VX does the Bealach na Ba.....
Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 6:52 pm
...in the pissing rain, with ABS on the blink 
Just back from a very sodden trip over to the Applecross peninsula. There's probably a few of you maybe haven't ventured that far north west before, heck it's even a five hour drive from my neck of the woods, but sooooo well worth doing.
The highlight of the route has to be the Bealach na Ba (Pass of the Cattle) between Kishorn and Applecross itself. This is as close to an Alpine pass as you're ever gonna get outwith the Alps. Basically 11 miles of switchback single track (The sign says it all
) over the top of a mountain.
Weather was typical Scottish fayre, ie pissing down and misty, but if anything the brooding conditions lent something more to the run. Another thing that upped concentration levels was the sudden yellow flash of the ABS warning light! A quick poke of the anchors revealed that anti-lock brakes had indeed gone AWOL. Hope it's not gonna be an expensive fix
Anyway, if any of you watched the BBC2 series, Monty Hall's Great Escape, you'll know that it was filmed near Applecross. The bothy used by Monty sits on the shore near a place called Sand. Unfortunately the wooden porch built on the front of the building was being removed when I got there. Seems the local council were unhappy about it not having planning permission and I understand they are also trying to charge back the programme makers or the landowner council tax. It's just a bloody draughty old shed FFS!
Anyway, some pics (off the phone as, typically, the camera batts died and there isnae a shop for about a gazillion miles
)
no learners LOL
the old bothy
A place called Sand. Good name
Fezza in Applecross. Musta been fun coming over the pass as well....
PS: I never saw another single VX, or even its more common Lotus variant, during the entire two-day trip
Just back from a very sodden trip over to the Applecross peninsula. There's probably a few of you maybe haven't ventured that far north west before, heck it's even a five hour drive from my neck of the woods, but sooooo well worth doing.
The highlight of the route has to be the Bealach na Ba (Pass of the Cattle) between Kishorn and Applecross itself. This is as close to an Alpine pass as you're ever gonna get outwith the Alps. Basically 11 miles of switchback single track (The sign says it all
) over the top of a mountain.Weather was typical Scottish fayre, ie pissing down and misty, but if anything the brooding conditions lent something more to the run. Another thing that upped concentration levels was the sudden yellow flash of the ABS warning light! A quick poke of the anchors revealed that anti-lock brakes had indeed gone AWOL. Hope it's not gonna be an expensive fix
Anyway, if any of you watched the BBC2 series, Monty Hall's Great Escape, you'll know that it was filmed near Applecross. The bothy used by Monty sits on the shore near a place called Sand. Unfortunately the wooden porch built on the front of the building was being removed when I got there. Seems the local council were unhappy about it not having planning permission and I understand they are also trying to charge back the programme makers or the landowner council tax. It's just a bloody draughty old shed FFS!
Anyway, some pics (off the phone as, typically, the camera batts died and there isnae a shop for about a gazillion miles
)no learners LOL
the old bothy
A place called Sand. Good name
Fezza in Applecross. Musta been fun coming over the pass as well....
PS: I never saw another single VX, or even its more common Lotus variant, during the entire two-day trip
