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July 3rd: Hope it's not raining 🙂
I'll be out doing the Ledmore loop from Dingwall.
epicyclo
Subscriber
July 3rd: Hope it’s not raining 🙂
guaranteed.
roverpig
Subscriber
If the 5 mile thing goes on the 3rd and self-contained accommodation is ok then presumably wild camping is ok from the 3rd too.
that's my read anyhow.
Nobeerinthefridge
Member
The 5 mile limit is removed on 3rd July.Was just saying to mrs Nobeer there, that’s the only restriction that is affecting us right now, not getting to proper hills.
Everything else is moot*, pubs restaurants, shopping.
aye, I'll leave the busy pubs etc,to the "covid test pilots" as I'm dubbing them for the month of july, see what happens! 😆
I think if I go to a pub, it'll only be if passing and it's empty, which I suspect is unlikely!
Anyhow, I don't think there's any doubt, that from here to august, everything will open up.
I just hope they've got the contact tracing etc sorted...
covid test pilots
lol!
covid test pilots
If the number of cases in the community are as low as some of the estimates i've seen - 2000 active cases across the whole of Scotland, then the risk is pretty low. But a pub does seem like the best place to catch it.
Booked a day out at Fort William as my post lockdown treat instead
Booked a day out at Fort William as my post lockdown treat instead
I'm hoping the new blue will be ready soon!
I’m hoping the new blue will be ready soon!
Not for a while yet
"Despite all of the challenges and tough decisions we are having to make as a direct result of the Covid-19 pandemic, there is still a mood of cautious optimism amongst the team. Whilst many of our projects have been cancelled due to funding pressures and a catastrophic loss of revenue, we are continuing with our Blue Bike Track, a new blue graded, uplift accessible, trail and hope to have that open in May 2021"
I'm hoping I've not forgot how to ride my bike and can make it down Top Chief in one piece.
2000 active cases across the whole of Scotland
Less than 5 people in hospital across Ayrshire, a population of almost 400,000 people, no one in ITU any more. Fingers crossed.
I’m hoping I’ve not forgot how to ride my bike and can make it down Top Chief in one piece.
I love a day on TC, one rolling run to get yer eye in, then hit it for the rest of the day, pieces in the gondola, no stopping for lunch, and someone esle to drive home, cos yer ****ed 🙂
roverpig
Subscriber
If the 5 mile thing goes on the 3rd and self-contained accommodation is ok then presumably wild camping is ok from the 3rd too.
that’s my read anyhow.
That's my read too, but should point out that the public toilets will be closed
For the record I think the prospect of pupils of pupils/staff returning full time in August is great.
However as a teacher, my colleagues and I were given no warning that this was going to happen. In fact it was the opposite. Local authority were told to plan for a blended approach. Schools and in particularly Senior Managers have put in a massive shift re-writing timetables, adapting classrooms, equipping gyms etc with IT ready to apply social distancing. We have endless meeting discussing the minutiae of the plans. The inspectorate are tasked with quality assuring each authorities plan. Schools send out their detailed plans to parents and kids basically this week. Then boom Swinney annouces that we are all going back in August. No hint had been given that this was a possibility.
Not sure what happened or who suddenly decided the economics trump everything else but this was a massive U-turn. Makes me think that I will not be bothering to plan anything else.
public toilets will be closed
The burning question is - has YGH got what he was missing so much yet?
He was walking with a limp the other day...
has YGH got what he was missing so much yet?
His MyHermes parcel? 😉
No hint had been given that this was a possibility.
No hint but plenty of speculation! It is shit that so much work has been wasted but there is an element of not being able to get everything right first go in this.
I get the impression the U-turn was more down to parental pressure and education worries than economic concerns but probably an element of that too as it will allow more people back to work.
I'm just a class teacher but I decided not to start planning 'blended learning' as it looked so likely to change and I'm certainly not going to plan too much else. If that means a week of winging it when we go back then so be it!
His MyHerpes parcel?
FTFY
Makes me think that I will not be bothering to plan anything else
I plan lots of projects and improvements at work that may never come off due to budgetary issues, change of priorities etc, I'd be out of a job if I had that attitude tbh. I understand it's a pain in the arse, but this whole thing is a fluid situation, no one has a ****in clue where it's going to go.
I plan lots of projects and improvements at work that may never come off due to budgetary issues, change of priorities etc, I’d be out of a job if I had that attitude tbh. I understand it’s a pain in the arse, but this whole thing is a fluid situation, no one has a **** clue where it’s going to go.
You'd be out of a job if you didn't plan things that never happen? 🙂 Obviously a pretty different industry from teaching!
I'm not saying I've given up on development just that it's folly to try to plan for a situation as fluid as this or second guess what's going to happen come August as shown by this recent change in policy. I've already got the stuff I need in place for August because it's basically situation normal and if it changes I'm pretty confident I can adapt what I do.
...However as a teacher, my colleagues and I were given no warning that this was going to happen. In fact it was the opposite. Local authority were told to plan for a blended approach. Schools and in particularly Senior Managers have put in a massive shift re-writing timetables, adapting classrooms, equipping gyms etc with IT ready to apply social distancing. We have endless meeting discussing the minutiae of the plans... ...Then boom Swinney annouces that we are all going back in August. No hint had been given that this was a possibility.
That's not entirely true is it? Yes we were ALL told schools would go back 11-Aug to a blended learning model, but it was also quite clear from the original plan that Phase 4 would then be a schools pretty much normal approach; so at some point after 11-Aug things would revert to normality. Swinney was indeed telling people to plan for a long term blended model not just a quick fix for a month - that seems the right thing to do. The FM was however clearly saying would be back to full f2f teaching as soon as possible. Anyone looking at the numbers could clearly see that the trend was going in the right direction and there was a possibility that the blended period could be much shorter than originally feared. October holidays were mooted in the media. Locally people here were saying as soon as the september weekend. All thats happened in 6 weeks has become 0 days.
I get that its a pain in the arse, you've invested a lot of time in something that is now (hopefully) not going to be needed. Welcome to the real world - this is what people do all the time, contingency planning, preparing for situations they hope to avoid and are than happy that their crisis plan is not needed or averted quickly. Its absolutely right that it was, its essential the minutia were thought through and a message from the Cabinet Secretary that it was a "might be needed" wasn't going to drive this to happen.
Look at the positives - if you get a second wave, local lockdowns, a future novel disease outbreak, a fire in a school, huge bad weather periods, etc - all schools are now better equipped to deal with them and all councils have people better experienced in planning this stuff. I'm sure its been uncomfortable for many teachers but I'm sure others have learned new skills, enjoyed a fresh look at their teaching methods and reflected on the merits of face-to-face pedagogy.
Labelling it a U turn is political posturing. Its accelerating a plan to get back to something more like normal. Rather than slating the SG for this we should be applauding them for having the R rate and infection levels low enough that they had the confidence to make such a leap. I'm no fan of Mr Swinney or indeed particularly the SNP (although the alternatives are mostly worse!) but he's done the right thing in leading education to have provisions in place, and then the whole country has done the right thing in making that provision unnecessary. Imagine if the plan had been full return on 11 Aug but then a week before they had said, not-yet, lets use a blended approach till Christmas.
The fact that parents have also had to assume a blended approach has forced employers to also think outside the box and look longer term than a few weeks of inconvenience.
That’s not entirely true is it?
It is entirely true. You might have speculated about it but no hint was given and school management were full steam ahead with blended learning planning right up to the the announcement. I was in school when the announcement was made, our senior management team was listening to it and seconds before they had been working on plans for blended learning and roughly 33% of pupils in.
Yes, there have been shifting goalposts, but TBH, what's new? As a result the school that I work at has plans in place for total-lockdown, 20% attendance blended learning, 50% attendance blended learning and full return (with as yet undecided mitigation measures). Whatever the state of play in August, we'll be able to hit the term running with a well developed plan. One of the bigger challenges is communicating all of the various arrangements to parents clearly enough that the Facebook rumour-mill doesn't distort reality to an unhelpful degree.
Maybe the "All schools return on 11 August" announcement was a wee bit premature, as with the current plan A, our scheduled return on 17 August would arguably have been better as it would mean there are fewer complications with pupil & staff pre-booked holidays (which now look like they may go ahead) and modifying the remainder of the school year to accommodate the shifted holiday week. IMO this should be moved until AFTER the next exam diet.
That’s terrible you had to work a little harder whilst still on full pay during global pandemic. Enjoy the extended summer holidays knowing you have that contingency in place.
That’s terrible you had to work a little harder whilst still on full pay during global pandemic. Enjoy the extended summer holidays knowing you have that contingency in place.
What a knob comment to make.
The person upthread commenting about the wasted work was pretty balanced in what they said which was basically, great that we're going back but the amounted of wasted work time is annoying. I'm sure you'd be pissed off to find that your last month or so's work was now irrelevant.
Oh and it's not an extended holiday, it's been cut by a week for most teachers.
My kids primary and the school I’m going to were of the opinion they were preparing for the worst. It was pretty clear to me at least that the blended learning was planing for the worst. We are still on track for blended learning so that hasn’t actually changed.
It’s 7 weeks till schools restart so assuming there isn’t a second wave the infection rates should continue to go down. I do feel that the government is playing to public outcries and starting phase 3 earlier than they planned.
I do feel that the government is playing to public outcries and starting phase 3 earlier than they planned.
I think they need to do an element of that as they need to keep the public on side. Plus with the very low levels of new infections it would be difficult to justify maintaining restricions.
Even if it is just playing to public opinion I'm fine with it!
My brother is a teacher in Berlin and schools have been back to normal since about 10th May. Maybe August resumption is a balanced decision rather than a knee-jerk reaction? Time will tell no doubt.
I do feel that the government is playing to public outcries and starting phase 3 earlier than they planned.
I'd agree if you mean UK wide, but I think ScotGov are moving forward due to the diminishing infections and deaths, and the delicate balance of getting the country and money flowing again.
It was absolutely the right thing to plan for blended learning - even multiple variants of it, but anyone in a leadership position should have been tempering the message.
I think this might shine a light on the capability of some schools' senior management function and how they have been supported by their councils.
It is entirely true. You might have speculated about it but no hint was given
What were you looking for something in black and white from the FM stating it was possibility six days before a formal announcement?
or perhaps if she has held a press briefing two days before that when she said "would open as soon as possible"
https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/news/first-minister-blended-learning-18420945
The hints were all there over the last two weeks if you wanted to hear them!
and school management were full steam ahead with blended learning planning right up to the the announcement. I was in school when the announcement was made, our senior management team was listening to it and seconds before they had been working on plans for blended learning and roughly 33% of pupils in.
As indeed they should have been. I can only assume that teachers don't normally experience the levels of significant rapid change that the rest of us do. It sounds like if whatever you think a hint would have looked like would have stopped you doing this which would be exactly why they didn't issue a formal memo!
My point was that nobody in Government either national or local were giving any hint that this was a likelihood for August 11th. Unusual for me to have much sympathy for local school management but in this case they have my support.
There has been a dramatic change in policy and I would like to understand the reason why.
Poly, you basically seem to be agreeing with me in the content of your post whilst adopting a tone of disagreement.
I was pointing out was that schools knew nothing of this prior to the announcement, something you seemed to be disputing. I also agree that they had no choice but to carry on planning.
As for change, that happens all the time. The infuriating thing in this situation is that the time spent planning for blended learning could have been spent doing things that would have benefited pupils now. But as I also pointed out above we need to accept that things are going to change around this.
I can only assume that teachers don’t normally experience the levels of significant rapid change that the rest of us do.
Why is it that so many people seem incapable of having a discussion about education without it degenerating into broad generalisations about/criticisms of the profession? To quote Billy Connolly I wouldn't come into your work and tell you how to sweep the floor. 🙂
Why is it that so many people seem incapable of having a discussion about education without it degenerating into broad generalisations about/criticisms of the profession?
Perhaps because that very statement is an example of the sort of exceptionalism many teachers exhibit. Can you actually think of any profession which doesn't come in for the same sort of criticism? 😊
Burnbob, I maybe did work harder, and certainly differently, but it wasn't "terrible". My holidays haven't been extended, they've been cut, but you are correct that the contingency in place is a good thing.
If you think you are jealous of my terms and conditions, I suggest you retrain, or at least volunteer at a local school - they'll be glad of the help. Then you'll be able to comment from an informed position. Please report back how you get on.
Perhaps because that very statement is an example of the sort of exceptionalism many teachers exhibit. Can you actually think of any profession which doesn’t come in for the same sort of criticism?
Nursing?
Personally, I try not to make that kind of generalisation about professions, that seems like a better starting point for discussions. I also don't believe teaching is unique in terms of stresses/strains/pressures like some teachers would like you to believe.
To quote Billy Connolly I wouldn’t come into your work and tell you how to sweep the floor.
Maybe it's the looking down from upon high from some teachers that doesn't help, really.....
I'm generally really happy with my daughters teachers tbh, had nothing but good experiences up until now - she's just going into 3rd year, and I don't fancy the job tbh! I can see both sides of the education argument though something I think disgruntled parents and some teachers can't.
University lecturers? now that's a different kettle of fish altogether! 🙂
Maybe it’s the looking down from upon high from some teachers that doesn’t help, really
That and the martyrs to the profession who would have you believe it's the toughest job in the world certainly don't do us any favours.
Nursing?
Meh. Think you're clever now?
My Mrs has a go at nurses. But she's an ex-nurse.
Nurses are certainly getting better press at the moment, but I can assure any teachers, the abuse my mrs gets as a nurse is no better than teachers get from arsehole parents!.
Anyway, the BIG question is.... do I tax the motorbike now and take it out for the first time this year? I can "visit" metalheart in his Black Isle garden. Or do I wait until July and save a month's worth of road tax - by which time its probably pissing down?
Edit: Whoop, whoop. 1,000 posts. Is that a sign?
Strike while the asphalt is hot!
University lecturers? now that’s a different kettle of fish altogether! 🙂
The Mrs lectures at RGU she's part time but has been doing stupid hours to change the lectures to online instead of face to face and is now marking. Like her I'll be glad in a weeks time when shes done.
Whoop, whoop. 1,000 posts. Is that a sign?
No. It's da sound of da police.
Or do I wait until July and save a month’s worth of road tax – by which time its probably pissing down?
looks like its going to be pissing down from today. bang goes my planned ride for the 4th of July 🙁
29C at Loch Morlich today. Guess who forgot to take the insulated liner out of his motorbike jacket?
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50044150001_a36f416dc0_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50044150001_a36f416dc0_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2jfemhr ]DSC_1295[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/druidh2000/ ]Colin Cadden[/url], on Flickr
Man up poah, it's only mud.
Poly, you basically seem to be agreeing with me in the content of your post whilst adopting a tone of disagreement.
I'm not sure what you think was agreeing - the whole country got the hint from Nicola about 10 days before the official announcement...
I was pointing out was that schools knew nothing of this prior to the announcement,
OK - but do you honestly think that if the Cabinet Secretary had said on the 14th June, "hey head teachers just a wee heads up we might not need all this stuff you've been planning" that 1. You'd all have kept planning for the worst anyway; 2. The people who were told to keep it to themselves would have not let it slip - then the decision would be in the media before it was announced which is government by chaos.
Why is it that so many people seem incapable of having a discussion about education without it degenerating into broad generalisations about/criticisms of the profession?
. Yeah sorry I didnt mean all teachers. I just meant the ones on STW moaning (during the school day;-)) about changes meaning their contingency planning wasn't needed after-all. As I said welcome to the world that many of us work in all the time - be grateful that normally your work is so highly valued that nobody every ignores your best efforts.
looks like its going to be pissing down from today. bang goes my planned ride for the 4th of July 🙁
What do you do every other summer?
Right now it's too bloody hot to ride, could barely winch myself back up the hill
What do you do every other summer?
didn't ride my bike last summer. Not been away on a trail properly for a year.
@Scotroutes, your bike must be the last carbed SV in the world with a stock rear mudguard. Which makes the woodcraft engine cover seem even weirder. Nice choice though!
your bike must be the last carbed SV in the world with a stock rear mudguard.
🙂
Aye,was just thinking that,nice choice of bike and colour though.
Which makes the woodcraft engine cover seem even weirder.
I had the leaky clutch cover and this was the simplest fix.
I've looked at the rear mudguard keenly more than once 🙂
richmtb
Subscriber
covid test pilotsIf the number of cases in the community are as low as some of the estimates i’ve seen – 2000 active cases across the whole of Scotland, then the risk is pretty low. But a pub does seem like the best place to catch it.
Yes tbh, it's not really the immediate future that particularly concerns me, I think we've burned out this period, it's oct/nov/dec that I think is the real concern and complacency really sets in.
Who knows, but we do need to open up and see what happens, eh.. just hope the brakes work if we need them.
Yesterday's Edinburgh and East Lothian Beach Report:
Lunchtime
Porty: Bit of a chilly breeze. Busy, but not too busy
John Muir Trail and associated bits out to Seton: Few folks around enjoying the weather, still a touch of nip in the breeze.
The Bents - not sure, just cycled past. No breeze - pure melting/splunging
Green Craigs just before Aberlday - great wee beach, quite well hidden away and not accessible by car. Just me, my pal and a couple of families and a wonderful Daschund called Seb. Absolutely sweltering! Had a great couple of hours of sunbathing and swimming/floating about with a tinnie.
Evening:
Everywhere was still roasting at 7/8pm as we cycled back into town.
Musselburgh harbour/high street - absolutely hoaching! Mostly small groups though some big bunches of the young. In general there was much screeching!
Porty - I expected that to be a disaster zone, but actually it was decent. It was busy and some folk were a bit steaming but nothing too intense. Great to see folk kayaking and in swimming at 9pm.
Overall, a belter of a day that made me well happy.
What’s with all the rubbish ? I was out late last night doing a bit of a walk and collected a black bags worth of sh1te in about 100m near Bonaly. Have people just decided that when the suns out they can leave their rubbish where they want - it’s awful. The very large Bin with BIN written on it was about half full literally 100m from the worst of the mess.
The Meadows was bad for that the other night.
Though while I was there a group of 40 year old-ish guys wandered off leaving all their empty cans behind. However they got called out for it and everyone around was chanting "pick up yer sh**te" while they sheepishly moped back to get them.
With July 15th being the date where Scotland can open it's campsites, I was gutted to find out that the Glenmore campsite is staying closed till 2021! We had three bookings there for this year.
Amazingly today I've managed to secure a couple of nights at Loch Lomond followed by Skye and Loch Ness starting from July 15th. Not our usual choice of placed to go, but I'm just happy we've got something to look forward to. I can't wait. First time away in the camper this year!
We'll be trying our hardest to spend some money in the local areas. Will see what's open / pubs doing takeaways etc.
Anyone else got anything booked from July/August?
With July 15th being the date where Scotland can open it’s campsites, I was gutted to find out that the Glenmore campsite is staying closed till 2021! We had three bookings there for this year.
I’d not heard that and we have a seasonal pitch there. ☹️
Just spotted the same on Sligachan's site. Doh! I wonder if Glenbrittle will open.
Also spotted on airbnb a few days ago people trying to sell time in caravan at glenmore site starting on 15th July! In fact still there.
Yep Glenmore site closed all year now, odd decision. We had a week in August which May be moot as we might be about to buy a house there anyway , but have a week at Oakwood now anyway.
Glenmore is part of the Camping in the Forest group and they are all remaining closed for 2020.
https://www.campingintheforest.co.uk/
Adrenalin uplift showing available for booking from 3rd July - no mention of Covid , that I can see, on their page and running at full capacity. Really!?!
Why not?
Gordon isn't daft, he won't jeopardise his business by ignoring guidance. Sure, numbers on the buses will be down, masks probably for the journey, but people have been using buses, trains and taxis throughout this whole time.
I'll happily go, been meaning to try uplift at Ae for a whole now.
I was just about to go searching for this thread...
Scooting round Rothiemurchus and Glenmore areas yesterday afternoon and I was seeing lots of "family groups" who were obviously tourists. Holiday homes and second homes are already filling up. It's going to be carnage up at Loch Morlich with the campsite being closed too.
I also found some stuff on Twitter from Ullapool. A family (believed Scottish FWIW) "camping" at Inverlael and then Knockan Crag, fires, litter etc. Northern Police saying they were helpless to intervene. If that's the case, we are probably in for a few forest/heather fores over the next couple of months with trash everywhere.
I was looking forward to getting away in our campervan but I'm beginning to have my doubts if that's what we are going to encounter - though it seems like it'll be the same if we stay at home.
^^^^ Loch Morlich webcam has shown folks camping on the beach most nights for the past week too..
Why were the police powerless to intervene?
You'd have to ask them TJ.
Why were the police powerless to intervene?
Travellers?
Polis locally steer well clear when they decant around here. Don't blame them.
I’m assuming the toilets are all shut at Loch Morlich as well ? Will be nice to see how all the campers are managing their sanitation....🙄
BBC saying experts think scotland will be virtually covid free by end of summer. I struggle to see how that's possible given travel between us and England will still be happening, and let's be honest the English seem to have a far far worse handle on the situation than us..
Time to rebuild Hadrians wall i reckon..
Travellers?
Nope
I’m assuming the toilets are all shut at Loch Morlich as well ?
Yep.
Time to rebuild Hadrians wall i reckon..
and do a land grab at the same time 👍
Time to rebuild Hadrians wall i reckon..
I've joked about this, but tbh it may come to the time that the discussion has to take place.
There are just 25 road crossings between Scotland and England. 25.
Not that I've counted, obviously...
Scotland cannot apply different rules to english residents - but surely can stop english residents breaking our rules?
I've posted it once, I'll post it again. Imo we face a huge issue - there's camper vans heading north today on A9, I've run and driven over the bridge 4x today, each time saw campervans, boats, bikes etc. All heading north.
https://imgur.com/HGyNGv0
I’ve posted it once, I’ll post it again. Imo we face a huge issue – there’s camper vans heading north today on A9, I’ve run and driven over the bridge 4x today, each time saw campervans, boats, bikes etc. All heading north
I can't see any real solutions to this other than just living with it for a bit till things calm down. And letting the cops deal with any actual illegality.
While I agree spin, all it would take is a couple of ANPR vehicles at Lomonside and Broxden would 'catch' the majority of the campers heading north.
These folk heading big distances fall foul of 5 mile suggestion and closed amenities until this week...
I've just moved house, 560 miles north from Hampshire to Speyside. 11 hour drive and saw 3 campervans, all heading south. Really struck by how quiet it is - went out for a bike ride over to Aberlour and south for a short section of the Speyside Way - encountered 8 people in about 10 miles and assume that people are really sticking to the 5 mile rule. Been to the supermarket today, even the staff commenting how quiet it was for a Sunday afternoon.
My impression is most folk are attempting to stick to the rules in Scotland but some folk both scots and english do not realise the rules are different here.
I would like to see roadblocks turning folk back at the border. 5 miles / local area thats our rules and everyone must be within those rules. You would only need 3 really - M6, A1, A68