Road to the Isles

Today I set out on the trip of a lifetime; to cycle along the famous Road to the Isles in the Scottish Highlands.

Despite living and cycling in Scotland most of my life, I have never been on this road. As well as being a magnificent cycle, it also serves to give me some time alone with my thoughts, gain some perspective and hopefully come back and put my everyday life into order.

I awaken at 6am and start out immediately. The first 10 miles are from my home to the nearest town where I will get the earliest train into the city of Glasgow. This is the hardest part of the journey; just trying to get into the rhythm of the bike and the weight I am carrying on it. I will be gone for two nights and have to carry clothes, bike equipment, my camera and various other essentials.

Once I arrive in the city, it’s a short trip to the other railway station that serves the Highlands. From here the train makes its way along the north bank of the River Clyde and at one point I look across the water to my old home town of Greenock. I have always enjoyed seeing it from this side of the river after having spent so long looking in the other direction.

The train beings to climb with the landscape already changing from that of the populated lowlands, to the sparseness of the highlands. The track hugs the side of a hill and goes round in a loop as we pass Bridge of Orchy, a small settlement consisting of a few houses and a hotel that once served the best toffee fudge pudding ever. I have been on the road that down below but soon the train track and the road split as the train climbs ever higher onto the plateau of Rannoch Moor, one of the most desolate landscapes in Britain. No humans live here and no road passes through. The railway itself if supported on logs that have been driven into the bog.

From Road to the Isles

From here on I don’t know what to expect as I have never been on this route before despite beingonly a few hours from my either my childhood home or where I live now. I do know that the train will descend to my first destination, the town of Fort William, which lies at the base of Britain’s tallest mountain Ben Nevis. The hostel I am staying in lies in Glen Nevis so it is only a short climb on the bike to my place of rest where I will gather myself and prepare for the road to the Isles on saturday.

The train arrives in Fort William at midday with the sun beating down, something that doesn't happen often enough in Scotland. I decide to cycle 5 miles up the road to the ski centre at Aonach Mor to take the gondola up the mountain.

It's a bit disconcerting to hear rap music blaring out when I arrive there but it turns out there is a mountain biking event taking place here and I guess this is all part of the show.

I do have an initial moments hesitation as the gondola leaves as the carriages are small and the ascent is steep. As I look down I see a mountain biker thundering along the trail. He hits a ramp and is projected at least 10 ft into the air, twisting his wheel and landing down in one swift, fluid movement. It's exciting stuff and given that one move, I can now see the need for all the body armour they wear.

The view from the top is breathtaking so I stay for half an hour to take in the natural wonder that lies below me.

From Road to the Isles

Saturday
I wake early ahead of the big cycle on Saturday, but more from anticipation than anything else. As with yesterdays departure, my chain comes off the bike almost immediately but I see this as good fortune as I wouldn't want it coming off later today. I am taking the train to the fishing port of Mallaig on the North-West coast and from there, cycling back over the course of the day.

This train journey is widely regarded as one of the most famous train rides in the world and has been a massive feature in the Harry Potter films. Everytime you see the Hogwarts Express it is travelling on the line that I am going to be on today. That particualr steam train does run in the summer but it is an expensive tourist ride, whereas I will be travelling on the standard train with my bike and seeing the same scenary for a fraction of the cost.

This train line closely follows the road that I will be returning on so I will be getting a good idea of what I face. Travelling to the end of the line and cycling back gives me all day to enjoy the views but there is also a practical reason for if the weather is windy, then it is likely to be behind me, thus adding and not hindering my journey.

As the train leaves Fort William I play Eddie Vedder's soundtrack to Into the Wild, a book and film about Chris McCandless and his desire to escape the modern world which is very much what I am doing today.

"I got my wish to up and disappear"

What has hit me on this trip is that although I had set out to disappear, I am actually discovering a new found lust for life.

Hard Sun is a euphoric song as the train crosses the Glenfinnan viaduct at the head of Loch Shiel. The windows on the train are splattered with mud but it does not take away from that feeling.

From Road to the Isles

9:50am The train arrives at the fishing port Mallaig and I am hit immediately by the smell of the sea and the fish. As with Friday, the most difficult part of this trip is at the beginning as I climb out of Mallaig. Of course, this climb has a payback and there is a pleasant descent after the first 10 miles. From here on the journey should be quite straightforward, along a relatively straight road back to Fort William. The distance is about 50 miles and I could easily complete this in 4 hours but I am going to take my time and savour the experience. The route passes through small villages with wonderful Scottish names that even a native like me is enamoured with: Morar, Arisaig, Druimindarroch, Lochailort, Glenfinnan, Kinlocheil, and Corpach.



It's not too hot but I know it will be so I plan on getting the climbing out of the way. It's steady and I am kept going by the fact that there will be payback. It comes after Beasdale station with a glorious descent to Loch Nan Uamh where I stop for a break on these huge rocks. I have completed the first third of todays ride in 1.5 hours.



Beasdale to Glenfinnan is the hardest part of the journey as I am starting to get tired but I know in my heart that I am fit enough to cope. After a steady 2 miles climb I see what I take to be a summit but when I reach it I swear out loud. This is not the summit; the true summit was obscured by the rock walls either side of the road. Time to dig deep because my legs are really sore now. However, the effort is worth it as the descent to Glenfinnan is one of the finest I have ever experienced as a cyclist. By now I am 2/3 of the way there, covering another 15 miles in 1.5 hours.



I rest at Glenfinnan for an hour, basking in the sun as the tourists gather round the visitors centre. The subsequent ride from Glenfinnan to Fort William is steady but dull, as the road plateaus out. By now I am praising the fact that I have done the cycle in this direction as it would have been more tiring in the other direction.



As I enter Glen Nevis I find the last of my strength and sprint for the last mile, pounding away on the tarmac until I see the hostel and .......pull up a couple of metres short for an ice cream! That ice cream was sweet. I get in, shower and crash for an hour.

Dream Theater live in Glasgow 8th Feb 2012

Prog rock legends Dream Theater were in Glasgow last night and it was a magnificent concert.

Things started well for me when I arrived because I was given an upgrade on my ticket. I had initially bought a cheap seat in the gallery but sadly they hadn't sold out so they moved all the gallery people down to the unsold seats in the rear circle which turned out to be a much better view for me. I was a bit disappointed in my fellow countrymen that the gig hadn't sold out - I mean this was Dream Theater, what's wrong with you guys?

I was just about to text a friend I knew from the internet when he came up to me and introduced himself. Ingvaras is a Lithuanian student studying in Edinburgh and he had come over to Glasgow for the gig. We were talking away when the stewards came over to discuss further seat changes but thankfully I was allowed to stay where I was.

The house lights went down at 8:50 and the Hans Zimmer orchestral introduction (taken from the film Inception) started up with a new cartoon of Dream Theater projected onto the three cuboid screens. I always thought these were actual cuboids based on the pictures I had seen but they were simply optical illusions.

I had brought along a setlist so knew they were going to start with Bridges in the Sky and it was an explosive start.

Myung's bass was the dominant instrument, filling the hall with a massive bass sound. I could see his fingers from my seat dancing all over his instrument, with occasional leans back. Don't tell me the man's not emotional - he's just immersed in the music.

The next song 6:00 was an inspired choice, going from a new song to a classic. The momentum seemed to go in the next few songs and I was getting annoyed with a lot of the audience as they seemed a bit muted.

However one song seemed to take things up a level and I was pleased for another reason as it was one of the setlist variations that I was hoping for. It was instantly recognisable due to its introduction and that was Root of All Evil from Octavarium. Petrucci was super human - firing off solos and power chords into the audience like Thor would deliver a lightning bolt. The audience were lapping it up every time he swung his arm out after a chord.

By this stage in the gig I was seriously impressed with the acoustics and in particular with James La Brie's vocals. I've always liked him but my admiration for him increased massively last night. Before starting the acoustic part of the show he said that he hadn't been feeling too good in the vocal department due to a cold he had suffered whilst on tour. If this was a below par performance for him then I can only imagine what he would be like at full fitness as he was incredible, especially at the end of Beneath the Surface.

The bit of the set that I had been most looking forward to were the two songs from Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence. They were good but they also revealed something that had become apparant as the gig went on, namely that Mangini was no Mike Portnoy. Perhaps I am being a bit unfair and judgmental, given that I have never seen Portnoy with Dream Theater but the drumming on these two songs sounded like nothing more than a competent drummer playing back Portnoy's originals. Mangini also seemed to lack the charisma of Portnoy. Furthermore, whilst Rudess is obviously a maestro on the keyboard, he seemed overshadowed by the the two John's who just dominated the sound throughout the gig.

The Spirit Carries On was the penultimate song but we were treated to an extended Petrucci guitar solo prior to it. It was very David Gilmour in its sound with Rudess backing him up with some deep chords on the keyboard. Throughout the gig, fans were just in awe of Petrucci - he truely is the greatest guitar player in rock today (bar Gilmour of course!).

The final song of the main set was Breaking All Illusions and it was an excellent song to finish off on, showcasing all the band and their prodigious talents. I feel like I have been in the presence of superhumans. Their musicianship is undeniable and I hope to see them again some time.

Setlist
Dream Is Collapsing (Hans Zimmer song intro)

Bridges in the Sky
6:00
Build Me Up, Break Me Down
Surrounded
The Root of All Evil
Drum Solo
A Fortune in Lies
Outcry

Acoustic
The Silent Man
Beneath the Surface

On the Backs of Angels
War Inside My Head
The Test that Stumped Them All
The Spirit Carries On
Breaking All Illusions

Encore:
Pull Me Under

Note: John Petrucci played an extended guitar solo before The Spirit Carries On

Four and Counting

I am currently reading 'Dreamcatcher' by Stephen King, the fourth last book that I have to read by him. So far it is not bad and has the usual King hallmarks: friendship, Maine woods, scary shit.

I'm using it to prepare myself for his new book 11.23.63 which is set in Dallas at the time of J.F.K's assasination.

After having loved James Ellroy's 'American Tabloid', I am however a bit hesitant about King doing a J.F.K story.

Whereas Ellroy's book was a believable conspiracy theory, King's involves time travel and so could be bordering on the absurd.

After 'Dreamcatcher', I need to get back to 'Feast for Crows', book 4 in George R.R. Martin's fantasy saga A Song of Ice and Fire.

Corey Taylor & James Ellroy

My new books arrived today; the autobiographies of Corey Taylor and James Ellroy.

I am very excited about both of these books and although they aren't very big, I am sure that they will be filled with fascinating tales.

Ellroy is my favourite author and like his previous memoir My Dark Places, The Hilliker Curse begin with the murder of his mother Geneva Hilliker. Whereas My Dark Places described Ellroy's search for justice and the murder's impact on his future life and career, The Hilliker Curse focuses specifically on Ellroy's relationships with women during the course of his lifetime. I have heard from a friend that he rehashes some of the same tales from the first memoir but I am still looking forward to reading this book.

Corey Taylor is the frontman in both Stone Sour and Slipknot, the latter being one of the most controversial and best selling metal bands of the last ten years. But the book is not just about his time in these bands; it is about Taylor growing up and turning his life around and then forging his career as a musician. I am sure it will be an inspirational read.

The Rhine at Oosterbeek

One of my favourite photos out of all the ones I have taken. This is the River Rhine at Oosterbeek where the survivors of the British Airborne were evacuated in 1944 following the ill fated attempt to capture Arnhem Bridge.

My grandfather was killed at the bridge during the battle and in 2007 my father and I visited his grave.

The Wall live in Manchester May 21, 2011

I'm a bit late in publishing this review and I'm sure there are better reviews out there but this one is mine and is archived here my own sake. This gig was one of the most momentous moments of my life and fully deserving of a place in my blog.

It began back in May 2010 when my brother Carl, my sister in law Anne, and I bought our tickets. A year was a long time to wait and in that time my sister in law became pregnant. I was definitely not going to miss out but I was worried for my brother (whilst also trying to be happy for him) as the twins were due one week after the gig.

A new year dawned and by April the twins were born, 8 weeks premature. This was a tough time as they were in hospital for nearly 8 weeks until they were well enough to go home but by then brother and I were conscious of the fact that the way was now clear for us to attend the gig. Sadly my sister in law couldn't attend anymore so we had a spare ticket which we set aside for my other brother Andrew who by chance was in Manchester that very weekend for his work.

Travelling to gigs has always been a big thing for us; travelling to another city to see a gig makes it so much more of an event. Manchester has always been our favourite city because of its vibrancy and the fantastic acoustics in the MEN Arena, so seeing Roger Waters there was sure to be the ultimate gig for two Pink Floyd fans.

Manchester has a wider musical history which has also impacted on our lives over the years. As we drove into the city, we put Blue Monday by New Order on. It was gloriously uplifting and as we did so we went past the Salford Lads club, as immortalised in gatefold of the The Smiths Queen is Dead album.

The gig itself started off quite subdued as they brought on the 'Pink' dummy before suddenly exploding into action with a series of fireworks for the opening track 'In The Flesh'. From then until Another Brick in the Wall (pt 2) it was very emotional and I was grinning like mad, not only because I was finally seeing Roger Waters but also because of the clarity of the songs and the power of the band. That song was a clear highlight, especially because of the school kids who were brought on to chant that anthemic chorus at the giant inflatable Teacher.

Empty Spaces, like much of the entire performance, took on added meaning and context because of the viduals that were beamed onto the wall during the course of the performance. Water's is clearly anti-war and establishment and he should be commended for this. The interlude was very poignant, with images shown on the wall of those who had lost their lives in conflicts throughout the world.

It was strange to pay £85 for a ticket that basically had no view at all of the stage at the start of the second half but that is what The Wall is all about. Comfortably Numb was majestic in the way that you would hope it would be but Run Like Hell was my personal favourite from the second half with three guitars playing. Credit must be given to David Gilmour for writing such a memorable piece of music. The Wall was torn down at the end and I was stunned at how they did it. Some of the people in the front row came really close to being hit by a brick.

That wasn't the end of the story as the next day when driving home we were so animated as we discussed the gig that we missed out turn off on the motorway and were heading in the wrong direction. We also came close to running out of petrol because we forgot to fill up after leaving Manchester so it was a nervous drive to the next filling station!

Summer Reading 2011

Here's what I plan on reading my through during the next 7 weeks:

The Crossing - Cormac McCarthy
Fingersmith - Sarah Waters
Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
Pride & Prejudice - Jane Austen
The Eyre Affair - Jasper Fforde
Tokyo Year Zero - David Peace
Firestarter - Stephen King
Gormenghast - Mervyn Peake
Women - Charles Bukowski
Wide Sargasso Sea - Jean Rhys
Promethea - Alan Moore
Time & The Batman - Grant Morrison