Today was perhaps the warmest and sunniest day of cycling I have experienced on this trip so far in Scotland. I even wore sun cream. Well, you can’t be too careful. But it truly felt that warm. A perfect day, then, for a morning’s excursion to Staffa and the famous Fingal’s Cave. After the Giant’s […]
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Map 48 – Mull
I’m in a pub again. When I leave here I will be on my own this evening in a cosy camping pod in Fionnphort, on the far western tip of the Isle of Mull, opposite Iona. But I still have 5 miles left to cycle there before dark and it is already past 8pm. I […]
There can be few more beautiful towns in Scotland, perhaps anywhere, than Tobermory. It even has a great name. And it sits squarely in OS map 47, which I wasn’t in, or even next to, having left Coll and map 46 by the only sensible option, the Calmac ferry to Oban. I needed to take […]
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Map 46 – Coll
What a difference a day makes. I was lucky to have the option to stay inside for most of yesterday, and happy to take it. Today began overcast and windy; but the clouds soon blew away to leave a bracing northerly breeze and warm, bright sunshine. Excellent conditions for seeing the island of Coll, and […]
It rained hard last night in Oban. A lot. It arrived and forgot to leave. By the time I crawled out of bed for the 7am ferry to Coll and Tiree it had eased a little; but we didn’t get much respite from it all day long today. Luckily, the forecast is for better weather […]
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Oban: New port, familiar problem
Having passed so many times already through the likes of Ullapool and Mallaig en route to and from various islands further north, it was a refreshing change to set out today for a ferry from somewhere new. I boarded the 10.36am departure from Glasgow Queen Street full of optimism that the weather would be better […]
My ride today completed a seven map coast-to-coast that began what feels like ages ago in Map 39 on the misty Isle of Eigg. I was heading more or less due east all day, except for the first 5 miles when I decided on a whim to head due west instead. I felt I needed […]
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Map 43 again
It seems ages ago that I left Kirkton of Glenisla and made my way home for a very busy week of pre-arranged commitments and a couple of extra days of extreme heat avoidance; but here we go again! It took me all of yesterday afternoon to reach Edinburgh, where I spent the night, and then […]
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The contents of my panniers
I had a couple of requests to see what I am carrying with me on this trip. So when I packed yesterday, I set it all out and took pictures. In these 3 photos you can hopefully get an idea of what lies within my on-board luggage! Minimising weight is obviously important and I try […]
I have the rest of this month and a bit more planned and booked now. It will begin just as soon as this exceptionally hot weather passes, on Wednesday. I’ll be counting “official” miles from Thursday! Wednesday 20th July: Trains from Hathersage to Edinburgh. Stay in Edinburgh. Thursday 21st July: Morning train to Perth, ride […]