A torrid night of gale force winds and driving rain reduced my tent, and most of its contents, to a sodden lump this morning. At least I know now that the various bits of ‘lightweight’ camping kit I bought really are lightweight – I could see them floating around the tent at 1.30am. So, another…
Category: End to Ends
Britain 5: Plocropol to Lionacleit
Today was mostly another long, tough day cycling right into a strong headwind. A beautiful (and wind-free) early morning’s ride along the remarkable Golden Road, though, which threads it way down the east coast of Harris through fishing villages. After lunch, island-hopping in earnest through astounding landscapes of mountains, lochs, cobalt sea and custard beaches:…
Britain 4: (Ullapool to) Stornaway to Plocropol
An astoundingly beautiful ferry ride on a clear blue May morning took me to Stornoway in the Outer Hebrides. From there it was a long, tough slog into the wind through some austere and rocky landscapes. This is what cycling on the moon is probably like, only at least there’s no wind there. En route…
Britain 3: Achmelvich to Ullapool
Headwinds not so bad today, and some awesome, awesome scenery on remote back roads. Yesterday was tough so I’ve had an easy day today, with the prospect of fish and chips for dinner and a pint in the pub overlooking the harbour. Ullapool is a harbour town, so it’s a great place for fish –…
Britain 2: Durness to Achmelvich
I was up and off just after 5am this morning, partly because I was mindful of the weather forecast (strengthening headwinds throughout the day, increasing to 30mph by lunchtime) and partly because the tent was soaked following the rainstorm that woke me at 3am. But I was rewarded by this sight of a Durness shepherd…
Britain 1: (Durness to) Cape Wrath to Durness
Finally got to Cape Wrath today, to start the trip proper. Getting there involves a tiny, infrequent ferry boat from Durness across to the virtually uninhabited Cape Wrath peninsula. On the peninsula itself, it’s a desolate 11-mile track to the lighthouse, the notional most north-westerly point on the British mainland. Everyone else on the boat…
Britain 0: Inverness to Durness
I woke up to this scene from the sleeper train window this morning. Fresh snow on the mountains. Oh. The nearest you can get to Cape Wrath by train is Lairg, 60 miles away. I cycled from there along Loch Shin to Laxford Bridge, then up to Durness (nearest town to Cape Wrath), where I’m…
Britain -1: London
Am on the Sleeper to Inverness – leave Euston in ten minutes. Bargain Berth, £19, obtained through nerdy monitoring of the ScotRail site with an auto-refresh widget on the morning they became available online back in February. All rather exciting as we wait to leave. And especially pleased that the sleeper berth includes a complimentary…
Wales 5: Caernarfon to Holyhead
I was out, with a quick farewell circuit of the castle, by 8ish. Today was sun sun sun at last, and Anglesey looked serene and bright over the saturated blue of the strait. I was soon across the Menai old suspension bridge, a compactly impressive thing in fat bricks. I cycled across followed byimpatient overtakers….
Wales 4: Corris to Caernarfon
A better day all round, except for the discovery that my glasses had disappeared. (Left in Corris YH? Bizarre. Another victim of beer amnesia?) The morning ride, out into the misty hills. Green steep sides, sheep, square and stern slate houses. A long climb up a stony path, frankly unsuitable for touring bikes as well…