MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
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Thoroughly wretched day yesterday driving through what felt like 3 hours of 40mph roadworks on the A9 to get to a 7 hour meeting in Inverness to be faced with the same return journey home come 5pm.
On a whim I decided to turn south at Trinafour and revisit some roads I'd ridden years ago, from Dalnacardoch to Trinafour to Tummel Bridge to Coshieville to Kenmore to Amulree to Crieff.
I've never enjoyed two hours in the car as much as I enjoyed that detour, 2nd gear on some of the descents just to try and give the brakes a rest, rally driver style driving position bolt upright in the seat with one hand on the gears at all times, roads that barely felt wide enough for my humble CRV, 1st gear on the switchbacks up and out of Kenmore, and all the while surrounded by flocks of lapwings and that special lush greenery you get in the first days of sunshine after weeks of rain.
Even the comical manoeuvring required when I met the only other traffic of the day coming up the lightning strike road above Glen Quaich was funny, shouting at each other from open windows from the 3 different tiers of the hairpins 😁
Anyway, nothing more to add and sadly no pictures, just marvelling at the novelty of getting the same buzz out of a 2hr drive that I usually get out of a good bike ride 😎
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Superb! sounds fantastic, great description. Often do something similar when in no rush to bring a a bit of soul back into a soulless journey.
Everything is better when you turn off of the A9! That’s a great route back. I found it when it was standstill traffic (Blair horse trials I think).
I miss the scenery of driving it daily, but people drive like nutters on that road.
Is the A9 buggered at the minute? We are doing a drive up to the north coast in mid June, are these 3yr roadworks still going to be active then?
Damnit!
I was cycling those very roads last week (dodging rain showers). They are cracking roads to drive and ride. Beautiful views too particularly as you approach Schiehallion towards Tummel Bridge.
They were extremely quiet the days we were riding there and round Loch Rannoch etc.
are these 3yr roadworks still going to be active then?
Very much so, I can’t see it being finished in my lifetime at this rate 😂
****, we've set a fairly tight schedule between hotels and activities so hopefully it doesn't add hours to the journey each way!
It really isn’t that bad, it’s mostly 40 limit with average speed cameras and single file (even through some of the duelled bits).
Dalnacardoch to Trinafour to Tummel Bridge to Coshieville to Kenmore to Amulree to Crieff.
A brilliant drive or ride.
Nice! That climb from Kenmore is savage.
Just had a gander on Streetview, looks mega!
Is the A9 buggered at the minute?
No, it's really not bad, good steady progress, could sit on cruise control most of the way.
I just couldn't face 6hrs of it all in one day!
Is the A9 buggered at the minute?
Always best to just assume it is unless you hear otherwise
I don't live anywhere near the A9 so the only times I'm heading up that way are for leisure, usually on the motorbike - so I ALWAYS avoid it as the alternatives are so much prettier and much more fun 🙂
I once decided to go cross country from Farnborough to Cardiff. Took ages, as all the towns were blocked up with traffic, but it was a beautiful trip all the same going through the countryside.
It's not that bad. Boring sitting through the roadworks but flows fairly well and doesn't add that much time.
I do enjoy those roads via Kenmore etc but nowadays I'm more often driving the Transit than a car, so less fun (and less nice for passengers) humpfing the van along those twistier roads.
The main roadworks are luncarty to Birnam - 40mph limit with average speed cameras. There are bits further north, but nothing substantial. I suspect it adds about 10 mins to the drive between Perth and Dunkeld.
Aye know the route, tis a fantastic journey.
On a whim I decided to turn south at Trinafour and revisit some roads I’d ridden years ago, from Dalnacardoch to Trinafour to Tummel Bridge to Coshieville to Kenmore to Amulree to Crieff.
The Dunkeld -Amulree - Crieff route was the regular road my dad took in the 1970s driving up or down from ski trips or bothy trips with my brother and I. Used to be a pub in Amulree which was the regular pitstop. Back then before the Perth bypass was built it was not only more scenic but faster than going through Perth.
Strange to think now of driving up the old A9 through all the towns now bypassed by the new A9.
rally driver style driving position bolt upright in the seat with one hand on the gears at all times
No decent driver uses the gear stick as a hand rest... Both hands on the wheel for maximum control and quick reaction for snap oversteer!
I think I meant one hand on the gear stick because I was changing gears so frequently, but either way, don't confuse my thread about enjoying driving as any claim to being a decent driver! 😉
Amulree to Kenmore is a cracking bike run with a nippy wee climb from Loch Frooky or if going the opposite way Amulree to Dunkeld on a road bike is a flyer as its a gentle downhill most of the ten miles
So on the basis of this tread should I take the route from Bristol to Ffestiniog via Builth Wells or M5? 10 min difference on google maps at the moment. My main consideration is one of the minidts does suffer from car sickness 🤮
Yeah, our wee one doesn't really appreciate scenery (or lapwings) yet, but I did pass at least three stunning wee spots that would have kept him entertained for hours, could have made a whole day just out of the journey!
Google is not necessarily accurate for twisty roads. My house to Balloch, Loch Lomond is 28m by either A82 or Stockiemuir Road according to Google. In reality Stockiemuir Road is 5 or 10 minutes slower.
But there is more to travelling than the shortest time.
Yea, in the days before it was updated for cycle paths setting Google maps to cycling was a great way to find scenic b-roads to drive.
There's got to be a audience for a driving version of komoot? Especially for classic cars with 4-speed gearboxes where reaching 70 is a noisy pipedream 🤣
Well I’m not sure what the M5 north was like today but the drive via the scenic route to North Wales was quite relaxing and only one stop for minidts to regain some colour in her cheeks.
My VW satnav plots an interesting route along minor roads when heading north on the M6/M74 towards Mabie. It can be pleasant if you're not planning to get anywhere fast.
If I'm driving to my in-laws straight from work I sometimes take the back roads over the lammermuir hills as I can't face the A1. It can fun but watch out for them potholes 😬
only one stop for minidts to regain some colour in her cheeks
😁 We've yet to have to deal with car-sickness. Ours is either asleep or rattling off quick fire questions.
It can fun but watch out for them potholes
The potholes on that Kenmore road have all joined up now, it's just one sort of central trench, would be terrifying to hit at speed if descending...
Could someone point out to the cyclists on the A9 that such lovely back routes exist? Three days and I've seen three lots of tourers or bike Packers on A9 - one lot at Perth about 20m from the segregated path...
^ I know. I had a couple of roadies outside Dunkeld on the main A9, not an enjoyable day out at all and hope it was only for a short spell. Drove down Sunday from Morvich. Usual motorbike bellendery in places across A87/2/6 - seems to be a lot of novice bikers. A group passed me in a 30 doing about 80, 11 of them in a row, once one went they all went. I of course just blocked the road in my dirty great white whale campervan. Lots of cheeky camping and tents and vans dotted about, road to Skye was mental as well and talking to a few people up on the hills theres a lot of average behaviour from 'van types' parking up without facilities and just sh1tting and lighting fires all over the place, possibly anecdotal but saw a fair it of it on our last 2 weeks travels. Boring as it is we've been using sites mainly. Saw 100 birds, had an excellent interaction with a Golden Eagle and had several fish and chip dinners - great times were had.