha... yep. I'm about 300 yards before GM's house. (You missed him by only two days. He was interested to know you got 16 together - would have come out to watch the fly by!). (Yellow Mc) GetCarter said:
Ha... yep. I'm about 300 yards before GM's house. (You missed him by only two days. He was interested to know you got 16 together - would have come out to watch the fly by!).
Ah, then I probably did see your wheelie bin then. We plan to be back again next year and will give you a head's up in case you happen to be around with your box Brownie and GM's at home. Incidentally the coast road from Applecross to yours was one of the best bits of the trip, especially as the sun came oot!
Just returned from what I consider to be the best half of the NC500. Route was Aberdeen-Inverness-Applecross-Kylesku-Durness-Lairg-Inverness-Aberdeen.
Great time away, fabulous scenery (even though the weather wasn't always the best), great driving roads and great seafood - although langoustine season has apparently just ended I found out, much to my disappointment!
[quote=Who me ?]
Driving single track is another skill best learnt by watching the locals. You will find them passing vehicles from the opposite direction without any need to stop, using the passing places ( usually marked by a white diamond on a pole), and using something not taught , but learnt- ANTICIPATION.
[/quote]
It really is a skill! I'm a country bumkin but driving such vast lengths of single track I'm not familiar with. By the end I was getting better at looking ahead to scope out the passing places and the cars and trying to use some judgement to synchronise everything but more practice required! And it does rely on the other vehicles being similarly inclined.
Had one amusing incident where I was approaching a large Sprinter van which signaled that it was going to pull into the passing place it was approaching. I continued making sensible progress, so imagine my surprise when a family of tourists in a wee red car shot out from behind the Sprinter causing me to step on the anchors!! They'd been so far up the van's chuff I had no idea they were there, and they had no visibility past the van to see me coming either. The driver then made an utter
of reversing back in behind the van, very apologetic though Hope they enjoyed their trip and lived to tell the tale.
Our drive from Durness to Lairg yesterday was fun. Pulled over to let a chap in a flatbed who'd appeared from nowhere past me - he either knew the road very well and had excellent visibility from the higher seating position, or was mental, or all three. Either way he was pushing on and by keeping him within sight with an eye on his brake lights I could safely do the same. Most enjoyable.
Great time away, fabulous scenery (even though the weather wasn't always the best), great driving roads and great seafood - although langoustine season has apparently just ended I found out, much to my disappointment!
[quote=Who me ?]
Driving single track is another skill best learnt by watching the locals. You will find them passing vehicles from the opposite direction without any need to stop, using the passing places ( usually marked by a white diamond on a pole), and using something not taught , but learnt- ANTICIPATION.
[/quote]
It really is a skill! I'm a country bumkin but driving such vast lengths of single track I'm not familiar with. By the end I was getting better at looking ahead to scope out the passing places and the cars and trying to use some judgement to synchronise everything but more practice required! And it does rely on the other vehicles being similarly inclined.
Had one amusing incident where I was approaching a large Sprinter van which signaled that it was going to pull into the passing place it was approaching. I continued making sensible progress, so imagine my surprise when a family of tourists in a wee red car shot out from behind the Sprinter causing me to step on the anchors!! They'd been so far up the van's chuff I had no idea they were there, and they had no visibility past the van to see me coming either. The driver then made an utter
of reversing back in behind the van, very apologetic though Hope they enjoyed their trip and lived to tell the tale.Our drive from Durness to Lairg yesterday was fun. Pulled over to let a chap in a flatbed who'd appeared from nowhere past me - he either knew the road very well and had excellent visibility from the higher seating position, or was mental, or all three. Either way he was pushing on and by keeping him within sight with an eye on his brake lights I could safely do the same. Most enjoyable.
We did 1400 miles around the Highlands & Isle of Skye at the end of October in a Motorhome (Blasphemy I know mentioning one on a car site)
The scenery was stunning and the roads were very clear apart from a few sheep :-)
Saw a few car groups but not many on our trip
Highly recommend doing the highlands if you get the chance
Did the NC500 back in February in a 4x4 which helped when we went over the Bealach na Bà when it was starting to snow
The scenery was stunning and the roads were very clear apart from a few sheep :-)
Saw a few car groups but not many on our trip
Highly recommend doing the highlands if you get the chance
Did the NC500 back in February in a 4x4 which helped when we went over the Bealach na Bà when it was starting to snow
mon the fish said:
What's the salt like on the west coast? I'm off to Skye this weekend. They've started here in Aberdeenshire, but if we get a bit of midweek rain, and there's no more salting after that, one last fun blast of the year might get sneaked in.
Or we take the 530d
It’s not bad, though the sheep eat much of it. We just had a big row with Highland Council as they wanted to reduce the spreading from two runs to one on the Applecross loop, happy to report they did a u turn. We’ve only had one day so far that would have caused any tail out action... and as you well know it’s usually colder on your side than it is over here.Or we take the 530d
GetCarter said:
It’s not bad, though the sheep eat much of it. We just had a big row with Highland Council as they wanted to reduce the spreading from two runs to one on the Applecross loop, happy to report they did a u turn. We’ve only had one day so far that would have caused any tail out action... and as you well know it’s usually colder on your side than it is over here.
Anticipating any more salting this week?mon the fish said:
Anticipating any more salting this week?
Looks likely at the weekend! >>> http://xcweather.co.uk/forecast/shieldaigGetCarter said:
Looks likely at the weekend! >>> http://xcweather.co.uk/forecast/shieldaig
I'm now looking forward to seeing your first "snowy road" pics of the year very soon Steve... Longers said:
GetCarter said:
Looks likely at the weekend! >>> http://xcweather.co.uk/forecast/shieldaig
I'm now looking forward to seeing your first "snowy road" pics of the year very soon Steve... Check out: http://stevecarter.com/x/x.htm
(apols for the off topic)
Gassing Station | Roads | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff