Well on the trip around Loch Ness we saw this little track heading up in to the mountains above Roybridge without a gate or a "No Entry" sign. (If only we had these same Scottish Land Access laws down south!) So drove up (and down). LOVELY!

This is the Google Streetview image of the start of the track:

And here is a video of going down again:

It seems slow and well very level and flat but believe me it was not flat. And apologies for the iPhone dropping out of its cradle at 3:30!

It was the first time things were constantly steep enough so that the Off Road button constantly worked when we drove down again. And boy did it work! It really felt more stop-go, stop-go than what I imagine a real low ratio gear would have done but it got us up and down with the speed totally in my control. I do think the Land Rover way of controlling the speed via the speed control stalk makes more sense for small adjustments, but the Yeti's brake and throttle method worked fine too.

If there is one thing I learned from all my offroading pictures, it's how really nasty slopes look gentle when you get the camera out!

Looks like fun though.

You did better than the Meriva then

Looks like its pilot is baling out.

You did better than the Meriva then

Looks like its pilot is baling out.

When we came down there was a French car at the bottom of the track having a picnic (but not as sensibly parked as the Agila in the picture above), they were visibly miffed that they had to move their car so we could get out! Ah the French. Even get upset at us on OUR very own soil!

When we came down there was a French car at the bottom of the track having a picnic (but not as sensibly parked as the Agila in the picture above), they were visibly miffed that they had to move their car so we could get out! Ah the French. Even get upset at us on OUR very own soil!

I had that in North Wales once. Was on a byway at about 8pm and came across of group of them camping out on the track. :wonder:

ooh nice, johann.

we've kind of got plans for a scottish trip later in the year and loch ness will deffo be on the cards so i'll give it a go

Great Video Johann. I see you scared the locals then . I couldn't see Nessie or the loch though.............

Mike

Great Video Johann. I see you scared the locals then . I couldn't see Nessie or the loch though.............

Mike

Oh Nessie was there...

[and yes the marker pen Nessie is STILL on my driver's window! ]

And Mike: this was a day trip that included Loch Ness, so this was just the pre-ambles!

Nice photos!

Nice one, all round! Great to see the Yeti being put through her paces. Hang on, are Yetis masculine or feminine? ....his paces/her paces...?

Nice one, all round! Great to see the Yeti being put through her paces. Hang on, are Yetis masculine or feminine? ....his paces/her paces...?

Depends on the driver I've found. My Monster is a he for sure and the voice on my Sat Nav is Tim, also a man! I fear a female voice will say left when it (she) means right.....

Looks like you had fun,

Very lucky with the weather, it rained all week the last time we were up there.

Looks like you had fun,

Very lucky with the weather, it rained all week the last time we were up there.

Weather was amazing. Every single day from the day we left London to 10 days later coming back was sunny! We had 10 drops one night in Lincolnshire and about 8 drops one night in the tent. The rest was dry and sunny (but alas, due to no clouds also VERY cold at night in the tent!)

Depends on the driver I've found. My Monster is a he for sure and the voice on my Sat Nav is Tim, also a man! I fear a female voice will say left when it (she) means right.....

Elsie the Helipad is definitely a she - "she" talks to me in a female voice......And I ignore her at my peril...........

Elsie the Helipad is definitely a she - "she" talks to me in a female voice......And I ignore her at my peril...........

Me too - a scintillating touch of the Madame Whiplash about the Columbus satnav voice, especially when asking you to make a U-turn for the umpteenth time!

Me too - a scintillating touch of the Madame Whiplash about the Columbus satnav voice, especially when asking you to make a U-turn for the umpteenth time!

Pray tell: does the Columbus have a choice of male or female voices? Australian or American or English? I'd HATE an American telling me where to go for sure... Tim on my TomTom is as British English as you get thankfully!

Pray tell: does the Columbus have a choice of male or female voices? Australian or American or English? I'd HATE an American telling me where to go for sure... Tim on my TomTom is as British English as you get thankfully!

English female....... Hence 'she'

English female....... Hence 'she'

And that is it?! Wow...... I never change Tim's voice but I like the fact I can choose how the satnav speaks to me.

And that is it?! Wow...... I never change Tim's voice but I like the fact I can choose how the satnav speaks to me.

We do have a small choice, but only one of them works if you want to play with the voice activation stuff.....English female

And that is it?! Wow...... I never change Tim's voice but I like the fact I can choose how the satnav speaks to me.

I wouldn't change her for the world ... I wouldn't dare!

Elsie the Helipad is definitely a she - "she" talks to me in a female voice......And I ignore her at my peril...........

Betty the Yeti ... 'nuff said!

We do have a small choice, but only one of them works if you want to play with the voice activation stuff.....English female

Do we have a choice? I've just looked in the manual and have sat in the SM playing with the set up and I can't find anything other than the feisty female to give my Columbus instructions. Am I missing something?

Do we have a choice? I've just looked in the manual and have sat in the SM playing with the set up and I can't find anything other than the feisty female to give my Columbus instructions. Am I missing something?

Yes.......setup/system/language/ chose what you want......