The longest day of the year, the 21st of June, 17 hours of Daylight here in the UK, longer still on the North Scottish Coast, Man has celebrated the day for thousands of years, and built places to celebrate the occasion which still stand and visited today...
I had my own wee celebration last week from a sunrise at 2.30am...
To a golden Highland Sunset at 11.30pm that evening...
I'm glad i did enjoy that amazing day of light as today on the 21st it has rained all day, non stop across the UK!, 18,000 soggy revellers attended the annual gathering of druids at Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England, it posted on the news,
I went for a cycle in a monsoon through a swamp and saw no one, Yet compared to Sundays trudge up hills impossible to ride in places for 6 hours i had in an hour a lovely cycle, despite not being in the great company of friends i had on Sunday, i grinned the whole way riding the pugsley for over an Hour, with no driving and arriving home i was dry inside with just a slight sweaty merino long sleeve top, Viking rubber dry boots,Army Goretex trousers, gore tex North Face pac light, neoprene gloves and a buff under the helmet made it comfortable...
Then it was time for some pancakes with Honey and some cider, to celebrate a great longest day whatever the weather...
Again editing software wont publish films made with the Go Pro camera in the correct viewing size which is starting to get a bit annoying, trouble with these cameras is they are too complicated for there own good...
After being up north its been a great week back at home riding the coast again, Riding from the back door and enjoying quiet beaches mid week, Since up north i have really noticed how many types of rock and there colours we have here in East Lothian, Basalt, sandstones of various colours and limestone along our coast...
And since returning home there has been a lot of sand movement due to the strong winds 3 weeks ago, a lot of the beaches that had rocks exposed after the sand was washed away during the big storm in April 2010 has returned!, There has also been a lot of new driftwood washed up...
Been out with the `Fat` BOB Trailer too, collecting small driftwood for the house and garden...
This would make a great seat for the garden but need a bigger trailer!...
Also hauled some bigger stuff for fire wood this winter...
Had a good high tide beachride along the coast to North Berwick with Jason too despite a heavy shower of rain...
Rock art by JL...
Have you ever seen a rock that floats? This stuff gets washed up sometimes, it is remains of man made Building blocks, made from power station ash...
Summer Tourist season now in the harbour town of North Berwick, New this summer is the The Lobster Shack
My friend Jim is working there (thats him holding the lobster on the website) and the lobsters are caught locally here on the coast by friend Robbie and his Dad who work out of the harbour here and Seacliff, just closing up for the day we settled for the local chippy before riding home through Yellowcraigs...
Sunday we rode the last days ride of this years Tweedlove cycling festival in the Tweed Vally in the Scottish Borders, a free to enter 55km natural cross country ride, run by volunteers and with water and sweeties provided, you signed up online then signed in before and after riding the route after receiving a map which was also marked with tape and small pegs...
There were around 140 starters, 6 of us rode the full route together after one of us dropped back and short cut the route with 2 friends on holiday from the USA...
The wet weather did not add to what most of us felt was not the best of routes with what there is on offer in natural riding in the Hills around the Tweed Vally, The route was in fact 41km and we had 5000 Meters of climbing, very sadistic!, Unfortuantly most climbs had long stretches of walking then we were not rewarded with good long flowy descents, typical of around here, However i appreciate people volunteer to organise these events and we had a good laugh riding as a group of friends and there were smiles at the end after some fun muddy descents towards the end, Cold wet, muddy, and happy to be finished!...
Were not the fastest and fittest of riders but i would say were above average so to be amongst the last to finnish makes me think there was mostly some real fast race snakes riding the event and a lot of people maybe pulled out with the awful weather that closed in and took the optional short cuts back to Peebles judging by the near empty car park, Or maybe were all just getting old...
And to rub salt into the wound after eating a chippy in a bus shelter during another downpour we drove home to clear skys and 17 C warm air... aarrrggghhh!!! It had been a scorcher all day just 45 miles up the road in East Lothian! Oh well thats the way the cooky crumbles... Off for a last beachride then its the grim return to work, only 4 days though then it a big party BBQ on Saturday for turning the big `four O` -:)
Sorting out some film from last week and here is stuff shot mostly with the compact while taking pics...more shaggy highland cows, big skys and stunning mountain scenery of Sutherland. And a wee taster of Scotlands most remote and beautiful beach and also riding Scotlands largest sand dunes -:) posts with films start next week....
Just back from a week and a halfs holidays... 5 Excellent days at Fort William spent with friends and watching the UCI Down Hill (and 4X) World Cup round, Then i headed North and around the top of Scotlands Coast with the Pugsley on the back of the car, 1200 miles clocked up... Despite the side ways winds and some storms, It was Stunning scenery as always up there, miles of empty white beaches with huge dunes, amazing sunsets and sunrises, dark for just a few hours, lovely friendly people, here is a few pics, lots of storys and a few films to come over the next month or so on both blogs of places visited...still got a weeks hols to enjoy locally too -:)
I live in East Lothian, S.E. Scotland.
I fill my time with my hobbies, interests and passions. Often cycling along the coast here. I ride steel bikes with big wheels, I like to enjoy all interests of the coast, Its scenery, wildlife, local history, with my other interests in art and music when out and about...
I was diagnosed with Relapsing remitting Multiple Sclerosis in August 2018, it`s early days but i plan to continue to live my life as i have and show that having a medical condition like MS does not mean you need to stop enjoying your life,
Please excuse the bad grammar, i am working on it!
