Trip to Scotland via various lumpy and sometimes overly humid bits

I wasn't riding my RS but there was some RS involvement. Complain to the management if you feel this is off topic

I left home last Friday 24 Sept and got home a while ago today, 30 Sept having covered about 1020 miles (I forgot to reset the trip until I was past Ledbury).

First night, stayed with friends near Oswestry after visiting my sister in nearby Welshpool. Good to catch up with people face to face. Saturday was an unrushed day to get to an overnight stop near Preston. No photos but once past the urban sprawl centred on Manchester, I stopped for lunch in Clitheroe. I bought some fish and chips and was stashing them away to ride to a park bench or similar to scoff them when I heard a buzzing cacophony of 2 stroke unpleasantness. There must have been over 200 bemirrored scooters ridden by elderly boomers in open face helmets and parka coats. There was an occasional 3 wheel MP3 and youngster on a modern scooter. By the time I was able to actually move and find a spot to settle for lunch the batter on my fish had gone a little soggy. I think my life expectancy has been somewhat shortened by the inhalation of noxious fumes.

After lunch I took in some scenic roads in the Forest of Bowland before settling in the Lea Gate Hotel. It was okay but typical of a low end pub chain, 1 rung up from Wetherspoons. No Abbott ale, had to make do with Greene King IPA.

Sunday I joined in with Chris' ride on more roads in Bowland. See his thread. The lunch stop was very nice, Goat Cafe. I split from his group after lunch and rode to my hotel in Reeth via some excellent roads in the Dales. I had not done Settle to Kettlewell via Malham Moor before and it was a cracker, but there are a couple of steep bends that grab your attention. https://goo.gl/maps/meLrMGuNQ2bXz4nj9

Hotel in Reeth and 360 view from the green in front.
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Timothy Taylor Landlord was very good, as was the food. Reeth is a great place surrounded by good roads. This hotel and the Kings Head next door are recommended. Stayed in the latter for 3 nights a while ago and so many good roads to explore.

Just one night here and onwards to Moffat in Dumfries & Galloway. A sunny but very windy day. The trip across Weardale was interesting, leaning into the cross-wind to keep going straight. It's a fell above the tree line in the North Pennines, rising to over 700m so pretty exposed. I was glad to get to Corbridge for a spot of lunch. Ridden past this town on the A69 many times but first time calling into the village. A pleasant central square with a load of upmarket shops. In Corbridge:
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I then went north past Kielder Water (largest reservoir in England) and after a detour due to roadworks that were there in June, I made it to the B&B in Moffat.

My spare day was a very wet & cold day but I still did the 107 mile loop I had planned via Tweedsmuir, Talla & Meggethead Reservoir, St Mary's Loch and the Mennock Pass. Lunch was an excellent Scotch Pie, so much better than the factory made ones we get down here. Photos on Mennock Pass, near Wanlockhead, the highest village in Scotland, over 466m.
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The last hour was very wet and the final 10 miles on a motorway were not fun with very poor visibility due to spray from trucks. I wish I had stayed on the parallel B road.

My final morning in Moffat was chilly. I left the very cosy B&B, https://www.rockhillmoffat.co.uk/ - thick fog overnight which burnt off by the time I set off. A quick blast down the motorway for 50 miles to get to the Lake District turn off at Penrith. Now very pleasant and sunny, peaking at 18C. Alongside Ullswater where I saw my first red squirrel for over 30 years (last time I saw on was in 1989 on the same road!). Both were very alive, not squashed so perhaps related? Around this time, this popped up on the Zumo. Note the river to the left. It wants to kill me.
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Then the star of the day, a ride over the Kirkstone Pass in bright sunshine as shown by the shadow.
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As I got to Kendal I had to decide which way to go before arriving at my final hotel of the trip. I chose to stay west in Lancashire and explore a bit more of the Forest of Bowland. As I got to Quernmore, a high village overlooking the pretty Morecombe Bay I saw a storm coming in off the sea. I turned east through the Trough of Bowland but the storm caught up. Not helped by another detour I got rather wet, on the outside at least. Just as I crossed the border for the last 12 miles in North Yorkshire the sky turned blue. If only I had crossed the M6 into Yorkshire and completed a loop to Hawes then I would have had a rain free day.

This morning, I set off from Long Preston after a night in the Boars Head. A friendly village pub. Really nice food and good ale, Timothy Taylor Boltmaker this time. Rooms tired and things like window frames need a deep clean. It was very wet again until I got to Stafford.

Despite the rain this was a pleasant trip. Sometimes with company including meeting some new people and one more denizen of this place and a lot of me time, trundling about gawping at fantastic scenery.

A big thumbs up to the Goretex gear of Daytona boots, Rukka Chariklo jacket, Rukka Fuel trousers, Rukka Mars gloves and of course heated grips.

The S1000XR performed faultlessly whether on a single track road with grass in the middle or cruising in lashing rain on a motorway. The Bridgestone S21 tyres coped with the conditions very well. The XR is quite comfy but I do get some back ache from being sat upright but that is easily managed on a solo trip by stopping for a stretch when needed. I still think the RS is my favourite bike, especially as I would not have to be thinking about giving the chain a good clean after a 1000 miles in mucky conditions.