Killin time

Last Saturday, 25th April!, a six of us headed to Killin in the Highlands for an awesome weekend of camping, cycling, walking and a top BBQ.


We all headed out of Edinburgh in 3 different cars, at 3 different times but joined up again in Killin for drinks in the bar! We set up our uber tent and let me tell you four pairs of hands do NOT make it easier to put up a tent. We all knew what we were doing each persons way was obviously the best! But we got there in the end in good humour and still friends.


After a quick beer in the local hostelry, down by Loch Tay, we hit our sleeping bags in preparation for our next day. The famous five were heading up in to the mountains to bag some Munro's, I was to head out on my bike!

The walkers left and I did the final prep on my bike. My route for the day was to be a 56 mile loop around the mountain chain that the famous five were walking round.

My start of the route was to head from the campsite back to Killin, 3 miles and then up Glen Lochay. Glen Lochay was a great warm up, the road made its way up the Glen, weaving in and out of trees, through the mountains until you ran out of road. That was when my little old road bike turned into an off road bike! The road turned in to a farm track and then with lots of pot holes, nothing my trusty steed could not handle! This is the view back down the valley.





It was a perfect day for a bike ride, blue skies, fluffy clouds and not too much wind. By the time I got to the top of the zig zag track I was down to wearing just a t-shirt. I was loving it all so much that I didn't want to stop to take photos. I was so in the moment, I felt almost like I was meditating. I was at one with my bike and with the mountains.






The ride down the other side, in to Glen Lyon was fantastic. Once the stupid sheep realised that he didn't have to run helter skelter down the road in front of me but could turn right or left at any time on to the grass! I didn't trust the road, which had improved to the point where I could call it a road, not to throw up more pot holes so I kept in good control of my speed. That being said, my forearms were really sore with all the breaking by the time I got to the valley floor.

I popped out from the right, at the far end of the loch. My friends were walking in the hills that you can see in the back ground.

Glen Lyon is about 20 miles long and it is mostly down hill, stunning scenery. I had to stop and put my buff back on and my jacket as there was a chilly head wind but it didn't matter, I was going down hill!

I was naughty, I stopped at the Post Office half way down Glen Lyon for a scone, butter and jam. Yummy. The view was pretty good too. :-)

I was very contented when I set on my way again.

The rest of the ride was really beautiful, but I didn't want to stop to take photo's. It start to get quite hard work and I was beginning to want some company. From the start to the end of Glen Lyon and my turn around point I only saw one other rider. When I turned towards Kenmore, I wasn't on my own any more! The first group I past, going the opposite way, looked like they were on a tour but the next three groups looked like they were part of a club ride. I had been on my own for 3.5 hours by this time and it was a shock and a real nice pick me up to pass 20 riders all in one go. They nearly all said hello or waved or nodded, cyclists can be a friendly bunch.

With my new boost of energy, 20 young me in lycra will do that for you, I pushed on home. I was in with a chance of making it back to the camp within 4 hours, if you discount the scone stop, and that would give me a real boost to my training. So, head down, I peddled hard.

Back at the campsite in 4 hours!

I slept for a bit, I ate, I read my book, I showered, I slept some more, I read some more and still no word from the walkers. 3 hours after my return I headed to our rendezvous point, the pub, and read some more. Finally they pitched up at 6.30 in the evening, 10 hours after they left!