Dereham, Perth, Inverness and the horrors of the A9
These show, respectively, a BMW GS1150 parked up in Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, on Sunday, apparently ridden by a man from Minsk who was looking for cash. Dereham’s rather nice street decoration, NOT leftover Christmas lights; apparently it commemorates the Norfolk town’s history as a centre for royal deer hunting. And finally, the view from the Travelodge in Perth. Nice sky!I left Perth about 9.30 this morning and set off up the A9, which should be one of the best motorcycling roads in the UK, but manages instead to be one of the most dangerous. Not, I think, as deadly as it is for car drivers, though.
It’s various things: the scenery (distracting); the unhinged combination of very slow and insanely fast driving from people who haven’t the skill to handle either; the switching from single to dual carriageway, and the unpredictable length of the dual bits. Add to that (for a biker) terrible road surfaces and the constant turn-offs and entries, and it can be a horrible experience. But…if you accept it for what it is, recognise the dangers and accept the delays without getting wracked with impatience (while taking the opportunities afforded by a ferociously fast motorbike for easy overtaking), it’s doable. And then, at the Moy roadworks, when you slip effotlessly to the front of a mile-long queue…that’s revenge enough on caravans, trucks and smoke-belching diesel Citroen Xsaras of a certain age…
Black Isle tonight, Wick tomorrow, then the ferry to Orkney.
Advertisement
not arguing its a horrendous link, especially when full of traffic that’s never seen it before. but you could do it at dawn or mid evening when practically everyone else is having their dinner. I normally try to shorten it by joining at Ballinluig, from whence it doesnt seem such a long haul to Inverness.
sally
July 27, 2010 at 16:53
Ha ha. Nice view of the mcdonalds at Perth. Lol
Erica
July 27, 2010 at 19:20
Actually, I think the A9 North of Inverness can be even better – much less traffic, some good, well sighted bends and mostly decent surfaces. Hope the weather’s kind to you, and go over Struie Hill if you get the chance!
jonathancastle
July 28, 2010 at 05:48