Indeed
Enjoy riding your bike where you can- any bike ride is a good one.
This plus many ones !
I picked up a lovely new bike the other day and really enjoyed riding it a couple of road miles to the local windfarm, an hour or so of desolate gravel paths and back home on the road. Not what I’d choose for a 150mm FS ebike, but hey ho, it’s a bike and I’m riding it and I’m not sick and none of my immediate family have died of Covid...
Walked up into Carrick hills today, which involved coming through Dunure, a local tourist hotspot. It was a lot quieter than usual, I'm happy to say.
Those pics are from England irc? Different rules from us.
So, with the R number decreasing, and daily totals falling to very low numbers now, it looks like we'll be moving to the next phase of restrictions next week.
suspect most of them are quite happy to make use of the nearest urban area for their shopping and healthcare needs so I’m afraid that worried or not they don’t get to pull up the drawbridge.
Remind me why not ?
I think the next scheduled review of restrictions would be 18th June. It is possible changes could be made before that but I thought the three week interval was driven by the infection/symptoms cycle. I reckon we'll see compulsory face coverings in indoor public spaces before then too.
Aye, my bad, by next week I meant the week beginning 14th, not this week coming, as that's the next review.
If the numbers keep reducing until then, there will be huge pressure to move to next stage, although NS has handled the pressure superbly well thus far.
Head and shoulders above her ilk in Westminster.
I think Scot.gov. won't move ahead of the schedule.
There's a huge amount of planning and preparation going on, and that cannot be rushed.
I also can see the face covering in public buildings and on public transport.
We've a challenging summer ahead - open up to quickly and it's free for all holiday season, too slow and businesses keep going pop. Imo, I think they're trying to keep Scotland for Scottish holidays this year...
Just heard in the past hour that the Mountain Cafe in Aviemore won't be re-opening.
<edit>
ahh thats shite
The good news at least is we can go up the road and get the quality food.
Let's just hope enough folk think like that.
It's the food I go for not the wait and certainly not Aviemore.
Thats a right bummer that they are closing. They've all put so much work into it.
Having to close for a reason you could never have planned or created yourself is awful.
Been going there years, I look forward to supporting them from Grantown when I can.
suspect most of them are quite happy to make use of the nearest urban area for their shopping and healthcare needs so I’m afraid that worried or not they don’t get to pull up the drawbridge.
How many itu facilities exist outside the main urban centres? Go on, take a guess...
How many ‘proper’ healthcare facilities exist out with main urban centres? Go on, take a guess...
How many large supermarkets and other large/specialist shops exist outside main urban centres? Go on, take a guess...
You think they actually have a choice? I’ve a (pregnant) work colleague who lives in Caithness on the north coast, she has to travel to Raigmore for tests...
Highland region has approx 235,000 permanent residents. It occupies 33% of the Scottish landmass (& 16% of the UK one). At least 70,000 of these live in (or around) Inverness. Take out Nairn, Fort Wiiliam, Wick, Dingwall and Alness that only Leases ~130-odd thousand spread across a large area...
Look what happened in Shetland when the virus struck a small community...
How many itu facilities exist outside the main urban centres? Go on, take a guess…
Twelvety?
I think Scot.gov. won’t move ahead of the schedule.
There’s a huge amount of planning and preparation going on, and that cannot be rushed.
I don't think anyone was suggesting that they do, I certainly wasn't, more that I can't see them not moving to next phase.
You have to assume the phases are not set in stone either, if we end up.with numbers down in the gutter, then do we stick to the plan? There would be enormous pressure from businesses, as many of them will be the next mountain cafe.
Twelvety
It’s not often you’re right...
And yer wrang, again... 🤪
Very sad hearing the MV cafe in Aviemore closing but will always call into her new venture in Grantown on the way from Aberdeen.
Really look forward to when we can get out camping again but fear it might be too late before schools head back August 11th. Have bookings in both Camusdarach and Clachtoll but not looking promising for either before school is due to restart.
I do wonder if sites might stipulate you need an address in Scotland to book which could help keep things under the jurisdiction of Holyrood. This could help potentially reduce transmission from different parts of the UK on different R trajectories.
Drove past Pollok Park early afternoon and you would've thought The Beatles had reformed and were playing an impromptu concert judging by the amount of folk streaming into the park.
Drove to Milngavie to ride at Mugdock, which was actually ok although I did avoid the main paths
How many itu facilities exist outside the main urban centres? Go on, take a guess…
Yes. That’s the point. They don’t have the resources to support one. Punters in the countryside are acting as if they are separate from the rest of society in urban areas. But in reality they’re not. They are dependent on everyone else just like town & city dwellers.
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BoardinBob
SubscriberDrove past Pollok Park early afternoon and you would’ve thought The Beatles had reformed and were playing an impromptu concert judging by the amount of folk streaming into the park.
Drove to Milngavie to ride at Mugdock, which was actually ok although I did avoid the main paths
A lot of 5 mile radius to exercise going on there then..
Punters in the countryside are acting as if they are separate from the rest of society in urban areas.
No, they’re not.
They are scared of the virus and the potential impact...
Nothing is open, the toilets (and car parks) are shut. There’s no one to keep them clean (and townies think that their shit and rubbish are collected by magic...).
Let's hope the Mountain Cafe make a go of it in Grantown.
I wonder if they'll have buzzers 🤔
A lot of 5 mile radius to exercise going on there then..
A whopping six miles
Sue me
Yes. That’s the point. They don’t have the resources to support one. Punters in the countryside are acting as if they are separate from the rest of society in urban areas. But in reality they’re not. They are dependent on everyone else just like town & city dwellers.
They come to the city and infect you .....you have the necessary care on your door step.
You go to them and infect them.
They do not have the care facilities.
More so the whole village could come to the city and you'd not notice..... If even 1/10th of the average city hit a popular Highland village .....it's chaos.
No, they’re not.
They are scared of the virus and the potential impact…
Nothing is open, the toilets (and car parks) are shut.
Most are scared, no? I think you'll probably need to come to terms with the fact that tourists want to return to the beautiful places you inhabit. No, it's not a fundamental need, but then neither is a large supermarket over a corner shop.
Most are scared, no? I think you’ll probably need to come to terms with the fact that some rural locals want tourists want to return to the beautiful places you inhabit. No, it’s not a fundamental need, but then neither is a large supermarket over a corner shop.
FTFY
Sad to hear about the Mountain Cafe. Kirsten did the catering for our wedding in Aviemore in 2007. Go back there every year for our anniversary, it won't be the same...
A whopping six miles
Breaking the rules to go somewhere you shouldn't be and then complaining it was busy! I'd say beyond parody, but that scenario has come up again and again in satire in the last few weeks. 😀
Newcastleton had folk heading there from all over. They now have covid + results. Nearest hospital is BGH at Melrose so a good 90minutes away assuming roads open (floods shut one in the winter). Police were traveling the 45minutes to sort the MTB riders and send them home. I despair of humans sometimes.
Maybe being a bit dim here but bear with me for this question. So I live pretty close to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. If I go to Ballater and spread the Covid anyone who develops full blown Covid will get sent to ARI and perhaps get shoved on a ventilator in ITU. If I go next door and infect my next door neighbour they may end up in ARI in ITU. If I live in weegieland say Toonheed next to GRI. I take a trip to Aberfoyle and infect someone there. They get taken to GRI ITU. If I infect my weegie neighbour sharing a bottle of ginger they go to GRI ITU. What’s the difference if I infect my neighbour or country cousin? Not that I want to do either.
outofbreath
Member
A whopping six milesBreaking the rules
It's a guide, not a rule nor a law
It’s a guide, not a rule nor a law
Apologies, correction: Breaking the guidelines to go somewhere you shouldn’t be and then complaining it was busy! I’d say beyond parody, but that scenario has come up again and again in satire in the last few weeks. 😀
What’s the difference if I infect my neighbour or country cousin?
Hopefully, the guys advising the decision makers have a good idea what they're doing. Either way I think this is a rare case where blind obedience is the right thing. Do what they say and if they are wrong they can, and will, be crucified by the electorate later.
Oob, I'd say driving on past somewhere which is within your 5 mile guideline, not stopping cos it's rammed, and instead driving a bit further to a quieter area, is pretty sensible. That is what Bob did.
In fact, NS covered this in a QA session last week.
Or the flipside: go to Skye for a holiday and catch the virus. Care home in Portree was a real epicentre at one point.
You need to have a think about your holiday accommodation.😁
It was a bargain, I couldn't resist..
NS covered this in a QA session last week.
Linky to what was specifically said? I've just googled and found nothing that even hints it's ok to go further (unless you're visiting family). I know people who sail/kayak in Scotland, if traveling further to get away from people is ok then it's game-on for them.
The guidance is "broadly" 5 miles. That's what was actually said. There's not some definite cut-off point as it recognises we all have different situations.
Fair enough, 6 miles is within any sane definition of "broadly 5 miles".
Sorry, BoardinBob, I'll wind my neck in.
Aberdeenlune- imagine if the person you gave Covid to in that scenario was one of the ten people who work at the co-op there, who then gave it to two, three, maybe four of their colleagues. That's a shop that then has much reduced capacity and maybe they need to close it. Then the people of Ballater don't have a local supermarket. Or you infect one of the women who works at the hardware store who is in their sixties, and then when someone has some kind of DIY emergency like a broken tap they have to get someone in to their house (who may be spreading Covid) or go on a drive all the way to Aberdeen to get what they need. Or one of the four GPs that works there, reducing capacity in the only local surgery.
As fewer people live in rural communities, if one of them is affected it's more likely to affect others and there's fewer people available to step in and replace them. I live in the city and can completely understand why rural communities are wary of people coming in from centres of infection.
You forgot the fact he was driving as well.
also pollok park to Milngavie is 8 miles as the crow flies or 10 miles by road
I had to take my mum to Perth Royal on Fri, so drive to her house to collect her , near St Andrews. Saw a fair few campervans and Motorhomes on the road, not exactly sure where they were going ?
You forgot the fact he was driving as well.
also pollok park to Milngavie is 8 miles as the crow flies or 10 miles by road
lol! Here's Poirot!
Saw a fair few campervans and Motorhomes on the road, not exactly sure where they were going ?
I know a few folk that their camper is their only vehicle (unsurprising as their not cheap!) Would also be a decent idea if they're visiting family, they have a toilet and washing facilities to use during the visit.
No doubt there will be some who are just fannies, mind.
Yeah campers I could understand but at least a dozen full bore motor homes, just seemed odd.
Yeah, once I am allowed to go fetch my campervan from Englandshire it'll be my only vehicle.
Having my own cooking/washing facilities is a big bonus for me as I am out of work so would like to spend this time going all round the country seeing the place and going mountain biking etc.
No money for normal accommodation and means I won't need to mingle with the mingers and catch their ming.
BoardinBob
Drove past Pollok Park early afternoon and you would’ve thought The Beatles had reformed and were playing an impromptu concert judging by the amount of folk streaming into the park.
Maybe that's the herd Boris was talking about? And perhaps they think if they're in a herd then they have that famous "herd immunity".
BTW anyone know the current R number for the Stupidity Contagion?
BTW anyone know the current R number for the Stupidity Contagion?
26 staff tested positive in one ward for C19 in my local hospital, this can be attributed to many factors, stupidity is not one of them.
People on here have lost family members, to refer to this virus as a stupidity contagion is really a bit dickish.
On the subject of driving camper van/motor homes about.
I suspect I’m about to find out not driving mine will have an associated cost.
@ imnotverygood @aberdeenlune People who live in the highlands and other remote/rural areas have no choice in what hospital they attend for anything other than basic day to day treatments. People choose whether to go on a daytrip/bike trip/ hillwalking.
Nobeerinthefridge
People on here have lost family members, to refer to this virus as a stupidity contagion is really a bit dickish.
Sorry you got that interpretation from my attempted humour.
I was referring to the people pouring into the park when the virus is still rampant. If that's not stupid, what is?
@nzcol - there was a flurry of tweets last weekend suggesting that the Highlands were about to be overrun by campervan and motor homes. I don't know where they ended up. Certainly none in evidence around here.
There are, undoubtedly, a few "visitors" around. Could be many are just making day trips, though some of the second/holiday homes are seeing the occasional use. I've also seen a handful of backpackers and bike tourers passing through the area. Probably all against the rules but at such low levels it might not matter.
Probably all against the rules but at such low levels it might not matter.
Agree it probably doesn't matter but the problem being that others see it and it influences their view of what is the norm, what is acceptable, and the risk then is that attitudes and behaviour change more widely.
I only have to look at local activity in our street, teenagers now out most evenings with their carrier bags of booze away to the forest for a meetup - starts with a few, now loads as it becomes normalised. Hard to convince my own 17yr old that he cannae go out with his mates...
Yeah campers I could understand but at least a dozen full bore motor homes, just seemed odd.
Possibly just giving it a run. Mine hasn't moved for months so it's definitely a temptation to give it a brief spin.
I did wonder that as I have a m/h too and while i checked it 5 weeks ago I was planning on riding over to get it tomorrow night (its 4 miles away ...) as I need to do some work inside it. Would mean a bit of a run as well. Like everyone else i've fitted the narrative to fit what I want to do !
The M/Hs I saw were on M90 heading N and S. One i passed was loaded, bikes on back etc. and one was towing a trailer car. So who knows.
It's interesting, theres a guy on the Pentlands forum getting a pasting for posting a snap of Allermuir at dawn this AM from his tent. While camping is not permitted his reason is that 'Everyone else is doing much worse stuff', which basically sums it up. Frankly i don;t give a monkeys if he stayed up there, I wouldn't post a pic of a sneaky overnighter but the narrative will always fit what you want it to.
Complaining about teenagers meeting up or people traveling more than 5 miles is now very much a case of shouting at the moon.
The focus for government advice should now switch to things that are more achievable long term like maintaining distancing, avoiding busy places, hand washing, cough etiquette etc, etc rather than issuing guidelines which are so ridiculously restrictive that people are bound to ignore them.
the narrative will always fit what you want it to.
And this is essentially what it boils down to. I'll be honest, if I had a motorhome with a toilet too right I'd be off seeing folk (reasonably close).
How close though - 5 miles, 10 miles, 20 miles, 50 miles ? It's a total shambles of politicking. Even my own family have p1ssed me off, last weekend they all decided to drive between 30 and 40 miles and meet in one of their gardens. I declined as I knew i needed to take my mum to the hospital last week so needed to be as clean as i possibly could be, she's very vulnerable. And they should know better, 3 of them work in the NHS FFS dealing with this every day !
Do what you think is right for you and you only, both ways.
And they should know better, 3 of them work in the NHS FFS dealing with this every day !
I think the message there is not that we need to tighten up more as individuals or a society but that we've reached the point where enough people have had enough of tight restrictions that they are no longer of much use. Pick your battles and all that.
lol! Here’s Poirot!
TBF I had looked into how close it was to my house before
The focus for government advice should now switch to things that are more achievable long term like maintaining distancing, avoiding busy places, hand washing, cough etiquette etc, etc rather than issuing guidelines which are so ridiculously restrictive that people are bound to ignore them.
What if that's not safe? What if the safe optioon is staying in your locality, not venturing into other health boards, not galvanting about in your car? It doesn't matter if they're restrictive, they've told you to do this for a reason. It's not just Nicola putting her finger in the wind and saying "aye, maybe we'll keep everyone local for a bit and see what happens".
Even my own family have p1ssed me off, last weekend they all decided to drive between 30 and 40 miles and meet in one of their gardens
FM said she was planning on visiting her mum, given Bute house is 75 miles from her mums home, I'd say your family is fine.
What if that’s not safe?
Whether it's safe or not is really a secondary issue now. The real issue is what is achievable.
It's clear that people are getting close to the point (and many are past it already) where they think that staying within 5 miles of home is not a realistic expectation.
There's only so much that you can ask individuals to do for the good of society/other individuals and it seems obvious to me that we're pretty close to that limit now. For the most part this is not selfishness or callousness but just human nature.
Sure, you can continue to push the 5 mile limit or such like but there isn't much point if great swathes of society ignore it and if they are ignoring it it would be much better to focus the message/resources on things that are achievable.
I agree Spin.
We need to identify high risk activity and focus of ways on containing and managing those activities, transport, workplaces, peoples homes, basically anything indoors or in a confined space.
We never knew much about this illness at first, so it was 100% correct to lockdown, but there's mounting evidence that outdoor activities are not high risk, so we learn and manage.
Think I'll head back to Mugdock tonight 😆
^^^^ I guess if you get there and it's busy you could drive over to Carron Valley... 🙂
^^^^ I guess if you get there and it’s busy you could drive over to Carron Valley…
Aberfoyle probably
Carron Valley? that's worse than that gravelling wilbury stuff you do up the windfarm. 🙂
t’s interesting, theres a guy on the Pentlands forum getting a pasting for posting a snap of Allermuir at dawn this AM from his tent. While camping is not permitted his reason is that ‘Everyone else is doing much worse stuff’, which basically sums it up. Frankly i don;t give a monkeys if he stayed up there, I wouldn’t post a pic of a sneaky overnighter but the narrative will always fit what you want it to.
I'm on that forum as well and did see that. I can't see any harm in actually doing a wild camp up there at the moment, however I also would most definitely would not be posting a picture of it.
3 of them work in the NHS FFS dealing with this every day
Oddly enough the NHS folks I know seem to be the least likely to be following lockdown. They're mostly doctors though, and some of them tend to feel the rules are for the little people...
Oddly enough the NHS folks I know seem to be the least likely to be following lockdown.
We've had same conversation here!
We've our own family who are nurses - they're out all over the place and allowing thier kids to congregate. Friends who are GP and Consultant - teenage party in thier garden, another Dentist and Radiographer - BBQ for friends in the Peak...
Forty or fifty people out on the Cobbler and Ben Narnain today. People are choosing to ignore over restrictive guidelines.
Lol, maybe choose a picture of the Cobbler path on a sunny weekend, or even the car park at the bottom? Will be heaving probably
Called it!
It’s clear that people are getting close to the point (and many are past it already) where they think that staying within 5 miles of home is not a realistic expectation.
Well there's only one more weekend to wait before the rules are reviewed again... if 70% of people are complying with the request it will still be beneficial, and the calculated risk will include an estimate of how many selfish ****s there are.
There’s only so much that you can ask individuals to do for the good of society/other individuals and it seems obvious to me that we’re pretty close to that limit now. For the most part this is not selfishness or callousness but just human nature.
The data is looking encouraging just now. The problem is people start to think its over and argue for "release" when actually sticking to our guns for a bit longer might help us become "New Zealand". Theres an interesting problem if you get new cases say North of Perth to be 0 for 2 weeks - could you open those areas but only for people who are in them? In one extreme you might even end up opening up all of Scotland but not the border! I can see situations where that might make sense (especially in R in scotland is low, incidence is v low but England has a second wave) but can you imagine the politics in that...
Sure, you can continue to push the 5 mile limit or such like but there isn’t much point if great swathes of society ignore it and if they are ignoring it it would be much better to focus the message/resources on things that are achievable.
But that really is the SG philosophy anyway, if you read the whole framework the phases are about doing exactly that, in such a way that you might have some hope of being able to see what causes the problem if R starts to rise too much and stamp out that specific issue rather than a "**** it" approach and now nobody is sure whether R in the NW and SW of England is high because of parties, beach BBQs, returning to work, reopening schools, holidays etc. The difference is you are expecting 99% compliance and they presumably are not (or they would have extended the legislation and removed ambiguous words like "broadly 5 miles").
Sounds as though Lewis Buchanan's video from last week has caused some noise
Was a bit naive to post it up in the first place, however quite understandable for current generation where that is normal modus operandi. I’m obviously an old fart...
I guess his sponsors don't do that out of the kindness of their hearts. Pretty sure his content has been much reduced and there's only so many "which colour frame do you prefer?" Insta posts you can do before everybody's fed up. If I lived in Innerleithen I'd be finding it pretty hard not to go up the Golfie just now, it's hard enough being 30 minutes up the road. My desire to ride locally is being sorely tested now.
Just considering a week on Harris or Islay. Bets on holiday accommodation being open with the ability to travel for the first week in August?
No chance.
Self catering cottage and the likes, potentially I'd say, hotel not so much.
Ferries? Who knows.
Self-catering might be a possibility come the middle of August I guess. That's when the schools go back so I'm expecting there will have to be significant changes all round. Prior to that, I'd say no chance. Folk on the islands are, understandably, nervous about opening up transport links. My wife hasn't been able to see her mother in Lewis since all of this first started. We're hoping that some dispensation might become available in July/August for compassionate visits.
Theres an interesting problem if you get new cases say North of Perth to be 0 for 2 weeks – could you open those areas but only for people who are in them? In one extreme you might even end up opening up all of Scotland but not the border!
This is already happening. There have been no new cases in Dumfries & Galloway and the Borders for weeks now but we stay in Lockdown because there are still a lot of cases elsewhere. Similar with the border. I could drive for 10 miles to cross the border (as I do every time I need to go to a supermarket) and then continue on for two and a half hours to ride at Kielder while adhering to guidance, but can't drive 10 miles to ride remaining in Scotland.