DULL … the sensational #1 run report of 2023!
Ghost written by Ed (‘my memory is my memory, it does what it does, gathers and curates as it sees fit, and there’s just as much truth in what I remember and how I remember it as there is in so-called objective facts’) Mackey.
Three of us turned out at Dobbies, Stirling, for the first run of 2023: Ian McIntosh, Run Leader (black BMW 1250RT, the ‘Bat Bike’), Kenny Anderson, TEC (red Ducati Multistrada 950S) and self (black Yamaha XJ6). After the big freeze – still evident in places – the weather was overcast, calm and comfortably mild. With wet roads, the morning of Tuesday 24 January might be described unremarkable, ‘dull’ even.
Kenny lamented a catalogue of woes experienced in having his brand new Ducati professionally restored, following an accident back in July. The engine warning light on Ian’s nearly-new BMW had lit-up – he suspected (yes, you guessed it!) the exhaust flapper valve. Only my ageing Yamaha was trouble-free, until a knowledgeable passer-by observed that my rear tyre looked a tad deflated – remedied at a filling station just up the road. I put it to Ian that I might draw a veil over that part of the account but he pointed out they could still comment … so it’s warts and all … (I’ll never be king, I know that now).
So off we set, west along the A84 through Doune and Callander, and north into the Highlands. Loch Lubnaig, below Ben Ledi, was mirror calm with a Scotch mist on the surface. So visually stunning that Ian pulled in for a photo stop. Progressing north we passed through Lochearnhead and over Glenogle to Killin. Riding east along the north bank of Loch Tay, the sun rubbed her sleepy eyes and started to awake as we passed a snow-capped Ben Lawers on our left. We were in no particular hurry. Now in golden sunshine, Ian pulled in for another photo stop above Loch Tay.
‘Welcome to DULL, paired with Boring, Oregon, USA’ said the road sign as we approached our destination. Oh, I get it … Dull, Aberfeldy … not dull, as in gloomy (I thought you were under-selling it a bit, Ian …) According to Google, ‘Bland, New South Wales, Australia, is also a member of the League of Extraordinary Communities established by Dull and Boring in 2013’. Ha, ha … so it can never be Dull, Boring and Bland in the Extraordinary Communities because they’re geographical opposites …
Our lunch stop was at The Highland Safari Centre. Before entering the café restaurant Ian advised us to go easy on dessert, revealing Tunnock’s Milk Chocolate Mallow Teacakes in the top-box for afters. In their red and silver foil wrappers they glistened like crown jewels (Sue, you treat us like royalty!) Red deer antlers were on sale outside. I thought a set of 8-pointers would look regal on the front of Ian’s bike.
Our return journey looped through Aberfeldy to re-join Loch Tay at Kenmore. Heading west along the less-travelled south shore we rode into a dazzling strobe-like sun, flickering at us through the trees in a final brilliant afternoon display. Ian paused again for scenic photo stops across Loch Tay and at the Falls of Dochart in Killin. We were jubilant. And Ian’s engine warning had gone off. All was good.
With daylight already fading it was time to head back over Glenogle and along the north shore of Loch Earn, past St Fillans (the sad and empty Drummond Arms Hotel now clad in scaffolding) and through Comrie to the finish at Crieff. An outstanding run through spectacular landscapes … invigorating to be out and about again. Great fun, great company – thank you Ian! The bikes were filthy from the wet winter roads but the late-January weather had turned out to be quite lovely.
Departing from Crieff Visitor Centre at 3:30pm, Kenny and I still had a way to go. For me, arriving home in Edinburgh as darkness was falling, with brief stops to fill up and jet wash, my run was 205 miles. Not too short and far from dull, the ‘Short Dull Run’ had been a fantastic start to the year … well done Ian!
Run date 24.01.23
Ed Mackey