Mountain biking with a bit a bit o' alcohol thrown in, not really recommended, but good fun at Christmas!

Out with Clive on Tuesday afternoon and we refuelled with some mini stollen bites!

Christmas Day and what better way to celebrate than a bike ride up into the hills with Clive, Kathy and Graeme on a crisp December day.

We've reached the snow line, for what it's worth, and our destination is the top of that hill on the right of the photo, so a bit more climbing to do yet!

Nice and toasty after the climb up Castlelaw!

Destination reached, the top of Allermuir and to meet up with members of Carnethy Hill Runners club to celebrate Christmas day.

Kathy and Graeme are both members of Carnethy Hill Runners who apparently celebrate each Christmas Day with a run to Allermuir summit in the |Pentland Hills, so what better way to celebrate with them than biking up instead of running up, anyway my hips aren't into running up hills now!

We actually were the first to arrive but were soon joined with a crowd of fit hill runners some of whom were wearing very short shorts, I'm still shivering thinking about them. There were copious amounts of alcohol being shared around, brandy, whisky,port, mulled wine and what Clive and me,at least voted the best, raspberry vodka, a dangerous combination which makes vodka taste like a soft drink! It took me all my time to stagger back to my bike after sampling each of them, some more than once (especially the raspberry vodka)! The descent back down Allermuir was a bit hazy and I managed to fall off the bike once or twice on the return ride home but put that down to ground conditions rather than over consumption of the demon drink. A great mornings' ride and a great way to celebrate Christmas Day!