I left home at 13:45 on Sunday to get up to Inverness - estimated at 500 miles away - for an 08:30 setup and 09:30 course start on Monday morning. I always drive on such trips even though a plane would be quicker and a train would be less tiring; that's because I take equipment for each of my eight (in this case) delegates to use through the course, plus books, server, projector, my own system - not to mention a couple of changes of clothes.

For such a long drive, I pace myself; a series of little stops along the way severely adds to the time taken, but (and I stress this) I am aware that I'll start to get tired at certain points and I take a break. Always on the lookout for future timing and route knowledge information, I tend to log even the journey ...

Home, 13:45, 58647 miles ...
The "Air Balloon", 58690, 14:45
Strensham services, 58710, 15:00 - 15:05
etc
Tebay services, 58904, 18:07 - 18:30
M73 / M8 interchange, Glasgow 59029 20:13
Perth, 59084, 21:04

(OK - I've cut out an hourly note or so from that ... but it was a good evening with only a few traffic delays around Birmingham and I'm much better able to time the North of Scotland run now.)

The radio is on in the car too as I travel - I'm somewhat caught up on events in Ambridge, and I listen to the controversy of the current story line discussed on other programs. Is Ruth acting out of character? What would David have done if he had been pulled more heavily towards an affair with Sophie? Is Bert going to be alright after spending 5 hours on a wet tractor to win the ploughing competiton?

And early morning

Perth, 59084, 05:45
Dalnaspidal, 59141, 06:45
Slochd Summit, 59180, 07:24
Inverness, 59200, 07:47

"Two hours from Perth to Inverness" said a Scot on last week's course and indeed he was pretty accurate, but I'm glad I left that final stretch to the new morning - the A9 has hugely improved over the years and it no longer passes through any towns ... but there are long single carriageway stretches and some double sections and you need to have your wits about you!

Picture - Inverness at Dawn yesterday morning

(written 2006-10-31 06:39:21)

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