Mull

The last leg of the adventure - any late dramas?

The ferry from Skye eased into Mallaig port from where boats go out to the “Small Isles” of Rhum, Eigg and Muck - taking me back to those nerdy days of poring over maps when I tried to imagine if they looked like their names. As much as I would like to have jumped on the next ferry to find out, that will have to wait for another trip and there’s a tough old route ahead today. Not just because of the constant up and down but also the rising heat.

Before leaving Mallaig I stocked up at the local Coop, not knowing where the next shop might be - an inspired move despite the extra weight. On down the west coast past more beautiful white beaches. The picture below shows Eigg to the left - kind of fried egg shape - and Rhum to the right, nothing like a bottle shape. As for Muck, it’s a mere speck.

Round the remote Moidart peninsula, once ruled by the MacDonald clan, to the southern tip of Loch Shiel. If I’d gone to the northern tip then I’d have seen the Glenfinnan viaduct made famous by Harry Potter which become a magnet for his fans, particularly Chinese visitors. There’s a regular train service and also steam specials which I’m sure Messrs Palin and Portillo will have been on. But not me this time. Instead, I arrived early at my hotel - yes, a fully deserved night of luxury - and went off to a local beach with my trusty companion for a picnic. Sublime.

After the best night’s sleep of the holiday and a filling Scottish breakfast, time to set off for the final full day. The sun was steaming down by 9am and no breeze. Big decision - which do you apply first, Smidge or sun lotion? I opted for the Smidge which proved a good move as they are breeding in their billions in this weather. A couple of miles down the road I passed through a thousand miles for the tour.

Now round the even more remote and wild Ardnamurchan peninsula including a climb to rival Bealach na Ba - not quite in length or difficulty but in sheer beauty. More views across to the Small Isles and Skye.

At the end of the road there’s a small ferry that takes max 12 cars across to Mull, my final island. It docked at the lovely main town/village Tobermory - for us oldies inspiration for one of the Wombles, for our younger readers it’s Balamory.

Coming out of Tobermory is one of the steepest climbs of the tour and there was a lady sat by the side of the road shaking a cowbell. I thought she must have been following this blog and come out to cheer me on but it turns out there was a cycling sportive around Mull (a very strenuous 140 km) and she was just encouraging the stragglers. From there, a straight 22 miles down to the ferry port at Craignure. The Mull ferries have been on/off all week due to breakdowns and I decided to show up on spec. As luck would have it, they were just finishing loading a ferry that had been cancelled and then reinstated. A leisurely cruise across to Oban which I’d left nearly 3 weeks ago - yes it seems a lot longer. Look at the contrast in weather!

Missin Accomplished! Plan A was to celebrate with fish and chips but it was far too hot, so Plan B was cold fish platter and salad from Tesco, sat in the scorching evening sun overlooking the harbour. Blissful.

Any late dramas? Yes, a call from Sue to say had I seen the email telling me that my train from Glasgow to Carlisle had been cancelled? Nothing was going to bother me and an early visit to Oban station got me and the bike booked on an alternative which still got me to Carlisle in time for my connection to Skipton. Just a 12 mile ride home after that.

I called this post “Mull” which is a bit misleading as I spent less than 4 hours there, except that it has another meaning - to think things over. On the 8 hour train journey back I’ve been doing just that and I thought I would summarise a few things.

The Stats

• 14 islands - 7 ferries - 7 causeways - 2 bridges

• 1044 miles / 1680 kilometres

• 90 hours 21 minutes in the saddle (ouch!). That’s an average of 11.6 mph which I’m very pleased with. Plan was 10, hope was 12.

• Climbed 58,652 feet / 17,877 metres. That’s twice the height of Everest, in fact more than 5 times the elevation from base camp to the summit. Or 13 times Ben Nevis.

• This is a good one - 55,238 calories. Enough to burn off 147 slices of a typical chocolate fudge cake (which I’ve nearly achieved)

Would you recommend?

If you enjoy active outdoor holidays whatever the weather then go for it! There’s not a lot else to do, so be prepared for anything/everything. You also need to book well ahead including ferries if you’ve got a vehicle - bikes don’t count and travel for free! As far as accommodation is concerned, there’s a supply and demand problem - too many people chasing too few rooms so the prices are high unless you go budget and self catering as I did. This is why so many hire camper vans - though expensive on the ferries - and why others go for the wild camping option.

The people are lovely, particularly in the Outer Hebrides where they are obviously proud to share their heritage and it’s great to hear the Gaelic language. You have to accept and respect their Sunday traditions and plan ahead - it’s a good day for travelling as there is little traffic on the roads. There’s another custom you have to get used to - passing places on all the single track roads. Most people are very respectful but some - mainly local van drivers - do not give way, so take care.

Other Questions

Thank you so much for all your comments and questions. Here’s a selection plus some of the things you would eventually have got round to asking!

Favourite island?

Easy one to start with. Harris, by a distance. There’s no direct sailing from the mainland so the good news is you either have to go via Lewis or Skye which both have spectacular scenery. Barra is small but has a bit of everything.

Best experience?

More difficult as there have been so many. I am going to surprise you as it’s not to do with cycling or wildlife. It was the hike up Bla Bheinn on Skye. The challenge and the all round views were breathtaking.

Best cycling?

Go on then, it was Bealach na Ba but closely followed by North Harris, the Golden Road and Ardnamurchan.

Best wildlife?

Yes, it was the otter. Although the oystercatchers fighting off a sea eagle was very exciting (they won).

Worst experience?

I never thought once “why am I doing this” or “I want to go home”. I did utter some expletives slogging across the peat bogs of Lewis into a headwind. And of course there was the broken contact lens incident on the 2nd morning.

Most bizarre experience?

Meeting Tom on his penny farthing at the top of the North Harris hills. Last time I looked he had raised £12.5k for the Stroke Association. Then there was the weird Tractor Rally on North Uist. Plus pictures you haven’t seen in previous blogs of an incredibly remote tennis court on Harris and the whalebone arch in someone’s garden at Bragar.

Any other pictures we haven’t seen?

Millions! Here’s a random selection of road signs which have amused

Best accommodation?

I really enjoyed the quirky camping pod on North Uist and obviously the more upmarket Otter Bothy. All the hostels were good, particularly Torridon and Bragar.

What surprised you most?

The number of European visitors. Great to see them contributing to the economy although adding significantly to the traffic in tourist hotspots. Overall there was more on the roads than I had expected. Lots of bikes in the Outer Hebrides, much fewer on the mainland and on Skye.

How was the bike?

It’s done a great job! A few creaks and groans coming from the rear derailleur (gear changing system), otherwise no mechanicals and no punctures. A word also for the panniers (Ortlieb, made in Germany) and bar bags (Restrap, made in Leeds).

So did you take too much stuff?

Of course! I could have managed with less clothing as everywhere had laundries. In the first week, shorts and tee shirt never made an appearance but by the third week I wore nothing else when off the bike. And the walking trousers, puffa jacket and waterproofs have spent the last fortnight packed away at the bottom of the panniers. Then there was the stuff I took but didn’t want to use - first aid kit, bike repair kit etc.

But you must have forgotten something?

Spare contact lenses! I won’t be making that mistake again. And lip balm which I eventually managed to buy in Mallaig on the penultimate day. Don’t forget Smidge, sun lotion and battery pack.

How are you feeling?

Fantastic!

Thank you again to everyone for your support - we have 73 subscribers plus any friends and family you’ve shared with and each post has had several hundred views (mostly by my mum!). I’ve tried to follow the BBC values of inform, educate and entertain whilst avoiding religious, political and sporting controversies (a pity, some of my favourite subjects). There’s been a bit of national stereotyping but all in good spirit.

Knowing that you’ve enjoyed reading these blogs has kept me motivated and busy and I hope you will join me (and maybe Sue) on a future adventure. The question is, where to next……?