retiredmartin

A little pause on the blog of late due to “life events” and “irregular WiFi”, neither of which are Kangaroo Air Force Ventilator covers.

Due to those “life events” I’m NOT in Orkney tomorrow, but a week ago I was in northern Scotland reducing my GBG pubs required down to a round ten.

I think I have this Ten Years After record, bought as a job lot of 500 odd acid stained 60s albums from one Nicky Stephenson in 1989.

I was indeed heading home, leaving only the tricky Orkney and John O’ Groats bit of the Guide to do.

A VERY long stretch followed the marvellous Applecross,

winding through Wester Ross to a welcome petrol station/dainty loo stop at Kinlochewe Service Station, the first we’d passed in 150 miles.

Mrs RM nodded off, I drove on to Carrbridge, where the charms of the ancient road over the Dulnain were rather lost on her.

If you plan to cross the bridge in a campervan yourself, I advise doing it at 37mph.

A quick stop in Pitlochry as 11 became 10, at the centre of a Helly Hansen kinda place, and a rather different tick to the old town’s Moulin from 2019.

The Old Mill (wonder how it got that name) scares you off with the “rooms food drink” sign,

and is the busiest pub of the trip, middle-aged (hey !) diners filling dozens of outside tables.

It’s a mock Brunning & Price without the bile beans advert, and a decent (NBSS 3) Happy Chappy costs an eye-watering £2.65 your half.

If I was BRAPA I’d have had a TWOG or TWILD spread haggis puree on my ankles, I guess, but I’m no BRAPA, so I bring you this nice textured map from the loos.

Honestly, it’s the highlight.