I always have mixed emotions coming towards the end of a cycle tour. Having settled into this rhythm of life, I crave more days to spend wending my way through this glorious landscape, more time to hop off the bike and hike through some of the mountain ranges I've only had time to admire from the road. I enjoy the now swift and slick process of assembling and dismantling my mobile home, embracing the bad weather days with a wry smile and simply being thankful that it's only raining and not a headwind. Appreciating those rare but wonderful days when the sun is shining and the wind is at my back.
Skye has been about slowing myself down, giving myself a bit of 'relaxation time' as I will be swiftly back to work when I return home.
I had a final Harris Gin in Tarbert, then set sail for Skye, crucially with an empty stomach! Fortunately, it was a 'successful' crossing, though I still picked up a few of the puke bags for good measure...can't be too careful, plus they make great rubbish bags for when I'm on the road.
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| Trying on all the tweed at the Harris Tweed shop! |
Landing on Skye, the winds picked up to gale force for my first day, so cycling the Trotternish peninsula was certainly an interesting experience. Fine for heading north and west; with the wind at my back, I zipped up the hill out of Uig, and enjoyed the rollercoaster road that runs around the peninsula. The scenery is starkly different from the Outer Hebrides, with plenty of woodland, the grass so lush and green along the river valleys that were fed from the mountain springs. Tiny villages with whitewashed cottages were dotted throughout the landscape, some houses clinging to the shoreline, others taking some shelter in the hills.
But as soon as the road bent south, I was that wonderful acute angle to the wind, not quite on the nose, but the slightest cross-head wind that threatens to knock you off your bike with every break in the hills or turn in the road. I couldn't help laughing at some points, it being so strong that I was brought to a genuine standstill on a flat road...I'm a fairly strong cyclist, particularly after a few weeks of hard pedalling, so this was quite an experience, and I couldn't stop myself chuckling in mild shock!
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| Enjoying a picnic lunch... |
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| ...in a great wee bus shelter, complete with gate?! |
With such gusts to contend with, I decided to be safe than sorry, and set up shelter in Staffin. This was such a test for my tent, the wind and rain howling all night, with the wall of one side so pressed in that I wished I'd found some rocks to help weigh down that side of my fly sheet. But it held fast, and I stayed dry and warm for another night.
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| Jogging along the beach at Staffin |
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| Supper in the tent, the wind howling outside! |
The Trotternish peninsula is a stunning place to see from the seat of a bicycle. With the wind dying down, I pedalled south and soon came across the inevitable hoards of cars parked at the side of the road: I had reached the Old Man of Storr. It's a walk I had been wanting to do, so I pulled on my trainers and joined the crowds of tourists stretching their legs up the steep incline.
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| Kilt Rock waterfall on route to Old Man of Storr |
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| Busy path |
Now, while I think it is great that so many people take the time to visit this beautiful landscape, I am sad to say that I have a problem with some of these tourists. I realise that a lot of this will sound hypocritical, being a tourist myself, and I also understand that I'm visiting one of the top tourist destinations. This walk is akin to tackling Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh (indeed, a great deal of the scenery in Skye has me reminiscing over that favourite city of mine, the horizon a constant string of Salisbury Crags). But it makes me sad when people lament the mud on their pristine white fashion sneakers or suede ankle boots that they have worn to tiptoe up the not easy incline, and then halted at the end of the well gravelled path.
When the sign at the road says that the route requires appropriate footwear and clothing, read it and take heed! We are in Scotland, not the Mediterranean, so don't expect the route to be mud-free!! And furthermore, don't berate me for splashing through the puddles and squishing through the mud - if you are foolish enough to wear designer clothing on a Scottish hillside then expect some dirt and rain to embed into the white denim.
So needless to say, I was glad to reach the higher ground and take a quieter route up to the Old Man, and to sit leaning against that great pillar, watching the terror of people searching fruitlessly for cover because the rain clouds decided they could wait no longer...I wondered if he was chuckling quietly with me...
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| Me and the Old Man |
I realise that this all sounds like a rant, but for me the attractiveness in visiting somewhere like Scotland is that it is a beautiful and rugged landscape, which, in some parts, has that allure of inaccessibility. If you want to see these wild and secluded places, to experience them firsthand in all their untamed glory, then there needs to be a level of effort and respect for the environment in which you venture, and sadly, I think there is a lack of understanding and appreciation in this instance.
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| I think I prefer it at this distance... |
Portree was a shock to the system. After the peace and quiet of the tourist centres of the Outer Hebrides, this small seaside town felt full to bursting with tourists, that inconveniently kept stepping off the road into my path without looking...so after a quick lunch I made for the relative quiet of the smaller A roads, heading back out west towards Dunvegan, where I thought I may do a little touristing myself and visit the castle I saw advertised.
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| Portree |
However not long before entering the village I was another sign for Skye's Oldest Bakery and Cafe. Naturally, I needed to get my priorities right and made a detour for the bakery. They had not opened when I arrived, but as soon as the shutters were drawn people appeared out of nowhere, forming a veritable scrum at the door. I had not realised quite how popular it was, amongst both locals and tourists alike, all clamouring for the bread, scones, cakes, shortbread and pies. I stopped in for breakfast which included a freshly baked roll still warm from the oven, followed by cake, of course! It was another top cake moment for me, a superbly moist deep tray bake slab of chocolate cake, topped with a thick layer of fudgy icing and crumbled flake. I was sorely tempted and just managed to resist buying an entire tray and strapping it to the top of my panniers!
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| Quality cake!! |
On route south, I made a detour off the main road to Carbost, to visit the Talisker distillery...the whisky tasting made for an interesting onward pedal down to the beach at Glenbrittle, but the dip in the sea at the Black Sands beach quickly sobered me up!
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| The impending Cuillins |
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| Mmmm let the tasting begin! |
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| Yep...the only person sane enough to go for a dip |
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| Is it a seal??....nope tis moi! |
An initial trip to Skye would not be complete without a visit to the Fairy Pools, so I cycled slowly back up the road the next day. The pools form a great zigzagging scar in the mountainside, with water cascading down the steep valley. The weather being mizzly kept the less hardy tourists away, and a few hardier than myself took to the water, splashing into the deep pools - had I known you could plunge pool in the water I would have brought my own swimmers! Next time...
My final night before returning to the mainland, I stopped at the eco-campsite at Armadale, which had the best paid for pitches of my trip: mine overlooked a bay through a window of trees, where I could watch seals playing in the water whilst I ate my dinner, the sun slowly sinking behind the hills.
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| Overlooking Raasay |
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| On route to Armadale |
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| My view over the bay for the evening |
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| Cheeky seals playing in the water...alas this was the best picture I have! |
So I am come to the end of my journey on Skye. I think as a cyclist, it is perhaps not the best of places to visit at this time of year, particularly after the peace of the Outer Hebrides. I have still enjoyed my time here, it has been eyeopening with it's dramatic mountainous landscape, and like with everywhere I have visited so far on this trip, I hope to return to scrape beneath the surface that little bit deeper.
But for now, onwards to more exciting cycling and baked goods, courtesy of the mainland!!
