National 2025 – Balloch O Dee Campsite, Newton Stewart, Dumfries & Galloway – 4-7th Sept 2025

[Lowflyer]

HUZZA

Huzza indeed young man, knew you would make it, well done

 

[Lowflyer]

Little bit late to the party , Stick me down please Steve, Money already sorted with Debs.

Well done Bazza, would not be the same without you

 

[Steve T]

I HUZZAd too soon

Did a couple of hours on the bike this morning, with the bike "luggaged up", stopping for just one picture, and cor blimey is my ankle/foot sore just now!

So, I'm stealing the bosses car and 4 wheeling it down on Thursday. Never done a bike meet in a car before, so something new eh!

See y'all there.

Steve T

 

[Rubberchicken]

You’ll hardly stand out among all the vans.

On the . See you tomorrow or thereabouts.

 

[Cabbie]

And so it comes to pass that the “baton” for sorting 2025s BT National lands in my hand.

With advice & guidance from that great leader of men – Austin – as well as help from LWR regards places to ride/things to see, next years National will be north of the wall at this campsite:-

Balloch O' Dee

Balloch O' Dee is a beautiful small farm set in stunning countryside on the edge of the Galloway national forest park.

www.ballochodee.com

View attachment 4771
Link to Austins photos . . .

For Debs…. Photos of the Roundhouse

Please read through the sites web site, especially the “Camp Ethos” section.

20-5-2025 - BREAKING NEWS

There is NO MUSIC festival at the campsite this year, so on site accomodation is now available for booking, should you feel the need to avoid a canvas cave for the weekend

Newton Stewart is the nearest town, approx. 10 miles away, and has plenty of choice regards food supplies. It also has the nearest fuel station.​

Costs

The campsite offers a 25% reduction on the advertised camping price for motorcyclists in small tents, notionally 2 man sized tent, so that’s £15 a day.
The campsite has said that paying on the day will be fine. However, they have asked for an idea of numbers attending, to allow a section of the site to be allocated for us as a group, so the sooner I can feed back a number to them, the better.

Communal Area

I have managed to book the Round House for use as a communal area at a cost of £224 for the 3 days.
With that in mind, I will ask all those planning to attend for £10 towards the cost of booking the Round House as it will be the communal area.
Debs has very kindly agreed to collect said £10 per attendee for me, seeing as I’m a dinosaur when it comes to electronic banking, amongst other things.
Any moneys over the booking cost will go towards firewood for use in the Round House and the fire pits as required (bags of wood available on site . . . or we could just send out Hudders with an axe and some felling instructions )

Attendees

Debs & Glen ** - Lodge
Hudders * - Lodge
MiketheBike *
Maurice *
Jack *
Cabby *
Jim Did It - Yurt
Barftone *
Lowflyer *
Stuart D *
Whealie **
Largewayround *
Stubbsie & Lou * - Lodge
Jim McCreath *
Meesh * - Bothy
Paul S **
Rubberchicken *
Bazza *

* = £10 Roundhouse paid
** = £20 towards Roundhouse

So let the planning commence

Leaving tomorrow with Wheelie.
We've just sorted some weather protection for the trip North.

 

[The Don]

Leaving tomorrow with Wheelie.
We've just sorted some weather protection for the trip North.

you mean sun block and straw hat right....?

 

[Barftone]

Morning All. Sorry to let you all and myself down but I wont be able to make it this year now. I did Oxford Overland last weekend and I am now on a Dorothy speedshop camping tour and not too far away oop north at the moment but a screaming sciatic nerve is twangin like a guitar string down my right bottock and a soggy week has left me pretty pooped. Its been fun and I got another night in the Lakes tonight but I will call it a day and head back tom. Please message me for any monies owed and have fun team. Suns coming out!

 

[Debs]

Morning All. Sorry to let you all and myself down but I wont be able to make it this year now. I did Oxford Overland last weekend and I am now on a Dorothy speedshop camping tour and not too far away oop north at the moment but a screaming sciatic nerve is twangin like a guitar string down my right bottock and a soggy week has left me pretty pooped. Its been fun and I got another night in the Lakes tonight but I will call it a day and head back tom. Please message me for any monies owed and have fun team. Suns coming out!

Sorry to hear , we will miss you . Safe ride home

Debs x

 

[Rubberchicken]

you mean sun block and straw hat right....?

Not a terrible idea… I can feel the sun burning

 

[tendays]

I am, as usual, v late in signing up for this but count me in. Should be there sometime after dark tomorrow evening, assuming I can find the spot.
I will bring cash for the roundhouse.
Preparing for a wet ride home on Sunday!

 

[(ex) xrv_jim]

I’m home after stopping for a Greggs breakfast in Dumfries. The weather cleared up from there so I arrived back dry - not that I mind riding in the rain.

Big thank yous to SteveT and Debs for making this happen, and thanks to everyone who turned up. I had a smashing weekend, it was just what I needed even though I didn’t realise it

 

[MIKETHEBIKE]

Well some much for my photo album, but I did miss the Friday ride out. Got home in good time, managed to miss most of the rain, bike hosed down and washing sorted, Great to see all my once a year mates a good craic as usual, probably my most soberest one. Until next

 

[Lowflyer]

Got home just after 1pm, only stopped for fuel, no grub. Just wanted to avoid the forecasted downpour which didn't really affect me. On a plus side, was complaining to the wife that I skipped breakfast to get an early start and she promptly took me out for lunch result.
Tent dried out, kit away, bike clean up later on or possibly tomorrow.
Thanks to everyone who showed up, tremendous craic, great meeting up with you all again

 

[Rubberchicken]

Pretty damp first half, pretty dry (even a spot of sun!) second half. Tea acquired, ship sailed.

More tomorrow…

 

[Rubberchicken]

Even fluked a Red Arrows performance from the Tesco parking lot.

 

[Debs]

Got home about 4ish , thank goodness for being in the car the weather on the M6 was torrential.

Thank you too everyone for a fabulous weekend especially for Steve for organising it , the campsite was spot on

 

[Steve T]

Breakfast en-route to Edinburgh at a very nice watering hole that Craig introduced me to last year on the scouting trip.
Craig & I parted ways at Edinburgh with me sitting at 60 and him at a bit more as we both headed north up the M9, having removed the waterproofs after breakfast.
Home at just before 3pm after a damp ride through the hills. Tent up, dried and put away.
855 miles over the 4 days - 'ickle bike seems able to do the travel thing quiet well .

Thanks to all that made the effort to travel north .
Most seemed to have enjoyed themselves in a great area for riding .

Apologies to Jack for punting you onto the ground with a pannier shove and for taking out your number plate - send me your address and I'll pop some recompence in the post.

Thanks to Debs for acting as the Banker for the event .

Pictures to follow . . . after I've worked out how to get Fridays ones off of the fecking phone .

Looking forward to next years "Do", where ever it ends up being held.

Steve T

 

[Maurice]

Thank all for a great weekend as usual.

 

[Steve T]

Some piccies . . .
Nice & sunny as I head south out of the hills . . .

Sleeping beauty and his sleepy associates . . .

Campers and bike pics . . .

Oooot & about on Saturday . . .

And finally, a damp view of my return to the highlands . . .

Hopefully I will get help to grab the pictures from my phone . . . now, where are the grand children when you need them?

Steve T

 

[Maurice]

A few videos from this weekend and an injured man gracefully getting off his bike.