Part 4 - Skye, Arisaig, Moidart, Ardnamurchan, Mull, Iona and Staffa

19.08.11 - Uig to Portree

Just as we were leaving the campsite we were stopped by a Dutch couple who were in a camper van, they were interested in what it was like to cycle in Scotland. They remarked that they hadn't seen many birds in Scotland apart from a Harrier. We said we were surprised and suggest several places where they might have more luck. Just out of Uig we stopped to post a few things home and then continued on our way. The road gave us some great views across to Macleods Table one of the first mountains that I had climbed with Frank before we got married. Well the Dutch couple must have had their eyes shut as in the 7 miles out from Uig we had seen several Buzzards, Harriers, a pair of Golden Eagles and an Merlin, it just goes to show that you see much more from a bicycle! As we neared Portree the clouds were gathering and we soon couldn't see the top of the Cullins and the wind was increasing and the skies were darkening, bad weather was obviously on the way. As we neared Portree we tried to find a cache at a small conservation area near Sluggans but it was a DNF.

On reaching Portree we went to the Co-op to stock up on food and then went into the center of town to find a restaurant for a late lunch. We found a cafe which was quite busy but we managed to get a seat when some Spanish people left. Whilst we were eating Lenny Henry came in for some lunch. I really wanted to go and shake his hand as I had found the program that he did in the Kibera slum on the outskirts of Nairobi for Comic Relief very moving. However after hearing him say to two old ladies that he was up here on holiday, I decided that it would be nicer to respect his privacy and let him enjoy his holiday. Suitably refreshed we decide to quickly try and find 'Island cycles' the only bike shop in Portree to try and buy a pair of cycling gloves to replace the pair I had lost boarding the ferry at Berneray. It wasn't that easy to find as it was down a small alley. Suitably gloved we headed out of Portree, the wind was very strong and we were struggling to make much headway as we were cycling straight into it. We struggled on for a short time but after looking at the dark skies ahead I pulled in to a small drive way and Frank pulled in behind me. We both agreed that there was no way we would get to Broadford with the strong head wind. The only campsite on the way was at Sligachan and we both knew from bitter experience how notoriously windy that campsite can be as we had stayed there one time after we had been in to the Cullins. It was a very windy night, you could hear the gust funneling down Glen Sligachan and you just waited for them to hit the tent. We didn’t get much sleep that night as the gusts kept violently rocking the tent. When we emerged out of our tent in the morning just ours and another Terra Nova Quasar were the only tents left standing on the site, all the others had blown down in the night! The toilet block was crammed with campers whose tents had blown down in the night. We decided that we would be better of going back to Portree and camp at the Torvaig site, which looked a lot more sheltered.

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20.08.11 - Portree

It was a good move to stay at the Torvaig site, as it was quite a windy overnight but probably not as wild as it would have been if we had been at Sligachan! When we woke in the morning the winds were still very strong, we decided that as they were still southerly it would still be hard work against the wind and decided to stay put. It was a good move as it rained very heavily in the morning which wouldn’t have made very pleasant cycling. The gusts were very strong at times and we were glad that we had pitched into the wind as it was really buffeting the tent. We spent some time going around the campsite helping people to pitch their tents and re-pegging some of the badly pitched tents, which had been left by the owners. Some of them were in danger of being completely blown away and for one owner of a tunnel tent it was too late by the time we got to it, all three of the poles were broken and the tent was completely flattened, we just made sure that what was left was secured so that the contents weren't blown away by the winds or completely soaked by the rain. By mid afternoon the winds and rain had eased a bit so I took the opportunity to go down into Portree to visit the Co-op to get a few supplies.

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21.08.11 - Portree to Arisaig

The winds had thankfully died down and after a good cooked breakfast we set off for Mallaig. It was drizzling a bit as we set off but it was much easier cycling without the strong head wind. As we were heading towards Sligachan on the A 87 we were past by a lone tourer who I chatted with for a while as we went along, he was from Italy. By the time we got to Sligachan the weather had improved quite a bit and the sun was starting to get out. We stopped for a short time to photograph the old bridge and for a short breather before carrying on along Loch Sligachan. There were some good views across to the island of Raasay as we rounded the corner at the end of the loch and headed up towards Gleann Tora-mhichaig. On the way up we passed a lot of parked cars where the tourist were photographing the local Highland cattle. The climb up the Glenn wasn’t too difficult, it was abit of a push but nothing like what we have done in the past. It was a lovely ride around Loch Ainort with waterfalls coming down the glen at the end. As we headed around the head of the loch we had good views across to the island of Scalpay. At Camas na Sgianadin we stopped at the picnic area to have a brew and something to eat. Unfortunately soon after we arrived we had a short shower and the wind dropped so the midges came out. This was not only a bit annoying for us but was especially annoying for the German couple on the other picnic table who were in the process of cooking a pasta meal! Not long after we had set off again and were approaching Broadford some absolute idiot in a small hatchback overtook us doing about 50mph with a car coming in the opposite direction, he missed wiping us out by an inch or two! I just couldn’t believe it as I could hear it coming up fast behind me and I expected it to slow down but no it just kept coming. If it hadn’t been for the on coming driver who had to take evasive action and swerve on to the opposite verge I’m sure he would have hit us! The near miss really quite shook us up and through Broadford I cycle just a bit out from Frank so I was taking the lane just to protect Frank and prevent some idiot from doing the same thing. But then some idiot in a black cavalier hooted at me because he had to slow down and wait behind me for all of 30 seconds before he could overtake me. Well I suppose it's better to get hooted at than be killed! Ali Watt was quite right the A87 is a bit of a fast motorway of a road.

We were glad to turn off on to A 851 for Armadale , as it was much quieter. It is a good road and had been upgraded in the pat to encourage people to use the Armadale ferry to take the pressure of the Kyle of Lochalsh ferry. However since the Kyle of Lochalsh bridge has been built the road isn’t as busy which was good for us and we had a good run down to Armadale. As we had just missed the 1650 hrs ferry we decided that in oder not to have to cook when we got to the campsite we might as well have something to eat in Armadale. We came across the Stables Restaurant at the Clan Donald Skye center.  It was very nice and they did a very reasonable 3-course dinner, the only problem was trying to get in the 3 courses in before we had to leave to catch the 1840 ferry. We had to wolf down our sweet in order to give us enough time to cycle to the Armadale pier, we only just made it. Just as we were leaving Mallaig it started to rain quite heavily and we had to hurridly put on full waterproofs, we just hoped it wouldn’t continue all the way to the campsite. Fortunately there was a cycle path most of the way to Morar and by the time we turned on to the B15008 the rain stopped and the sun began to come out. We stopped at the first campsite we came to at Camusdarach. When we got to the reception and I rang the bell and a lady answered the door. I asked her if we could book in for the camping, there was long pause as she looked us up and down and then said in a very derogatory sounding voice “oh you are on bikes”. There is nothing like a warm welcome is there! I know we were still in full waterproofs with cycling helmets on but I’m convinced she thought we were motorcyclists as she asked me if we had something to stand the bikes on so they didn’t sink into the ground, as it was very sandy. She seemed all the more surprised when I said we usually laid them on the ground!

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22.08.11 - Arisaig to Ardtoe

Frank went down in the morning to pay at the reception and the guy she spoke to was a lot more pleasant and friendly than the lady we had seen the night before, I think she must have been having a bad day. It was a bright morning although a little bit cloudy as we set of towards Arisaig, we could see why there were so many campsites along that part of the coast as there were some lovely sandy beaches. We turned down into Arisaig to buy something to take with us for lunch and had a little snack to keep us going on a bench over looking the harbour. Close by to the bench was the interesting sculpture in memory of the Czech and Slovak SOE agents who trained at Arisaig during the second world war. The A 830 from Arisaig going south had a reasonable cycle path for most of the way so it was great not worry about the traffic. We had good views of Loch nan Uamh and te mountains of Druim Fiaclach 869m and Rois-Beinn 882m. At the head of Loch Airlot we turned off the A 830 and onto the A 861 which followed alongside the edge of Loch Airlot. It was a reasonably flat road until we came to Glen Uig bay where we started a long climb up Glen Uig. It was a bit of a pull up to the top but we had a good ride down the other side to Loch Moidart and stopped to find a cache at the ‘Seven Men of Moidart’ a stand of seven Beech trees that were planted to represent the Seven Moidart men that landed with Bonnie Prince Charlie at the start of the 1745 Jacobite rebellion.

It was a good pull up from Ardmolich to Captain Robertson's Cairn, which is actually three Cairns. As we headed down to Loch Shiel we had good views across Claish Moss to the mountain of Beinn Resipol. It was very beautiful in the evening sunshine with the golden grasses of the Claish Moss contrasting aginst the dark mountains behind. Just after Shiel Bridge we stopped to decide which campsite to stay at as it was getting late in the day. We decided on the closest one marked on the map at Ardtoe rather than pushing onto Resipole. There was a lovely sunset as we crossed the flat Kentra Moss but as we reached Gobshealach boy was there a nasty short sharp steep climb up a small knoll. I waited for Frank at the top and when she got to me she made me laugh as all she said was “Was that absolutely necessary!”. A little further we reached Kentra Bay and by a small jetty the road made a sharp right turn and there was another steep hill. We were both totally knackered by then and both ended up having to push the bikes up it. Fortunately it was all down hill after that to the campsite. We weren’t quite sure we were at the campsite at first as there was no sign at the gate. There were a few static caravans and one tent but no reception or any sign of any facilities. I asked the guy with his family who were sitting outside the tent and yes it was the campsite and yes the only facility was a cold-water tap and a chemical toilet disposal point and the recption was at the house across the field. Well it we were both too knackered to head back towards Resipole and decide we could manage without a toilet as at least we had our folding bucket with us!

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23.08.11 - Ardtoe to Tobermory

While we were cooking our breakfast we chatted to the father of the family who were camped next to us. The father knew Mull well as he regularly went there each yaer with the car rally. He told us the best bits to go and see and good places for camping. Just as we were leaving the oldest lad came running back and in a loud voice shouted 'Dad Dad where are the wet wipes? Archie has done a pooh on the beach', 'Well there is no need to tell everyone!' said his dad. Directly after we left the campsite there was a steep hill at which Frank took one look at and decided to push her bike up it. Fortunately it wasn't too long and I waited for her at the top. The rest of that section wasn't too bad and we were soon back on the flat of the Kentra Moss. We stopped at Acharacle to buy something at the shop for lunch and couldn’t resist the hot sausage rolls and scotch pies from the bakery. Soon after we set off I could tell Frank wasn't feeling great as she was struggling on the hills out of Ardshealach and we toyed with the idea of cutting the day short and stopping at Resipole farm. We decided to make our decision when we reached the junction at Salen. It was a single-track road with passing places through trees however some of the climbs were a bit short and sharp and it was a pain with the traffic as we had to keep pulling in to the passing places to let the cars through and itwas difficult to get going again. Fortunately it was a good ride down to Salen and Frank was feeling much better by then so we decided to go for it and head for Kilchoan. The ride along Loch Sunart is very beautiful as it is through an ancient oak and beech forest although it was very much like interval training as the road does go up and down quite a bit with some steep little inclines. As we went along we kept being passed by an old chap in a camper van and we eventually met up with him at a pull in where we had stopped to take some photos. We had a long chat with him about the west coast of Scotland, he had unfortunately beeen recently widowed and used his camper van as a welcome break from the old peoples home where he lived. He had a lovely whippet with him called lady who was quite miss-behaved and he was quite surprised when it actually did what he asked. We wished him well and headed on our way.

We stopped at the RSPB visitor center at Glenbeg for a cream tea, we really needed a sugar boost to help us over the hill around Beinn Hiant. Whilst we having our tea Frank asked the lady serving us what the hill was like, she said that there was one steep bit and the rest was a gentle climb. Just after we set off and I was struggling up a short first bit and a tourer came down from the other direction and I waved. As he went passed he shouted that we had a gentle up hill going up our way and I thanked him but just around the corner it was very steep and we were quickly down into bottom gear and it was certainly a hard pull. As I was getting just near to the top I heard Frank yelling so I pulled in at the top and yelled back to find out what was the matter. Poor lass had got a bad stitch so I ran down to grab her bike before she fell off it! It took a while for the stitch to go away, we hadn't realised that the climb would start so soon after our cream tea! Frank was a bit concerned that if theclimb was all going to be like this that she would never make it. Well fortunately the rest of the climb up and around Beinn Hiant wasn’t any where near as bad and we soon found ourselves at the top and on the run down to Kilchoan. It was a good fast run down and we arrived at the ferry jetty with a half hour to spare. Whilst we were waiting at the ferry we got chatting to a nice Dutch couple that were backpacking around the west coast of Scotland, they were also waiting for the ferry. We had been lucky with the weather that day but as the ferry was nearing the heavens opened and we all scrambled to get our waterproofs on. The ferry only took about 40mins to get to Tobermory and fortunately for us the rain had stopped by the time we landed. We said our goodbyes to the Dutch couple and headed off for the campsite. But boy we hadn't realised just how steep the Back Brae road was out of Tobermory! We both only managed to get half way up before we both had to get off and push! Fortunately it was reasonably flat from the top of the hill and then mainly downhill from there to the campsite.

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24.08.11 - Tobermory

It was raining heavily when we woke, when we looked at the forecast the weather didn’t look that good for the day but it did look as it would be better over the next 2 days. We decided that as we had plenty of time to get to Craignure we would have a rest day as we also really needed to do some washing. Unfortunately there was no washing machine on the campsite but there was a notice in the washroom to say that there were washing machines and dryers at the Explore Mull Visitor and Information Centre in the Ledaig Car Park in Tobermory. So I cycled down to Tobermory and spent the afternoon doing the washing! Fortunatelyby late afternoon the rain had stopped and the sun came out so I had a good look around Tobermory while I waited for the dryer to finish. On the way back I tried the other road leading out of the main street the Eas Brae, however this didn’t seem any easier than the Back Brae road!

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25.08.11 - Tobermory to Black Sands Bay

Within 1 mile of the leaving the campsite we had stopped and had seen a Sea Eagle, a Golden Eagle and a Buzzard, they seemed to be coming at us from all sides! It was lovely countryside to ride through apart from it being a single-track road with some rather impatient local drivers. As we were heading up from Loch an Torr we met a cyclist coming down towards us. As he went past he said that the best bit was to come and he wasn't wrong as we soon came to a wonderful viewpoint above Dervaig overlooking Loch a’ Chum. Whilst we were there we got chatting to a nice couple touring in a camper van, they had been on the same campsite as us at Tobermory. It was a lovely ride down into Dervaig and up the otherside, it was quite nice to be riding through tree lined roads for a change. At Penmore we stopped at the 'Am Birlinn' restaurant for lunch and had some lovely carrot and coriander soup with some huge hot smoked salmon sandwiches made with freshly baked bread. They were so big that Frank couldn’t quite manage all of hers, so they very kindly offered to wrap it up for her so she could have the rest later. From there it was a nice climb up through forest before descending to the beautiful Calgarry bay with its golden sandy beach. There was a nice campsite in the bay and we were sorely temped to stay there but it was quite early in the afternoon so decide to press on a bit further.

It is an absolutely lovely ride along that part of the Mull coast as you get great views out to Coll, Tiree and the Treshnish Isles as the road climbs up along the tops of some rocky cliffs. Just before you reach Treshnish point the road turns in land and it is a good steady climb up from Ensay to the summit of the col at about 176m. It is well worth the effort as you get a wonderful view looking down into Loch Tuath with Ben More the highest mountain on Mull in the far distance. While we had stopped to admire the view and I was taking a panorama of the view a car pulled up and the occupants beckoned Frank over. By the time I had finished the panorama they were gone so I asked Frank what they wanted. They had asked Frank what the road was like to cycle and if the hills were too steep to ride. Apparently they had come up to Mull to check out the road as they were organizing a cycling holiday for some organization. We both thought it was a bit strange to recky a cycling route by car and not actually cycle it yourself!

It was a lovely descent down towards Loch Tuath and as it began to level out I pulled in to a passing place to allow a car to pass and the driver waved at me. Just as I was about to pull back out I heard it stop and reverse back towards me. As it drew level with me the guy wound down his window and asked me where we were camping for the night. I said we were hoping to get to Killiechronan, well if you want a really nice wild camp with a lovely views you can’t beat Black sands bay. It is just about a quarter of a mile further on, just after a bridge there is a gate on the left and a track that takes you down to the bay. I thanked him for the heads up and cycled down to Frank who had stopped a little further down. We decided that it was still a long way to Killiechronan and as it was such a beautiful spot we would stop and camp there. We asked at a small croft just a little further down for some water and headed off to find the spot. Well it was indeed a great place to camp with a wonderful view along Loch Tuath to Ben More dominating the far end. It was so nice to sit in the warm evening sunshine and cook our tea with such a wonderful view. What a nice chap to have taken the trouble to stop and suggest this place to us.

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26.08.11 - Black Sands Bay to Craignure

It was an absolutely beautiful sunny morning as we sat outside the tent and enjoyed our breakfast. It diidn't take us long to packed up the tent and we were soon back up onto the road and heading down the loch. We really enjoyed the cycle along Loch Tuath the first part was through the wonderful rare trees at Achleck with their lovely silver bark and bright green foliage (we still haven’t worked out which species they are). In the open sections we got some great views of Ulva and out to the Trishnish Isles. When we reached the end of the loch at Laggan bay we turned off left by the small primary school to go down to catch the ferry over to Ulva. We parked our bikes in the small car park and waited for the ferry that crosses the over to Ulva. It has a small signal board and someone had already set it and the small aluminium boat was on its way way back across the narrow Sound of Ulva. The crossing only takes a few minutes and the ferryman asked us to pay at the Boathouse Tearoom which was just up from the ferry slipway. We decided, as it was nearly lunchtime to stop and have some thing to eat before exploring the island. We ordered Ulva prawns and salad, it wasn't quite what we were expecting as they were actually langoustine which we both hadn't had before. They were very lovely but as we both agreed not quite as tasty as a Norfolk crab from ‘Cookies’ crab shop at Salthouse on the Norfolk coast.

Afterwards we went for a walk around the island which has no tarmaced roads just rough tracks. The church was interesting as it was designed by Thomas Telford and was quite a large church for such a small island, apparently in the past there were 20 townships and 570 inhabitants on the island but now there are just only 12! We would have liked to have spent a lot longer on the island but we realised that we had still a way to go to get to Craignure. The climb up from Ulva wasn't half as bad as we feared and although a good pull it didn't go on for too long. At the top we stopped to take some photos as it was a great view of Ben More and got chatting to a guy from the Midlands who had also stopped to take some photos. The ride down to Killiechronan was excellent, we hardly had to pedal at all. When we got to the campsite at Killiechronan, which is right next to the road, we bumped into the Dutch couple we had met at Kilchoan whilst waiting for the ferry to Tobermory. They saw us as we were coming up the road and came across to say hello. In the time since we had seen them at Kilchoan they had got married in Tobermory! We congratulated them on their marriage, apparently they had indeed planned the wedding and it wasn’t a on the spur of the moment decision, although both their parents didn’t know they were getting married! We had a long chat with them and they showed us their wedding photos. They were hoping to climb Ben More the next day and after that head down to Dorset for a music festival. As we stood chatting to them we were treated to a great flying display by 3 Sea Eagles circling over the small hill of Torr nam Fiann opposite the campsite and we passed the binos around to get a good look. We decided that as it was indeed getting late we had better get going so we wished the Dutch couple all the best for the rest of their honeymoon and headed of for the B 8035 that would take us over to Salen and on to the A 849 for Craignure.

Fortunately the wind was behind us so it didn’t take too long to get to Salen where we found the local shop was still open so we could buy something for our evening meal. The A 849 to Craignure was fairly flat and was easy going and Frank was on a bit of a roll and was really heading out the pace. I had to push hard to keep up with her! Unfortunately we were hit by several showers along the way but in one sunny interval in between we saw a lovely rainbow over the Sound of Mull. We arrived at the campsite at just before 8.30pm and just got into the recption as a hea

vy heavy shower started. After booking in we stopped in the reception and perused the information booklets whilst we waited for the shower to stop. On the wall of the reception there was the bus timetable to Fionnphort and Iona. We had intended to cycling to Iona but as we had only a couple of days left it would be have been quite a rush to cycle there and back and it wouldn't have given us much time to look around the island. I suggested that we could catch the bus instead and do it as a day trip. Frank didn't need much persuasion and said that we had better get the tent up and a good nights sleep as we would have an early start as the bus left at 8.25am!

It is an interesting site as the pitches are covered in Astro turf with gravel underneath. The guy at reception lent us a hammer to help with putting the pegs in. The facilities are also interesting as they are all temporary structures covered in heavy-duty PVC Polyester coverings. There are also some similar heavy duty style tents which they call ‘Shielings’ which you can hire, some even have there own en-suite toilets and washroom. According to the guys at the reception they all get taken down for the winter and packed away to be re-pitched for the next summer season.

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27.08.11 - Iona and Staffa

We were up early to catch the 8.25am bus to Fionnphort. The road over to Fionnphort has certainly changed a lot since I remember travelling along it as a kid with my parents back in the late 60’s. It is much wider but you could still see parts of the old narrow single-track road with its grass down the middle in places along the way. I remember the bus driver then saying it was the only dual carriage way on Mull! On arriving at Fionnprt there was a ferry waiting at the slipway and so we were soon on the island. As I landed a spotted a sign advertising ferry trips to Staffa. Frank has always wanted to visit the Giants causeway in Northern Ireland so this was the next best thing as it is part of the same Basalt intrusion that makes up the Giants causeway. According to the legend the Irish warrior Fionn mac Cumhaill (Finn McCool) built the causeway to walk to Scotland to fight his Scottish counterpart Benandonner. It didn't leave until 11.45am so we had a good couple of hours to look around the island. We started with the ruined nunnery and then moved on to St. Oran’s Chapel before the visiting Abbey itself. Unfortunately they were repairing the abbey tower so it was covered in scaffolding. The abbey is a lovely building with its cloisters and the abbey church itself was being prepared for a wedding so it had been decorated with lovely flower arrangements.

The Ferry took about an hour to get to Staffa and as we got closer the weather began to brighten. As we approached we got some great views of Staffa with the magnificent basalt columns of the cliffs and the entrance to Fingals cave. We landed on Staffa and had a couple of hours to look in Fingals cave and around the island. It was well worth the trip as the basalt colums are amazing. When you go inside and listen to the sound of the sea echoing in Fingals cave you can understand why it gave Mendelson the inspiaration to write his Hebrides Overture when he visited it in 1829. The boat trip back gave us some great views of the west side of Mull and we could see that the top of Ben More was clear so we hoped that the Dutch couple had made it and had topped out in the good weather. We were soon back at Fionnphort and had a bit of time before our bus back to Craignure so we had time to find a geocache that was just up the road. We enjoyed the bus ride back and decided to finished the day of by treatingourselves to a lovely meal in the restaurant of the Craignure Inn.

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28.08.11 - Craignure

As we had a day in hand before we had to be back to Oban to pick up the car we decided it would be nicer to stay one more night on Mull rather than stay at Oban. It also gave us the opportunity to have a ride on the Isle of Mull railway. It was quite fortuitous as we found out that it was closing down at the end of the week. It had been originally built to take passengers to visit Torosay Castle but as the castle had been recently sold and it was no longer going to be open to the public anymore there was no need of the railway. Unfortunately it wasn’t a steam locomotive that pulled our train but a small Diesel locomotive but we still enjoyed the ride. When we got to Torosay we had a walk around the castles gardens, which were still open to the public before returning to Craignure along a footpath through the woods.

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29.08.11 - Craignure to Oban

Mull certainly has loads of rainbows as we were treated to another lovely one as we were packing up the tent. It was a bright but slightly chilly sunny morning as we set off for the ferry terminal and fortunately the ferry arrived on time. We had a good journey back down the Sound of Mull and across the Forth of Lorn and sat up on the deck and got good views of Duart Castle and the lovely white lighthouse on the end of Lismore Island. When we arrived back in Oban it didn’t long to get back up to the car and load the bikes. We had a bit of time before we had to be in Moffat so we took the opportunity to have a look around Oban. It was a long time since I had been there so it was nice to see it again.

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