Motorbikes

[BAZ1893]

I just wanted to get a few opinions on an occurrence from last weekend.

I decided to just do a low level walk as I was taking my wee four-legged friend along and although she has done a lot of hill walking I tend not to take her up high now.

I decided to walk from Linn O' Dee along the path to the white bridge and down towards the Bynack Lodge ruin. On the return back I could not believe it when I saw a motorbike heading towards us. I know the track we were on would be classed as a Land Rover track and if I saw an estate vehicle on it carrying out duties related to the working of the land I would not complain obviously but this was an ordinary road motorcycle ridden by someone who had decided that he wanted to go up the glen but not exert himself on foot or pushbike.

I personally thought this was pretty outrageous and called him an inconsiderate effin idiot and again when he came back past us about 10 minutes later. His helmet and engine probably prevented him from hearing my words but hopefully my glower helped convey my dismay.

He wasn't flying along at speed or anything but I still thought that a motorbike anywhere on these kind of paths would be a no no. I've certainly never seen that before in a lot of years walking the hills.

So am I right in my condemnation of the fella in the power ranger suit? Or would his actions be considered acceptable?

[prog99]

Unless they had permission then you were right to be annoyed.
2.14 The Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 excludes some other 14
conduct from access rights , including:
• Motorised activities, such as motor biking and scrambling, off-road driving, the use of any powered craft on water, microlighting, and the use of powered model craft. These activities still require the permission of the relevant owner or manager. Access rights, however, do extend to a person with a disability who is using a motorised vehicle or vessel
15 built or adapted for use by that person

[BAZ1893]

Thanks for the reply, that's very useful and interesting information.

I know you can never judge anything by just looking at it but he did look like he had just driven off the main road and headed up the path; full leathers, normal modern road bike as opposed to any kind of off-roader etc. Who knows though, I suppose he might have had permission but I really hope it's not something that would happen often.

I spoke to a friend yesterday who has spent his whole life tramping the hills and he also thought it was out of order but I'd still like to hear more opinions if anyone else fancies throwing their tuppenceworth in?

[Sgurr]

We once met a party of six motorcyclists on a summit. Like you we were outraged, but slightly less so on hearing the were speaking French, and thought it might be allowed over there. (Can no longer remember the summit, but it could have been Beinn Dubh up Glen Banchor.) Did it have UK plates??

[Moriarty]

Perhaps they were following a Satnav to Blair Atholl.

[Marty_JG]

Confessions of a motorcyclist - on a holiday to Portugal years ago I hired a Harley Davidson for a week. I found an area of agricultural hills - wide paths cut into all of them, like someone fastidiously peeling half an orange. I somehow got to the top with the ruddy hog. Okay, these weren't walking trails - and I almost destroyed myself and the bike on the final ascent as it was clearly outwith the thing's manufacturing tolerance... but it is fun.

[BAZ1893]

We once met a party of six motorcyclists on a summit. Like you we were outraged, but slightly less so on hearing the were speaking French, and thought it might be allowed over there. (Can no longer remember the summit, but it could have been Beinn Dubh up Glen Banchor.) Did it have UK plates??

Yes, UK plates. I wish I had taken a photo now!

[Caberfeidh]

There is some right-of-way thing which means vehicles can be taken along various tracks which you might not expect. I remember seeing a bunch of folk on trail bikes going through Glen Affric - way up past the Yoof Hostel. I have also seen estate workers on the Mar Lodge Estate doing off-roading for a laugh, tearing up the ground among the mature pines of Glen Derry, obviously dangerous to anyone or any thing there. That was annoying, especially as they lecture the rest of us on petty matters. If he was not being dangerous or speeding, etc., what was it drove you to fury?

[tdm900]

As my user name suggests I am a biker but I would never take a road bike up that path , it was bad enough at times on a mountain bike when I was up there last month , though I did meet a couple on a Tandem mountain bike , I have seen trail bikes lifted over gates at the backwater reservoir and going up the pipe covers

[BAZ1893]

There is some right-of-way thing which means vehicles can be taken along various tracks which you might not expect. I remember seeing a bunch of folk on trail bikes going through Glen Affric - way up past the Yoof Hostel. I have also seen estate workers on the Mar Lodge Estate doing off-roading for a laugh, tearing up the ground among the mature pines of Glen Derry, obviously dangerous to anyone or any thing there. That was annoying, especially as they lecture the rest of us on petty matters. If he was not being dangerous or speeding, etc., what was it drove you to fury?

I wouldn't say I was 'furious' but certainly dismayed and probably annoyed.

I personally go to the hills as I feel they are somewhere to go to get away from the noise and smell of traffic, to enjoy my exercise in as 'pollution free' an environment as possible and get as much peace and quiet as possible. And that is coming from a self-confessed petrol head who has worked in the motor trade for 30 years so I am anything but anti-combustion engine.

But there are places to go to enjoy our engine-propelled toys without encroaching into what are regarded as walking/cycling areas such are our remotest and largest hills. Perhaps even although this might be an un-written rule and possibly just considered good manners or etiquette? I also think the damage we all do with our feet in terms of erosion etc. (which can't be totally avoided) is bad enough without the massive infliction heavier 'traffic' would cause. The workers and helpers who bravely maintain and rebuild the paths would surely have to increase significantly in numbers to cope.

I personally would hate to see a precedent set whereby more and more people saw the hills and glens as somewhere to go with their motorbikes etc.

[Tinto63]

My first thoughts were that all I could add to this thread was the observation that the use of motorcycles by farmers, shepherds and forestry workers was quite common before the widespread introduction of ATVs. I've certainly seen shepherds in the hills using off-road motorcycles on several occasions in the past.

However, on Saturday (3 August) I was coming off Greenside Law close to the old drove road between Manorhead and Megget, when 3 motorcycles came from the north and went past at a modest speed. I walked down to the drove road and was going back towards Manorhead when they returned north. Two of the bikes were what I'd describe as scramblers and the third was a lightweight trials bikes and all three were two-strokes, although their exhaust noise was soon lost in the vastness of the hills. None were registered for road use. They were the only people I saw in the hills on Saturday and was pleased to see them making good use of a traditional route through the hills that is very little used these days.

[gorty]

I've seen bikes a few times while out walking, mostly trials bikes around the Kinlochleven and Loch Treig area, where I believe they have permission of the landowner. As a hobby, trials bike involve a lot of upfront expense and organisation, owners of trials bikes usually have a specially adapted van to transport them to the start of rides and a lot of specialist tools and spares with them, they're usually members of clubs and well organised and as a result usually have permission to ride from several landowners in various locations.

Sometimes you might see things that are annoying, but it's a mistake to assume they don't have permission and shouting or annoying the people who you think are annoying could land you in trouble with the police for breach of the peace. All you can realistically do is report it to the landowner, if the landowner objects, the landowner could complain to the police, or the landowner might decide to invest in gates and fences to deny them access in the future. It's very frustrating sometimes, but I've found that in life you can only control your own thoughts and actions. Where you seek to influence others, this is best done through education and voluntary efforts.

[johnkaysleftleg]

I get enough trouble with inconsiderate bikers while walking the dog down the local park let alone when out in the hills. The damage one of these things can do to a path/ track in seconds can be quite staggering. Most of my encounters with motorbikes in the hills has been organised events where the behaviour was exemplary, doesn't mean the smell and noise wasn't unpleasant however.

[Landsoul]

Some poor souls in here, heaven forbid the hills be enjoyed by anyone else other than hillwalkers...

[Lightfoot2017]

I'm largely in agreement with the OP. Like most folks I head into the hills to get away from what I call 'people noise'....traffic, media, music, work chatter, the banalities of modern life.

Maybe it's just me getting old, but I find my hackles rising every time I hear a motorbike or car go past with an exhaust that's especially adapted for the sole purpose of making as much noise as possible.

In this instance I would have been similarly irked, I feel.

And to the poster above, I'm pretty sure most of us have no issue with others enjoying the hills...but we DO have an issue when their 'enjoyment' is selfish and thoughtless....for example by polluting the environment we come to enjoy with excessive noise and exhaust fumes.