Once Round The Block…..

Didnt really see much of Ullapool as we had a pressing engagement with Durness (or so we thought).  But I can remember that we filled up at £1.12 /l where even on Sky it had been about £1.02/l So that fill up cost quite a few notes more that normal

A835 to Ledmore another great section of road where at Ardmair about 5miles north of Ullapool has to be one of the best located campsites (alas we didnt stop) http://www.ardmair.com

With sooooo many great views on such a cracking road we were stopping all the time to take pics and just take in the views and the quietness of it all.

Loads more photos of this section in the ‘Photos’ part of the blog

Ardvreck Castle was a handy stopping point for a bit of a break and photo op.  We had been on a very windy A837 with even more great views of Ben More, Suilven and lots of small lochs.  The wind was nice in one way as it kinda took the edge off the 80+ degree day, but at the same time could be a bugger to ride in.

Ardverk Castle was the stopping point - and bloody ell was it windy, but a good place for a break, water and top up on my Jelly Baby intake! (Rob always refused to have one even though I always offered! But he had his eye on the Jaffa Cakes!!!!!)

At Scourie I suddenly felt like I was traveling - not sure why, but there you go.  Now on the A894 which on the way to Scourie had great narrow sections, tight uphill sections, and one of the most amasing bridges you will ever come across at Kylesku.  It should be a rickety old wodden thing and then there it is……..

Not sure what had happened to Rob, but everytime we stopped he had this big grin and kept saying phrases like….. ‘Bloody ‘ell, look at this’, and, ‘This is what its about’, and…. well you get the idea

At Laxford Bridge it was a left turn and onto the A838 - I say a left turn as this was the first real junction since Unapool (about 20 or so miles ago).

Our initial target for the day was starting to come into sight - Durness was where we planned to stay for the night after leaving the Isle of Skye.

This road has it all - big views, single track and on the whole quite quiet.

Now this kinda brings me onto a bit of a rant about British (but probably English on holiday) car/mobile home drivers, single track roads and motorbikes…… Initially they think the passing places are really marked up as ‘Please park here for your lunch’ not ‘Passing Place’  Then there is the motor home driver that pulls into said passing place, waves you forward (obviously wanting his lunch) and at the same time flashes a van driver who has stopped in the next pull in heading towards you.   Mmmm great now there are two vehicles with nowhere to go and the mobile home driver is tucking into his ham sandwich wondering why everyone is swearing at him

Next there is the car driver who sees a motorbike coming towards them as they get to a passing place, so continues on past their passing place (probably full with a mobile home driver eating a sandwich and drinking coffee out of a tartan flask!) then realises that a motorbike with full panniers on is about as wide as a mini metro, so panics, but does not even slow down and nearly knocks said motorbike off the road.

Then there is the motorhome driver doing 2miles an hour but refuses to pull into a passing place to let faster vehicles (motorbikes) overtake - well until they decide to pass one, then with no warning, stop,  and reverse into it to get a better view while they have their lunch - Then they look at you gone out when they realise after lots of shouting they have nearly knocked me off my bike! - Thats right they didnt even know I was there cos the road is just for them and after all it was nearly lunchtime!!!!!

The above happened to us (well me cos I was leading at the time) several times between Laxford Bridge and Keoldale (just outside Durness) where I had to pull off the road and have a bit of a shouting session at everyone who had tried to kill me in the past 15/20 miles!  It made me feel better anyway

Arrived at Durness about 3.30 after Id had my rant and Rob had said all he could see on the ride up was me shaking my head and giving people helpful hand signs

Now Durness is probably a nice little village, but for some reason when we got there it just felt like a bit of a rundown place.  Dont get me wrong the views are to die for and perhaps when its not blowing a force 10 its quite pleasant, but after a quick ride round looking for somewhere to stay (not camping tonight as Rob was not feeling 100% today the 12″ scar and associated post operation were hurting a bit) decided to push onto Tongue.

Oh my god! It just gets better and better!

From Durness to Tongue is all single track road as it works its way round Loch Eriboll.  It was now pushing 4 in the afternoon, but as we went down the west side of the loch my one boot was slowly getting hotter and hotter in the late afternoon sun.  Then as we crossed over to the other side…… yep my other boot took all the heat But up to now that has to be the best part of the trip.  The road was quiet, single track, dusty and hot

Now Tongue is fun place - not much there, but vary friendly.  Pulled into the village about 5/5.30(ish).  Had a bit of a ride about, then Rob had a bizarre conversation with a woman hanging out of a window on the first floor of a guest house saying she was full but thought her friend had a room and would phone to check for us.  So thats how we got our room for the night at Tongue

Funny really cos as we got to the B&B a couple had just driven up the path obviously looking for a room.  I think you had to be there to see the funny side of it as the car parked at an angle to block our progress and the lass got out of the car and ran to the B&B.  But lady luck had shone on us as the lady hanging out the window had booked us in, so it was smug smiles as the car backed away

For pic of Tongue look in the ‘Photos’ section as there are quite a few in there.  Ill just put a couple here…..

After sipping a pint slowly all night (yeh right!!!) and had probably the best burger and chips ever at The Brass Tap we decided to call it a day.  Hard really as it had been such a cracking day and it was 11.30 and still daylight!

The B&B was called Inchverry and the owner was soooo funny and friendly, but cant find any links on the ‘tinterweb for it

daily - 209 miles
total - 795 miles

This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 19th, 2009 at 9:18 am and is filed under All the Trip Stuff. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.