The Wee Iain Run. By Kawa.

The Wee Iain run was started in 2002, a year after Iain a very good friend of mine died. The first run was a get together of people that we had met on (older) bikes over the years, we had a fairly good turn out. Over the next five years the numbers increased, but the format of the run remained the same, just a slow run with a lot of stops over the seventy or so miles.The route its self had basically remained the same, taking in some really good "old bike" roads.

I had stopped doing the run a couple of years ago due to one thing or another, but after some arm twisting from a few old regulars the run was on for this year. A few phone calls and a couple of visits and we had a nice wee group together. Pre-run route check done, just to make sure all the roads were still there. A call to the Brig O Turk Tea Room, the half way stop, just to make sure it would be open and we were sorted.

Sunday morning arrived and by the time I turned up there were already a few keen people, by eleven everyone was there. We left Denny and headed up through the Carron Valley, one of my favourite areas. Not long till we were over the other end
and heading towards the village of Kippen, with a stop off at a lay by a couple of miles before it. Old John, one of the Stars of Britain's Best Drives he tells me (never heard of it myself) refers to this place as the "view", and I've got to say on a good day you get a great view of the mountains to the north. Twenty minutes later and we were off again, down through the village and over towards Thornhill and over towards Callander via some nice wee back roads. The Trossachs were next, great section of road with the long awaited stop at The Tea Room near the end of it. More catching
up with what folk had been up to the last while. Then they were back on their bikes and heading off over the Dukes pass, a brilliant bit of road to get the best out of your bike, just imagine a road with hardly any flat bits an no straights.

The last part of the route heads back to Thornhill, Kippen and on towards the Carron Valley with a stop in the Village of Fintry at a pub strangely called the Fintry Inn. After we had something to eat and a good blether about the day we split up and headed in our own directions. Good day out, only down side was I had to go round in the car due to having injured my hand. It'll be on next year, so I've been told...

Great write up Kawa, thanks for sharing it and the pics.