"Best laid plans of mice and men", so they say - checking E mails on the lap top, 8 a.m. yesterday when up popped another job for me - in Inverness !! So there I was with one job to finish and my plans up in the air. Anyway, did the business in Aberdeen, of interest, I was working near the airport and heliport and during the whole time I was there , there was a constant noise from the helicopters, but the locals seem to be immune to it.
Headed north east, only 111 miles, but what a hellish road, up through Elgin, Forres, etc, and when you were stuck behind a lorry it was down to an average of about 40 / 45 mph so it took over two and a half hours for the run.
Got slightly lost in Inverness and nearly ended up on the Black Isle, but managed to get off just before the bridge and eventually found the office I was making for. Weather was really pleasant so it was nice to get out in the fresh air and do the site visit in pleasant surroundings, an old mansion house on the outskirts of the town.
Eventually time to head for home, big changes in Inverness since I was last there, a very thriving and expanding town, lots of new roundabouts !! but I did reach the A9, and onto the dual carriageway south towards Edinbugh. However my luck was short lived, dual carriage way down to standard two lane, and lots more lorries. There are big signs asking drivers who are forming queues to pull over and let the traffic past, but looks like some of these drives cannot read "Scottish".
Over the top of the Slocht summit the main railway line runs beside the road and there was a long line of goods wagons sitting, all in the Stobart livery and pulled by a Stobart train - I thought that was a good idea to cut down on the number of lorries on the road - wrong, most definately wrong line of thinking, as I joined the end of a long line of vehicles, down to 35 mph, following an Eddie Stobart wagon, so miles later, seriously frustrated I managed to get by on one of the short sections of dual carriageway - hooray.
BUT - I needed a break so stopped at the massive House of Bruar complex, changed days from when I used to camp there with the Scottish Schoolboys Club during the 60's, it is a superb shopping stop and has a great range of all sorts of quality goods. I was looking for my friend Kenny Jack, but discovered he was no longer there.
Back onto the A9 and off again, but found myself behind the same Eddie Stobart lorry again, and on the one long straight where it was safe to pass, he did flash for cars to pass, but had anyone done so they would have been nabbed by a roadside speed camera - the A9 is a 60 mph limit and the Police are always on patrol in unmarked cars nabbing the frustrated drivers.
To cut a long story / journey short I eventually made it safely to Edinburgh by 5.30pm just in time for the Evening rush hour - what an ideal way to end a 400 mile trip!!! Especially when the last bit home was on the beloved McEwans Coach as I had dropped off the car in town.
Hellish day - but at least I did get some work done.
Headed north east, only 111 miles, but what a hellish road, up through Elgin, Forres, etc, and when you were stuck behind a lorry it was down to an average of about 40 / 45 mph so it took over two and a half hours for the run.
Got slightly lost in Inverness and nearly ended up on the Black Isle, but managed to get off just before the bridge and eventually found the office I was making for. Weather was really pleasant so it was nice to get out in the fresh air and do the site visit in pleasant surroundings, an old mansion house on the outskirts of the town.
Eventually time to head for home, big changes in Inverness since I was last there, a very thriving and expanding town, lots of new roundabouts !! but I did reach the A9, and onto the dual carriageway south towards Edinbugh. However my luck was short lived, dual carriage way down to standard two lane, and lots more lorries. There are big signs asking drivers who are forming queues to pull over and let the traffic past, but looks like some of these drives cannot read "Scottish".
Over the top of the Slocht summit the main railway line runs beside the road and there was a long line of goods wagons sitting, all in the Stobart livery and pulled by a Stobart train - I thought that was a good idea to cut down on the number of lorries on the road - wrong, most definately wrong line of thinking, as I joined the end of a long line of vehicles, down to 35 mph, following an Eddie Stobart wagon, so miles later, seriously frustrated I managed to get by on one of the short sections of dual carriageway - hooray.
BUT - I needed a break so stopped at the massive House of Bruar complex, changed days from when I used to camp there with the Scottish Schoolboys Club during the 60's, it is a superb shopping stop and has a great range of all sorts of quality goods. I was looking for my friend Kenny Jack, but discovered he was no longer there.
Back onto the A9 and off again, but found myself behind the same Eddie Stobart lorry again, and on the one long straight where it was safe to pass, he did flash for cars to pass, but had anyone done so they would have been nabbed by a roadside speed camera - the A9 is a 60 mph limit and the Police are always on patrol in unmarked cars nabbing the frustrated drivers.
To cut a long story / journey short I eventually made it safely to Edinburgh by 5.30pm just in time for the Evening rush hour - what an ideal way to end a 400 mile trip!!! Especially when the last bit home was on the beloved McEwans Coach as I had dropped off the car in town.
Hellish day - but at least I did get some work done.
1 comment:
Pork Chop, I feel your pain, the A9 is a nightmare and the A96 is worse, I try and avoid it at all costs, and when I do go up home i choose my times of travel carefully. On the flipside it's very pretty going throught the Cairngorms.
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