Winton Massif: Winton Massif - Last Trip of the Year?

Back in September Ben and Euan were brewing a plan for one last camping trip up north. Their plan was to go to Gairloch then head somewhere else for a few days. Brian joined them and, after a bit arm twisting, so did I. Ben and Euan had planned to leave on the Saturday and come home on the Wednesday, but Brian and myself had to be home on Sunday. I decided I'd leave on the Friday and stop off at the Lazy Duck, where I had stayed a month ago with HB and Ferg. Aidan could make the Friday night and after some shuffling of leave from work so could everyone else.
Ben, Brian, Euan and myself followed the amazing A93 through Blairgowrie, Glenshee and on to Braemar before splitting off towards Tomintoul. We stopped for a chippy and supplies at Grantown on Spey, from there the plan was to head to the Lazy Duck and meet up with Aidan who had left a wee bit later than us.

Ben in Blairgowrie

Euan in Glenshee

Brian in Glenshee

From Grantown to Nethy Bridge, where the Lazy Duck is, is only about six miles. I arrived and was greeted by Aidan. Aidan had taken the more boring but way quicker A9 as he was worried about arriving too late. If you are ever in a hurry and you need to head north in Scotland then the A9 is the way forward, but the Braemar road will be my route of choice in the future if I'm not in a rush.

Anyways, Ben, Euan and I started pitching out tents and asking each other where the fuck Brian was.

"Where the fucks Brian?"

"Fuck knows, he was right there."

.........

"Where the fucks Brian?"

"I've phoned him but he's not answering. Fuck knows where he is."

BBBRRRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrr

"I think Brian's just rode past the site."

"Fuck knows...."

Just as we were getting seriously worried and it was getting dark, and just before we headed down the road to look for him, Brian turned up!

The air was blue as Brian described his run from Grantown on Spey to the Lazy Duck, needless to say he wasn't impressed with either my directions or the wee signs to the Lazy Duck he'd missed.

Reunited, we helped Brian get his tent up, got the beers in, had a spray in the solar shower and then jumped in the wood fired hot tub. It was quite the sausage fest. Hot tub done we sat around the fire shooting the shit. It was a fucking great night.

Morning after sausage fest face right there.

Lazy Duck

Breakfast time.

After taking our time eating breakfast and packing up at the Lazy Duck we headed off for Saturday's destination, Gairloch, or more accurately, Strath, just beside Gairloch. We waved goodbye to Aidan who was heading home today.

Just like on the Spit The Dummy tour back in August, Ben, Brian, Euan and I followed the awesome A832 along the side of Loch Maree. We arrived at the Campsite around lunchtime. After a quick bite to eat we rode round to the Redpoint road. A few folk had told me about the Fairy Lochs which are near Gairloch. You can walk there up the track near the Shieldaig Hotel. By one of the Lochs is the wreck of an American B-24 Liberator bomber, the plane crashed when they got lost in the fog while flying home after WW2 was over, killing all on board. It's pretty tragic that they had survived the war but died trying to get home.

You can read more about the Fairy Lochs here.

Loch Maree

Looking down to Loch Maree

Walking to the Fairy Lochs

Engine

Prop in the loch.

Despite the time of year it was roasting hot. Hence the Brokeback Mountain look.

We walked back down the slippery slope to the bikes then nipped in to the Shieldaig Hotel for a drink. We must have sweated a good few pints out of us.

When we came back out of the old building there was some posh twat trying to move Euan's bike so he could park his car. I don't know who the fuck he thought he was, I didn't notice, but the guys said the car had diplomatic plates. Fucking idiot, imagine if we'd jumped in his car and moved it.

We got back to the campsite and chilled out for a bit before heading to the pub beside the campsite for food. We ordered way, way too much food and grazed on it through the evening over a few beers and accompanied by the jukebox.

The next day Brian and I headed home, and Ben and Euan stayed up north for a few days more. Hopefully Ben will write a wee tale which I'll post up along with his photos.