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The tier system does seem a bit archaic already though
Really? I don’t think the folk of Shetland should have to live with the consequences of trolley-licking Glaswegians.
I do agree with you, but a socially distancing Glaswegian might not.
pjm60
I don't think you are alone in feeling like that. I have been very compliant but I am reaching the end of my tether. the worst was in the snow recently. I couldn't even go to the pentlands to play as arthurs seat is closer! Let alone seeing Scotroutes pics!
‘vaccine passports’
Patrick Harvie and Nicola made strong points that any kind of passport scheme promotes social division and elitism, easy to forge anyway, and compromises human rights. R4 had someone on talking about it basically being ID cards through the back door...
While it’s pretty tame stuff as sob stories go
I get where you are coming from. When I feel like this I just think what it must have been like during the World Wars and what those people lived through helps get me some perspective back. Imagine if rationing had to have happened during Covid. I'm not even sure society nowadays would cope without a mutiny/civil disturbance.
I can only repeat how glad I am that I live in Aviemore and not Edinburgh, though even the latter was at least blessed with easy access to the Pentlands.
Speak for yourself! It's been a great place to be locked down - there's enough interesting historic and cultural stuff you can see outdoors that even my wife has been generally entertained, the Pentlands are right there, we've got 5 bloody great hills that feel like the outdoors in easy reach. And, for people my age, there's at least other young people to hang about with. I've spent the last few weeks thinking thank god I don't live in rural Derbyshire, which is where I moved up from.
To me LA levels has to be the way to go until we are back to normal. It helps keep flare ups local and protects areas with it currently under control. Anything that gives those who have had the vaccine better privileges to those patiently waiting would be grossly unfair.
To contradict myself vaccine passports as access to 'good stuff' like planes and large music venues might be the only way to get the sizable anti vax sheeple (not the hardcore - they are a lost cause) to give up their 'principles'.
And with substantially different entry requirements from outside of the UK to Scotland to the rest of the UK the Scotland/England boarder crossing seems like a very weak link.
Speak for yourself! It’s been a great place to be locked down
Yep, Edinburgh (and by extension anywhere within riding-there-and-back distance of Edinburgh) has kept me well entertained, in fact for winter riding I think I've been better off than I would have been in say, oooh some frigid wasteland further north 😉
I don’t think you are alone in feeling like that.
I've absolutely had it as well. Can't see friends or family (barring my dad at work) and still another 3 months?
R4 had someone on talking about it basically being ID cards through the back door…
Which are evil unlike drivers licences and biometric passports (the former being incapable of being renewed online without the latter). But that's another discussion.
I’m not sure I’ll be following the guidance as closely as I have been come April/May. That feeling will be amplified greatly if ‘vaccine passports’ become a thing and my demographic is last in line while those I’ve been isolating in order to protect have restrictions relaxed. Does that make me selfish irresponsible etc etc? Probably.
*raises hand in agreement*
I feel I might struggle to avoid doing solo bike rides on my local trails (25mins drive away but 10 miles into a neighbouring LA) for another 6/7 weeks. I've been following the rules strictly to date, but the thought of no proper MTBing until early April at earliest is really getting me down. Being sensible about it, the risk to me or others is minimal with contact with other users easily avoidable - assuming I remember how to stay attached to my bike - but I know it'd be wrong. I'll never take those trails for granted ever again.
Just asked a promoted post holder if we'll get in before 15th march to mark the 2m spacing between pupil's seats.
Answer: the distance will be reduced before then.
I'll be taking up the eis post then and looking carefully at the risk assessment.
Really? I don’t think the folk of Shetland should have to live with the consequences of trolley-licking Glaswegians.
Coffee, Screen interface 😂😂
I'm absolutely against vaccine passports, aside from creating social inequality we don't know with certainty that vaccines reduce transmission.
I can only repeat how glad I am that I live in Aviemore and not Edinburgh, though even the latter was at least blessed with easy access to the Pentlands
Or Aberdeen. Bottom of the league table at 27/100k at present, and we're supposed to stay cooped-up within the city+5 until May ??? I've thought the scot gov approach has been pretty good in general... but they are starting to lose me now! Really, what difference would allowing day trips for outside activities make .... ?
Your start/finish point must be within 5miles (8km) of up your council area.
Start/finish point.
Bottom of the league table at 27/100k at present
I clocked that. Considering what dirty, dirty boys and girls you've been in the past that's pretty amazing.
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fasgadh
Free MemberYour start/finish point must be within 5miles (8km) of up your council area.
Start/finish point.
Does that mean I could cycle from my house in Edinburgh, down to the Borders and back and stay within the rules. Yes/ No answers please ( I’m not trying to start an argument). I’m trying to train for a race and doing 100km+ round the city is pretty tiresome, and that includes a lap of the Pentlands!
Now, I understand the government's between a rock and a hard place but as much as I despise him, Boris raised a very good point yesterday in saying that despite whatever happens we'll have to learn to live with covid going forwards and that it'll never completely go away. Even if cases dropped to zero in May/June it'll flare up again in places (see Australia/New Zealand as examples).
With the current success of the vaccination programme I would say we could afford to be more lenient about lifting restrictions than planned. Focus should be on trying to get the economy going instead of dragging on this lockdown which is becoming increasingly more unnecessary as cases continue to drop.
Too much caution could penalise the SNP as well because people really are fed up with the lockdown.
I think they'll be losing seats in the May elections with the responses I've seen online to today's announcements...
I couldn’t even go to the pentlands to play as arthurs seat is closer! Let alone seeing Scotroutes pics!
TJ - you are punishing yourself here, not the government. The regs permit you to go to the pentlands (some cynical people might even think the +5 miles rule was specifically made to let Edinbuggers to the pentlands!)- if you impose your own level of restrictions beyond the government that's kind of your own fault.
I do agree with you, but a socially distancing Glaswegian might not.
As someone who has done everything possible to stick within the rules, but who's LA was put in Level 4 in December when others were going to level 2 or 3 it was frustrating - especially as the town I live in was one of the "better" bits and I haven't any reason to mix with people from the "dodgier" bits. But I have no problem seeing that cases in Ayr or Aberdeen are unlikely to have an impact on those in Aberdour, or that someone in Kirkwall should not be restricted because of an outbreak in Kircaldy or Kingussie.
That feeling will be amplified greatly if ‘vaccine passports’ become a thing and my demographic is last in line while those I’ve been isolating in order to protect have restrictions relaxed. Does that make me selfish irresponsible etc etc? Probably.
There's **** all chance of that happening before most people have been offered a first injection. There is no way that this government would manage to agree on the approach and utility of such a system in that timescale, never mind implement it. I don't see the point for domestic use, and even for international travel it probably results in a false sense of security.
jodafett - yes
TJ – you are punishing yourself here, not the government. The regs permit you to go to the pentlands (some cynical people might even think the +5 miles rule was specifically made to let Edinbuggers to the pentlands!)- if you impose your own level of restrictions beyond the government that’s kind of your own fault.
NOpe - you are supposed to only travel as far as needed to do your exercise up ie you are not supposed to go past a place where you can do the exercise you want. so for a walk in the snow and a bit of sledging I would have to go past Arthurs seat to get to the pentlands.
i have cycled out to the pentlands because there is no where nearer comparable but I can walk to Arthurs seat whereas to get the the pentland would require a taxi or bus
local outdoor informal exercise such as walking, cycling, golf, or running (in groups of up to 2 people, plus any children under 12, from no more than 2 households). Exercise can start and finish at a place in your local authority area (or up to 5 miles from its boundary), but you should travel no further than you need to reach to a safe, non-crowded place to exercise in a physically distanced way.
Edit - cycling I cannot find offroad climbs closer withing the law. Walking I can.
jodafett
I would suggest that is within the law / guidence just about but falls foul of the highlighted bit above in that you can find quiet roads closer to the city
Your start/finish point must be within 5miles (8km) of up your council area.
Yes, planning to make use of this for some longer rides, now that the snow has gone. But not so much use when trying to find stuff to do with the kids. Ach, must keep things in perspective it’s not a big deal.
I clocked that. Considering what dirty, dirty boys and girls you’ve been in the past that’s pretty amazing.
Nah we’ve been quite lucky here, middle of the table was the highest we got.
With the current success of the vaccination programme I would say we could afford to be more lenient about lifting restrictions than planned. Focus should be on trying to get the economy going instead of dragging on this lockdown which is becoming increasingly more unnecessary as cases continue to drop.
At least some of the Scottish advisors are big advocates of "zero covid" (which is really badly named as it accepts that 0 is impossible, and means so low you can properly trace and isolate every case and all their contacts). You can't achieve that when we have 800 new cases a day, we almost managed it last summer. We've just started testing asymptomatic contacts which should be a step-change in response to developing situations and stamping out outbreaks before they become significant. I think you can only say "we could afford to..." if you can back it up with modelling or data from a similar country (E,W,NI,I are good examples!) who have done something similar without tipping the balance of R. Its not like we have much headroom to play with. Cases aren't really dropping just now - despite the restrictions and the vaccines - the average daily cases has been bouncing around 8-900 for the last 2 weeks at least. What people usually mean when they say "we could afford to..." is "I'd like to be able to do X, and I don't think me doing X would make a difference. It's not my fault if 5M other people being permitted to do X would screw things up".
I think they’ll be losing seats in the May elections with the responses I’ve seen online to today’s announcements…
I'm not so sure. Who would one vote for if they think the SNP are being too tough? I've seen a lot of unhappy people but they all seem to caveat it with "I know its probably right, buy a hell of a frustrating" and "she's still not as clueless as Boris". By the time they vote people will just be starting to see relaxation and feeling a bit more positive. She might even get to unlock quicker or tweak the levels and make them feel better still. Meanwhile her biggest helper in Downing St will probably have caused some local crisis and brought in panicked local restrictions just about the time he's promised people they can go on holiday. I think the worst they face is some of the 2020 upswing going back to type, or perhaps some abstentions - but I doubt they'll lose seats because of this (there may be other issues that cost them seats - relating to local MSP's, selection lists etc).
Cases aren’t really dropping just now – despite the restrictions and the vaccines – the average daily cases has been bouncing around 8-900 for the last 2 weeks at least.
Indeed, we've barely got back to where we were before Christmas
, but you should travel no further than you need to reach to a safe, non-crowded place to exercise in a physically distanced way.
I suggest ‘travel’ means ‘drive’. Otherwise you would literally have to cycle around the block for an hour if you lived in a quiet area and fancied going for a bike ride. I really think you have over-interpreted the situation. I don’t believe this means that you can’t cycle to the Pentlands if you are also passing Arthur’s Seat
Reasons to be cheerful part 3. Ride from the house and you can go as far as you want as long as your ride finishes back at home.
Coffee shops are still open for takeaways.
You will be able to ride with pal(s)from 15th March.
The days are getting longer and the snow is disappearing 🤪
NOpe – you are supposed to only travel as far as needed to do your exercise up ie you are not supposed to go past a place where you can do the exercise you want. so for a walk in the snow and a bit of sledging I would have to go past Arthurs seat to get to the pentlands.
I think if you are adopting the guidance rather than the legislation you can't really complain they are restricting you. You've obviously decided that Arthurs seat was good enough, otherwise like dozens of others you'd have gone to the Pentlands.
i have cycled out to the pentlands because there is no where nearer comparable but I can walk to Arthurs seat whereas to get the the pentland would require a taxi or bus
You can walk to the pentlands if you get up early enough in the morning! Is it the First Minister's fault that you choose not to own a car (or presumably to join the city car club?)? I don't understand how the situation would have been better for you if she said you could go to speyside to play in the snow - but avoid public transport?
The snow caused some people real problems - lots of elderly folk who couldn't get about on icy streets; people who were expecting food deliveries which didn't come; people who don't have a bloody great hill to walk on their doorstep who travel somewhere by car to get into nature and couldn't get out their streets; essential workers who couldn't get to work, especially those who would normally share a lift with someone else in the snow. Only in Edinburgh would people complain that lockdown+snow was causing them issues because Arthur's seat isn't as good as the Pentlands!
I wasn't really complaining just passing comment. It was one of the few times that i would have prefered to live in the highlands
I think we should all try to follow the guidance as much as we can. We had a good day out on Arthurs seat
I don’t believe this means that you can’t cycle to the Pentlands if you are also passing Arthur’s Seat
Correct IMO - but we were walking! following the guidance to walk past Arthurs seat to go to the pentlands would be wrong. However although biking on Arthurs seat is a gray area signs have gone up asking people not to cycle offroad on the higher parts - so to cycle offroad and do some climbing Pentlands is the closest and i have done so a few times
To go for a proper walk in the Pentlands would have meant driving and driving past Arthurs seat, Its best part of a 20 mile round trip from my house - a bit far to walk to go for a walk.
its clearly outwith the guidence for me to drive out to the pentlands from here when I have more than adequate places to walk nearer which do not require a drive
Edit - clearly also different if you live on the south side of the city
its clearly outwith the guidence for me to drive out to the pentlands from here when I have more than adequate places to walk nearer which do not require a drive
To my mind the intended purpose of the 'council boundary+5' rule was to allow exactly this.... so that city council areas residents could spread out a bit for their exercise. But perhaps I'm guilty of taking the interpretation that suits me!
jodafett – yes
Cheers. A lap or two of the Borders this weekend then!
To my mind the intended purpose of the ‘council boundary+5’ rule was to allow exactly this…. so that city council areas residents could spread out a bit for their exercise. But perhaps I’m guilty of taking the interpretation that suits me!
Edinburgh's 100 sq miles includes a chunk of the Pentlands, so if we didn't travel to spread out a bit all 500k of us would be in the same central green spaces. I run out to Braids or Pentlands because the places closer to me are crowded with people who don't seem to remember to keep their distance when passing. And also reduces the increasing wear and tear on a small number of places which are being wrecked at present.
Indeed, we’ve barely got back to where we were before Christmas
but some areas are lower so why not go back to local tiers now. Scot gov were quick enough to put Aberdeen into a local lockdown
@jodafett - I don't think it's a yes, unless when you say "your house in Edinburgh" is in fact in West/Mid/East Lothian, which in that case it's a yes 😀
I'm off work most of March - using up holidays. If we get a spell of warm dry weather I'll be off for an overnighter or two in the highlands. Less risk than going for a walk in the local park.
Less risk than going for a walk in the local park.
constantly have this discussion with my wife, shes happy for me to go to the local tesco and mix with 100's of the great unwashed yet raises an eyebrow and tuts about be driving 15 miles to cycle in a forest where I'll meet maybe 2 others if I'm lucky.
I don’t think it’s a yes, unless when you say “your house in Edinburgh” is in fact in West/Mid/East Lothian, which in that case it’s a yes 😀
Ah! I see your point!
@jodafett – I don’t think it’s a yes, unless when you say “your house in Edinburgh” is in fact in West/Mid/East Lothian, which in that case it’s a yes
He can start at his house ride all the way through Mid Lothian, East Lothian and the Borders and then back through West lothian to his house if he wants within the legislation. Or he can drive into any of the neighbouring authorities by up to 5 miles so long as he starts and finishes at the same place. Its legal. It may not be within the spirit of the guidance - but if the government wanted the rules to be stricter they should have put the legislation before parliament for scrutiny. I'm not suggesting people don't go beyond the legislation where it makes sense but if you follow the guidance to your own detriment you are allowing a low-grade civil servant to determine your freedoms, and then potentially imposing restrictions from ambiguous wording that was never even intended.
constantly have this discussion with my wife, shes happy for me to go to the local tesco and mix with 100’s of the great unwashed yet raises an eyebrow and tuts about be driving 15 miles to cycle in a forest where I’ll meet maybe 2 others if I’m lucky.
The whole travel for exercise thing has been a massive source of angst from the start. It's almost worse now that what people can legally do and then choose to do within that varies so much. Living in Inverness I could quite legally go to Skye for a day's climbing or such like. I haven't because I'd feel uncomfortable doing that but I know others who have. I've driven 40+ miles to the Fannichs and Beinn Dearg and I feel ok with that because I pass through hardly any settlements and the risk of transmission is vanishingly small. I know there are others who think that's unacceptable and have chosen to limit their travel much more.
I've even been infected with this myself. Climbing at a local boulder last week a woman turned up from Roybridge. I found myself feeling disapproving and thinking 'ooh, that's a bit far' when actually it was perfectly legal and safe.
Whilst some sort of travel restriction is obviously necessary it's not the travel itself which is the issue but what people do at their destination. Unfortunately we've got a bit fixated with the travel itself.
And yes, before anyone says I fully appreciate how lucky I am living in the Highlands and feel sorry for those who'd like to get to the hills and can't.
the guidance says "local outdoor informal exercise such as walking, cycling, golf, or running (in groups of up to 2 people, plus any children under 12, from no more than 2 households). Exercise can start and finish at a place in your local authority area (or up to 5 miles from its boundary), but you should travel no further than you need to reach to a safe, non-crowded place to exercise in a physically distanced way."
Which would obviously rule out going to skye in your case
I think its needed that we at least attempt to follow this guidance, People are cherry picking the bits they want to hear
TJ, we've had this conversation before. The nearest safe, non crowded place is the park at the bottom of my road. Quite clearly that's a ridiculous restriction and pretty much everyone is not doing that. And why should people limit themselves in that way when it is legal and safe to go much further?
The nearest safe, non crowded place is the park at the bottom of my road
Why do you need to go further then?
TJ, is that line in the current guidelines? I ask as I was trying to defend the same point as you, the one that Colin pointed out to me a few weeks ago when I asked about visiting the beach, the thing is it had disappeared and then I happily conceded defeat in that we were allowed to travel with our LA +5 miles. I've been happily doing this since.
Edit- And I'm certainly not going to stop now fwiw
TJ give it a rest. These back and forths do nobody any good. I've bent the rules a bit just to make life a bit more bearable but this morning I feel sick. I just want to start getting back to normal. I want to see my son diving again, hopefully get the highers he needs, see my daughter doing her activities. I want to give my mum a hug. My MIL has literally gone demented this last year, trapped in her house. Stop being such an argumentative p(rick)edant.
What was the point of vaccinating the shielders? Evan afer 2 doses you cannot go to work? So nearly 6 months last year and looking increasing like at least 4 months this year on reduced income or god forbid SSP. How does Scotgov expect people to survive? The FM has only mentioned shielders twice this year and no good news on any occasion. FED UP!
Why do you need to go further then?
We've long ago established that you think everyone should be locking down as strictly as possible.
Meanwhile, what's happening in the real world is that most people have a pretty good handle on what they can do safely and legally and are just getting on with it.
There is a missed nuance here.
i am not condemning folk and yes as far as I can tell that bit is still in the guidance
I simply believe that we should all be doing our best to follow at least the spirit of the guidance rather than looking for loopholes
I am not condemning those who find a more liberal interpretation unless they are flagrantly breaching the guidance which as far as I can see that no one here is doing so. I thought this was a discussion.
Steven - I have so much sympathy for you with the position with your mother - i am in the same with mine and its not going to be much longer before I go to see her tho that would be a flagrant breech of the guidelines ( or maybe not - travelling to care for someone is an exception)
TJ, is that line in the current guidelines?
About a third of the way down this page: https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/
"local outdoor informal exercise such as walking, cycling, golf, or running (in groups of up to 2 people, plus any children under 12, from no more than 2 households). Exercise can start and finish at a place in your local authority area (or up to 5 miles from its boundary), but you should travel no further than you need to reach to a safe, non-crowded place to exercise in a physically distanced way."
This is why I've been sticking to my tame local trailcentre (Callendar Estates) on my CX bike rather than drive further to the trails I normally ride my MTBs on. I could drive 5 miles into the neighbouring LA, get bike off the car and ride the rest of the way to the MTB trails - that would be within the guidance, but IMO not in the spirit of it so I've not been doing it. My choice I know.
Did my usual early morning ride today and - rather than it distracting me from daily life - spent much of my time thinking about yesterday's announcement and how what it means for the next 6/7 weeks. Got back to the house in a bit of a crap mood.
As I said earlier ( I think) I believe that we are all reaching the end of our tolerance for the restrictions - its creating huge mental health issues for many. I have actually thru discussions on here softened my stance
Edit
There are a few ways to look at all this
1) a strict legalistic " follow the guidance at all costs" attitude
2) a follow the spirit of the guidance attitude
3) make your own risk assessment
4) look for loopholes to justify doing what yo want
5) flagrantly ignore the rules
I was a 1) and moved to 2) and I do not condemn anymore those who go to 3)
I thought I'd ask this here instead of starting a new thread.
I live in Scotland, my dad is in a care home in England. English care homes are opening up visiting from 8 March.
Will I be able to drive down to visit him in mid March?
As Spin suggests, I've not been sticking strictly to that piece of travel guidance either. My cycling has all been from home, but I've driven 10 miles or so to go swimming and walking, passing other spots en route. With the recent snow conditions, the hills have also been full of folk skiing and they have driven to the likes of Glenmore. Most of them have been fairly local but I'm sure there's been a few from further afield too.
How far would I be prepared to drive under the current guidelines? Dunno. We've ruled out Lochinver 😉 The furthest I've been from home is Inverness and that was for a visit to Halfords.
And if it's confession time I've (a) been out cycling with two other adults and (b) had a night bivvying. If anything, these minor transgressions have helped my mental state simply by ensuring I get less wound up by other folks rule-breaking.
Old shoes:
*lighthearted tone*
which of the above categories are you in?
*serious tone*
I have not seen what the guidance is going to be about cross boarder travel and quite honestly for me it would depend on a couple of things - the level of risk in the area, can you get there and back without stopping / refueling / mixing with others and also how much you feel that visit is needed rather than wanted.
I probably would go
From your 5 point list, can I suggest 2(b) follow the intention of the guidelines.?
@Spin - did you got the The Fannichs to wistfully stare at An Teallach thinking that's really where I want to be?
😉
just to clarify why i have been so strict myself is i have been repeatedly exposed to covid at work and thus I am clearly a higher risk of infecting others than the general population as a symptomless carrier
Similar issue with my wife TJ. She is the most likely vector for transmission amongst all the folk I meet. She does self-test twice a week now which helps offer some reassurance, but I'm extra careful around other folk and on supermarket trips just in case she has passed something on to me (again?)
I feel a bit like getting a teeshirt that says " I am a plague rat STEP AWAY" 🙂
did you got the The Fannichs to wistfully stare at An Teallach thinking that’s really where I want to be?
TBH I probably would go as far as AT, it's not like it would put me into contact with more people. I briefly considered going to Stac Pollaidh to get photos for a project I'm working on but that seemed like taking the piss and would have taken me through Ullapool so potential for contact.
Once you start to go beyond 'the park at the bottom of the road' it all gets a bit random really. I think this illustrates my point that it's not really the travel but how you travel and what you do when you get there which is the issue.
Like most on here I have been very careful over the last 11 months. I could count on one hand how many times I’ve been in a supermarket in that time. My wife does click & collect. I’ve been at home while schooling two primary kids, staying very local for exercise. Only been to the Pentlands a couple of times as we’re in north Edinburgh. But I’m getting to the point that I feel cycling a big loop in different LA areas while never stopping at a cafe etc is of little risk to anybody. So doing it once every couple of weeks while the weathers improving isn’t a big risk.
For my own sanity I really need it!
Edit - TJ, on your list I was 1, moved to 2 and progressing to 3 on the odd occasion.
tjagain
Full MemberEdit
There are a few ways to look at all this
1) a strict legalistic ” follow the guidance at all costs” attitude
2) a follow the spirit of the guidance attitude
3) make your own risk assessment
4) look for loopholes to justify doing what yo want
5) flagrantly ignore the rules
Yup. And of course nobody knows what the "spirit" really is so 2) can mean a lot of different things. It's funny, I've done a lot of board and wargaming in my time and it's literally the same arguments as we always had for that. "Clearly what they meant was..." "OK the rules do say that but it's obviously just an oversight because..."
It also feels sometimes a lot like riding motorbikes on the road- you know what the law is but you're also aware that it was written almost entirely for cars and so there are parts where it's counterproductive and you can break the law without causing any problems for anyone, and sometimes even be safer and safer for others.
It also feels sometimes a lot like riding motorbikes on the road- you know what the law is but you’re also aware that it was written almost entirely for cars and so there are parts where it’s counterproductive and you can break the law without causing any problems for anyone, and sometimes even be safer and safer for others.
2(b)
@Spin - I'm very jealous either way, I wish I could go to The Fannichs right now.
Can you share more on your Stac Pollaidh project? It's a great little mountain.
I'll can only look at my photos of Cul Mor from Sept and look forward to my next trip to the NW. I've wanted to walk up Ben Mor Coigach for some time now...it can wait
scotroutes
Full Member2(b)
Which really is the same as "spirit" because you can't know what the intention of a particular rule is.
OK perfect real world example. When the "5 mile rule" for exercise was introduced lots of people picked up the lack of clarity, it doesn't state whether that 5 miles was measured as the crow flies, or as travelled. Doesn't seem to matter that much til anally retentive people get into it and discover that if it's "as the crow flies" then they can drive 20 miles from Granton to Aberdour for exercise. Definitely within the letter, is it the intention? I'd say not.
But then an equally but oppositely anal person notices that 9 Mile Burn is within about 2 miles of the Edinburgh boundary, but that the shortest road route is 7 miles. So they decide that you can't drive to the quiet car parking out there to have a walk or ride on the quieter paths, and instead they go to Harlaw where it's far busier- or don't go out at all because the parking's full. Is that the intention? Nobody can really say.
Except in the simplest and clearest cases it always ends up with people making their own assumptions of what was "intended" with all the usual biases and wishful thinking etc. A person who lives in Carlops and is worried about hordes of plagueridden Edinburgh folk turning up might well feel differently to someone who lives in Fairmilehead
(I literally just got it confirmed today that it's "as the crow flies" which is also how i've been interpreting it, but I have no idea at all what they intended when they wrote it)
On riding motorbikes and "interpreting" the law. The road from ballachulish to Fort William is almost all double white lines but loads of places for a safe overtake on a motorbike. always frustrated me that one.
I’m very jealous either way, I wish I could go to The Fannichs right now.
Can you share more on your Stac Pollaidh project? It’s a great little mountain.
I’ll can only look at my photos of Cul Mor from Sept and look forward to my next trip to the NW. I’ve wanted to walk up Ben Mor Coigach for some time now…it can wait
I'm really aware that we're in a privileged position here in the Highlands. I've stopped putting photos on FB etc as I think the last thing pals in Glasgow etc need to see is me in the hills! I've also massively scaled back where I'm going and what I'm doing.
The project isn't just Stac Pollaidh, by a string of coincidences I've ended up writing a new SMC winter climbing guide to the north of Scotland. It's a pretty massive undertaking and the biggest thing is going to be getting photos of crags for topos. Stac Pollaidh isn't white very often so I was keen to try to get that but it just didn't seem right.
I’ve wanted to walk up Ben Mor Coigach for some time now…it can wait
I did that one about 3 years ago, it'll be worth the wait. A fantastic wee loop.
That sounds really interesting and like a lot of trips to get the photos you want. My summer climbing days are behind me now, via ferrate in Europe is the closest I get. I always wondered if there are reliable winter routes on the The Fiddler as it looks pretty amazing from the North
TJ give it a rest. These back and forths do nobody any good. I’ve bent the rules a bit just to make life a bit more bearable but this morning I feel sick. I just want to start getting back to normal. I want to see my son diving again, hopefully get the highers he needs, see my daughter doing her activities. I want to give my mum a hug. My MIL has literally gone demented this last year, trapped in her house. Stop being such an argumentative p(rick)edant.
Well said Steven TJ as usual playing the STW martyr.
I always wondered if there are reliable winter routes on the The Fiddler as it looks pretty amazing from the North
Yep, the summer HVS line is also a winter grade VII. Less reliable than the Torridon classics (say) but it's a sought after route when it's in condition.
I am not playing the martyr at all guys - gies a break
Read my other posts I amplified it further. the guidance is there in black and white and I did say I had sympathy for those who look more leniently at this than me
Because I am a risk to others its beholden on me to be very careful
I always wondered if there are reliable winter routes on the The Fiddler as it looks pretty amazing from the North
Not my photo but from a few weeks ago. The obvious ridge in the middle above the loch is The Fiddlers Nose which is VII,7 **** and one of the very best routes in the UK. HVS in summer.
*sulks*
No chance you'd get me up that way, I had jelly legs doing it from the other side 😆
Great photo!!
I'd love a crack at that in the summer.... obviously with bigger boys & girls to look after me 😎
@Spin - good luck with the photos/book
’d love a crack at that in the summer…. obviously with bigger boys & girls to look after me
It's an OK summer route, decent protection and good situations but a bit vegetated. Much better but obviously a much bigger undertaking in the winter.
good luck with the photos/book
Thank you.
@Spin - plenty of snow on An Teallach still (waves from the other side of the hill). Although it's been really tempting, we haven't done any winter routes this year - doesn't feel right to have to much gnar. Re posting pictures on Facebook - I was initially nervous zit doing so, but most of my social circle (spread throughout the UK) seem to appreciate them, as they get to keep some form of connection with the hills the love.
Case numbers not really dropping any more and remaining quite high? Any idea what that is about?
Case numbers not really dropping any more and remaining quite high? Any idea what that is about?
New variant Covid is more transmissible.
Case numbers not really dropping any more and remaining quite high? Any idea what that is about?
At lunchtime they said that 85% of new cases are the Kent variant and we know that it is 2 or 3 times as transmissible as the original one.
Society and the economy is not locked down as hard as the first lockdown last year.
People are still mixing in essential shops, in some workplaces and there is an element of rule breaking going on.
If the new variant had not come along we would have seen cases continuing to come down.
We have to hope that the vaccine knocks transmission on the head or we could be in a situation where cases rise, but numbers in hospital drop due to its impact on the severity of the disease.
Whilst the SG's approach out of lockdown frustrates me, I can see why they are doing it this way.
We have to hope that the vaccine knocks transmission on the head or we could be in a situation where cases rise, but numbers in hospital drop due to its impact on the severity of the disease.
Is that not a good thing. Why worry about a virus that doesn't put people in hospital? The justification for Lockdown Mk1 was to stop the NHS being overwhelmed.