Ride all the OS mapsI had a couple of requests to see what I am carrying with me on this trip. So when I packed yesterday, I set it all out and took pictures. In these 3 photos you can hopefully get an idea of what lies within my on-board luggage! Minimising weight is obviously important and I try […]
I have the rest of this month and a bit more planned and booked now. It will begin just as soon as this exceptionally hot weather passes, on Wednesday. I’ll be counting “official” miles from Thursday! Wednesday 20th July: Trains from Hathersage to Edinburgh. Stay in Edinburgh. Thursday 21st July: Morning train to Perth, ride […]
Please see below the updated stats for the May, June and early July sections of the RidealltheOSmaps adventure combined: Number of OS maps visited in sequence: 43 Number of “official” OS map miles cycled: 1,461 Number of “unofficial” (extra) miles cycled, not on maps 1-43, or in the wrong direction: 583 Total miles cycled in […]
I left the crowds of Pitlochry behind and took the very quiet A924 uphill past Edradour Distillery, and northeast, and then east, and then southeast in an arc leading away from one world and into another – or so it felt. In my family we often play a game called “It’s a bit like”, especially […]
When you open out OS map 42, you see a very obvious way to cycle quietly across it, all the way from left to right in a horizontal line. It even deviates upwards to connect nicely with the slightly more northerly map 43, just where you need it near the right edge of the map. […]
I spent last night in an amazing converted chapel about 5 miles outside Inverie on the remote and wild Knoydart peninsula. Visibility was poor; but in some ways that enhanced the sense of other-worldliness about where I was. Arriving at Britain’s remotest pub in the early evening mist, I enjoyed my obligatory pint before moving […]
After yesterday’s abortive attempt to visit the island of Rum, today was my final chance to set foot (and bicycle wheels) on OS Map 39 without going out of sequence. Luckily, the weather today came with no colourful warnings, and the Calmac boat sailed with every expectation of bringing me back again today. That would […]
It was another spectacular train ride for 5 hours from Glasgow to Arisaig. First you go along the north side of the Firth of Clyde, then you follow the shores of Gare Loch, followed by the very well named Loch Long. You are afforded great views of the mountains beyond, notably The Cobbler, and then […]
Today I crossed the Cairngorms. Big mountains. Few roads. It was a memorable 80 mile day of wind assisted cycling across some wild and challenging terrain. There were serious ups – and scary downs – before dropping to the upper reaches of the Don valley and a gentler, sunnier ride east across quiet, green pastures […]
Fort Augustus sits at the bottom of Loch Ness and is where the Caledonian Canal climbs a flight of locks on its way towards Fort William. The locks form a centre piece to the main activity of the village, each one large enough to contain at least six sizeable vessels together as they journey up […]