Get your motor runnin'

Oh joy! Oh rapture! Both girls staying at grandparents tonight leaving Nick and I free to head out on the highway, looking for adventure and whatever comes our way!

So we decided to spend the day out on the bike. First chance we've had for ages. It was agreed that we'd go to Tibbie Shiels.  A lovely spot in Scotland that Nick has been promising to take me to for the last 10 years but somehow it's just never worked out.

The weather was amazing. Clear blue skies all the way from Padiham to Scotland. We took the A59 and A6 passing through Kirby Lonsdale and then up over Shap (where we stopped for a cuppa but ended up having some rather lovely chip butties). From there a bit of blast up the M6 and as usual on motorways I snoozed off for a bit and Nick kept having to prod me now and again to wake me up. It never ceases to amaze me that I haven't fallen off while snoozing so far! Turned off the M6 at Moffat to take the fabulous Selkirk road that leads to Tibbie Shiels.




Stopped at the little shack for a cuppa, admired the view and had a little stroll around. It is gorgeous. St Marys Loch (Tibbie Shiels is the name of the inn/hotel that stands on the bit of land between the two lochs) is the largest natural loch in the Scottish Border. Local legend has it that the loch has no bottom and it is reputed to be the coldest loch in Scotland.


We didn't dip our toes in to find out but it was rather lovely.

The little cafe was nice too. Lovely looking cakes and scones but sadly was still a bit full of chip butty to indulge.

Don't know if I mentioned where the latest granny square madness stems from. I was just surfing the internet when I came across some gorgeous blankets that were made for specific camper vans that can be hired at Snailtrail . Fell in love with the vans and in a moment of madness almost bought a lovely orange 1974 T2 that was for sale on eBay. In Accrington too which is only a few miles up the road from us. Sanity and lack of cash won in the end though and I'm working through it by extensive use of GST (that's Granny Square Therapy of course). Then I saw this fantastic camper and the madness is coming back. I am resisting the urge to check eBay to see if the Accy van is still there..... must..... stay.... strong.......


After having a nice cuppa we carried on to Selkirk and took the A7 back to Carlisle and the M6. What a great road that is too.  Stopped for a bite to eat at Tebay services on the M6 - the only decent motorway services in the UK if you ask me for some lovely local fare and then home.  About 320 miles altogether. Bum faring well but knees a bit stiff. All sorted with a nice hot bath and plenty of cups of tea.


But dear friends the adventure doesn't end here... oh no!  Tomorrow, weather permitting, we are finally taking the hot air balloon ride I got as a 40th birthday present! Can't wait. I'm soooo excited about it. Got cancelled at the last minute last time we booked (last year) so fingers crossed. We won't know for definite until 11.00pm when we check the website. Cross your toes too just to be on the safe side. It's an early start though. Got to be at Newby Bridge in the South Lakes by 6.30am. We'll be on the motorbike again I think. Well we'll have to be actually since I left the car on my mum's drive. Setting off at 5.00am.


...to be continued....