On Sunday 20th June the 18th Bracken Trundle took place with our usual start at the Taynuilt Hotel in Argyll for breakfast. Our regulars were joined by 3 newcomers, Bob Swan from Linlithgow with his 1928 Sunbeam L/S, Maurice Chandler from Stirling with his 1955 AJS 16MS and Duncan MacKinnon (with Nicky on pillion) from Kippen on his 1977 BMW R100/7, who accompanied us on a meander through the back roads around Loch Awe where we came upon a field of llamas including several new-born. They were so cute that every lady pillion stopped to take photos!

We continued along the Crinan Canal where there was much activity from the water craft with lockgates being raised and lowered as we passed
and thence to Craobh Haven where we had lunch at the Lord of the Isles Hotel overlooking Loch Melfort with the magnificent sight of craft on their moorings and the Islands of Scarba, Shuna and Luing in the background.

Suitably refreshed we returned to Taynuilt for cream teas and sandwiches via Loch Avich which for our new 'trundlers' was a bit of a suprise but I hope a pleasant one. After the morning route of winding roads with slight inclines and descents with views of lochs, countryside and hills the afternoon consisted of tortuous, gravelly hairpins, single tracks alongside water with sharp bends and steep ups and downs, all with grass and gravel down the middle and the refreshments awaiting us back at base were very welcome.

Our numbers, 20 in total, were slightly down on last year but those who rode the 80 miles with us were blessed with not just dry but warm and sunny weather basking the whole route with welcome sunshine. In addition, the company of like minded folk made the whole day a joy and Jim and I are already planning the 19th Trundle in 2011.