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Leg 31 – to Cape Wrath

A short but bumpy ride…

31 May 2013

I woke up with my fingers crossed that the fog had disappeared overnight, it had, although it was still overcast and cold with a moderate south westerly bringing with it rain. I showered and had a shave, wanted to look my best for the Cape, then had breakfast of cheese and pitta bread, before packing up. I had to shake off my tent quite a bit which had gotten wet due to overnight rain. I stood there with it billowing around me as the German bikers roared off somewhere, I must have looked a bit strange but my tent was mostly dry after the vigorous shaking.

Beach next to Durness campsite – another grey day at present

I had seen a sign that said the ferry ran from 11.00 each day, so I aimed to get there in plenty of time to ensure I didn’t miss it. I pedalled from the campsite through Durness, to the Balnakeil Craft Village, before taking an old track back to the main road. It was marked as a road on the map, but wasn’t really, turning mostly into a field full of sheep at one point who weren’t entirely pleased with my intrusion.

Post extricating myself from the field and its malcontent occupants I rode down the hill to the ferry slipway; I was going to say ferry terminal but it was nothing so grandiose. Unfortunately the sign there said the next sailing was at 13.00, the first having been at 09.30, d’oh. I made a mental note not to trust information notices again.

East Keodale Pier – no ferry in sight

So I rode back up to the Balnakeil Craft Village where I’d seen a promising cafe earlier – the Cocoa Mountain Cafe. Getting out of the rain for a bit was a welcome relief, and my spirits were further bolstered by one of the cafe’s Mountain Mochas (decaf in this instance). The mocha did not disappoint being one of the chocolatiest things I’ve ever drunk, but balanced by the coffee so it wasn’t too sickly. They make their own chocolates too but I abstained, being a bit chocolated out after the drink.

Cocoa Mountain Cafe – Mountain Mocha

I spent a bit of time at the cafe chatting and writing up my blog, before cycling back through Durness to meet the ferry at 13.00. I use the term ferry here quite loosely, it’s a motor boat with enough room to accommodate about 8 people, plus the ferryman John and his dog. It’s perfectly adequate for getting people across to the minibus waiting on the other side of the narrow kyle, and has enough room to fit bikes in too. It cost me £8.00 for me and my bike. If you’re taking the minibus too it’s another £10.00, so I was glad I had alternative means of transport.

The East Keodale Pier – and some nice flowers

The Ferry Boat Dog, en-route across the kyle

On my way over with fellow passengers and another dog

The other side of the kyle

I was slightly worried the dogs might have a disagreement but the voyage passed peacefully, and I had a chat with my fellow passengers – thanks for helping with my panniers, and for the encouragement!

Having disembarked I loaded everything back on to my bike I set off on the circa 11.5 mile ride to the Cape Wrath lighthouse and Ozone Cafe. I quickly lost sight of the minibus as it steamed off ahead, but didn’t envy the passengers with it bumping around all over the place; they needed padded shorts like mine for the journey!

Entering the MOD firing range

The road is in a pretty poor state but passable on my bike. There are quite a few hills so was hard going when you throw in the bumps too. I didn’t want to go too fast for fear of damaging my wheels or tyres. I passed several cyclists going the other way back to the ferry, who’d got the 09.30 boat. One of them had a puncture which he was mending – he was on lightweight continental tyres so not that surprising on the puncture front. I also passed through the MOD firing range, thankfully no naval bombardments were going on today, although it would have made for a more interesting blog chapter.

The road passes through moorland for the most part, with bridges crossing the occasional stream, a few herds of sheep and the occasional farmstead. Not many if any trees up here – probably too exposed, or they get eaten by the deer.

Road through moorland to Cape Wrath

Looking back down the kyle

Exiting the firing range

Lighthouse finally in sight

I finally made it to the lighthouse and Ozone Cafe after about an hour and 45 minutes’s ride. The minibus was still there having not set off on its return leg yet, so I said hi to a few people before it left. I met John who runs the Ozone Cafe, who pointed me in the best direction of somewhere to pitch my tent, down next to the high stone wall where I’d be sheltered from the wind. I pitched my tent then went back to the cafe for a cold beer, a welcome beverage after quite a tricky ride; it’s quite mentally tiring to be constantly on the look out for potentially wheel damaging or cyclist injury obstacles on the potholed road. John told me the council patch it up every summer but it’s getting worse, eroded by the harsh weather especially in the winter, not to mention the frequent minibus tours – must play havoc with the van suspension. John also said he could supply dinner for me which I quickly agreed to – salmon being a better option than pasta.

Tent set up in the lea of the wall

Two walkers arrived whilst I was enjoying a beer at the cafe, having trekked up from the bothy a few miles away. It turned out they had kayaked around from Sandwood Bay this morning, and were staying the night at the bothy. Iain, the older of the two, is attempting to kayak around the whole Scottish coastline, no mean feat, and had been joined by his son Angus for the week. As with me, but probably more so, they’re really effected by the wind, as well as the tides and currents, so it can be slow going some days and really quick others. Pretty extreme kayaking around the coast of scotland – I’ve seen how quickly the tide can rip through some of the narrow channels, and the weather can change pretty quickly. Iain said the maximum he’s travelled in one day is about 50km, pretty impressive in my book. You can check out his blog at http://www.coldwetwater.blogpost.co.uk

I spent a while chatting with them over a beer, good to swap stories. They’d kayaked into a few of the sea caves down below the cape, which you can only get to from the water, sounded amazing. It must be a completely different perspective from sea level. The sea bird colonies are also a lot more visible from down there; they’d seen hundreds of gannets – I still really want to see them fishing. Iain and Angus (McBride) left after an hour or so leaving me pretty much alone to walk around the cape and take a few photos, which I’ll include at the end of this post.

The area around the lighthouse is wonderful, a harsh environment to live in when the weather is bad, but beautiful on evenings such as this, with moorland, sheer cliffs, seabirds and grazing deer. On other days you might have seen a whale or dolphins off the coast, but I didn’t spot any today. I think this was the furthest point from home I’d get to on the UK mainland, but will have to check that, it certainly felt like the most remote.

The tranquility was at one point shattered by the barking of a pack of dogs, and a group of five enthusiastic springer spaniels careered around the corner of the lighthouse buildings to come and see me. They turned out to be search and rescue dogs that John keeps, and once having found me the barking stopped, with a few wet noses checking me out. They bark because that’s what they’re trained to do when they find someone, but they were very friendly.

I retreated to my tent for a bit and promptly feel asleep it was so peaceful, waking up about 18.00 in time for dinner. I popped back up to the cafe and dined on wild Atlantic salmon, with new potatoes, peas and carrots, with butter. Absolutely delicious. I chatted with John for a bit, who’d caught the salmon himself, it was much nicer than the farmed stuff which he is fairly critical of, the fish being full of chemicals. In the past he’s worked on a salmon farm, and talked to divers who’ve been underneath the salmon enclosures where there are piles of waste which nothing touches, sounds horrible.

John confirmed it can get pretty fierce up here in the storms and high winds, but it’s a stunning spot, with shipping slowly cruising past on the horizon. Apparently you get naval ships moored up close by during exercises, and they often leave John some of their supplies at the end of their stay in the area. He’s kept busy all the time with maintenance and looking after visitors. The Ozone Cafe is effectively open 24 hours a day, all year, to cater for anyone that might turn up at any time. Hikers can arrive at any time of the night completing the Cape Wrath trail. John has been here 5 years, with visitor numbers gradually increasing. I hope more people visit but not too many as to spoil the feel of the place – I don’t think that will happen given its remote location.

The lighthouse, built by Robert Stevenson again, was constructed in 1826 post great demand after 3 ships were lost in one night alone on the treacherous coastline. The Stevensons built a total of 96 lighthouses around the coast of Scotland, a pretty amazing legacy, and also advised and built similar structures abroad, as far away as New Zealand and Japan.

A lighthouse is certainly needed at Cape Wrath, even though it’s unmanned now as so many are. John says he has to go and reboot the lighthouse computer for the Lighthouse Service frequently as it crashes, so sounds like it would benefit from a keeper still! It’s a shame there are less lighthouse keeps now. They provided a valuable service to the coastguard, keeping an eye out for people in trouble, and providing real time weather reports which were also invaluable. They also used to record details of the wildlife in the area, providing great information to naturalists. Unfortunately some of the lighthouse out buildings are in a bit of a state of poor repair now with no one around to upkeep them.

Cape Wrath is a apt name haven the location and weather that can hit the area. The name actually originates from the Norse words for turning point (area called Am Parth in Norse I think) as this is where the Norse ships turned East to go back home on their trading or being a Viking voyages.

The Ozone Cafe and Cape get quite a few visitors, either people who’ve come over on the ferry and minibus, hikers doing the Cape Wrath trail, or kayakers! It’s a must visit spot if you’re in the area, and had been on my list from day one so I was very glad to have made it, and that it wasn’t foggy. I felt quite exhilarated by the whole experience, and certainly slept well that night. If you’re cycling the road across to the lighthouse you’ll definitely need padded shorts though! Be warned there are no toilets at the moment, fine for me but could be tricky for some.

There was a cool poem on the wall of the cafe that I thought I’d include, written by Sir Walter Scott, one time commissioner of the Northern Lighthouses, in 1814.

Far in the bosom of the deep

O’er these wild shelves my wrath I keep

A ruddy gem of changeful light

Bound on the dusky brow of Night,

The Seaman bids my lustre hail,

And scorns to strike his timorous sail.

Cape Wrath Lighthouse and Ozone Cafe

The Lighthouse

Cape Wrath foghorn

View from hilltop down to Lighthouse

Another lighthouse shot

Cape Wrath – dramatic cliffs

Cape Wrath – dramatic coastline

Cape Wrath – sun going down

Cape Wrath – Red Deer coming joint me for the evening

Cape Wrath – Swallow or House Martin?

Cape Wrath – Deer silhouetted

Cape Wrath – Sunset

Cape Wrath – Sunset 2

Cape Wrath – Lighthouse on

Cape Wrath – Spring spaniel patrol

Ozone Cafe – wild salmon dinner

The Ozone Cafe

Too many pictures

Edited with BlogPad Pro

Leg 30 – to Durness via Tongue

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Onwards to the Cape.

30 May 2013

I was up and about in good time, to a bright day in Bettyhill. Over breakfast I met a couple of cycle tourers who’d gone to bed by the time I’d arrived last night, one Italian and one German, both doing tours around Scotland, and using Ortlieb panniers like me; only things suitable given the weather! They were both on their way to Orkney and enquired about the ferry times, so I gave them the brochure I still had.

I also met a Labrador dog named Max, he was very friendly and wanted to sniff everything, especially the Tiffin I was having for breakfast dessert; a new concept I’ve developed which I think works. I’m sure dessert for breakfast is totally acceptable.

View from my tent in Bettyhill

I hit the road about 10.00 hoping to get along to Cape Wrath today, but that would depend on the weather and hills along the way. My route took me up round to Borgie, whereupon I took the minor road out to the coast and Skerray, cycling through some great countryside which is home or all sorts of flora and fauna, including Ospreys, but I didn’t see any. I did hear about 3 Cuckoos whilst cycling around the Skerray loop to Coldbackie. Apparently they are much more common in Scotland, their preferred nest to deposit their egg in being that of the Reed Warbler, which is also much more common up here. Think it’s the the Reed Warbler anyway, someone told me they’d seen it on Springwatch but I didn’t write it down at the time.

Beautiful day on the way to Tongue

The long and winding road

Skerray is a lovely looking village, small and with a thatched post office which must be a rarity. I cycled down to the harbour where you can see the island of Eilean Nan Ron, not inhabited by humans, but home to lots of seabirds. I still really want to see a Gannet colony but that might have to wait a bit, probably best seen from a boat anyway.

On route to Skerray

Skerray Harbour

Skerray Harbour 2

I made it around to Tongue by about 12.30, and decided to stop at the Hotel there for a lunch break. It was a great view out over the Kyle of Tongue, with the Rabbit Islands in the bay, and the bridge crossing about halfway down the Kyle I wouldn’t be taking. After chatting to a few tourists outside who were interested in what I was doing, and gave me lots of encouragement, I dined on poached smoked haddock and a toastie, with a pint of Belhaven Best to wash it down. The poached haddock felt like an extravagance but couldn’t resist it, I’ll just have to wild camp a bit more. The chocolate fudge cake was’t bad either, think I’m going to have to wean myself off pub food, but not today. I also had a FaceTime call with my parents, who were being visited by my brother, sister in law and their toddler son. It was great to talk to them all at once, thanks to the free wifi supplied by the hotel. The wonders of modern technology.

Roadside break before Tongue – Rabbit Islands in background

Me with hair sticking out of helmet as usual

View from Tongue, sea fog rolling in

View from hotel – the other way

I spent a couple of hours at the hotel catching up on emails, a bit of social networking, and my blog. A friend from Norwich had written an acoustic song which he’d posted in honour of my tour – nice touch and great tune, thanks Bill, will have to post up the link when I get back to an Internet connection somewhere. So a bit of a longer break than initially planned but worthwhile, even if I could see the sea fog rolling down the kyle as I rode off.

Road around Kyle of Tongue

The road around the kyle reminded of Greek countryside, which was a bit weird – scrubby trees looked a bit like olive groves.

Road around Kyle of Tongue 2

Road around Kyle of Tongue 3

Road around Kyle of Tongue 4 – bridge and haar rolling in

Ignoring the bridge I cycled all the way around the kyle, through some lovely scenery again, before getting back to the A838 and turning west. It looked as if there weren’t going to be many more level bits on this leg though, which was confirmed by the long climb from the other side of the bridge, up through the moorland, which lasted about 3 miles. I stopped once just before the top to answer a phone call from an unknown number. It turned out to be Ed from the BBC film crew the other day saying thank you for meeting up and doing the interview. Unexpected and nice to get a call to say thank you; he’s going to send copy of the programme too so I’ll definitely get to see it. Ed recommended the Hebrides so think I’m going to have to get across for a day or two from Ullapool for a cycle about; think I’ll have time but might have to put in a few longer legs to make up for it down the line – will wait until it gets a bit flatter.

View from top of hill back towards Kyle of Tongue

Moorland and whispy clouds

Clear blue lochs abounded

Cresting the hill I coasted down the long descent to Loch Hope, letting my aching legs recover, and passing through patches of sea fog that were getting thicker. I’d seen it flowing down the Kyle of Tongue earlier and had been above it when going over hill. Then it was another long climb up Ben Anaboll, before descending into thicker sea fog (Haar) down to Loch Eriboll.

Bridge at Loch Hope – fog rolling in

Pedalling around Loch Eriboll I could see more fog rolling in, blown by the northerly wind. It was moving quickly and was quite dramatic – was getting a little concerned it might get too thick to safely cycle in. Even so I still had periods of bright sunshine and the loch looked beautiful. It’s a tranquil setting with lambs in the fields, the odd red deer, or group thereof, and the occasional farmstead. Don’t think I’ve passed over quite as many cattle grids on an A-road before.

In the sunshine for the time being – Loch Eriboll

Loch Eriboll – beautiful view

Loch Eriboll – salmon farm I think

End of the Loch – nice photo

I made it around the end and pedalled up the other side straight into the fog and wind. This made the temperature drop off quite a bit, so I stopped to eat some bananas and put another layer on. The fog unfortunately had no effect on the undulating terrain which continued to tire my legs out, even if I couldn’t see the hills.

The Haar drawing in

I started to remember the film called The Fog, and was hoping their weren’t any zombie ghost pirates in the haar. As it was there was only occasional car, and plenty of stupid sheep standing in the road as usual. It’s pretty sparsely populated around the loch with only the occasional farm, B&B, and what looked like a salmon farm. As usual all the car drivers were very careful and gave me lots of space; they really are so much better around cyclist up here. Passed quite a lot more motorbike tourers today too.

One other observation about the landscape – the underlying rock changed to limestone, making the land a lot more fertile and greener – there was a sign that told me about this before you think I’m a geologist. The coastline has had lots of useful signs with interesting facts along the way.

Post Loch Eriboll and another ascent I cycled around the coast in the fog to Smoo. The road probably looks quite dramatic in the the light of day without the fog, who knows. I could hear the waves crashing against the shoreline quite a long way below but couldn’t see them. Stuck my head torch on for good measure, although the visibility on the road actually wasn’t too bad. Pretty exciting ride along what looked like some sheer sided cliffs, but couldn’t really tell.

I stopped at Smoo to look at Smoo Cave, climbing down the steep path to the cove. The origin of Smoo is the Norse word for cave I think, and this one has been used for several thousand years by different groups of people. First there were the Neolithic hunter gatherers, whose midden heaps of hells are still in evidence, then on to the Celts, not sure if the Picts stretched up this far, the Norsemen certainly did giving the place it’s name. More recently it’s been used by fishermen, but looks like it’s always been used for shelter, homes, workshops, or storage. You can go on a boat tour to get deeper inside, but these had stopped by the time I arrived. I still managed to have a good wander about and see a waterfall cascading down into the cave; got some good pics.

Smoo Cave Cove

Smoo Cave 1

Smoo Cave 2

Smoo Cave 3 – waterfall

Smoo Cave 4 – me at waterfall

They have to be quite careful on the tours as the water level can rise quite quickly, a result of rainfall which can have occurred miles away – the river which runs out into the sea here, and created the cave network, has a large catchment area. The last thing you want is a load of trapped tourists, tricky to rescue and not good for the local tourism industry!

I arrived in Durness and found a large campsite, costing £6.75, and right next door to a pub/restaurant which was a bit of a bonus considering I was a bit chilly by now. I had abandoned plans to get all the way to the Cape today long ago – the weather was too adverse and the ferry would have stopped by now anyway. After de-rigging the bike and setting up my tent I had a quick shower to warm up. There were a lot of motorbike tourers in, most from Germany by the looks of it and I had to stop myself from whistling Deutschland Deutschland repeatedly. There were also lots of camper vans in from all over the place – I spotted UK, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands. It looks like Cape Wrath is a popular destination for many; I thought it much more worthwhile a place to visit than John o’ Groats and I hadn’t even visited it yet.

Another signpost to various destinations

The campsite has a campers kitchen which is pretty good, equipped with gas burners you can use free of charge. There were some Germans cooking up what smelt like goulash in there – smelt very good. They had Wurst too, I was getting hungrier by the minute. I chatted to one of them for bit, not sure what his name was but we’ll call him Klaus for the sake of argument. Klaus had ridden up with his posse earlier today, taking a route through the centre rather than along the coast. Sounded like a nice ride and must be good fun with a large group of bikers. I’m tempted to go motorbike touring myself sometime, in Europe has always been an ambition, but I’ll need to save up again, and pass my test etc etc. Still prefer my bike and moving under my own power at present. Less noisy, polluting, and you see more, even if it does take longer.

Post chatting to Klaus and then the campsite owner (she agreed sheep are indeed stupid animals, with a death wish on the roads), I retired to the pub next door and consumed their mix grill, with new potatoes as I was getting sick of chips. Not a bad mixed grill, but not the best black pudding I’ve ever eaten. I decided to have an earlyish night in preparation for Cape Wrath tomorrow – it seemed fitting to be going there exactly one month after leaving Norwich.

I’ll finish with a general health update – of me and my bike:

– Bike running well but might have to adjust the gears a bit as they skip around sometimes. New wheel seems sound. Could do with a clean at some point! Front right pannier fix still holding admirably.

– When I started this tour I was about 12 stone, and whilst I don’t have access to scales I reckon I’ve lost weight. My waistline has shrunk a bit, however I’ll have put weight on in my legs which are much stronger, and probably my arms and shoulders which also do a fair amount of work on hill climbs. I’ll try and find some scales soon.

– No chafing to report, which may be down to frequent use of chamois cream, and the fact it’s been too cold to sweat much. I also sometimes use Emu oil on tired and aching muscles at the end of a hard days ride, which seems to help. Probably need to do more leg stretches as usual, as my muscles sometimes feel a bit stiff and tight in the morning, before they loosen up with some gentler spinning to start off with.

– Shins still pretty battle scarred from pedal hits and scrapes, takes ages to heal properly.

– No knee problems to report, and haven’t needed to use the Biofreeze Gel for ages, even if it does smell nice. Posterior also surviving long days in the saddle, thanks to padded shorts and just getting conditioned to it.

– Tan lines looking a bit dodgy on the legs due to my modified cycling bib. I cut the knees out to stop them pulling my kneecaps over slightly, which was causing pain after long rides and lots of revolutions. It’s because I have a slight pronation and the physio advised I try this; cleared up the anterior knee pain a treat. Face pretty tanned, or should that be weathered. Arms not tanned as I’ve been wearing long sleeves. Sun needs to come out more often really.

– The cold weather can get a little draining, especially if it’s windy too which it has been on several occasions, damned headwinds. I’ve been left feeling a bit frazzled sometimes. Apparently it has been the coldest spring for years, something I can attest to. Not had too much rain recently. Would be really good to have a few warm days, with no wind, to raise morale. Would also make camping and cooking in the evenings easier, and thus be less tempting to retreat to a pub which gets expensive – I have a generous but still limited budget.

– Emotionally fine, even if I do have a lot of time to think which inevitably means my thoughts turning to Lu – good thoughts and memories as well as sadder ones. I haven’t been lonely at all as always seem to be meeting people to have a chat to, and generally have good mobile reception on Vodafone so get texts and emails, and can keep in touch with friends and family.

– I do need to wash some clothes again pretty soon. Running out of outfit changes, and whilst it’s easy to wash socks regularly, cycling bibs and tops take more effort. No-one has commented on me smelling bad…yet.

Edited with BlogPad Pro

Leg 29 – finishing off on Orkney and back to mainland – Bettyhill

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About 61 miles, not including the ferry crossing.

29 May 2013

I woke up to a warmer day which was nice, even if it was cloudier. The wind had switched around to come from the north east, so I was surprised it felt warmer. My ferry back to Scratsby wasn’t until 16.30 so took my time packing up, waiting for my tent to dry off a bit. Condensation seems to build up quite badly on the inside of my tent, however this is a small price to pay for it keeping the wind out, just takes a while to dry out sometimes.

I was showered, breakfasted, devices recharged, and ready to hit the road by 10.00. I thought I’d give the Garmin helpline another try, but got the usual ‘Please hold, our lines are extremely busy at the moment’ message. Their lines are always extremely busy, indicating that they have a lot of customers calling in with issues, and that they need to get more staff. I gave up after a couple of minutes but will have to try again later, or email them when I get to a wifi hotspot. Not impressed by them at all at the moment.

I bid goodbye to Hazel and Allan, the campsite wardens, who’d been both exceedingly helpful, specifically of the bike front, and also great to have a chat with. Good luck for everything in the future Hazel and Allan, and thanks again. Thanks also to the ‘Scousers’, who I waved to on my way out.

Pickaquoy campsite – leaving time

I rode down the A964 to Ophir across fairly flat terrain and with only a light wind to contend with. My first stop was the Orkneyinga Saga Centre, a free exhibition that includes the Earl’s Bu and Round Kirk, all about Viking activity on the islands.

In search of Vikings – sky clearing

A lot of the sagas concerning the Vikings on Orkney appear to have been written by Norsemen from Iceland, who visited their fellows on Orkney, considering it to be more wealthy, fertile and prosperous than their homeland. They took note of the tales told and later wrote them down, compiling the sagas that were told to generations through the following centuries. With no TV, computers, or radio I can imagine how important this sort of story telling must have been, especially when you heard mention of one of your own ancestors. Apparently a lot of Norsemen (Vikings) were literate, so would have been easy for these tales to spread, but I bet they were known off by heart to many. These sagas are in pretty stark contrast to a lot of the other writings of the time, which were mostly more dull religious texts; Although it should be noted that by this time most if not all Vikings had converted to Christianity, leaving behind the old Norse gods Thor and Odin – pretty brave move if you ask me, seeing as those gods had far more of a vengeful streak, and used hammers and lightning as a matter of course. I think a lot Norsemen yearned back to their roots slightly, when they weren’t so controlled by the church.

Closest I got to a Viking longship, design inspired the design of many local fishing boats of the same period and beyond

Loving a bit of story telling I read the various information boards in the centre, and watched the film which told a few of the sagas concerning the Orkneys. There ought to be more story telling that goes these days; you can still go to evenings with professional story-tellers, who are able to relate old tales with passion and emotion, in a bardic fashion. The sagas today seemed to mostly involve Vikings called Svein, involved in various heroic exploits, and quite frequently killing each other in their bid for Earldom in Orkney. There was quite a bit of skull splitting, ale quaffing, the odd poisoned shirt, treachery, escaping, alliance switching, raiding Ireland and Scotland, and general fighting. Not much about what the womenfolk got up to, or normal life. I wonder how much is exaggerated and how much is genuine.

Apparently the Vikings mostly drank ale from shallow dishes rather than horns which came a bit later. Drinking was taken very seriously, and had to be an equal affair. If you were noticed not to be drinking as much as your companions it could arouse suspicion and cause insult. At least one Svein, a particularly notorious one much loved in the sagas, took at axe to another Svein’s forehead as a result of such activity, before escaping through a skylight.

The site also had the remains of an old round Kirk, and Feasting Hall, pretty unique buildings, dating for the 12th century and which feature in some of the sagas, where the Earl feasted his fellow kinsman.

Round Kirk 1

Round Kirk 2 – unfortunately a bit ruined by people in subsequent centuries using the stone to build another church

Also interesting to read that from these Norsemen comes the line of our Royal Family, with characters such as William the Conquerer from Normandy (Norse Land) featuring, post some other Viking who was very tall and for whom a horse big enough could not be found. I forget all the names but many died unnatural deaths whilst out being a Viking, and were called Svein. So the Saga Centre is well worth a visit.

Next I took the road around to the Unstan Cairn, from a far earlier time, dating back to between 2500 and 3000 years BC. It was used in Neolithic times to bury the dead, and was in use for centuries. It must have taken a lot of effort build and was interesting to see even if it now has a modern roof to protect it; still under a grassy mound. I was able to crawl inside though a narrow passageway to get inside.

Unstan Cairn mound

Inside the Unstarn Cairn 1

Inside the Unstarn Cairn 2

Inside the Unstan Cairn 3 – the way in/out

I cycled on to the standing stones at Stenness which are pretty tall, and again must have taken a fair bit of effort to erect, involving the combined effort of communities from across the island. Must have been a central site for celebrations, feasts and rituals, but no-one knows for sure. There used to be more stones until a tenant farmer decided to dynamite them in 1814 or thereabouts, destroying a few before the locals stopped him. Think he wanted to clear the land but a bit of an archaeological sin!

Standing stones at Stenness

Next was the stone circle called the Ring of Brodgar just up the road, a large circle rivalling some of the biggest in the UK. One of the stones had been shattered by lightning – maybe Odin getting angry.

Ring of Brodgar – lightning shattered stone

Ring of Brodgar

Also passed a swan nesting who obliged with some cool photos.

Nesting swan 1

Nesting swan 2

Continuing on my tour I rode back round Stenness Loch to Stromness, finally getting a tailwind on the last bit which was cause for celebration. Covered a total of about 27 miles, however the day was far from done as I intended to ride into the evening post the ferry trip, to try and get within range of Cape Wrath the next day. With that in mind I bought a few supplies (cheese and pitta bread, plus tiffin), and then had a meal at the Ferry Inn next to the ferry terminal; nice steak and ale pie washed down with a pint of Scapa.

The narrow streets of Stromness

The ferry was on time and I rode on board. Bikes get tied to a padded rail for the duration of the voyage. I was the only cyclist this time so lots to choose from, and I got the faithful Ridgeback a comfy spot, before making my way up to the restaurant for a second feast of chilli-con-carne, with half chips and half rice. I like the Scottish half and half option, not having seen it down south. It generally seems to mean you get more, which is handy when you’re trying to eat between 4000 and 5000 calories a day. Think I’ve still lost some weight, or redistributed it to my legs; it’s really hard to eat so much every day, but quite enjoyable, unless I imagine you get constipated or have a stomach upset, but I’ve been fortunate in both regards so far, touch wood. Bananas help.

I spent a bit of time on deck watching the Orkney’s go by, and bidding them farewell for now. Saw lots of seabirds including a Razorbill, Cormorants, terns fishing, the odd Skua, a puffin flyby, and I think a Gannet which was cool. The cliffs on Hoy were pretty amazing and must provide a home to thousands of birds.

Hoy 1

Hoy 2 – with old man of Hoy in background

Old man of Hoy

I arrived in Scratsby about 18.30, and trundled off the boat. As I was cycling out of the port, adjusting my bar bag, my front left pannier hit the kerb throwing the bike sideways. Fortunately I was only travelling about 2 miles an hour but I still fell off and grazed my knee, in a similar fashion to how I used to graze my knees as a kid falling over on concrete or gravel. It looked worse than it actually was, with blood running down my leg, fairly superficial really. Luckily I’d already cut the knees out of my cycling bib, for physio reasons, so no damage there. With panniers reattached and knee wound staunched I pedalled on.

Back in Scratsby

From Scratsby I rode along the A836 through and over the Bridge of Forres, and past the old nuclear power plant at Dounreay, which is being decommissioned by the looks of the signs – must take a long time. Dounreay was the first nuclear power station built in the UK according to my Dad, so must be true.

Dounreay nuclear power station

As the evening drew in I rode through Reay, Port Skerra, Melvick (big hill), Strathy and Past the Strathy Inn (another big hill), past Armadale and on to Bettyhilly where there’s a campsite. I stuck to the A836 with the occasional side trek to see a village, a ride of about 33.5 miles I think but I need to check this, bringing today’s total to 61, not bad considering the ferry trip and big hills along the way, or even mountains (Beinns anyway, according to the map). I also had a slight north westerly to contend with, however at least it wasn’t cold for a change!

The hills and wind paled into insignificance versus the scenery I was passing through, which just got more and more impressive. It started off as pretty standard moorland, with the odd patch of forest which was a nice change after Orkney and no trees to speak of. Some nice flowers out along the roadside too, although the daffodils are finally starting to whither now. The countryside started to get more dramatic as I entered the hillier sections, with the sun starting to go down and adding to the vistas. Truly some of the best coastline and countryside I’ve cycled through to date, and I’m not sure the photos do it justice. It was quite an emotional ride with it getting late, and having passed a small field of flowers set aside by Marie Curie Cancer Support which got me thinking about Lu and how much she would have liked it here, not the camping bit but the scenery! I had a pause at the field and took a breather to let my legs recover a bit, plus a whee dram from my hip flask, alone with my thoughts, a few sheep, and the odd red deer.

The road at this time of the evening was pretty quiet, but the drivers I did pass all gave me lots of space. I finally arrived at the campsite at about 22.10, just as he sun was disappearing. I’d seen more and more red deer, even a small herd, as I progressed. Another advantage of the bike is it’s quiet, and as I was downwind of them I could sneak up. If I’d had a rifle I could have been eating venison that evening, but could have been tricky to fit on my back rack. Sheep aren’t so tricky to sneak up on, they either peg it as soon as they see you, or just stand in the middle of the road and then bolt in front of your bike at the last minute, stupid animals, prefer pigs.

The campsite owner had just got back from trying to help a local farmer with a cow that was calfing prematurely. She must be in her seventies but I could tell she’s as tough as the mountains we were amongst. Unfortunately the calf had died; she said it had been a beautiful thing, but such is a farmer’s lot from time to time. In this sort of small community everyone must know each other and help one another out with various things, great to see, and thinking about it not unlike Norwich with my group of friends, just a smaller and closer community with different sorts of hardships. She only charged me £3 for the camp as I was late arriving and probably because I looked a bit of a state, a bargain.

The campsite is fairly rudimentary, but suited me fine with a hot shower and toilets. Bettyhilly is tucked into a valley between the hills that goes down to a cove and the sea, with a beach at the bottom, a lovely view to camp against.

So another great day done and dusted, finishing with a challenging but rewarding ride through the Beinns to Bettyhilly, leaving Caithness and passing into Sutherland. Tomorrow I planned to cycle on the Tongue and then Durness, before thinking about getting across to Cape Wrath, which would depend on the tides. Nice to have got a couple of texts and emails from friends in Norwich and Newcastle too – thanks. Reception and wifi access is getting a bit intermittent now so not sure when I’ll next be able to iPad a blog post. Will finish with some photos from the last bit of my ride. Note – still haven’t got through to a Garmin, grrrr.

Trees and flowers

Roads passing through moorland

Bridge crossing – getting wilder

Field of Hope – Marie Curie cancer support – stopped for a break and a whee dram

Panorama getting stunning

Sun going down illuminating the landscape in colourful ways

Sun reflected in loch

Arty photo

Sun setting behind a hill

Misty mountains

More moorland

Getting quite dark now – stopped for a chat to some camper van tourers a bit further on

Pretty wild up here

Nearly in Bettyhill

View from Bettyhill campsite to beach

Bettyhill campsite

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Leg 28 – a day off in Orkney

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Time to fix the bike (fingers crossed), and for some sightseeing.

28 May 2013

Post a bit of a late night chatting with fellow campers I was still up relatively early to get to the bike shop as soon as possible. It looked like it was going to be a brighter day, and the wind had dropped a bit which would make cycling easier. I had breakfast and a shower, before following Allan, one of be campsite wardens, to the bike shop – Orkney Cycles. I followed him in his smart car, cycling with my rear brake disconnected to stop the wheel from rubbing; it was pretty bucked now.

Orkney Cycles turned out to be a great bike shop, probably better than any within a 100 miles or so, including the mainland, so I’d struck lucky. It’s also one of the only bike shops on the island so was quite busy, and I was glad I’d got there early. I left the bike with them for half an hour whilst they worked out what they could do to help, and grabbed a cup of tea in town, opposite St.Magnus’ Cathedral.

St Magnus’ Cathedral 1

St Magnus’ Cathedral 2

Thankfully the bike shop were able to find a new wheel, albeit a racing wheel really, with 32 spokes instead of the 36 I’d had previously. It’s still double rimmed and strong, so should be as good as the previous being a good spec. At the very least it will get me further south where there are more bike shops, but hopefully will last for the whole trip otherwise this is going to get expensive. Didn’t really have a choice anyway given my whereabouts. I’m writing this whilst on the ferry back to the mainland, with my bike 3 decks below me, so can’t tell you the make presently! (Mavic CXP 22) I also got my chain replaced as it was getting worn and had stretched, which would mean it might start slipping or break; not something I wanted to happen on the next leg along he north coast. £130 all done.

Orkney Cycles

It was nice spending a relaxing morning chatting to the staff and other customers, without worrying about how many miles I needed to get done today. It seems there is quite a lot of cycling activity on the island, mostly road biking and time trials rather than mountain biking. There was a constant stream of customers coming in and out, either to hire bikes, or get repairs or advice. The shop also doubled up as a Games Workshop, selling figures; a slightly odd combination but works, will have to dig my old figures out at some point.

Cycle Orkney 2

Recommend any tourers passing through Kirkwall drop in and say hello and get your bike checked by the friendly and helpful staff, who no doubt can give you a few tips on where to visit on the islands too.

Post bike fixing I pedalled out of Kirkwall, wanting to visit the Churchill Barriers around Scapa Flow, as well as the Italian Chapel. I’d already decided to spend one more night on Orkney, so had booked in at the same campsite in Kirkwall again and would head back to the mainland on Wednesday – think Wednesday anyway, losing track of what day it is slightly. Just a short ride today would give my legs, and body in general, a bit of a break. I very nearly stopped in at the leisure centre for a massage, but the weather was really too good to not get out. Nice not to have to pack up my tent, and to ride without panniers. Of course I did have to contend with the wobbles for a bit, until I got used to the much lighter bike again! It feels really weird for a bit, and the front wheel wobbles all over the place.

Looking back and down to Kirkwall

I did have to stop to adjust my back brake, which with the thinner rear rim wasn’t gripping enough, easy and quick job though. All done I rode up the hill and past the Highland Park distillery, where I stopped to look in the shop. They do tours but decided to save my money for a pub dinner later. Smelt pretty good as I rode up to the distillery and was tempted to get a whee dram! They had some expensive whiskys in the shop. I liked the look of their Loki and Thor bottles, but they’re well over £100. I also thought that Loki being a bit of a trickster might mean the whisky isn’t quite what you’d expect, and Thor might just give you a hammering hangover!

Highland Park distillery

Highland Park distillery – steaming chimney

I pedalled on to St. Mary’s, over some moderate but exposed hills, into the lessened but still mildly irritating south easterly. It didn’t matter as much today as I wasn’t in a rush, the sun was out, and the scenery amazing.

Road to St. Mary’s

St Mary’s – lobster pots. Lobster wanted to sabotage these but the fisherman was around so he decided discretion was the better part of valour and hid.

Churchill Barrier number 1

From St. Mary’s I rode over the first of 4 Churchill Barriers, built in the Second World War, to stop German U-boats and warships from attacking the British fleet, which were based out of Scapa Flow. As well as the Churchill Barriers a host of anti-aircraft defences were also erected pretty swiftly after the outbreak of war. Unfortunately the defences hadn’t been maintained or improved upon since the First World War, and were a little shoddy to start off with as a result. The German U-boat U47 managed to sneak through one of the narrow sounds (Kirkwall Sound I think) and torpedo the British warship HMS Royal Oak, with the loss of over 800 lives. The U-boat got in and out without being caught, so despite the tragic loss of life a pretty gutsy move from its commander. This was before the Churchill Barriers had been built, and whilst a lot of the main fleet were still out at sea; if they’d been in Scapa Flow it could have meant an even worse toll. The defences were much improved by the end of the war, with at least one U-boat being destroyed in the anti submarine nets and minefields.

Post the 1st of the barriers I cycled up to the Italian Chapel, built by Italian POWs during the Second World War, who worked on building the Churchill Barriers. They felt in need of a spiritual retreat, deprived as they were of other things, and built the chapel with the blessing of the camp commander, out of two donated end to end Nissan shelters, and other material they had to hand. For example bullied beef cans to make the lanterns/candle stick holders on the altar.

Italian Chapel – built out of two end to end Nissan shelters

Italian Chapel 2

Italian Chapel 3

Italian Chapel 4

The Chapel is a pretty amazing place, with everything having been built by hand. The Islanders promised the Italian POWs to look after it when they left, and it’s become a bit of a place of pilgrimage, restored in the 1960’s when the original Italian responsible for its design and build returned for a visit.

The POWs were also responsible for much of the work on constructing the barriers. Construction began with the scuttling of of old merchant ships to provide a temporary barrier, followed by the laying of large concrete blocks. They provided a very effective barrier, and now join the Orkney east mainland to Burray and South Ronaldsay. It was great cycling across them all, especially in the nice weather, but I wouldn’t like to do it in the winter with a gale blowing, and waves crashing over.

Skua I think

Old scuttled ship

Sea and amazing colour, and great sandy beaches

Sandy beaches – bit cold still for a dip though

I saw lots of seabirds including Cormorants, Lapwings, Gulls, Oystercatchers, Plovers and I think a Great Skua. Also saw a seal fishing next to one of the barriers. You could see it swimming under the water it was so clear, but didn’t get my phone out in time for a pic.

I had lunch at a little cafe just before barrier 4, attached to the Fossil & Heritage centre. A bowl of butternut squash and ginger soup, plus a smoked salmon an scream cheese toasty for £6, bargain. Treated myself of chocolate cake too.

Lunch break on Burray

Post lunch I cycled over the last of the barriers and on to St Margaret’s Hope, a small fishing and tourist town, with a pier and ferry too, on South Ronaldsay.

St. Margaret’s Hope

St. Margaret’s Hope 2

I cycled back to Kirkwall on the same route, but with a tailwind so zipped along at quite a pace, especially with the new wheel. The hills that had taken quite a bit of effort before took half the time this way round. I popped into the bike shop on the way through to let them know the bike was running well, before going to Helgi’s Bar in town for a couple of beers and dinner; it was my day off after all.

Over a fantastic lamb tangine, and a few pints of the Orkney brew Scapa, which is a really good ale, I chatted to a few people. Hamish is a local salesman and travels around the islands selling agricultural products to farmers. Great bloke and seemed to know everyone that came in who was a local, which included the owner of the brewery whose beer I was enjoying, as well as Cameron who apparently once won Big Brother. I also learned that there are quite a few Harveys on Orkney, and in Scotland in general. I’ve always wandered about the origin of my surname, so maybe I have ancestors from round these parts! Thanks for her beer and company Hamish, I’ll be in touch on my next visit!

So I’d recommend Helgi’s for the beer, food and company; it seems to be the place it go in Kirkwall and is good value for money.

Post the end of a great day off, a 32 mile ride and lots of good food, I returned to the campsite and chatted to a few of the other visitors for a bit. Shane was on holiday for a family gathering on Orkney, with people travelling here from all over the place including America. They can trace their family tree back to around 1480 on Orkney, pretty amazing. Made me keener to try and trace my roots back further.

Tomorrow I planned to get back to the mainland, after a quick tour round the rest of the mainland. Orkney definitely worth the visit so far.

Misty Scapa Flow

Sunset in Kirkwall

Sunset in Kirkwall 2

Kirkwall bay

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Leg 27 – to Orkney and Kirkwall

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Thanks for all the messages of support and sponsorship, they really help keep me going.

27 May 2013

It had been a somewhat disturbed night’s sleep due to the South Easterly that got stronger overnight, rattling the rafters in my tent, not that it has rafters, but the canvas definitely rattled. I was up early to go and meet Mark Beaumont, of ‘The Man Who Cycled The World’ fame, who’d I’d been in touch with over Twitter. He has a page on his website that promotes various people’s expeditions/challenges, which he’d stuck my ride up on – http://markbeaumontonline.com/your-adventure/

Mark was cycling down the coast from Duncansby Head with a team from BBC Scotland, filming a programme to air on midsummer, and he’d suggested that it would be good to meet up en-route, both to say hello, and we could do a short interview for the programme. Seemed liked an opportunity not to be missed.

I quickly breakfasted and hit the shower block, but realised I’d lost the code for the door, d’oh, needed to do my hair and everything. I ended up having to phone the warden to get in as no-one else was up and needing the loo, typical. Didn’t delay me long and I was in plenty of time to meet Mark and the crew down by the river in Thurso. They were talking to and filming two local fishermen, who’d brought along some marinaded trout and salmon to taste. Not being one to refuse an opportunity for food on this trip I got to taste some of the trout, marinaded in whisky, it was delicious.

Post finishing with the fishermen we grabbed a coffee in Thurso to get out of the cold wind for a bit, before cycling a couple of miles out of town to film Mark and I meeting up on the road, and having a brief chat about what has changed as I’ve travelled further north. Mark noticed my rear wheel had a bit of a wobble but seemed okay, something to keep an eye on though.

It was great to meet up and fun doing a bit of filming, should be airing on 21 June in Scotland, and will be on iPlayer – I wonder if I’ll make the cut. I’ll have more of a speaking part than my last foray in front of a camera, for which you’ll have to see our Arms Race movies on You Tube; definitely worth a watch if you’re a Science Fiction or Steam Punk fan.

Meeting up with Mark Beamont

Bidding goodbye to Mark on his slinky road bike, and the production crew Ed and Jenna in their far warmer land rover, I cycled back down the road to the ferry terminal in Scratsby, to catch the boat to Stromness on Orkney. Mark pedalled off to their next scheduled stop with someone who could take them whale watching, before he continued on to Sandwood Bay – a today distance of 125 miles for him, but there again he wasn’t weighed down by lots of kit! He’s got a big challenge starting on 01 June, to swim and run across Scotland. It sounds a little bit crazy, but is in aid of a great cause – http://www.justgiving.com/markbeaumontSTVAppeal

I had a few hours to wait for my boat to Orkney, however these were productively occupied, first with a large fry up in the port cafe, good value and hit the spot. I spent a bit of time updating my blog before heading down to the terminal to get my ticket and board – £17.50 for a single, bike is free, much more expensive in a car.

The trip across to Stromness was a little bit rough due it the wind, but not enough to cause at sea sickness – I don’t generally suffer anyway but there’s always a first time. I spent a bit of time in the lounge, where I nodded off on one of their comfy chairs, before going on deck to admire the scenery.

Thurso from the ferry

Bit windy on board

Passing the Isles

Arriving in Stromness

I was chatting to another passenger who pointed out how the majority of the houses, especially the older ones, are built side on to the harbour to avoid the worst of the wind. Most of the houses also have slipways down into the sea, a testament to their fishing heritage. Post disembarking I had a quick cycle around Stromness, and stopped to by a sandwich even though I hadn’t cycled much yet today – permanently hungry on this trip anyway. The older roads are laid with large paving stones, which is fairly novel and something my dad remembered from when he visited years ago.

Stromness – cool alleyway

Stromness – view into bay

I cycled out from Stromness to Sandwick, before continuing up the coast on minor roads. The coastline is fairly hilly, although I had a strong tail wind for this first section so was easy going. I was kind of dreading the long haul back to Kirkwall into the headwind but I only had myself to blame for that.

I rode on up past various lochs and the Bay of Skaill, to Skara Brae, the site of an ancient Stone Age settlement that was uncovered in a storm which blew the covering sand dunes off. As a result the site is remarkably well preserved, and you can see the stone huts, beds, and even dressing table like constructions.

Riding the Orkney mainland 1

Riding the Orkney mainland 2

Got hit by a dust storm just after this.

Skara Brae

From Skara Brae I continued, riding up to Birsay and slowly turning further into the wind. At one point I had to cycle through a bit of a dust storm caused by the strong wind blowing over dry ploughed fields, it stung a little and the sand-like dirt got everywhere; glad I had my sunglasses on, and had to wash my mouth out.

Orkney coastline

Road to Birsay

On one section I heard a ping as I rode over a bump, a pretty distinctive noise if you’ve been cycling for a while. Stopping to examine my rear wheel I found the cause of the disturbing noise, my real wheel rim was cracked and the spoke had almost pulled through. It had obviously been weakening which had been the cause of the wheel wobble Mark had spotted earlier.

Cracked rear wheel rim

Without much of a choice I carried on – I’d just have to tighten the two spokes around the break if it got worse and started rubbing.

Birsay – Earl’s Palace

Birsay coastline and lighthouse

Post Birsay I turned into a buffeting cross wind, that turned into a draining headwind as I turned down towards Finstown. I nearly ran over a group of teenagers out hiking, strung across the road. They couldn’t hear me due to the wind and were walking in the middle of the road as hardly any cars around. I pedalled around the top of the island, then down through Evie, reminding myself it had been my decision to take this route and not go straight to the campsite, despite the force 5 to 6 wind. Still, the countryside and coastline made it worthwhile, even the my legs were really started to hurt. I passed a couple of potential campsites but ruled them out wanting to reach Kirkwall. Not many trees around on this island, maybe there were once and they got used for firewood and construction, or maybe it’s just too windy.

Felt like a bit of a twat to be cycling out in this wind

Eyehallow

The road to Kirkwall – sheep regarding me with suspicion as usual

From Finstown I rode on to Kirkwall, gradually turning out of the wind, and arriving at the Pickaquoy campsite about 20.00. The ride had taken me at least twice as long as it would have done without the wind. And incidentally Orkney is not as flat as I’d anticipated. I guess the buckled rear wheel didn’t help either.

The campsite on Pickaquoy road is really good, very close to Kirkwall city centre, and only cost me £7.15 a night – ended up staying off two nights in the end. It has an indoor lounge area, laundry, kitchen, and great loos and showers, as well as decent free wifi. All included in the price – usually you have to pay extra for kitchen facilities, and this was the first lounge area I’d encountered. The site is also attached to a leisure centre, which will shortly have a swimming pool opening, but has a sauna, jacuzzi, massages, a climbing wall and lots of other stuff. Was quite tempted to try a massage and sauna but would depend on the weather, so much to see on Orkney.

Post pitching up I had a chat with the warden who let me know about a good bike shop in Kirkwall which I’d try tomorrow ref a new real wheel, fingers were most definitely crossed as it would be a long walk back to the ferry, and my wheel was now rubbing so much I’d had to disconnect the rear brake. Dinner consisted of a microwave meal for two from Lidyls, along with some fruit and cake. Lidyls is really common in Scotland and has some great produce at low prices. The stores up here seem to have a wider range than those down south. Will definitely be stopping at more of them on the way around.

Sunset in Kirkwall

Sunset in Kirkwall 2

I spent the rest of the evening planning out the next few days. Tomorrow would depend on a wheel fix, but if successful I wanted to visit the south of the island, the Italian Chapel, Scapa Flow, the Churchill Barriers, and maybe the Highland Park whisky distillery. More on that tomorrow. I also met up with a group of Liverpudlians, or self proclaimed Scousers as they wanted to be known (Fred, Spike and Richard if memory serves). The generosity of strangers is always great and heartwarming to behold; they donated £30 to the ride and Big C which was very much appreciated, especially as they’d been saving for ages to come to Orkney. They were camping too and spending the week island hopping, having a great time by the sounds of it. Come as

So a great day, only about 50 miles, but went to bed with tired legs post the afternoon’s slightly ridiculous ride to Kirkwall into the killer headwind! I’ve only got myself to blame and the advantage of touring along is you can only fall out with yourself, plus you get to stop and start when you like, and it’s easier to meet other people and make decisions.

Still finding bits of sand from the dust storm!

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Leg 26 – to John o’ Groats and Thurso

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26 May 2013

I was on the road by 09.30, feeling enthused about making it up to John o’ Groats and and seeing the North coast of Scotland. Might even bump into a few tourers starting their Jogles, or competing their Lejogs! I had a quick cycle around Wick before leaving. It was pretty dead compared with the previous evening, not many people having surfaced as yet, especially of the younger generation. Unfortunately didn’t find any cafes open for a second breakfast opportunity.

Wick campsite – weather looking promising

Wick harbour – weather getting less promising

Waterfront nightclub, Not dissimilar looking from its namesake in Norwich

From Wick I cycled north under grey skies, and into a mild headwind making it chilly. The weather seems very changeable at the moment, there having been rain overnight, something you can hear very clearly in a tent. Think there must be a few weather fronts moving through, with the low pressure system that’s been sitting off the north coast finally moving.

I took the A99 up around Sinclair Bay, through Keiss and Freswick, and past Skirza, the latter two town names being Viking in origin. Think the Norwegians still ruled this area, at least loosely, until the 14th or 15th century. I’d read about how one of the last Viking adventurers had one of his strongholds around here but I couldn’t find it. Will have to look him up again. Going back to my Pictish topic of yesterday their must be loads of different bloodlines mingled up here, from Celt, Pict, and Viking, to more recent migrations. I love a bit of Viking history, having read Bernard Cornwall’s Uhtred books in which they feature. Hoping to get to Orkney where they’ll be more on them.

The road was relatively quiet, with more motorbike tourers out than anyone else, but I passed a few cyclists going the other way and waved. The landscape is mostly moor and farmland, and remained fairly consistent all the way to the north coast. I thought I could see evidence of peat cutting, which no doubt provided a great source of fuel in the past. On the subject of fuel sources I’ve seen quite a few coal trucks about in Scotland, so they must burn it in boilers still up here. I can’t remember seeing a coal truck down south for years.

Continuing on I passed quite a few older buildings in a dilapidated state, or ruins, providing a stark contrast to the newer homes built more recently. I thought the older ones looked more in keeping with the landscape, but would be a tad drafty!

Old farmsteads – passed quite a few like this over the last few days

The road North

Gorse in full bloom – stark contrast to the grey day

I pedalled on to John o’ Groats, but just before the Lejog finish line I turned right and cycled to Duncansby Head, the true most north easterly point on the UK mainland. Coming over the rise before John o’ Groats had been quite an emotional experience, even though I’m not doing a Lands End to John o’ Groats ride. I’d still been 26 days on the road and covered well over 1500 miles, and seeing the North coast with Stroma and Orkney in the background, with the sun coming out, caught me off guard.

Duncansby Head was worth a visit, there being a big seabird colony in the stacks nearby. There’s a lighthouse there built by Robert Stevenson, father of Robert Louis Stevenson of Treasure Island fame. He built quite a few of the lighthouses on this coast, including the one at Dunnet Head which I visited later. There must be a lot of lot of lighthouses on this coast, it being a little treacherous to shipping.

Duncansby Head

Duncansby Head lighthouse

Apparently it’s a little short for a lighthouse, but makes up for it by being quite high up.

I cycled back to John o’ Groats and down to the centre by the harbour, where the famous sign post is. Took some photos then had lunch in one of the nearby cafes – wanted pizza but they’d run out of bases so settled for a bacon, tomato and mozzarella panini, equally as good if not quite as carb heavy. It was great looking out across across the Pentland Firth to the isles, and I met up with Dan and Dave who’d just finished their Lejog, covering 980 miles – respect to anyone who’s completed the end-to-end ride. They’ve got a blog which is worth a read for anyone considering doing the same – http://www.2blokes2bikes2far.info

John o’ Groats Harbour

The sign post, with a lobster if you look hard, although he is red

JoG – Me at signpost 1

JoG – Me at signpost 2 – thanks for taking the photo Dan/Dave

The Pentland Firth and seas around John o’ Groats, Stroma and Orkney are somewhat notorious, with tidal flows ripping through at up to 10 knots at times. The locals from Stroma used to guide ships through, however the island is now deserted and being reclaimed by nature, the last family having left in the 1960’s. At its height there were only about 360 people living there, earning a living primarily off fishing and as shipping guides. The fishing stopped when their main catch became depleted and too far to sail to, probably as a result of larger commercial fishing operations, a familiar story.

Isle of Stroma 1

Isle of Stroma 2

Bidding John o’ Groats farewell, realising this was nowhere near the end of my journey, I cycled west along the coast to Dunnet Head, via Mey and its castle, Scarsferry and Brough, through lovely countryside, although the sea does look pretty challenging to navigate through – rocks and rip tides – wonder if Will Copestake will be kayaking this bit of the coast. Check out his blog – http://willcopestakemedia.com/ , really interesting challenge he’s currently undertaking, affected by high winds like me.

Mey Castle

Some stark panoramas

Dunnet Head is the most northerly point on the UK mainland, and from it I had a clear view across to Orkney and the entrance to Scapa Flow, west to Cape Wrath, and back east to Duncansby Head. It was a bit of a climb to get up to it, but worth it. In World War 2 there used to be a lot of servicemen stationed up and around the head, keeping an eye on activity around Scapa Flow, the main British naval base which was under threat from bombing raids and other enemy activity. It must have been a challenging place to work when the weather turned nasty; there are still lots of old concrete buildings around where they used to live and keep watch.

Dunnet Head

Cliffs at Dunnet Head

Looking west towards Cape Wrath, where I’d be in a few days, touch wood

Dunnet Head, looking towards Orkney

From Dunnet Head I rode along to Thurso, with a bit of a tailwind which was a nice change. I passed quite a few cyclists going the other way and having a considerably harder job of it u- gave them a wave. I realise I was now in effect doing a Jogle (John o’ Groats to Lands End), albeit via a somewhat convoluted route via Wales etc.

I cycled over the bridge into Thurso, and had a quick tour around, spotting a promising bar where I stopped for a pint and a meal – chilli burger. There was a live band on, two acoustic guitars who were excellent, doing a lot of old classic numbers some of which I can even play – Hotel California, Every Rose has its Thorn, Behind Blue Eyes, amongst others. Great bank holiday atmosphere and would recommend the Y-not Bar, definitely rock and roll.

Bridge at Thurso

Y-Not Bar – great band and atmosphere

Leaving a little later than anticipated I found the campsite just outside Thurso and pitched up, it’s right on the coast with some great views. Also ideal for getting the ferry the next day across to Orkney, which I intended to do as a side trek. A little bit expensive though at £11.

Thurso Campsite 1

Thurso Campsite 2

Thurso Campsite 3

Thurso campsite – sunset

I’d also been in touch with Mark Beaumont over Twitter during the evening, and we’d arranged to meet up tomorrow morning in the town for a chat and maybe some filming, more on that tomorrow. Really looking forward to Orkney and its scenery, archaeology, and people, south easterly wind getting brisker though!

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Leg 24 – to Dornoch, via Tain

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Saw a lot of interesting things today, and weather was brighter! Bit of a long post.

24 May 2013

A cold morning but brighter. Feeling famished I dived into a breakfast of pitta bread, cheese, bananas, flapjack and berocca substitute, realising I probably hadn’t eaten enough yesterday. It’s hard to take on board the required calories for this sort of day in day out riding sometimes. I spent breakfast mulling over a strange dream I’d had about recovering diamonds stolen by Nazis during the Second World War, and getting a reward for them when I returned them to their descendants via a contact of a friend, all a bit strange. I blame Lucy’s sisters blog which I’d read the day before and mentioned Nazis.

I packed up as the sun started to come out, a bit late to dry the two pairs of socks I’d washed last night, or my still damp towel. It had been too wet and cold to get anything dry of late, however I attached the socks to my cargo net to hopefully dry as I went along. Campsites rarely have drying rooms, and your stuffed wild camping anyway. My tent was also still damp and I wondered, not for the first time, if I’d not be better off just using a bivvy bag – on reflection I think a tent is better though.

With the Ridgeback loaded I gave it the once over. Everything checked out fine, despite it being a little more battered and grimy than when I first started, and with a few bits of gaffer and wire in places including holding together the front right pannier rack; I just call that a custom job.

I wasn’t sure how far I’d get today, so I loaded up on pies and doughnuts at a bakery in Dingwall for lunch, on the way out. There were 3 bakeries to choose from, that I sa. I chose Deas where my purchases came to about 5 pounds, a bargain. Scotland seems to have more bakeries that England, which have fuelled my progress around the coast pretty well to date; cheap, tasty, lots of carbs, and always have a nice chat with the staff. I need to find more black pudding and haggis though.

Dingwall high street

Dingwall Wimpy, unfortunately closed

Post a second breakfast of a cheeky croissant from the same bakery, I pedalled to Alness. You can follow Route 1 and avoid the A9, but I stuck to the coast road which was a little busy. I hadn’t looked up where Route 1 went, and had been led astray by it before, or it had turned out to be really bumpy, so I generally left it alone today aside from where our paths converged on roads.

From Alness I rode to Invergordon, once site of of the main British Naval base in the early 20th century back when Winston Churchill was first sea lord. The base got moved further north to Scapa Flow, when it was realised it was in range of bombers from Europe. The fleet sailed from here for the Battle of Jutland in the First World War, the one great sea battle of that war. There was a submarine boon/net across the entrance to the Cromarty Firth back then. A German Sub once tried to sneak in under a British warship, and nearly made it; they had trouble raising the boon afterwards and found a big bit of the net missing. Also found a plaque commemorating the lives lost on HMS Natal, mentioned in yesterday’s post.

Invergordon Rigs

The sun dismissed the last of the clouds in Invergordon, and I took off a layer, still leaving two on not including the bib; it still wasn’t warm. There was a big cruise ship moored up, I guess where the old naval docks used to be, the MSC Magnifica haling from Panama, although every one I saw going back to it appeared to be German. Apparently quite a few cruise ships stop here, it being a deep water birth.

Invergordon - Magnifica

During the break I tried to phone Garmin again. I’ve been trying to get through to them for a few days but it’s impossible. You just end up with the message saying all their lines are extremely busy at the moment, and to check their website. I’ve already checked their website, and emailed them, to which I got a reply suggesting I call them. I think I need a replacement unit as this one is clearly bust, I can’t even perform the hard reset suggested. Think I’ll try calling them a few more times then email them if that doesn’t work. I hope my phone isn’t being charged for being on hold, could be expensive and will result in a complaint. Still feel better off with just a map though.

I pedalled on up the firth through Barbaraville, where I started singing the beach boys song Barbara-Anne, then down around the point to Nigg, to the shoreline opposite Cromarty. It was a bit of a long ride but worth it and followed my sticking to the coast plan. There used to be a ferry that ran from here but not sure if it still does, couldn’t see one, much better weather today though!

Cromarty Firth in sunshine

Cromarty on opposite shore

I could see where I’d been the day before, in much worse weather, I waved. Amazing how quickly the weather can change.

Cromarty Firth panorama

Me and lobster in Cromarty Firth

At this point I consumed the lunch I’d bought earlier; curry pie, pizza slice, Bridie (like a pasty but with different pastry) and a toffee doughnut, nice. Re-energised I rode on to Balintore and Shandwick Bay, on the Pictish Trail apparently. The Picts, descended from the ancient Celts that once lived across most of Europe, used to live in the area, and there’s a standing stone covered with their carvings just outside Balintore. It’s got a mixture of Christian symbols and Pictish artwork on it, carved in the 7th or 8th century, and pretty impressive.

Pictish stone with carvings

This got me thinking about the Picts, about whom I know relatively little. I wondered what happened to them, did they all die out or get absorbed by other nations and cultures, the Vikings for example? Apparently not a lot is generally known about them, aside from their stone carvings and silverware which still survives. They’re also mentioned in writings from the same period, from other countries. I don’t think they wrote anything down themselves, probably using a tradition of oral history like the Australian aborigines. I expect their genes are mixed in with everyone else’s, Britain being a mixing pot of people from all over the place, so no doubt they still have descendants around today, even if those descendants don’t realise it.

Balintore looked lovely in the sunshine, and I could have easily whiled away a couple of hours down by the harbour, however I decided I couldn’t dawdle with more miles to cover today.

Balintore Harbour

Looking down on Shandwick Bay

Post adjusting my rear mudguard which has a habit of slipping and rubbing the tyre slightly, I pedalled on to the other end of the peninsula. My pedals have started to squeak sometimes which is getting annoying, so I’m going to have to address it before they drive me to distraction. I arrived in a Portmahomack in the sunshine, which was persisting throughout the day, and cycled through the village. There’s a visitor centre there too which would be good to visit sometime if they have more stuff on the Picts.

Portmahomack

Random Alpacca

There were three Apaccas. They regarded me with some suspicion.

I rode on to Tain, where I stopped at the Duthus Inn (great name) for a pint of cider, it being a warm day. There were quite a few motorbike tourers pausing there too, so had a quick chat. I noticed I’d got singed a bit – forgot to put on sun cream! My face might be a bit stripy due to the cycling helmet and sunglasses.

Tain

I decided I had enough time to tackle the Dornoch Firth, it only just coming up to 17.00 when I left Tain. I knew there was a campsite in Dornoch itself on the coast. Passed a couple of distilleries including the Glenmorangie distillery, which apparently isn’t pronounced quite how we all pronounce it.

The ride around the firth was really great, spectacular scenery and sunshine, and not much traffic. I rode along the gently undulating road to Bonar Bridge, through more heathland and verdant forest – pine and Beech; think Beech woodland is my favourite, especially if it includes Copper Beech.

Road to Bonar Bridge

Dornoch Firth countryside 1

Dornoch Firth countryside 2

Dornoch Firth countryside 3

Dornoch Firth

Bonar Bridge

I passed quite a few other cyclists and tourers going the other way, and got passed by a couple of groups on sleek carbon fibre road bikes on their way to John O’ Groats judging from their outfits. They didn’t have panniers or tents, lightweights I thought ;-). Good to see other cyclists out though, probably the weather and it being a bank holiday weekend, which I’d forgotten about. Can’t quite believe it looks like we’ll have had two good bank holiday weekends weather wise in May, must be a record, even if some of the rest of May has been dubious at times.

The ride up the north side of the Dornoch Firth was again beautiful, through a more forested landscape, though more hills to tackle. On tired legs this meant jelly baby consumption, however I made it all the way along without stopping so my legs must be getting stronger. I joined up with the A9 for a short section, going back to the bridge across the firth near Tain which I’d ignored earlier. I then cut North East up a side road that lead to Dornoch, a lovely looking town with a few shops, pubs and hotels, and main square with historic marketplace (photos tomorrow). Think this is where the Sutherlands were centred. I stopped to buy a few bits and pieces, including a multi pack of crisps – proceeded to eat about 4 bags I was so hungry by this stage.

I got to the campsite and pitched up about 19.00. Nice site right next to the beach, cost £7.00. Bloke said it was the cheaper of the two in the area so a bonus. I proceeded to cook up the traditional pasta feast, but might have overdone the Tabasco slightly; bit of an inferno but there was none left after only a short time. Finished off with a banana, an apple, more cheese, ginger nuts and a Pepperami I’d forgotten I had for good measure.

All in all a great day, covering 85 miles in predominantly sunshine, even if there’s still a chill in the air and snow on the mountain tops. The only slight annoyance is trying o get through to Garmin, they need to get more staff or stop issuing faulty badges of devices, something they apparently have a history of doing.

Onwards to John O’ Groats!

Durnoch campsite – following morning

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Leg 22 – to Loch Ness via Inverness

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A trying day…

22 May 2013

I woke up slightly later than anticipated at 08.30, the latest I’ve ever slept in so far in my tent. I’m not sure why but might have been because it was overcast so still quite dim inside my exceedingly cosy tent. I had breakfast looking out for red squirrels, but couldn’t see any. They must have decided it was a good day to stay in bed too, so no photos of my elusive quarry yet.

I was packed up and ready to go by 09.45, post refilling water bottles and a final loo stop. I drink quite a lot of water in the mornings but consequently I always need the loo about an hour later, which can get annoying when you have multiple layers and a cycling bib on. It’s not warm enough to sweat much at the moment, which I suppose is a good thing, but maybe I could cut down on water consumption as a result.

Delnies – packed and ready for another day, with banana attachment

From the relatively sheltered campsite I waved goodbye to the owners and pedalled off into a headwind, joy of joys, it looked like it was going to be another one of those days. I rode down to Ardersier and then up to Fort George, stopping briefly to shelter from a heavy shower that moved through from the North – found a convenient shrubbery (it was quite a verdant shrubbery incidentally).

Fort George is a working barracks and I could hear the sound of live firing from quite a distance away, single shots interspersed with automatic bursts, so sounded like they were practicing on the ranges – the red flags were up to confirm this. I rode up to the massive edifice that is Fort George in a fierce squall, quickly cycling into the entrance tunnel to gain some shelter. It’s an impressive fort, built in the 18th century post the quashing of the last Jacobite uprising, don’t think it was ever needed in anger but it does dominate the area and would have provided a significant deterrent to any trouble makers. I had a look around the bit you don’t have to pay for, but decided not to pay the £8.50 to look around any further; would have been interesting but taken a few hours, and I wanted to make some decent progress today. Few photos below, the layout reminded me of playing Total War on my computer; I’ve defended and attacked many of a similar design and they proved pretty formidable bastions on both accounts.

Fort George – inner drawbridge

Fort George – cannons, there were lots of them

Fort George – view from battlements

Fort George – turret view

As you can see from the photos I was experiencing a variety of weather. It was sunny one minute, then throwing it down the next, with hail mixed in. All a bit melodramatic. I’ve given the Scottish weather a personality I’m competing against. It’s doing everything it can to try and stop me, throwing in dirty tricks like changing the wind direction, and I’m constantly trying to thwart it and pedal on. Bit odd but the competition makes it more bearable. We’ll see what its next plan of attack though; I’m thinking of it as a mixed up teenager at present, changing it’s mind and generally being awkward!

From Fort George I pedalled down the Moray Firth, looking for dolphins that are supposed to frequent these waters in large numbers. It was high tide and they probably would have been more likely to make an appearance when the tide was running, hunting for salmon which apparently irritates the local fishermen no end; bet the dolphins were here first though. Didn’t see any but nice view.

Moray Firth – no dolphins

The next bit of the leg was a little bit trying, teenage angst must have been setting in as the weather decided to unleash several squalls of chilling rain, followed by bright sunshine that quickly overheated me on the long climb up to Culloden Moor. I didn’t want to bother taking any layers off though as I knew the weather would change its mind again in a minute. I made it to Culloden Battlefield and stopped at the visitor centre for lunch, soup and a burger. A bit pricey, and not the best food I’ve ever eaten but was nice to get inside. I didn’t look around the centre as it costs £10, and again I didn’t want to spend three hours doing so. Several coach loads of tourists also turned up thronging the place with Germans, Japanese and Americans, all intent on using the toilet then the restaurant. Wanting to avoid the crowds I beat a hasty retreat – accidentally dropped my iPad when repacking my bike, it’s slightly dented and the volume sticks, but still seems to work.

From Culloden I cycled to Inverness, descending from the moor in more turbulent weather, which was starting to get a little draining. I’d been turning the air blue for the last hour or so, dredging up a few special insults for my teenage weather nemesis I need to get a name for; can’t decide if they’re male or female though. Name suggestions on a postcard (or comment) please.

As fortune would have it I discovered the Velocity Cafe and Bicycle Workshop on the way into Inverness, completely by accident, so I stopped for a cup of tea and a chat. Great cafe and staff, obviously cycling themed. The girls gave me a few tips on my route to Loch Ness, where I intended to wild camp that evening, directing me to Dores. This avoided the A82 on the north side, which is apparently a little hazardous for cyclists, being very busy.

Welcome break in Velocity Cafe

Velocity Cafe and Bicycle Workshop – pop in if you’re passing

I spent a while in the cafe before heading in to Inverness revitalised to hunt for a few bits and pieces, including a new cable for my Power Monkey, to connect it to the solar panel – the cable has fractured somehow. I spent a while trying a few different shops, so got to see quite a bit of Inverness, including one of the retail parks a few miles out of town where there’s a Maplins. No joy on the cable front but bought a few supplies and I like Inverness, has a nice feel to it. I’ll have to order the cable online and get it somewhere on route, but that’s going to take a bit of organising; I’ll add it to the list with the Garmin on it.

Inverness high street

Inverness castle

Post Inverness I took the B862 down to Dores, temporarily leaving the coast to go monster hunting. The rain, hail and wind dropped off in the lee of the hills as I approached Loch Ness, I was definitely in the Highlands now, passing through some lovely countryside, and up and down a few hills.

Sun on beech trees

I reached Dores and cycled on for a bit, taking in some of the loch and beautiful scenery, as well as scoping out a site to camp for the evening. Satisfied I’d found a suitable location I returned to Dores and the Inn, recommended by the Velocity Cafe, for dinner and a couple of pints, plus a cheeky dram. Dinner consisted of oven roasted salmon on ham risotto, and was truly excellent. I chatted with a few of the other patrons, both locals and visitors. Thanks for the tips on the route and things to see Ryan!

I also met a couple on holiday from Houghton-le-Spring, somewhere I’d camped a couple of weeks ago, small world. They were interested in my ride, having lost one of their sons to leukaemia a few years ago. Was good to have a chat with people who’d had similar experiences, and was interested to hear about his charity ride of a few years ago, via several forces bases to Germany I think. All the more impressive seeing as he has one prosthetic leg from the knee down – a result of a childhood accident involving a bus. Sounds like that was a great ride with some good company in the form of squaddies, dangerous drinking pals.

Post the pub I retreated to the site I’d spotted earlier. It was a little damp underfoot but found a firm spot and set up, bedding own for the evening in a very peaceful location overlooking the loch, with the rain pattering down through the trees.

On up the coast tomorrow but I’ll finish with a few photos from Loch Ness.

Loch Ness 1

Loch Ness 2

Loch Ness 3

Loch Ness 4

Loch Ness 5

Loch Ness 6 – with mini Nessies. Sign said this was then dwelling of a dedicated Nessie hunter who’d been on watch for about 17 years!

Loch Ness 7 – sun going down

Loch Ness 8 – me

Loch Ness 9

Loch Ness 10 – wild camp

Only about 43 miles today, but hard won, in spite of my weather nemesis. No monsters to report on the loch.

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Leg 11 – to Stirling via the Union Canal

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11 May 2013

With Noah off to little ninjas club with Meredith, Hugh cooked up a fine cyclists breakfast of sausages, beans and fried potatoes, most excellent fare for a day on the road. I needed to get a few things done to the bike before leaving Edinburgh, and after a few false starts we found a bike shop that stocked what I needed. Hugh printed off a more detailed map with directions to the bike shop, and then on to the Union Canal which I intended to follow to Falkirk.

Bidding goodbye to my excellent hosts, with a snack pack, clean laundry and boosted Star Wars knowledge aded to my inventory, I set off cycling down Princes Street again, seeing the castle, and managed not to get lost or waylaid by Edinburgh drivers or buses, on my way to the shop. Bit of an overcast and dreary day, but no rain as yet.

Edinburgh Castle 1

Edinburgh Castle 2

I found Blackhall Cycles owned and run my Derek Laing, who turned out to be a real whizz on the bike front, as well as being very friendly and helpful. My brake blocks needing replacing before tackling the rest of Scotland, and my tyres had seen better days, so I got them all replaced – got some funky Aztec brake pads, and Schwalbe tyres which are much tougher so should cope with the sometimes rough cycle tracks better. Derek also straightened my wheels which had gone a little out of shape, and tweaked, cleaned and lubed various things, quite an education in bike maintenance. Glad to report everything is running a lot more smoothly again now, with far more responsive brakes which I think I’ll need. Hopefully won’t need to change anything else significant for the rest of the tour, touch wood. Would strongly recommend any tourers passing through Edinburgh stopping in at Blackhall Cycles (15 Marischal Place, Blackhall, Edinburgh)for a bike health check and chat, thanks Derek (and for the donation).

Post Blackhall Cycles, and again following Hugh’s map, I made my way through the city to the start of the Union Canal, stopping for a pizza lunch break on the way. The Union Canal runs all the way to the Falkirk Wheel, something I wanted to see, a distance of about 34 miles. I spent quite a few hours chugging along by the canal, passing various towns and villages, including Linlithgow and it’s palace. I passed over several aqueducts, and through some lovely countryside once out of Edinburgh. Unfortunately I still had the headwind from yesterday to contend with, and the track was pretty bumpy and muddy in places so was glad of he new tyres. At least it was flat being a canal track.

Union Canal 1

Union Canal 2

Union Canal 3

Avon Aqueduct

Also passed through a couple of old and mysterious tunnels, at least one of which was Goblin infested, but made it through unscathed.

Goblin tunnel 1

Goblin tunnel 2

Goblin tunnel 3 – leaking!

There were a lot of other cyclists going the other way, on a charity ride from Glasgow for Guide Dogs for the blind. I stopped and chatted to a few of them who were comprehensively mud splattered, apparently there was a bad stretch near Glasgow but I wasn’t going that far. I helped one mend a puncture as his pump was broken, my good deed for the day, couldn’t help another with a broken pedal though, hope he made it okay.

Nesting swam

I made it to the Falkirk Wheel about 5ish, and stopped for a look. It’s an amazing piece of engineering, which transports boats from the canal on high down to the next section of the route below, via a huge rotating device. Apparently it’s the only one like it in the world.

Falkirk Wheel 1

Falkirk Wheel 2

Falkirk Wheel 3

Falkirk Wheel 4

Falkirk Wheel 5

From Falkirk I rode north up the A9 to Stirling, passing Bannockburn but not stopping as it was getting late and would be closed. I stopped in Stirling for a bite to eat before heading off to find a place to camp. I’d been roughly tracking the Firth of the Forth all day, so was good to cross the River Forth.

River Forth

I rode up past the William Wallace monument, an impressive structure that looks great up on the hilltop, and can be seen for miles, dominating the landscape, I’m sure Mel Gibson William Wallace would approve.

Wallace Monument 1

Wallace Monument 2

Rather than wild camp I opted to stay at the Witches Craig campsite. A lovely site although the midges had started to appear so I quickly applied Avon Lady skin so soft which worked a treat, and probably helped my wind chapped face too! A group of fellow campers had just finished their BBQ and had leftovers which they kindly offered me, plus a glass of wine, very kind of them and was great to have a chat. Never going to turn down more food on this tour! They live on the coast so might meet up with them again at some point.

Got to bed late due to starting late, but a great day. As I was settling down, in sight of the Wallace Monument, there were some very loud bangs in the distance. No idea what caused them, a quarry maybe, but seems weird late at night. Suspect more goblin activity!

Going to be a cold night as clear sky, hopefully better weather tomorrow.

Witches Craig

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Leg 9 – to Berwick-upon-Tweed via Northumbria

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09 May 2013

After a sound night’s sleep courtesy of Lynne and John, woke up feeling a little dehydrated. Think I need to make sure I drink enough even when it’s cold and I’m not sweating much. It was a beautiful morning with bright sunshine and only the odd fluffy white cloud, however the forecast was for rain later. It often seems to do this in Northumbria, starts off lovely then deteriorates as the day goes on. I made sure I had my waterproof handy after jinxing the weather by applying sun cream.

After a superb and hearty breakfast (full English) I bid goodbye to John, Lynne having left for the office early, thanks again for putting me up guys, recommend no.28 for all touring cyclists! First I cycled back up the hill for a quick look at Warkworth Castle, the first of many I was to see today.

Warkworth Castle 1

Warkworth Castle 2

Warkworth Village

Warkworth Village 2

I then headed back through Warkworth and over the bridge, turning right on to route 1, intending to follow it for a bit before turning inland to visit Alnwick, a short detour down memory lane and to restock with supplies. Reached it in good time after a couple of invigorating hill climbs, and stopped in at Barter Books, the UK’s biggest second hand bookshop and well worth a nosy around. Unfortunately I had no spare room in my panniers, could have spent hours there looking over the dusty shelves of venerable tomes and interesting books of all genres. Feel certain there must be a few magic grimoires hidden amongst the collection, some scenes from the Harry Potter films having been filmed in Alnwick.

Barter Books, Alnwick, well worth a nosy

I meandered around the town some more and past the castle, but didn’t enter – too expensive at £14 to justify a flying visit and I’d been there before. The castle was used for some of the Hogwarts scenes. After restocking with supplies (pasta, sauces, fruit, chocolate and lunch), but forgetting breakfast ingredients, d’oh, I left Alnwick and made my way back to the coast, down to Howick, along to Craster (wondered if there was a Keep there aka Game of Thrones), and on to Embleton.

Bike with banana attachment

Alnwick Castle 1

Alnwick Castle 2

Passed a lot of sheep and lambs lying about in the sunshine. Do sheep lying down mean the same thing as cows lying down, that it’s going to rain? My Gran always said that about cows apparently. It did start to rain about an hour later so reckon so.

Northumbria is littered with castles, a testament to it being on the border with Scotland and more warlike days. I passed several more including Dunstanburgh, right on the coast. The below is the view from route 1 which passes right by it.

Dunstanburgh Castle

I did divert from route 1 briefly as it seemed to leave the coastline and I want to stick to it for the most part, but rejoined it at Seahouses, where you can get a boat a out out to the Farne Islands to visit the seals, colonies of sea birds, and St Cuthbert’s pad; he spent his later life there as a hermit. He was also prior of Lindisfarne (Holy Island) which was somewhere I wanted to visit later, but the tides were wrong to get across the causeway, would have to wait for another visit.

Seahouses 1

Farne Islands in the distance

I didn’t have time for a trip out to the Farne Islands today, and besides I’d been there before, plus it was getting pretty wet and cold. After having lunch (again) I chatted to a fellow Ridgeback Panorama tourer for a bit, always nice, before moving on up the coast past Bamburgh Castle which is very impressive, standing tall and imposing.

Bamburgh Castle

Think Bernard Cornnwall used this location as inspiration for Bebbanburgh, in his Uhtred books which are a great read, set in the period of Alfred the Great with battling Saxons, Normans, Christians and Pagans. If memory serves it was restored by the same person who built Cragside, Lord Armstrong, a great industrialist and inventor. Both places well worth a visit – Cragside especially but was somewhat off route.

I had to leave the coast post Budle Bay to avoid the A1, so moved inland on route 1, and up and down a few more hills. Met a couple from over the pond on heavily laden tourers on their way from Glasgow to Amsterdam, on their first visit to the UK. Nice to chat for a bit and they said how friendly and helpful they had found everyone so far, very encouraging. They started on the 01 May too, and were cycling into the headwind today which I didn’t envy them. Recommended a trip to Norwich on their way down to Harwich to get the boat. They were somewhat surprised I was in in shorts – said I was acclimatising for Scotland!

Continued on to Beal in the drizzle, and stopped at the Beal Barn Cafe for a hot chocolate, followed by a beer as it was still raining – got to keep hydrated after all. Beal is at the head of the causeway to Holy Island, but as mentioned the tide was in so it would have to wait for another visit. This is the second time this has happened to me, poor planning, maybe third time lucky. The Cafe has free wifi and was nice and warm so spent a good hour there sheltering from the rain, and downloaded a new WordPress app for my iPad, hence the photos now. Friendly staff too who gave me marshmallows for my hot chocolate, must have taken pity on my somewhat bedraggled state.

Holy Island in the drizzle

Beal Barn Cafe – rehydrating

From Beal I headed towards Berwick-upon-Tweed. Had to travel on the A1 for a bit to make up some time, and I wanted to get to the campsite to get out of the wind and rain. The A1 was surprisingly okay, despite the big trucks – probably hit it at a quiet point. After an 8 mile stretch I turned off into Scremerston and headed into Berwick looking for the Pot-a-Doodle campsite – they have wigwams which I thought sounded cool. I doubled back through Wittal in a big circle, on a very bumpy route 1 along the cliffs which I was glad it’d avoided earlier. Eventually found the campsite back in Scremerston, but it was closed.

Rode back to Berwick and found a different campsite – East Ord House Park, which accepts tents and had a cosy spot for me next to a monkey puzzle tree. Quickly set up the tent and got a very welcome hot shower, before retreating to the on site bar for a huge plate of liver and bacon, side salad and onion rings. Really nice and very much needed. This was to be my last night in England for a while being only a stones throw from the border, so I had a couple of pints from the Belhaven Brewery, as recommended by the friendly clientele, to mark the occasion, whilst writing up my blog from the comfort of the bar.

All in all a great day at around 70 miles, and trip down memory lane, if a little tough at a couple of points; I did resort to playing some Pantera and Disturbed off my phone at a couple of points to get me up a few hills! Then Coldplay came on which slowed me down somewhat – this was on speaker by the way as don’t agree with cycling in earphones, but there was no one else to annoy apart from the odd bemused looking cow.

Off into Scotland tomorrow, and round to Edinburgh which I hope to reach in time to visit the office in St Andrew’s Square, should be doable depending on the weather. Looking forward to seeing Hugh and Meredith who have offered to put me up for the night.

Bike and body still doing well, although one unpredicted side effect of lots of cycling is a very dry nose, and think I might have burst a few capillaries therein. Will visit a chemist in Edinburgh but probably just needs to acclimatise to lots of outdoor activity!

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Bike Around Britain

Blog on cycling around the coast of Britain

Tag Archives: photos

Leg 31 – to Cape Wrath

Leg 30 – to Durness via Tongue

30 May 2013

Leg 29 – finishing off on Orkney and back to mainland – Bettyhill

Leg 28 – a day off in Orkney

Leg 27 – to Orkney and Kirkwall

Leg 26 – to John o’ Groats and Thurso

Leg 24 – to Dornoch, via Tain

Leg 22 – to Loch Ness via Inverness

Leg 11 – to Stirling via the Union Canal

Leg 9 – to Berwick-upon-Tweed via Northumbria