Day 6
Today 73 km 765m Ferries: 2 Fionnphort>Iona Iona>Fionnphort
Tour to date: 377km 4030m Ferries: 7 Islands: 4
Isle of Iona looking back to Fionnphort on Mull
From Strava: Against the odds we stayed dry. Glorious day, was not expecting the variety of scenery out to Fionnphort but boy was it cold. That northerly is still blowing and overcast until later afternoon. Pitched tent at Fiddens Farm and huddled in tent to eat late lunch. Went over to Iona and did road right and road left. Warmed up in pub. Came back and had superb dinner in the Fionnphort pub. Now sitting on beach in gentle breeze and full sun at 9.30pm đ
Good morning campers from Craignure
We are a little warmer at night now, not because the temperatures are improving but because the merino winter base layers are great. Merino base layers have past us by, mostly because they are a stupid price. Generally I'm too hot so why would I want to be hotter? We had bought some lightweight T shirt ones before the tour, mainly for sleeping in. Those friends that banged on about them were right. I have since tested the lightweight one in extremely hot weather and they do absorb the sweat as well, so no chill when night falls/wind gets up/café stop etc
We're away in good time, I know 9.30am is not most cyclists' idea of a good getaway but we're pretty pleased with that.
All we have to do is ride west my boy. The very strong northerly is a bit more of a crosswind today. We have a nice pass to conquer, Glen More, past Loch Sgurbain and a whizz down the otherside and flat all the way to Fionnphort where the ferry hops over to Iona. We want to pitch the tent and have a touristy afternoon pottering on Iona so not a big day. Really really want to have a wild swim too.
A very wonky snow depth marker to rest against on Glen More. I have had a bungee round my right pannier since Day 1 when one of the rivets on my Ortleib attachment bar popped. One of the few things we haven't brought as spares. Fortunately the other one did last. My frame is so small the tent sticks out a lot, just not very neat is it?
The climb past Loch Sgurbain
Up we go, wearing quite a lot of clothes, although overcast it's fairly dry.
A grand whizz down the other side to follow the coast from Pennyghael to Bunessan. We weren't expecting any facilities until Bunessan but there appeared the best Post Office/Stores and Café ever at Pennyghael. The small Post Office that had absolutely everything in a very small space. The friendly Post Mistress had a table and tea and two sorts of cake for the cafe corner, the lemon drizzle was gorgeous which we naturally appreciated very much, warming our cockles. I bought a lovely locally photographed card to post for my brother's birthday on Sunday, it got to Durham in time. I was tempted by the puffin china mugs too, but no room for souvenirs, so we bought some bananas and a few munchies. Fortunately, as we left, the lady informed us that after working for 4 months straight through 6/7 she was having a weekend off to go to a weaving exhibition on the mainland, a very well deserved mini break, so would be shut tomorrow/Saturday. We were grateful for knowing that otherwise I'd have been looking forward to visiting when retracing our steps before turning north in the morning. It's OK when you presume there is no café but if you very definitely think there is one and then it is shut. That's not good.
Pennyghael Stores friendly heron
Replete from the lemon drizzle we head back out. We loop a bit to avoid the main road before Bunessan, but the traffic is not as bad as we were led to believe. There are a lot of buses heading to Iona but it's not school holidays or the weekend yet and it's middle of the day
We come into Fionnphort and hanger left up to Fidden Farm campsite with the first tailwind of the holiday whoosh. I think I can remember the approach, we had a holiday here for a week camping in September 1995. A drought of a summer, until that week when the gales and rain came in. We remember the year as our two eldest girls were with us age 5 and 2, and we realised we were expecting our third that week, she was born the following spring. We built sand boats on the beach and watched our frame tent bending in the wind from Iona.
We booked in at the farmhouse, and the farmer told us everything was exactly the same, with a very broad smile. Except there is now a toilet/shower block. What luxury. There are no boundaries but it is a rolling site, masses of camper vans parked up with a sea view. We pitched in a hollow away from the beach as the wind was still bordering gale force. No romantic beach/sunset views for us, from the tent anyway. We huddled in the tent and made and ate our sandwiches, it was far too chilly for a picnic. We set off without our panniers into the headwind to catch the ferry to Iona, and hopefully the coach tours would be finishing up and heading back so we could have a quiet couple of hours.
Ferry to Iona
Towards Iona Youth Hostel
as it says in the sand...
Isle of Iona looking back to Fionnphort on Mull
We never made it to Colonsay but the gin was good on Iona.
Iona Abbey
Lobster pots on Iona
We rode right past the abbey, and left as far as the road goes. We didn't pay to go in again. Had a mooch in a shop, and went into a pub to warm up. Nice scenery but honestly not nice to be amongst others. we ended up being aimless like them. I really am getting intolerant in old age. In fact we had a bit of a row, Steve just wanted to go in a pub, any pub, as he was so cold, so I rode the roads and took a few pics on my own and joined him a bit later. It's not all hunky dory on tour all of the time. We got the ferry back to Fionnphort.
We ate at the Keel Row in Fionnphort and had a lovely meal. The day was definitely recovered after our not satisfactory attempts at a touristic afternoon. We ate and made up, planning tomorrow. We rode the mile back to the tent and the sun was now out so a lovely walk on the beach before bed. Unfortunately even I couldn't face getting that cold for a swim still.
Fidden Farm, Isle of Mull
Fiddden Farm
Just perfect
From Insta:
Day 6 #PuffingPuffinsTour2019 already! Beautiful #cycle from #Craignure to #Fionnphort #Mull Varied scenery. We stayed dry but still very cold with the strong northerly and 10 degrees. Pennyghael Post Office and CafĂ© was a surprise find, lemon drizzle cake đWe battled up to Fidden Farm Campsite where we last stayed 24 years ago and put the tent up in shelter of a hollow not overlooking the stunning beach! Lunch shivering in ⛺️ then off for the ferry to #Iona. We mooched and warmed up in the pub., I rode both roads, no idea why so many cars! Too many people even later in the day. Back over for dinner at #KreelRow pub which was excellent. Just having a smashing time. #camping #cycletouring #innerhebrides
Today 73 km 765m Ferries: 2 Fionnphort>Iona Iona>Fionnphort
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| Isle of Iona looking back to Fionnphort on Mull |
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| Good morning campers from Craignure |
We are a little warmer at night now, not because the temperatures are improving but because the merino winter base layers are great. Merino base layers have past us by, mostly because they are a stupid price. Generally I'm too hot so why would I want to be hotter? We had bought some lightweight T shirt ones before the tour, mainly for sleeping in. Those friends that banged on about them were right. I have since tested the lightweight one in extremely hot weather and they do absorb the sweat as well, so no chill when night falls/wind gets up/café stop etc
We're away in good time, I know 9.30am is not most cyclists' idea of a good getaway but we're pretty pleased with that.
All we have to do is ride west my boy. The very strong northerly is a bit more of a crosswind today. We have a nice pass to conquer, Glen More, past Loch Sgurbain and a whizz down the otherside and flat all the way to Fionnphort where the ferry hops over to Iona. We want to pitch the tent and have a touristy afternoon pottering on Iona so not a big day. Really really want to have a wild swim too.
A very wonky snow depth marker to rest against on Glen More. I have had a bungee round my right pannier since Day 1 when one of the rivets on my Ortleib attachment bar popped. One of the few things we haven't brought as spares. Fortunately the other one did last. My frame is so small the tent sticks out a lot, just not very neat is it?
 |
| The climb past Loch Sgurbain |
Up we go, wearing quite a lot of clothes, although overcast it's fairly dry.
A grand whizz down the other side to follow the coast from Pennyghael to Bunessan. We weren't expecting any facilities until Bunessan but there appeared the best Post Office/Stores and Café ever at Pennyghael. The small Post Office that had absolutely everything in a very small space. The friendly Post Mistress had a table and tea and two sorts of cake for the cafe corner, the lemon drizzle was gorgeous which we naturally appreciated very much, warming our cockles. I bought a lovely locally photographed card to post for my brother's birthday on Sunday, it got to Durham in time. I was tempted by the puffin china mugs too, but no room for souvenirs, so we bought some bananas and a few munchies. Fortunately, as we left, the lady informed us that after working for 4 months straight through 6/7 she was having a weekend off to go to a weaving exhibition on the mainland, a very well deserved mini break, so would be shut tomorrow/Saturday. We were grateful for knowing that otherwise I'd have been looking forward to visiting when retracing our steps before turning north in the morning. It's OK when you presume there is no café but if you very definitely think there is one and then it is shut. That's not good.
 |
| Pennyghael Stores friendly heron |
Replete from the lemon drizzle we head back out. We loop a bit to avoid the main road before Bunessan, but the traffic is not as bad as we were led to believe. There are a lot of buses heading to Iona but it's not school holidays or the weekend yet and it's middle of the day
We come into Fionnphort and hanger left up to Fidden Farm campsite with the first tailwind of the holiday whoosh. I think I can remember the approach, we had a holiday here for a week camping in September 1995. A drought of a summer, until that week when the gales and rain came in. We remember the year as our two eldest girls were with us age 5 and 2, and we realised we were expecting our third that week, she was born the following spring. We built sand boats on the beach and watched our frame tent bending in the wind from Iona.
We booked in at the farmhouse, and the farmer told us everything was exactly the same, with a very broad smile. Except there is now a toilet/shower block. What luxury. There are no boundaries but it is a rolling site, masses of camper vans parked up with a sea view. We pitched in a hollow away from the beach as the wind was still bordering gale force. No romantic beach/sunset views for us, from the tent anyway. We huddled in the tent and made and ate our sandwiches, it was far too chilly for a picnic. We set off without our panniers into the headwind to catch the ferry to Iona, and hopefully the coach tours would be finishing up and heading back so we could have a quiet couple of hours.
 |
| Ferry to Iona |
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| Towards Iona Youth Hostel |
 |
| as it says in the sand... |
 |
| Isle of Iona looking back to Fionnphort on Mull |
 |
| We never made it to Colonsay but the gin was good on Iona. |
 |
| Iona Abbey |
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| Lobster pots on Iona |
We rode right past the abbey, and left as far as the road goes. We didn't pay to go in again. Had a mooch in a shop, and went into a pub to warm up. Nice scenery but honestly not nice to be amongst others. we ended up being aimless like them. I really am getting intolerant in old age. In fact we had a bit of a row, Steve just wanted to go in a pub, any pub, as he was so cold, so I rode the roads and took a few pics on my own and joined him a bit later. It's not all hunky dory on tour all of the time. We got the ferry back to Fionnphort.
We ate at the Keel Row in Fionnphort and had a lovely meal. The day was definitely recovered after our not satisfactory attempts at a touristic afternoon. We ate and made up, planning tomorrow. We rode the mile back to the tent and the sun was now out so a lovely walk on the beach before bed. Unfortunately even I couldn't face getting that cold for a swim still.
We ate at the Keel Row in Fionnphort and had a lovely meal. The day was definitely recovered after our not satisfactory attempts at a touristic afternoon. We ate and made up, planning tomorrow. We rode the mile back to the tent and the sun was now out so a lovely walk on the beach before bed. Unfortunately even I couldn't face getting that cold for a swim still.
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| Fidden Farm, Isle of Mull |
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| Fiddden Farm |
 |
| Just perfect |
From Insta:
Day 6 #PuffingPuffinsTour2019 already! Beautiful #cycle from #Craignure to #Fionnphort #Mull Varied scenery. We stayed dry but still very cold with the strong northerly and 10 degrees. Pennyghael Post Office and CafĂ© was a surprise find, lemon drizzle cake đWe battled up to Fidden Farm Campsite where we last stayed 24 years ago and put the tent up in shelter of a hollow not overlooking the stunning beach! Lunch shivering in ⛺️ then off for the ferry to #Iona. We mooched and warmed up in the pub., I rode both roads, no idea why so many cars! Too many people even later in the day. Back over for dinner at #KreelRow pub which was excellent. Just having a smashing time. #camping #cycletouring #innerhebrides
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