After not making it to the YD300 for multiple reasons I headed off to the Cairngorms.
My recent trip to the Cairngorms went without a hitch. No broken bikes or broken bodies, just as well, - I'm still recovering from the Dark & White Peak crash!
Hope you enjoy it & let me know what you think. I couldn't edit this down anymore without removing the feel of the film
It's always interesting seeing my local stuff through someone else's eyes. I did laugh when you mentioned getting a Coke at Feshie Bridge Loch Insh Boathouse is close by though and is open all day for food and drink.
That singletrack above the Tilt has had its share of casualties, including an ex-colleague of mine who managed to puncture a lung when he fell into the river.
Nice video enjoyed that
I am not sure i fancy a tllt at the tilt section on a full loaded bike after watching that
How technicall is the ride? It did not look that technical - though I also assumed you were less likely to film them as you were busy riding and paying attention
The outer loop is mostly simple riding. Loch an Duin, Eag Mhor, Loch Builg and Glen Tilt are the more difficult bits and they're all relatively short. The "official" CL300 route also includes a short/steep climb to Fealar Lodge which involves some real thrutching.
Good stuff Allen, just reminded me I've not been round that neck of the woods this year. I'm due a decent go at the tilt descent as the last time I was on it, the rain was horizontal!
One thing I would disagree with though is your assumption re the ownership of the run down cottage. It is very unlikely to be owned by a family in the way that you say. Most likely it was an estate cottage that was left to decay after it was no longer needed. It looks a bit late for a clearances type narrative, but it is also true that a lot of families who were left without the male head of the household after the war were subsequently evicted. This happened to my friend's granny and her family - the dad was killed in WW1 and the rest of them were evicted at the end of the war.
Otherwise it was just the case that as increasing mechanisation meant a smaller labour force, the estates no longer needed to house their workforce, which led to the abandonment of the cottages.
Either way to my mind it is a sign of much-needed land reform in Scotland, rather than disinterest from the descendants of the previous owner in the way that you suggest.
And if you want an extreme case - check out Glenfiddich lodge
The whole place was abandoned and the new owner (who lives elsewhere) isn't interested in doing anything with it so it has just been left, complete with furnishings.....
There is another one just over the hill similarly abandoned. The owner is only interested in screwing money out of wind farms and pi**ing off the locals.
Don't think I haven't thought about it! There are a couple of empty cottages next door but the farmer still uses some nearby sheds so it would be a bit dodgy....
I really enjoyed that video, thanks. The best bit about it was your appreciation of the surroundings - it reminded me to never take it for granted, even in places I'm very familiar with, such as the Cairngorms.
Enjoyed that I didn't recognise any of it I think I must have ridden most of the outer loop in the dark and by the time it got light again the headwind was too strong to look up
htrider wrote: โTue Aug 10, 2021 7:01 pm
And if you want an extreme case - check out Glenfiddich lodge
The whole place was abandoned and the new owner (who lives elsewhere) isn't interested in doing anything with it so it has just been left, complete with furnishings.....
There is another one just over the hill similarly abandoned. The owner is only interested in screwing money out of wind farms and pi**ing off the locals.
For an even more extreme case, look at Kinloch Castle, on the Isle of Rum. Built as a hunting lodge at the end of the nineteenth century, then given, complete with furnishings, to the Scottish National Trust, (or some such), who have let it become a bit run down. I was there on my recent sailing adventure around the Hebrides and took these photos through the windows. I have a few more, but Iโm running out of free space on Flickr.
My Movie Channel: https://tinyurl.com/YoutubeEG 
My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allen.boardman
Loch Insh Boathouse is close by though and is open all day for food and drink. 
and Jeff, yeah, it was a little long....I know, but I'm still chuffed with it.
I think I must have ridden most of the outer loop in the dark and by the time it got light again the headwind was too strong to look up 
