Heavy rain overnight meant packing a wet tent away again. At least it was fine while I had packed. I had talked nicely to Jonny last night and wrangled buying breakfast in the hotel. Full cooked breakfast got me off to a good start. By 8.20 I’m on the road. 5 dry miles and then the heavens open again. Stunning scenery I think, well what I could see though rain speckled glasses. Nothing beats slogging up a hill, rain dripping from the brim of your hat onto your Garmin. You can just se through the rain drops you are doing 5 or 6 mph. Just enough to stop it going to sleep.
I was hoping to stop for coffee and cake at Glen Uig but I arrive 10.15 ish and the cafe is closed until 2pm. I hide in the bus shelter for 10 minutes and have a flap jack. I have no intention of running out of energy today.
About 10.30 it becomes light rain and the sky starts to brighten and the light on the mountains start to change. 11.30 and it’s dry, hurray but I keep my jacket on with the hope it might dry out.
I stop at the marine centre in Arisaig for cake and tea. Cracking view out to sea and the sun comes out. I change my planned route as I find an 8 mile coastal cycle track to Mallaig. Incredibly scenic but very lumpy. Will I make the 2pm ferry? Wheatears ( female ones who have decided to wear shades of brown today) were a highlight on the golf course. Skylarks singing also accompanied my cycling. Two or 3 very long drags into Mallaig and I have to get off and push some of the last one. I make the ferry with half an hour to spare.
On the ferry I meet Laura and Steve and their two girls. It is their first Motorhome experience and we discuss pros and cons. The biggest being having a bed long enough to lay in. Steve is 6 feet 4. Guillemots and gulls accompanied us across. Couldn’t spot porpoise or dolphins although I was looking hard.
I can see Skye, could I possibly cycle through it in the dry. I cycle 18 miles in the dry through Skye and can see the tops of all the hills and mountains. A first for me as it has always rained when I’ve been here before.
I search for campsites and one 2 miles away on my route but when I ring it says it’s totally full until 15th August. I carry on towards it as it’s on my route. When I reach it big signs outside saying full. I stop anyway. Mall comes out and says’A ride up cyclist, we always find room for you’ relief.
I get a tour of the site including the midgie escape room.
As I put my tent up the wind drops and out come the midgies. I’ve covered myself in Avon O so soft but they still come. I quickly get the tent up and hope it will dry out somewhat before tonight. Then I run with my food, gas burner to the Midgie Escape room, relief.
I’ve just finished cooking my tea when in come Beronica and Martin. They are Munro baggers!!! I had heard of this but here is the lesson for today.
The mountains in Scotland that have a height of 3,000 feet (914.4m) or more are referred to as Munros. Named after Hugh Munro, the first person to compile a list of them in 1891, there were were originally 283 Munros.
Veronica has completed 261 /282 munroes Andrea and Francine 80 ish each while
Martin has completed all the munroes. They are members of the Glasgow Hill walking and mountaineering club. With my fear of heights my heart races as they explain their exploits of today. I ask what’s next and apparently there are
Corbetts 2500-3000feet to do as well. They all just love being in the open air.
An early night for me and I know I’m going to run the midgie gauntlet and again in the morning as I pack the tent away. Long trousers and long sleeves are the order of the day along with the midgie net I had packed and carried with me.
Very weak signal so no photos uploaded today.
Four Cardinal Points LEJOG 2019 Paul Andrew 