Saturday and it ended with a bit of a bang - so to speak.

Breakfast at Castlebrae and ghen off we set, led by Dougz Wright, through Crieff;, and first stop at St Fillans where  I experienced my first tourist driver of the morning who stopped dead in the centre of the road to take a look at the view !!    Quick loo stop and fed the ducks,

Even prevented a breach of the peace as the ducks were fighting over the crumbs !!
Next stop was Bridge of Orchy which was heaving with tourists, total chaos on the bridge which is only wide enough for one vehicle so reversing skills were the order / or test of the day.

 It was one of these days when the sun came on to shine so the many thermal layers we were wearing be came a bit unbearable, resulting in the occasional need for a bit of adjustment !!!

Did not look like a Scot as he had peely wally legs and not quite the build for a kilt.

 

Next stop was the renouned biker's café and filling station, the Green Welly,which was totally chock a block with cars, coaches and about one hundred plus  motor cycles with Moto Guzzi Glasgow running a display and promotion.    Only down side was the sad news that a motorcyclist had been killed a short time previously on the A82 just a short distance north of the Fort William turn off which meant that all vehicles had to head via Oban, a long and slow detour.

Fortunately we were turning off at Dalmally and heading along the south side of Loch Awe to Inverary, so we missed the traffic,  but did stop to have a look at Kilchurn Castle

Next stop was Inverary where the car park was full of motorcycles, views super and Dougz even got a chance to look at his new boat !!

 

It was time to turn homewards, so over the Rest and Be Thankful,   by loch fine and down to Arrocher  we turned eastwards / north back up the A82 towards Crianlarach along

the north side of loch Lomond.

 

BUT all good things come to an end !!!!   slowing down at road works and changing gear when there was a load bang and the "Time Machine" ground to a halt, with my compatriots heading off into the distance.    So,  timescale  (bearing in mind I was in the middle of nowhere and my phone had no signal)   4.10 pm broke down;  4.30  borrowed a phone from three young lads and called RAC Breakdown in Manchester - gave a precise location, and was advised that "contractors" would be there in ninety minutes -   OK, sun was shining , road was busy, lots of folks stopped beside me at the temporary traffic lights

Have to say that a number of folks stopped to speak to me, offered sweets, sandwiches, etc. and the use of phones.  6.p.m. called RAC who told me that the "Contractor" had been unable to find me !!! so a new job number was  issued !!!    Me, still had no phone signal.    8.p.m. an unmarked red BMW police traffic car passed, looked an me and as I was obviously doing nothing to get booked for kept going,  had I realised who they were I would have stopped them,  too late.   8.45 p.m. stopped a young lad in a van who let me call RAC again which caused a bit of a fuss when they realised I was still there -  but as they had also had a call from my wife there was a third call for assistance. At this point, the local "bobby", from Killin arrived having been requested to go look for me having a call from the control centre at Bilston who my wife had called ( turned out the operator used to work with me - cheers Davy Mclean).    Police man spoke to RAC and had me en route to the Crianlarach Hotel  when we met the recovery van from LixToll Garage, Killin,  who had just received a call to go find me.     So 9.45 pm bike loaded into the van and we set off for Penicuik,  however, it was a long way and there was massive diversions on the M8 so it was 0015 hrs this morning when I got home - weary.   RAC better get a tin helmet on.