The Journey Home.
5.30am mt alarm goes off, rise, make a brew and finalise packing,
15mins later Pete's up and 5 after that heading to the car.
We drive down in to Stromness ferry terminal and Pete shows me where I need to be.
I thank him again for the weekend handshake, manhug and Petes back off to bed.
So Board the ferry get a brew and wait for us to get underway.
It's still quite dark and I'm wondering if any pic's of the old man are going to be forthcoming.
After a while we move and I head for the rear deck, the forward one was closed.
It brightened up a little so I'vs selected some of the clearer ones of the old man.
The Old Man of Hoy is a natural stone pillar riseing on the south west of the Isle of Hoy
Some good red angry looking skies and a pair of Gulls skimming just over the sea by inches.
We land at Scrabster and I stroll down to the car park to the motor.
As I approach Joy of joys on the hills just above was a buzard.
I've tried on many occasions to get a recognisable shot and failed every single time.
I admit to been excited as I got the camera up and focused.
Popped a couple of shots, it was a juvenile,
Then it dropped out of view.
I was felling quite chuffed with that and then another older bird came in and landed in nearly the same spot.
Bonus two for the price of one, So I snapped a few of that one too.
The elder bird dropped where the first had gone and the younger one took off, I managed to get two pic's of it in flight before it disappeared.
The last set of pic's
again view in reverse for correct order
http://s1120.beta.photobucket.com/user/PhillGB69/library/Orkney%20Islands%20Feb%202013/Old%20Man%20of%20Hoy
So I tootle out of Scrabster and it's time for a little challenge.
The night before I'd said to Pete I should be able to do Inverness in under 2 hours from Thurso and the A9.
He said not, 114miles, Game on.
Steady cruise to the A9 to let the car warm nicely and the lead boot is on.
Hit a couple of bits of traffic but good straights and no speed camera's soon dispensed of them.
40mins in and 60 miles done then disaster. come to a streach where overtaking safe was impossible and a truck full of tree trunks doing 40 mph.
Stuck behind this for 20mins took away most hope I had but then he peeled of and I was off again!
For about 5 miles!!!
Farking road resurfacing, ah well Epic fail!!! Was sat there for a good 20 mins and then crawl at 10mph behind the escort vehicle for a good couple of miles nailed it's coffin shut.
Nothing much more to tell really except for a god knows how many mile race back to England on the A68 with a mazda RX8.
I was just below Edinburgh and just on the A68 clear roads and conditions so cruise along at about 70-80mph
And from nowhere really a mazda rx8 comes up quick and sits on my bumper.
I speed up a little, so does he,
So I speed up some more, so does he.
So thinking he is local and know's the road better than I next straight back off and let him pass.
He gets in front and slows down WTF!!
We get on straights and he speeds up.
He knows exactly the same about this road as I. Fcuk all!!!
Eventually we get to a straight where I get past him and I give it some beans, Let's play
We are really going for it, 120mph in places on straights and not much less through 1 and 2 corners (think rally)
Although in the bends I had the advantage albeit slight I pulled away here.
Then he came back on the straights.
We hit the Boarderlands and the twisties, going over the Scotland /England boarder is a series of hairpin bends raising and dropping twice.
I hit them full on to the limit of my capability, I could feel the tyres on the very edge of giving in to understeer as fast as I dare.
It was awesome I loved it and the rx8 was nowhere to be seen.
Well that's not completely true, 50miles down the road I refueled, as I went to pay after filling the tank he came through the village :lol:
I got home at about 6pm that eve.
I can honestly say this was one hell of a fantastic weekend, to be repeated for sure.
Thanks to those who took time to join me on my adventure in this thread and of course for your kind comments.
Most of all thanks to Pete and his lovely wife who made it possible
The End