Tour d'Ecosse Day 9 Gairloch to Shieldaig - Applecross Peninsula Sunday 10th July 2016

Tour d'Ecosse Day 9 Gairloch to Shieldaig and Applecross Peninsula 85km 1176m ascent

Cumulative: 762km 8362m ascent Ferries 9 Islands 13

View from Shieldaig to Loch Sheidaig

After a good breakfast, in the much nicer family kitchen of the B&B that actually has the nice view advertised, we head out. Just the warm up.4 lumps. Less ascent than yesterday. Easy peasy lemon squeezy. We won't be going over 150m, look the map says so.

A-hem.

Be warned, today is a picture heavy day. A very picture heavy day. I want to drink in the scenery forever.

Loch Maree 

Firstly a stop st the Spar as we leave Gairloch for food supplies for the day, we are good at being prepared especially on Sundays now, we are staying in a yurt tonight. Even in dreich drizzly clag the ride from Gairloch to Torridon is wild and spectacular.

Loch Maree

We reminisced about camping in Torridon for a few days on our honeymoon, how wild it was and still is. Spectacularly wild. How big the mountain was we tried to climb but got turned back by pea souper clag each day we tried. That will have been Beinn Eighe then.

Towards Kinlochewe

But I'm jumping ahead. The terrain this morning was not as bad as we had anticipated, just drizzle and midges to contend with as it was quite calm. Had to be quick taking pics! We came to signs for Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve's Visitor Centre. Visitor Centre = Tea and Cake...right...must have, a given, a money making opportunity...but...it was a great visitor centre, staffed by a lovely bearded chap enthusiastic about his centre, the birds, scenery and topography/geology. We learnt about the Big 6. Ohh eck, that's rhinos and tigers isn't it? Phew, we're talking eagles and the like. This NNR was the first in Scotland, and protects an ancient pine forest plantation too. Webcams to watch the bird feeders, hides. The works. Free as well, a great resource. We took our time and enjoyed the displays. Um..no café. So unspoilt too as a result, a slurp of water and on we go to guaranteed facilities in Kinlochewe just up the road.

Except the Kinlochewe Hotel's bar doesn't open until midday. I'm not sure if that was an every day thing or a Sunday thing but it was 11-ish and now quite damp and chilly to loiter for service. I poked my head round the door and bravely asked if there was any chance of a coffee for none residents, given there is a bunkhouse there too, but no. Oh well, Kinlochewe Post Office is open and a group of friendly bikers, of the vroom vroom sort, were clustered at a bench outside with takeaway mugs of steaming hot beverages. They had exhausted the cafe/hotel/visitor centre options too. The Post Office in these parts are usually pretty entrepreneurial, hot drinks machine and very tasty home made tray bakes from the cheerful local teenager to take away to the bench and sit huddle under the brolly (another optimistic parasol) outside. Revived somewhat from hot drink, cake and chat with the bikers we set off up the second grind of the day.

Up to Torridon Pass

Loch Clair 

It has taken quite a bit of detective work to remember which loch is what. Strava times and maps have helped somewhat. On and up we go, less claggy than when we were starting from this pass to walk up Beinn Eighe all those years ago.

Beinn Eighe foothills 

Dropping down the other side, we recognise the terraced campsite on the outskirts of Torridon. On to the lake we go.

Upper Loch Torridon

When planning the holiday I really wanted to spend the night at the Torridon Hotel, Just go and look at the website and get a feel for the spectacular scenery and imposing architecture on their videos. However the lowest rate was £250 a night, and with dinner another £80 each. Not counting wine. It looks amazing though. Even if they had had a room at the cheapest rate when I was booking, we would feel a bit out of place. The sister Torridon Inn was a great compromise. £120 a night, can still eat in the restaurant. However I worked it we could not stay the night as the 15 day plan would not work if we were going to attempt Bealach na Ba tomorrow.

However we worked it being there for afternoon tea, which seemed a brilliant compromise, £20 each, as a delayed anniversary celebration, also didn't pass the number crunching as I had calculated we needed to be further on than Shieldaig tonight to make tomorrow achievable.

So we went to the Inn for lunch, it was great. We were pretty wet, it was smart, but wood and slate floor smart, walking boots at the door, plenty of people in damp clothing but we were the only cyclists. Heating on and surreally Andy Murray thrashing out Wimbledon 2016 in a heat wave somewhere the other side of the world, or it may as well have been! I had a delicious chick pea and bean cassoulet for £9. Very tasty, plenty delicious bread, warming and not too heavy for the afternoon of cycling to come but substantial enough to be my main meal today. So grateful to have some vegetables. Burger, pie, venison all superb cooking but not pretentious. I had read that the chef is the same for the Inn so win win, We had just the right amount of poshness without feeling uncomfortable. Our wet gloves steamed on the radiator and we staved off the chill that had been setting into the bones.

Torridon Hotel

Perhaps I should buy a lottery ticket or find a sugar daddy if I ever want to stay at the Torridon. Think a lottery ticket odds are infinitesimally more likely. Just one night... in the hotel, not with a sugar daddy ughhh! Now I want to stay at the Inn for a couple of nights, have the tasting menu one night, the pub menu another night and afternoon tea. Then I want to borrow a mountain bike, canoe on the loch and tramp the fells a bit. There is nearly a holiday in every location we have been to.

Rushy River

We regretfully leave before localish boy Andy Murray wins at Wimbledon, which hopefully is not a spoiler but we didn't find out the result for a day or so. We wend our way around to Shieldaig, we loved it, a row of traditional cottages and houses, pub, café and a fabulously stocked small shop open until 4 on a Sunday. We are off to our yurt so a small bottle of whisky was purchased and a couple of nibbles to complement our picnic dinner. Excellent. There was a short discussion about options. In theory we could miss out the Applecross peninsula, and go straight across to Loch Carron if we found somewhere to stay here. That had been the original plan but I stole a day on the Hebrides to make the loop of the Applecross peninsula possible. Steve was not as keen as me. We stuck to our guns though, it wasn't raining now and we were drying out nicely.

Taking a picture of...see below!

....Loch Shieldaig

Shores of Loch Shieldaig

This is the part of the day we had been building up in our heads for a while. Reports of the Applecross peninsula are of stunning wild scenery and sea views but my goodness you work to be rewarded with the huge vistas. The ups and downs from Shieldaig to Applecross are the equivalent ascent to Bealach na Ba itself, the highest road pass climb in the land at 650m. Most cyclists do the route the other way round but research said practically everyone thinks they're done and then get caught out by the brutal climbs, just long and steep enough to be very hard work, round to Shieldaig. Cottages and crofts dot the hillside, lots of space between neighbours.

Loch Torridon

Loch Torridon

After some explosive efforts, and passing a couple of triumphant cyclists, congratulating them as they have done Bealach and are still going, we get the lump of the day at Ardheslaig as our finale.

Ardheslaig chuffing hill, ramps up to 15%, done.

It doesn't look it...

but this chuffing lump has been going on forever and

kicks up to 15% at the top...cruelty at the end of the day!

Rewarded with spectacular views we are now on the last few miles downhill to find a settlement called Cuaig where our Cuaig Yurt was situated, like so many settlements we never saw a sign but did find the red roofed building housing Croft Wools weaving workshop. We knew it was shut Sunday/Monday and the owners' daughter was meeting us at the house. We proceeded to walk up and down the road a bit, no house to be seen. Of course we couldn't look up directions as no phone signal and I stupidly hadn't copied and pasted them when we did have signal. nothing in sight, no passing traffic, just views, and sheep. It was getting quite late, around 6pm. It felt so good to have got those hills under our belt before tomorrow.

I left my bike with Steve and tramped back up the hill and down a stone track and thankfully found the main house and was met by a cheerful Abi, we had found the right house, We chatted away and I returned to get Steve and bikes. Quite a rough walk back down the track with our bikes but well worth it. Abi led us over the croft land and machair to the yurt peeping it's red door in the bottom corner of the field. The midges were out, dry air but wet ground. Just look at our home for the night. Abi had filled the water carrier with safe stream water from their supply, offered us firewood for the fire pit, and showed us the toilet tent round the back. I am totally in love yet again. Really this is nicer than the Torridon. we can stay two weeks here for the price of one night in the Torridon. Value for money and total tranquillity. £25 a night. Extra £5 if you want duvets. Stunning value. Posh camping.

Cuaig Yurt

We had brought our sheet liners but the yurt had two z-beds, duvets, a raised floor and camping chairs.

Yurt lush

A raised camping gas stove and pots and pans, matches. Solar lights. We were self sufficient. so airy yet cosy and no midges inside as long as the door was kept closed.

Yurt mod cons

We are fenced in, presumably to keep the sheep at bay, and have our own gate and front lawn.

Our fire pit to keep midges at bay

We brewed up, having remembered to pick up tea bags, coffee and uht milk sachets from the BnB. This is the life. After our snack picnic we walked down to the sandy beach 5 minutes away through the stunning croft machair or wildflower meadow.

Croft machair

Ox eye daisies

After damp bracken wading we opened the gate to the shoreline, the tide is in.

Our beach 9.30pm

Yes I took my knitting on a cycling holiday. It's a "hap" or a working crofter's shawl pattern from a new book, the Book of Haps that I recently bought by the knitwear designer Kate Davies.

Wild knitting

My "Hebridean Hap" is the Shore Hap pattern and I carefully chose the yarn before we left to reflect the colours of the machair, sea, crags and skies in the Hebrides, Cycling and knitting are perfect partners. Knitting on a ferry is normal too isn't it?

My Hebriddean Hap

I will make two halves, join and knit into the triangle at the back and then the ends can tie in many ways and not get in the way when wearing as an extra layer in cooler climates.

I could stay here forever as long as I have midge repellent

Dig the cycling socks and grungy lightweight but perfect sandals, my only pair of footwear other than cycling shoes. One pair full length leggings to keep midges out and a bright easy to dry fleece that can be worn on the bike if necessary.

The frog looked at me as if to say " you are mad, nobody has ever brought their knitting here"  I did not want to go back, it's still nowhere near dark at 10.30. I am sorry but I am coming back here, definitely. I have to do a weaving or dying course. I have to swim in the sea, sit on the beach, barbecue, read, commune with nature and cycle to Applecross Inn to party. At some point it got dark for a couple of hours but we were toasty warm in our Gurt Lush Yurt. We have done well. That's five big days in a row. Tomorrow is the biggest yet.

What the ribbit is she doing on my beach?

Touring Tips in Scotland

1 Mix up your accommodation, cheapest is often the most memorable for all the right reasons.

2 Stash away a couple of sachets of coffee and milk from B&Bs for the self catering nights.

3 Take time out to visit the visitor centres and learn about your environment. Don't expect a café.

Tour d'Ecosse quick links:

Planning
Day 1 Isle of Arran and a little Mull of Kintyre
Day 2 Inner Hebrides: Isles of Islay and Jura
Day 3 Inner Hebrides: Isle of Jura-Tayvallich to Oban
Day 4 Oban to Outer Hebrides: Barra and Vatersay
Day 5 Outer Hebrides: Isles of Barra Eriskay South Uist Benbecula Grimsay North Uist Beneray and Harris
Day 6 Outer Hebrides: Isles of Harris and Lewis to Callanish Stones
Day 7 Outer Hebrides: Butt of Ness to Stornoway and Ullapool
Day 8 Ullapool to Gairloch
Day 9 Gairloch to Shieldaig - Applecross Peninsula
Day 10 Bealach na Bà from Applecross to Plockton
Day 11 Plockton to Inner Hebrides: Isle of Skye Armadale
Day 12 Inner Hebrides: Isle of Skye Armadale to Ardnamurchan
Day 13 Ardnamurchan to Inner Hebrides: Isle of Mull to Oban to Loch Melfort
Day 14 Loch Melfort to Tarbert, Loch Fyne
Day 15 Tarbert Loch Fyne to Ardrossan THE END!