SkyeFall Run 2014 - 30th & 31st August - Updated 29/07/14

[PerryGunn]

Right a few pics - just scanned through Cindy's photos and will post something 'proper' in the next day or two but here's a few tasters


On Friday, we had a rather wet pre-Skye run across the Dales with Tony and Ruth




Some of the villages still have cobbled streets, Millbrook's suspension test track has nothing on these places...




Lovely scenery in the north Pennines




As we had a night in Falkirk we decided to go and see the Kelpies and, after a bit of searching, we actually found them - you'd think it'd be difficult to hide a couple of 30m high horse heads, but they managed it quite well






On a gloriously sunny Sunday morning that was possessed of the sort of silence that cries out to be broken by the sound of six of your finest Bavarian cylinders, in typical hunter-gather fashion, Bing and the other 'camp people' dismantled their bivouacs and went off to hunt down a cafe for a big brekkie - those of us who were sensible enough to book a B&B or hotel had been amply provided for, so we decided to do the North Skye Loop - and very nice it was too

[Bing]

So gutted I couldn't make this

Just got to get Bing to organise a meet down south some day

Scotland and Wales still very much on my hit list, along with the National.

Tbh, you'd have felt right at home - excepting JaxZ4 and Craig3.2 who respectively peeled off after doing parts of the run with us, out of 15 people I think only 4 were actually Scottish, and the vast majority had crossed the border to get there

I have organised a run down here ...but it's simpler in Scotland...

Perry had kindly turned my route into a TomTom file and loaned me his TomTom, but I think I need a lesson in planning a google maps route and working a modern nav as it got lost almost immediately and never recovered. Yet we didn't get lost or lose anyone once over 500+ miles, of which I led all but 70-ish (sk93 led those miles, and by god he did a great job )

This is what I used all weekend :






And people say the OEM nav is shite

[Bing]

I sent an email to the campsite owner to say thanks for putting us up for the night (even though we didn't meet him). Just got this reply :

Hi Allan
Glad you enjoyed your weekend, when we spotted your cars at the bottom of the island travelling to Uig they looked great with the tops down even though it was spitting a bit. Sorry we missed you on site but me and the boy was of to Rum for the night. I will look forward to seeing you all in the future but for now thank you for visiting our beautiful part of the world.

Regards,
Martin

Uig Bay Campsite and B&B
Jubilee Cottage Self Catering
Isle of Skye, IV51 9XU

Spotted

[mr wilks]

A great end result mr B can only applaud your time,commitment & effort thrown into this trip
Thanks for all pics offered up & looks a great place to take a drive out somehow i think the "hangover" would have kicked in when you landed in Staffordshire services

[srhutch]

I you do one next year I will come. Just don't make it the last week in August.

[ZermattV]

Great Stuff - I hope i can hang around the back next year

[paulgs1000]

It always amazes me how far forumites are prepared to travel to take part in forum runs and there were some epic miles covered by those on the Skyefall run - not least of which was Bing. Steph and I thank you for providing a brilliant experience - don't think we would have ever got to see the sights and travel the roads we did without you being so persistent and as you said - 'sorting it out yourself!' We'd read quite a bit about the runs to Skye in the past and we feel 'fully fledged' forumites now we've done one! So a big thank you Bing - really appreciate your efforts and organisation - magic!









Some highlights:

Main highlight has to be the shared experience - if you've not been on a forum run, try and get on one as it enhances the ownership of the Zed. There are many images of the Zeds carving their way through epic scenery, mountains and coastline, that will stay with me. The excitement of heading somewhere new and the novelty of taking the ferry all wonderful. The driving; making spirited but safe progress on challenging roads and in difficult traffic conditions adds to the enjoyment and shared experience. The enthusiasm for the journey and the road trip shared over a meal or whilst just taking in new sights and beautiful surroundings with many different characters and responses - marvellous - a great way to enjoy your Zed.



(Please note which Zed has it's roof down. . . .I rest my case!)

It's always an event arriving at a new town or village together - even the simple act of reversing back into parking spaces adds to the sense of occasion. Then the banter and conversation about particular incidents or other car driver behaviour starts - it's all great fun and can have a serious side where lessons can be shared and considered.



Never under-estimate local road knowledge - some of the drivers on Skye are driving gods! A pick up truck and the next day a Fiesta gave us terrific runs when we fell in behind them - really! The pick up must have been on full throttle all the way and it's corner speed and road positioning superb. The Fiesta driver led us to Portree on the last part of the northern route and it was clear every camber and blind bend was intimately known as well as the state of the road surface (which was dreadfully uneven in places!) A great help and definitely faster than I would have been travelling without that lead - a quite impressive and brilliant run!

Our B&B at Uig where I just had to keep looking out of the window at the view of the far coastline lit up by the morning sun whilst having my shave. The evening stroll back from the pub by torch light with Nick and Lorraine and the sight of the ferry coming and going at the end of the garden.

The scenery on the Northern loop on Sunday was very special - we had sunshine and blue skies - what a place. The first section is single track and not a particularly engaging drivers road but that's not what is important here - fabulous views and scenery meant time to savour and take it all in - and we were so lucky with the weather.

The weather on Sunday was glorious! Coming over the Bridge to Skye and getting my first view of that Scottish Castle (with the small bridge attaching it to the mainland - you know the one) was brilliant - as was the sunshine!



The Commando memorial - again what an amazing location and probably seen at it's very best during the fabulous weather. The actual memorial is impressive but get to see it from the memorial garden where loved ones have left their comments and the sacrifice and loss, right up to the present day, hits home even harder. Felt privileged to visit here and took a respectful and quiet look around at the other people there, for those that might have a closer link to the memorial.




The pub with the place that sounds like coughing up phlemn (err someone will remember it's name) was a hidden gem and what a location for lunch. Think of the hotel in the film 'The Eiger Sanction' that has a terrace which overlooks the mountain and you get some idea of what It was like - what a place - again in blazing sun!



I could go on and on but if you've read this so far you'll know we had a fantastic time and it was a great experience. Smiles all round and some great characters and all friendly forumites having a wonderful time - brilliant! One more time - thank you Bing - and thanks to everyone else too!

(Had some real problems with photobucket and my preferred photos for this account have not been uploaded despite several attempts - so please expect more photos to be posted soon - too frustrated and annoyed to keep trying so just posted up what worked - spoilt the whole thing! - A fresh attempt tomorrow!)

[Swiftly]

Nice write up and photos Paul, I'm looking forward to seeing the ones that photobucket didn't want us to see

[craig3.2]

Thanks to Bing for putting this meet together , with help/info from jaxz4....apologies that I didn't have more time to help with this, as I really wanted to. Very well done, Bing

Was an extremely enjoyable day on Saturday, did over 420 miles all in, and loved every minute of it, with some great people , and as always, great to see people again and meet some I hadn't met before

So disappointed at not being able to stay for the Sunday run, and actually getting to see Skye again (as its been a few years), but glad you all enjoyed it.
As me and Jack were saying, was a bit embarrassing that there were way more English forumites than Scottish ones on what is normally a Scottish meet, lol...........hopefully we can get another Skye run next year or soon after, and I can do the whole weekend this time.

[Swiftly]

Here's a video of the north loop from Uig to Portree.

Video doesn't really do it justice, tried to condense a stunning and epic 40 minute journey into just 12 minutes. Hope it entices others to book and come along next year, I will certainly be back again to do it all over again

[Bing]

I'm so glad you got some video of that Swiftly, it looks fantastic

Totally gutted we missed it though ...we'll just have to go back again next year

I'm thinking 3 or 4 days, same route to Skye, then up past Applecross, as far north as we can get in a day, and back down through the Cairngorms to Braemar. Maybe chuck in a jaunt through Tayside towards Killin and back to Stirling. Who's in ?

Paul - fantastic write up, captures the spirit of the run perfectly. Can't wait to see the rest of your pictures.

[Bing]

BTW, I have nicked a bunch of these photos, so some may appear on FB... Hope nobody minds

[BrianD]

Here's a video of the north loop from Uig to Portree.

Video doesn't really do it justice, tried to condense a stunning and epic 40 minute journey into just 12 minutes. Hope it entices others to book and come along next year, I will certainly be back again to do it all over again

Fantastic video Swiftly, just wish I had come along too

[jaxZ4]

I'm so glad you got some video of that Swiftly, it looks fantastic

I'm thinking 3 or 4 days, same route to Skye, then up past Applecross, as far north as we can get in a day, and back down through the Cairngorms to Braemar. Maybe chuck in a jaunt through Tayside towards Killin and back to Stirling. Who's in ?

I'm in Bing but it's a bit short so I might pop down and pick you up first - a nice 900 mile warm up ! I'm beginning to think my imminent 3000 mile euro jaunt is a bit wimpish !

Swiftly - great video - admire your editing patience!

[paulgs1000]

Here's a video of the north loop from Uig to Portree.

Video doesn't really do it justice, tried to condense a stunning and epic 40 minute journey into just 12 minutes. Hope it entices others to book and come along next year, I will certainly be back again to do it all over again

Wow Nick - that's a great bit of video and I particularly like the choice of music.

You're right it can't bring the full effect of the grandeur of the scenery and what it was like sat amongst it all, especially along the coastline and underneath that central mass of mountains - that would need a 360 degree camera - incredible. But how lucky were we with the weather ! And - you got the white Fiesta!

Nice one!