I’ve just booked a week in Plockton (nearish Torridon/Skye/Glen Affric) and possibly Aviemore for week 2.
Week 3 Oban, Glencoe, Trossachs

Island have fab scenery but you can sometimes be a somewhat captive audience -ie not for a week.

Road to Drive:Applecross/Torridon via coast (and lots others on W coast)
Beaches – Harris and Lewis (also along top N coast – Tongue etc)

*re multi day – IMHO Satmap battery pack change is HIDEOUS (really need chip pliers) – (or can use normal batteries), the MM35 looks a LOT better and you can get other battery packs as spares for both

I’m just gone from a Garmin Etrex (old dot trail one) to a Satmap(*ebay deal 329 inc UK 50 maps) – and I still use MM on pc. (came down to satmap vs mm2800 and satmap seemed to win vast majority of reviews)

For me I wanted rolling OS map, having had it, I’m not quite so convinced – I can open the paper map and get a great context, with a small screen that’s not worked out as well as I expected (but that may be me needing ato learn a new technique, it does stop the which left carry on you get with the Etrex arrow, as it’s not always quite good enough at multi trail intersections.

They’re expensive so I’d try and get a borrow if you’re going down rolling OS (I’m in Berks)

FYI – MM (who are iritatingly 5 miles down raod from me) have been doing full kit ex sales demo 3500 for 280 and 2800 for 220 on ebay. If I’d seen that before I bought the Satmap I’d probably have done that……..

as above/below

Newspaper, rolled into a ball (loosely) in the bottom. Fill the bottom of the grate like this.

Next, sticks (*kindling please – we used about .5 to 1″ by .5 to 1″). First laid one way, then a layer laid at right angles (criss-cross fashion).

Then coal, a good covering. *I’d start with smaller bits and try and get some small bits in between the kindling so they heat and burn then layering up with saller to bigger but making sure plenty of air flow

wafting – old technical term, can be used to turbo boost, using a cushion (or something else lying about about 1ft square and not too flexible) and use that as a fan to help force air flow once the coal looks like it’s caught.

your research subjects are:
dividends
entrepreneur relief

Cater Allan bank was good for me (*you’ll probably need a business account)

have you looked at ‘umbrella’ companies (*not sure if it’s good/legal for medical work). Not as tax efficient, not as much hassle. (see Parasol as a good eg, you get all insurance etc(*check for medical and some contracts require min amounts) and you effectively work for them, so much less tax efficient, *the contract will be between them and whoever pays, so may not be suitable for one offs, odd job work etc).

A limited company has running costs (and legal obligations), it’s worth having advice/

wouldn’t glue that, (and I’m also a glue fan)araldite 2 part worked brill on motorbike cranckcases but they’re not stressed.

weld, 7mm isn’t a lot but I had a klinn trailer and that’s nearly made of paper and it worked fine
can you plate – ie get 2 bits of metal that sufficiently overlap both parts, and drill bolt holes appropriately.

ps and sorry – what are the implications of failure, assuming you’ll be towing on a public road you might want to get somebody appropriately skilled and experienced to do it

Have a look at Glentrool + Galloway Forest Park
biking and forest drives
Loch Ken does sailing etc stuff
http://www.lochken.co.uk/

Southern Upland way

Kirkcudbright is an ‘artists’ village

They built some Mulberry harbours at Gairlieston (nothing left), I’ve always found pub on front is a ‘warm’ place )it is a bit down market but friendly with good grub)

If you want a drive Dunure is a lovely old (tiny) fishing town with castle, cafe and pub. and the Electric Brae might amise the kids, it really is quite weird. Do it heading S before laybay on lhs, use mirror and put hazards on, stop car, brakes off,it WILL roll uphill …. :>)

Also went with Exodus, agree with tracks defo not techie, scenery was fantastic (dry, dusty. mountains, sun, starts, greenery bits, etc) and I actually enjoyed the cycling, however thought it was overpriced and partly planned around drivers relatives/mates shops (e.g evening meal after a complusory 30 minute stop at a carpet shop), new year in the boondooks, wherase we spent 2 hours in a fabulous vibrant village (with lots of choice).
(*also surfed for a week with Rapture Surf Camps, SIGNIFICANTLY better food (more, and more variety) about 1/3 price for week)

Chck out changing money, I think it’s controlled in Morocco, also if female (and I guess maybe males in wrong place) your dress can offend/cause issues (ie on the surfing holiday a girl wearing short shorts/bikini went down badly at a middle of nowehere market (but to be fair she had been warned) some people refused to serve her and the youngsters pinched her arse….

I’d probably suggest skipping holiday insurance might not be a great decision.

maybe worth building a list, depending on your music taste I might want a few.mip

Also looking at this. Recommending (*As someone who HAS NOT ridden the routes) but from an ideas/readability, ease of understanding, map style and quality (*plus Memory Mapping of routes and the fact they’ve been in MBR on tinternet etc etc) ‘Scotland Mountain Biking, The Wild Trails, Phil McKane, Vertebrate Publishing

I’ve always been ‘multisports’, motorbike trail riding, walking, windsurfing, surfing, kiting, canoeing, dinghy sailing, mountain biking, floorball, fotball, tennis, badmington etc etc. Not all at the same time and lots have now expired but overlapping and some have lasted years. I’ve decided there are disadvantages (and advantages) to this, playing both tennis and badmington has made me crap at both, whilst having windsurfed quite a lot meant that picking up dinghy sailing was easy (and understanding wind helped with kiting). From a mountain biking perspective I’d say it was ‘bad’, mainly as my sole foray into a formal club didn’t work out – I just wasn’t as fit/skilled as everybody else who did it as what appeared to be an only hobby.

Do what you enjoy, and if you hook up with like minded/equalish abilities that’ll probably make it even better.

me + bird did Lancaster for a coule of nights, pretty impressed, small town, buzz, cycling, history, hill, canal, coast, castle, old docks .

Thai by Bus Staton was recommended (via here) and was worth it.

gf home about 6, get smart/casualed up, wander down village, drink in the codgers pub, then meal at gfs mates restaurant (and hope gf doesn’t get called in)….

Thanks druidh. Out – well there seem to be 3 options (via OS map reading):
– W ish, Ewan route, to Morvich
– S ish track/landrover/building on A87
– W + S ish via very wide U curve – via Camban then Morvich
open to suggestions/local knowledge, I’m after scenery, preferably mainly rideable(I’m not brilliant) but have enjoyed a ride that involved a 2 mile carry over boggy tussocks.

Non tech gf will cycle back and get car, I’ll go whatever and we’ll meet up at agreed point.
If there any any cracking views, esp reachable for non tech rider that’d be handy info
cheers

It’s much more recent than that in Scotland, my mum moved to Scotland in 1939 (war, from London) and remembers my (religious) gran bursting into tears on Xmas day as the butchers boy came round to take an order. A lot of shops were open as the Scots did New Year…

Ewan (*or anybody), awesome photo, any chance of some info, (planning two Scotland trips next year), Presuambly E to W, Affric Lodge, S of Loch, Athnamulloch, SYHA, etc.
? is the bit from road parking@ishAffricLodge to SYHA doable for a non technical rider and ‘obvious’ , SYHA site – “This track provides a great challenge for experienced mountain bikers (a wee bit bumpy)”

Cheers

can you put a fan heater/hairdryer to blow into pipe area

have you got a drain unblocket coil

bear in mind charges
see also preloved.co.uk
and freecycle

bwd,

they have MUCH more access to money and ‘influential people’ than any other outdoor access group, like it or not that will make a difference when it comes to law.

‘vociferous walkers’ representative body’, agrred but it’s universally recognized and probably better than having umpteen like mountain bikers (sorry)

loft insulation as above

‘old people’ used to
– line floor with newspapers (under underlay)
– thick curtains on windows and doors
– draught excluders

I had rabbit in a rural location.

Chicken mesh cage (inc floor) – did you check for tunnels etc
Solid wood hutch at end, each night put in hutch and with door secured.

on the glue front I’d suggest two tube Ararldite, super glue appears to harden/brittle/fail over quite a short time in my experience.

last year was well handled (IMHO) where I work. About 60% made it in, after the kerfuffle, official communications and thanks/senior management walkround saying they all appreciated the effort in difficult conditions. Cue lots of gloating spongers who thought they got away with it, until they read the last sentence in the formal email, something like ‘And to avoid further inconveniece to those who couldn’t make it in we’ve automatically allocated the time off against holiday allowance’

Probably not related but my mum and dad (*in their lats 50s) had a rough time (dad became intolerable) it turned out to be part of the start of diabetes setting in (and my dads characteristic of not admitting he was feeling ill). He’s on tablets now and the world is a lot better place.

Professional counselling is also an option you might want to consider.

In terms of ‘own time’, can you find a club, evening class, society etc where you get some different people/circumstances – execise/skill ..??
.

moscow mule = happy daze …..

I take it you chaps are aware of this tasty premixed option http://www.crabbiesgingerbeer.co.uk/login.php?redirect=/index.php

rather nice

Bundaberg on the todo list

truly

mate on a motorbike, very early morning, black leathers, really going for it onto the motorway at a rural junction, slide, bang, big wipeout, bike in the shrubbery, he’s lying in the middle lane, concious, but can’t move, a couple of lorries go past on inside lane …, anyway a passing shpepherd sees him, comes down and ties a white collie to him and goes for help, next lorry stops, and I quote ‘but where did you get the dog from ?’

I recently traced play to the actual shock, (old Manitou Swinger), the actual shock appears to have about 2mm play, worse when air pressure is lower.

When everything is tight there is a slight clunk when I lift the saddle, having spent ages pulling this and that (and getting independent help) I can ‘feel’ (vibration etc) in the shock when I hold the shock and lift the bike – it’s like 2mm of travel is ‘free’ and it just clunks hwne the slack is taken up.

Maybe try pumping it up to a lot and seeing if there is a difference.
Can you mount the shock at one end and try for play.

You mean this one

“The Barnett Formula was designed as a temporary measure but has lasted for 30 years.

Lord Barnett, then the Labour chief secretary to the Treasury, drew up a system for the division of public spending in 1978 partly to settle rows with other Cabinet ministers about spending allocations, and partly to allow for Scotland’s larger physical area, lower average incomes and its particularly acute needs in health care and housing.

The formula dictates that for every £1 the Government distributes, 85p goes to England, 10p to Scotland and 5p to Wales. With five million people, Scotland now has only 8.3 per cent of the UK population. That has led to a situation where “identifiable spending” in Scotland on public services is £1,500 higher per person than in England, according to Treasury figures.”

About 5 of us had to hit the shrubbery on a narrow trail near Newbury when a full sized deer came belting towards us and it just didn’t stop.

In Devon whilst blazing down a narrow sunken dirt track I had to do an emeregency stop when a bull wandered across the track – I literally came to rest about 6″ infront of it’s very large head …. luckily I think it was as surprised as I was and it took a good look and then wandered off ….

same Devon weekend one mate hospitalized, hammering downhill on a back road a flock of sheep sprinted across out road Zilla went into sheep, over bars over sheep and bounced down road, not good, blood, cuts with embedded gravel, she limped home on bike and then driven to hospital, ok with some heavy bruising after a tidy up.

I got volunteered a 12.5% pay drop, by volunteered I mean given notice and a choice of my old job at -12.5%.

I also had a mate (smallish company, <50) – Company meeting called, A – 2 people out, b 10% cut across board, need to know in 1 hour (they took 10% cut)

Other mate (admittedly optionally) had a year off at 15% of salary (but they did say if enough didn’t do it it would require redundancies and it might still do so)

To be honest I fail to see why it’s taken this long to hit the public sector.
Point 1 – use the phrase ‘lead by example’
Point 2 – ask the question, presumably all external contractors/contracts have also been reviewed and when and what changes were made.
Point 3 – ask how management bonuses and (edit)payoffs are calculated asnd ask for them to be public domain

(edit) Equity is a great idea, I’d also suggest looking at the bonus scheme and making it apply at all levels of staff (get the initial bonus steps to be a fixed sum – that way it works well at lower salary levels – ie bonus step1 £x per person, step2 y per person, step 3 x + y + z% of salary

I’ve absolutely loved Greece (more rural areas)but I like arid, remote secnery.
Go there, hire motorbike, follow nose and any dirt track you want, always had a brill time.
*Don’t go near military establishments (see, stop, turn around, leave, and don’t take photos).
Beware leccy and water cables hung through trees.
Don’t pretend to be German.

A lot of nice places are marketed via road side signs. (and some not so nice …)

From a motorcycling background, the really specialst models were based om 2 milk 6 pinters, or two lightweight 1 gallon containers, simply cut out one side, nozzle zippied around bars, base clamped, it’s crash resistant, waterproof, windproof and stylish ……………

c50 aged 10
cb125j aged 16
Hillman Avenger aged 27

Thanks guys, yeah great point about dam gates… E End then

Would a car left out for a couple of days be ok at E end/Luiblea or Tulloch Stn (want to visit YHAs at Ossian and Corrour) then train back

Thanks

For basics
– Red Cross
– St Johns ambulance
http://www.sja.org.uk/sja/training-courses/courses-for-the-general-public/activity-first-aid.aspx
for more specific ones – google
http://www.basp.org.uk/course-descriptions.asp?id=3
The BASP was recommended (*as injuries likely to be indentical to mtb), and apologies for ranting on your thread but when I looked into it there seemed to be so many courses/approving bodies/authorities and standards, all of which were the best….

Did m2m twice after St Johns……..

not sure about follwoing but a a bodge coukld you take off cleat, put zippy/etc loop under cleat (*would it still click in ?) and use that to loop strap through

probably cobblers but is the motor slowing – ie fuel starvation – blocked filters (fuel or air) – when you refuel it may be allowing air in ???

If you want I can email you (*I think) a scanned 22 miler (Barbury Castle, Chiseldon, Ogburne Maisey one) (TIC – Graded Hard sten)

Stacks at Duncansby Head

Whaligoe Steps (take a basket of herring and a skirt)

ps Dunnet Head is further N (and probably less unpleasant)than JoG, but gey bleak (*nice brew spot a Brough/Little Clett bay)

Orkney – Scapa Flow Museum, Old Man of Hoy is (*nearly) mtbable (Moaness, dotted path W) (was YH at Rackwick), Ring of Brogar, Stenness, Maeshowe, Skara Brae,