Autumn Tour Day 4 : Iona - Mull - Oban

I didn’t get a great deal of sleep for the second consecutive night, due to the strong winds battering my tent. Fortunately I’d pitched it well and there was no danger of it (and me) being blown away. I got up fairly early, I needed to be at the ferry terminal to catch the first ferry anyway and it was no fun lying inside the tent. I took the tent down carefully then went to the kitchen to fill my water bottles, where I came across a young girl from Colorado who’d pitched her tent after I arrived. We had a chat and I wished her safe travels. I set off for the ferry and waited its arrival from Fionnphort. Suddenly, like a crowd of zombies coming out of the woods, loads of tourists appeared from the street above the harbour and descended on the terminal, clearly they all had to catch the first ferry too! The other cyclist that was camping also turned up too, dragging his camping gear in a trailer behind him.

I watched the ferry as it arrived, feeling thankful that I wasn’t going to be stranded on the island for another day, lovely as the island was. I spent the journey below decks this time, and disembarked at the other end. According to my schedule the ferry I’d booked to Oban departed at 14:25, and it was just after 9:00 now. With 36 miles to cover I should have plenty of time, even allowing for the hills I knew I had to climb. The other cyclist had already set off, while I got my bike ready, took a photo of a couple of Highland cows that were in the car park and then set off. I had to stop in passing places every so often to allow the tourists in their cars and buses to go past me. I soon caught up with and passed the other cyclist.

The road rolled up and down into a strong wind as I passed Pottie again and continued through Bunessan, passing a primary school and war memorial. The wind was due to pick up at midday so I was hoping to get a crack on. I stopped at Port Nan Gael stores again for an early lunch then set off, passing the small herd of Highland cattle again. After passing the B road where I’d came in yesterday the main road carried on and started climbing. I knew there were a couple of steep climbs ahead, even more so than on previous days, so settled into a rhythm I hoped would get me over without tiring myself out. It was a fairly steady climb through stunning scenery, stopping every so often in passing places to allow traffic to pass. I used these stops to take a quick drink and to take the occasional photo.

The climbing went on and on for over 5 miles with many false summits, but eventually I spotted a gap in the mountains that heralded the summit of the climb, where I came to the Three Lochs viewpoint. Pausing for a photo, I set off again and encountered another cyclist going in the opposite direction, letting them know they were nearly at the top. There followed a long downhill which I enjoyed, aside from having to brake for cattle grids to avoid blowing out a tyre. The road eventually flattened out a little and turned south east somewhat surprisingly. I had to get my phone out and check where I was, fortunately I was still on the right route and still on track to get to Craignure ferry terminal well ahead of departure time.

I rode on, passing Loch Spelve and Inverlussa Mussel Farm, through Lochdon and past signs for Duart Castle. The miles were ticking down and I was fairly relaxed, knowing I had plenty of time in hand. A couple more climbs and I was in Craignure just before 1:30, riding through the village to the ferry terminal where I saw that a ferry was docked. I assumed this was an earlier ferry and rode up to the check in point to see if I had missed the check in time. Luckily I hadn’t and boarded the ferry, securing my bike and going up on decks to enjoy the journey. It was only then that I checked to see when the ferry would arrive in Oban and realised that this was the ferry that I’d actually booked, and it ARRIVED in Oban at 14:25! Departure was actually 13:35, and check in closed (in theory) at 13:05, while I was still riding. It was a good job I wasn’t aware of this earlier otherwise it would have been a very stressful ride!

Day 4 : 36 miles, 5¼ hours elapsed, 2,277 feet climbed

Autumn Tour Day 3 : Ardnamurchan - Mull - Iona

I woke early feeling very tired – with the strong wind the waves were rather too noisy for me and I struggled to get much sleep. I had to get up at 6:30 anyway to make the first ferry, in order to get to Iona in decent time. I was a little concerned about catching the ferry anyway, it was a passenger only charter to replace the usual ferry and I had mixed messages from Cal Mac regarding whether bikes were allowed or not. If not, I had no obvious plan other than to wait a couple of days for the normal ferry to return to service or go back the (very hilly) way I’d came. Whatever the outcome, I had to get to the ferry landing anyway, so packed my things away and headed off.

I got to the ferry landing and waited. Soon I could see the tiny boat coming across from Tobermory in the choppy sea, and fortunately as it got closer I spotted another cyclist on board. I was clearly ok to get on! Hoisting my bike on board, I took my luggage on and settled in for the choppy ride. We passed close to Tobermory lighthouse before entering the picturesque harbour of Tobermory itself, with its famous colourful houses by the quayside. Having disembarked, I passed the Tobermory Distillery Visitor Centre which I’d intended to stop at, however I hadn’t realised what time I’d be around, and wasn’t sure when it opened. Calling in at a local shop for a coffee and breakfast bap I thought I’d get a couple of miniatures there, however I was foiled by the Scottish Licensing Laws which prohibit the sale of alcohol before 10am, which coincidentally was when the Visitor Centre opened.

Thwarted, I set off up the hill out of the harbour. I was feeling tired and wasn’t sure if I’d make Iona that day, so I had a Plan B of camping at Salen on Mull if necessary. As I rode along I was treated to very scenic views of the Sound of Mull and the Morven peninsula, at one point three buzzards were circling above. I soon came upon Salen, much earlier than I’d expected, so decided to head south and push on for Iona. It was a bit of a climb to start with through woodland, but soon settled. I passed the pretty Scottish Episcopal Church at Gruline, and then rather worryingly came across a Road Closed sign. I decided to push on anyway, as I thought I ought to be able to at least walk past whatever the closure was. The woodland soon gave way to open views over Loch Na Keal, with the sun out and fluffy white clouds it was a spectacular sight.

A few miles down the road I came to the closure, where BT were replacing a telephone pole. I squeezed through this ok and carried on, coming across my first roadside milepost for the Iona Ferry – 32 miles. Several miles of flattish, quiet lochside road followed before I passed some huge, sheer cliffs on my left with signs warning of danger from rockfall. Shortly after this the road turned inland and climbed, and at one point I ended up pushing up a particularly steep bit, watched by three curious goats. As the gradient eased I remounted and climbed a bit more before reaching a summit, after which the road descended and I came across Loch Scridain. The road veered northwards for a while, and I passed several birdwatchers standing with binoculars in their hands.

Eventually the road reached a junction with the A849, where I turned west for Fionnphort. I crossed a lovely river by the Bridge of Beg then rode through another herd of Highland Cows, this time without any young calves. At Pennyghael I stopped at Port Nan Gael stores for refreshments, and here I received a notification from the Cal Mac app that tomorrow’s Iona ferry sailings may be disrupted or cancelled due to high winds. This gave me a new dilemma – do I continue to Iona and risk being stranded, do I find an alternate campsite on Mull for tonight? It was also very windy now – do I camp in this wind or find more solid shelter?

The last few miles to Fionnphort became more of the lumpy rollercoaster that I’d been used to, and seemed to drag on forever. I went through the pretty village of Bunessan and passed a turning for Pottie, shortly after which I noticed Loch Pottie on my left. I rode into Fionnphort and awaited the ferry. Looking at the weather forecast the high winds were due the following day at around lunchtime, and I should be long gone by then, so when the ferry arrived I wheeled the bike on and went on top to enjoy the 10 minute trip.

At Iona I waited for all the tourists (there were lots of them!) to get off before I too disembarked. Before I went to the campsite I had a ride around the northern part of the island, past the Abbey and Nunnery area which was crowded. I did a little shopping for provisions and gifts and then went to find the campsite. There was one other cycle camper when I arrived, and I wandered round the site looking for a reasonably sheltered place to pitch my tent. I couldn’t really find any, so went for what I thought was least exposed and set up. It would be interesting to see what the night would bring! 

Day 3: 52 miles, 8½ hours elapsed, 3,258 feet climbed

Autumn Tour Day 2 : Strontian - Ardnamurchan

I slept well after a tough day yesterday, and awoke to condensation on the tent and on my bike. The campsite was in a sheltered spot surrounded by mountains so there wasn’t much sun getting in to warm the place and it was very cold overnight. I wandered over to the local cafe for a full Scottish breakfast, wondering if I’d regret it later, then packed up and set off. After crossing the Strontian river the road went straight into climbing, with tremendous views of Loch Sunart on my left all the time and, when I remembered to look that way, some stunning mountain scenery on my right too. It was a lovely road for cycling on, aside from the hilly nature, tree lined with heather and more small hidden waterfalls. It was greyer than yesterday with more cloud, and windier too.

I was intending to head to Kilchoan, but hadn’t seen this on any signposts as yet so was a little concerned, but I eventually came to a sign directing me left for Ardnamurchan – the most westerly point on the British mainland. Soon after I stopped at Salen Jetty Shop for provisions, and shortly after I had remounted and continued on my way I came across a deer coming out of the woodland on my right. I stopped, it stopped, and we looked at each other for a few seconds before it decided I wasn’t that interesting and turned and headed back into the forest. I’d planned on visiting Ardnamurchan Distillery but was unsure how far away it was until I came upon a whisky barrel at the side of the road proclaiming it to be in 1 mile.

I stopped at the distillery to buy some miniatures and merchandise, then headed a few hundred yards down the road to stop at the Ardnamurchan Natural History Visitor Centre for coffee and cake. After my stop, the hills reared up again! If it had been a road race the course would have been described as attritional! Eventually the last big climb was over and for the next few miles the wind was behind me and I flew along, even cycling uphill seemed easy. After a while I was surprised to see the sea in the distance, with an island. I recognised this to be Skye, the unmistakeable Cuillin mountains prominent on the horizon. After a while the road turned back into the wind for a long downhill section through to Kilchoan, where I may have exceeded the 30mph speed limit entering the village.

Riding through Kilchoan I passed the turn off for the ferry I’d be catching tomorrow and, after turning into the wrong campsite by mistake, headed past the local shop and on to my (correct) campsite. I checked in, pitched my tent in what I hoped would be a sheltered spot in amongst some trees, and headed off to Ardnamurchan lighthouse. Not before I’d taken all my heavy panniers off though, I knew there would be more climbing and needed all the help I could get.

It was only 7 miles, but undulating still. I was hoping to catch the cafe open, but didn’t hold out much hope. As it was though, I got there with plenty of time to spare. I had a good chat with the ladies running the cafe while I was buying food and gifts, and when I pointed out that I hadn’t bought any tools or puncture repair stuff they offered to take me back to the campsite in their pickup truck. I declined but said if they saw me in trouble when they left they could stop and help. After a walk around the lighthouse and taking a few pictures I set back off. I stopped at a few places for photos, at one spot I saw a bird of prey flying, at another the ladies from the cafe came past. They asked again if I needed a lift and I declined again. Further along the road I came across another deer on the road, this time I managed to take a photo before it disappeared into the trees.

Finally I got back to Kilchoan and headed uphill to the campsite. Along the road I slowed to avoid a chicken in the road, and who should come out of the house on the left but one of the ladies from the cafe! With a cheery wave I rode into the campsite and back to my tent.

Day 2: 44 miles, 7½ hours elapsed, 4,265 feet climbed 

Autumn Tour Day 1 : Oban - Mull - Strontian

I’d planned a four day tour around the Morvern and Ardnamurchan peninsulas, Mull and Iona to try to make the most of some good early autumn weather, with dry and settled conditions in the forecast when I set off up the M6. My trip started with an early morning ferry from Oban across to Craignure on Mull, and I excitedly went to check in and was directed to stand by a large yellow sign advising cyclists to ‘Q’ here for the ferry. Two other cyclists were on the same sailing as me, and we were loaded onto the ferry first ahead of all the vehicles. Securing my bike in the hold I made my way to the outside decks to enjoy the 50 minute journey. It was a cloudy morning, but as we set sail the sun started rising on the horizon, making a beautiful sight as it rose over the mountains. We passed the island of Lismore with its lighthouse, and approaching Mull were treated to good views of Duart Castle, and I was lucky enough to spot a pod of dolphins in the distance.

Soon we were docking at Craignure and I disembarked. After a quick check of the bike I set off west along the A849 for Fishnish, and my next ferry over the Sound of Mull to Lochaline. This was a much smaller ferry and a shorter journey at less than 20 minutes, and soon I was back on the mainland on the Morvern peninsula. A left turn just after the ferry terminal took me along a quiet, rolling road heading towards Drimnin, and the Nc’Nean distillery (shop visits by appointment only – luckily I’d received an email confirming I could visit whilst on the ferry from Oban!). The road offered some lovely views over the Sound to Mull, and inland there were wooded areas with lots of small waterfalls trickling down off the hills. I passed the rock formation of Clach Na Criche, known as the Wishing Stone as legend has it wishes were granted to anyone who passed through the hole in the rock without touching the sides, and shortly after came upon the pretty Ferinish Church and War Memorial at Bonnavoulin. I was also treated to the sight of a pine marten on the road ahead of me, although not for long as it scarpered pretty quick when it became aware of me.

I passed a sign warning of red squirrels, and then branched off the road at Drimnin Village Hall onto the Drimnin Estate. Soon I came upon a barrel at the side of the road which had “Nearly There” painted on its side. Another branch off the road had me climbing up and then I finally came to the distillery. I went into the shop and bought a couple of miniatures, and then the girl serving me asked if I wanted to join the tasting that was just abut to start. Well, it would seem rude not to, I thought, and shortly I was sat at a table with a friendly young German couple and an older Dutch couple. The tour guide then came in and asked if we wanted cake and biscuit with our whiskies – the day was turning out really good!

Two hours after I’d stopped I was ready to set off again. Both couples passed me in their cars with a cheery wave as I rode back towards Lochaline. Further down the road I came across a truck with a couple of workmen who were filling in potholes. I squeezed past on the narrow road after exchanging pleasantries, and a short while after they passed me on their way to the next repair. Soon I came upon them filling again and got offered a shovel to help them. I declined gracefully and bade them farewell again. Soon I got back to Lochaline and headed north on the main road, being passed with another cheery wave by the road workers. The road was very lumpy indeed, with many false summits crested, however the scenery with lots of mountains took my mind off it, and I stopped quite a few times to take photos and drink in the views.

After a while, and plenty more climbing, I reached a summit and got my first sighting of Loch Sunart. It was very scenic indeed, and the views got better as I descended. Back down on lower ground, I still had a number of miles of rolling road until I got to my campsite, and I was starting to feel fatigued by now. Eventually I crossed the Carnoch river and turned left on the A861 towards Strontian, stopping at the post office for ice cream before continuing on to the campsite. I pitched my tent, and walked to the local shop for supplies for tea. I watched half a dozen bats flitting about above me as I relaxed in the evening before settling down for a well earned good night’s sleep.

Day 1: 49 miles, 8 ½ hours elapsed time, 3,379 feet climbed 

The (real) Virtual Yorkshire Wolds Cycle Challenge Day 2

After a decent night's sleep I was woken early not by the dawn chorus, but by the sound of heavy rain on the tent. No sunrise for me this morning unfortunately. 

I knew rain was forecast but didn't know when or for how long. Taking advantage of a break in the showers I packed up all my sleeping equipment in the tent, then packed the tent away and set off downhill into Market Weighton. I turned north out of town in the morning traffic up towards the A614, crossing over and heading towards Londesborough. Here I turned left onto a narrow, and what I hoped was a quieter lane, but still I had the impatient rush hours cars squeezing past - it turned out that this was a diversion for some roadworks. The rain started again at this point, and riding through Burnby I soon came to the outskirts of Pocklington, passing the household waste recycling site that was particularly pungent last year, fortunately no smells were emanating from it this time. In Pocklington I stopped at Market Street cafe for beans on toast and a pot of tea to set me up for the next stretch.

Setting off again I left Pocklington on Kilnwick Road, then headed north past Kilnwick Percy Golf Club and the Madhyamaka Kadampa Meditation Centre, with its World Peace Cafe. I'd have liked to have called in for a brew here but it wasn't open until 11am sadly. A little further on at the top of a climb by Jenny Firkin Wood I came across the strange site of two benches at the side of the road - presumably for tired hikers as it's a popular area for hiking. The rain had stopped by this time, and I headed downhill into Millington through a very pretty dale which zig-zagged past Millington Woods and onto Millington Pasture where a couple of brown Longhorn cattle were grazing.

The road climbed up to a junction with Pocklington Lane and headed towards Huggate, where there was another promising tea room that didn't open until 11am! Just before Huggate I turned left on a wider road heading towards the A166, which climbed up to a junction where I turned left again back towards Millington, and after a mile took a right back towards the A166.

This time I reached the A166 where a cycle lane by the side of the road took me a little way down to a crossing point. The busy traffic lead to a bit of a wait to get over, but eventually I rode onto Roman Road, turning off after a mile towards Thixendale where a lovely downhill with a lark singing in the sky brought me to the edge of the village. It was from this point that the Sundown 60 ride headed back to the Wold Top brewery, but today I was heading in the opposite direction westwards. I'd ridden into Thixendale from the other direction, another lovely downhill, four times previously and it is one of my favourite roads to cycle on. Today for the first time I rode out of the village uphill, and it was just as lovely, not too tough until right at the very top. I passed another herd of brown Longhorns, with some calves sleeping, and also some sheep that had recently been shorn.

Making it to the top of the climb, I headed through Aldro plantation and came to a crossroads on the edge of the Wolds with a panoramic view over the Howardian Hills National Landscape stretching out in front of me. Crossing over I dropped down into Leavening, scorching down the hill that saw me struggling up the previous year, where I stopped at the Jolly Farmer Inn to remove my rain jacket as it was getting warm. Heading north out of Leavening I continued downhill towards Burythorpe, turning west again to drop down further into Westow and then on to the western extremity of the route at Kirkham. The route didn't quite reach Kirkham Priory, but instead turned back eastwards at the Stone Trough Inn, a large pub that proclaimed itself open "all day, every day". As it was just on 12 noon I was sorely tempted to drop in for some lunch, but pushed on through the leafy lanes towards Norton, where I stopped for an energy gel in anticipation of the fierce climbs I knew lay ahead. Leaving the main road behind after Norton, I turned off towards Settrington, riding through the village to come to the ford of Settrington Beck.

Rather than risk getting my panniers wet, even though they were waterproof, I opted for the close by footbridge over the beck and rejoined the road on the other side. A little further on I came to the point on the route that I'd not been looking forward to;

Dropping into my lowest gear, and repeating my hill climbing karma of "how slow can you go", the question was how far I'd get up the hill before bailing out. The answer was surprisingly further than I'd expected - in the end I only pushed the bike up for a short distance before remounting and continuing the climbing, of which there was another mile and a half. At the top of the climb I turned off to drop into Duggleby down the steep descent of Duggleby Hill. Before it got too steep I stopped to put my rain jacket back on as the clouds were looking very threatening, and indeed I hadn't finished zipping up before the rain came on. From here the rain came down heavily, and it was difficult to see out of my glasses for the water. Into Duggleby I rode on to Kirby Grindalythe where I turned off for Sledmere. The road reared up again here, as I knew it would, and I rode in the middle with muddy brown streams rushing down both sides of the road. At the top of the first climb I started descending again, this time with the muddy brown streams rushing down alongside me. At the foot of the climb the two streams were meeting in the middle of the road, after which it reared up again and for the second time in a few miles I was off and pushing. Again it was only a short push, and I remounted and continued along the road to come into Sledmere, where I turned left and shortly pulled into the car park of Sledmere House and Gardens, where the cafe staff were busy brushing rainwater into the drains.

I took my gloves off, wrung them out and left them on my bike while I dripped into the cafe and ordered leek and potato soup, bakewell tart and a coffee. Fortunately I only had seventeen miles left to ride, and I knew the only real climb left now was the final push up the drive of the brewery. Finishing lunch, the rain was stopping and I left Sledmere House and the village and headed north east. The road descended steadily and I felt good as I rode through Helperthorpe, Weaverthorpe and Butterwick, where I again removed my rain jacket as the sun had come out and it was warming up with the rain starting to steam off the road. At Foxholes I headed north to begin the climb of Ganton Road, which had roadworks for resurfacing in places. I climbed steadily up, feeling the sun on my weary bones, before turning eastwards for the run in to Fordon and the brewery, riding on through more leafy lanes with fields of wheat or barley either side. 

The road was descending again into Fordon, with the final drop into the village of 10% to be taken carefully due to the gravel on the road in places. Riding through the village I continued on the last mile or so of the route, with the fields of barley for the brewery on my right and the steep hills on my left.

I came to the brewery entrance and turned in, bracing myself for one last effort. I could see the stepped gravelly drive rising ahead of me, and ground my way up the 10% incline to roll into the car park and finish the challenge. The two days had been very enjoyable indeed, although the stretch from Settrington to Sledmere proved to be very tough with the rain and the gradients combined. All that was left now was to pack the bike and kit into the car and set off for home, and a nice hot bath!

Distance ridden: 69.3 miles

Time : 6 hours 13 mins

Elevation : 4,108 feet

The (real) virtual Yorkshire Wolds Cycle Challenge Day 1

Having entered the Yorkshire Wolds Cycle Challenge last year, and enjoying it, I was looking forward to this year's event. Sadly however, it was cancelled due to low numbers, and replaced with a virtual event allowing you to ride wherever you want. So I thought I'd do the real route anyway, just without the baggage transport to the overnight camp, and the free food and entertainment. As a result of a cheeky request to Wold Top brewery, I had somewhere to leave my car and camp for the first night, when I watched the sun go down drinking beer and watching buzzards, rabbits and various birds flying around. It was a very chilled, relaxing night ahead of two days of hilly cycling.

The next morning I woke at 4:30 to the gentle sound of the dawn chorus, and got out of the tent to watch the sunrise, then got back in the tent for a snooze. After a bit of breakfast I set off from the brewery, down the drive which had recently been dressed with gravel resulting in a bit of a twitchy descent to the main road and the official Yorkshire Wolds Cycle route. Turning left and coming to the road junction, I encountered the first of many blue route signs pointing the way. I headed towards Hunmanby and immediately started the first of the day's many climbs. What goes up, must come down, and soon I was dropping downhill into Hunmanby village, familiar to me from many rides in the area previously. I threaded my way through the village and out towards Hunmanby Gap, crossing the A165 Scarborough - Bridlington road at the roundabout. Passing the turn off for the excellent beach and cafe at the Gap, I rode up the hill into Reighton, glancing out towards Filey Bay on my left. In the village I turned right and climbed some more onto North Burton Road which then dropped downhill into the village of Grindale, shortly after which I turned left for some more climbing back up to the A165. After a short wait for a gap in the traffic, I crossed over and headed towards Buckton with views on my left to the sea again. Dropping into Buckton, I crossed the Scarborough - Bridlington rail line at a level crossing and turned right into Bempton before turning south towards Sewerby, passing lots of caravan and camping sites. Passing Sewerby Hall I headed for the cycle lane at the top of the cliffs, where I had my first sight of the beach at Bridlington.

From the beach I headed back through the town centre, passing the large cemetery and the impressive Bridlington Priory Church, coming out on another cycle path alongside the A165 where I had another short wait to cross over due to the busy traffic. Once across I climbed back up into the Wolds along Woldgate, passing woods and stables before the view opened up on my left to the sea. I rode past several fields of wheat and barley, and even one where a crop was growing that had purple flowers - and no, it wasn't purple sprouting broccoli! A little further on the road turned left and dropped down towards Burton Agnes. I was coming down at a fair speed on the narrow road when I came across a tractor and trailer coming in the opposite direction. Fortunately my brakes were in good order and I pulled to the side to let it pass. I continued on past Burton Agnes Hall, and at the village crossed the Driffield road to ride past a large ornamental pond, before crossing the Bridlington - Hull rail line on a level crossing. Shortly after I turned right down a road with a Dead End road sign. The reason for this soon became clear - another level crossing with gates, where I had to dismount and walk over.

Over the other side of the line I continued on a farm track past Harpham and after a couple of miles came to yet another barriered level crossing where I again had to walk my bike over. The track meandered on past more fields of crops before rejoining the road and coming to yet another rail level crossing, this time a more normal one at Nafferton. At Nafferton I turned left to head towards Driffield, riding through the town and over another level crossing just after the station, the ninth time I'd ridden over the tracks. A little further on, crossing the River Hull (or West Beck) I had to dismount to get by some road works that had closed the road. I noticed there was a cafe at the garden centre just alongside, and was sorely tempted to stop for a cuppa! I continued on through the village of Skerne and came to Hutton Cranswick, passing the Sport & Recreation Association fields where we'd camped overnight last year. Riding through the village, I crossed the Beverley road to come to the Farm Shop at Cranswick, where I had a coronation chicken sandwich, large latte and pear and almond tart for lunch. I also bought a two pack of Lottie Shaw's Yorkshire Ginger Parkin biscuits for the evening. Little did I know how important they would become, and I almost left them behind at the end of the meal! Leaving the shop I headed along Burnbutts Lane through crop fields that had no hedges, and passed a field of a crop I couldn't recognise, looking for all the world like a large bottle brush plant. The road headed south without too many undulations for a while before turning west for South Dalton, where the spire of St Mary's church heralded the proximity of the village before I came across it. Just before entering the village I almost rode into some ducks that were happily waiting and blocking half the road, not even flinching as I rode towards them!

I headed out from South Dalton south again through country lanes to Etton and then Cherry Burton, where I came upon the main Beverley to Malton road. Here the route took me on a cycle path alongside the busy road, and I followed this to the outskirts of Beverley before rejoining the road into the town. Before long I came up to a junction with the route going straight on through North Bar, the rather impressive Grade 1 listed structure that acted as a gate to the town. 

I followed the blue marker signs through the town and soon came across Beverley Minster down a cobbled street, which rattled the panniers! After stopping to take a couple of photos I set off again, and managed to misread one of the route markers for a short detour! Back on track I continued on through the town down side streets and little passages, finally coming back out onto the main road where I joined another cycle track running alongside. After switching back onto the road for a short distance to get round a stranded police van with blue flashing lights and a blown out back tyre, I reached Walkington where I turned right up a short hill, and then left for a four mile climb on a narrow lane up to the highest point of the day. At the summit I was presented with a panoramic view east towards Selby and Tadcaster, and a nice downhill into South Newbald.

Heading north from South Newbald I rode into North Newbald, passing the pretty St Nicholas church and heading north east on the Beverley Road before turning left up Stonehowle Hill, with Sober Hill Wind Farm on my left. The breeze was turning the turbine fans and I could hear a rhythmic thrumming as I rode on. A short way up the climb I turned left onto the off road part of the route that I'd been expecting, although I'd forgotten quite how narrow the path I had to take was!

The path climbed for just over a mile on a narrow, stony and grassy track, with just enough room for me to get my panniers through. Part way up was a memorial bench and a historical triangulation station, formerly used by the Ordnance Survey as a fixed surveying station and now obsolete and adopted by the Windmill Walkers association. With the turbines of the wind farm beating out a rhythm I made my way along the path and came out to a road, where I continued on to cross the A1070 Beverley to Market Weighton road and begin a downhill coast that brought me out at a majestic old railway bridge carrying the Hudson Way, a multi user trail following the path of the old Beverley to Market Weighton railway line. It was less than three miles to camp now, mostly downhill, and soon I was turning right to make the final short climb up to Goodmanham and my camp for the night. I pitched my tent, got showered and changed and headed to the pub for a hoped for hearty meal. Sadly though, the pub only did evening food on Monday and Wednesday, not Tuesday, so I had to make do with two pints, two packets of crisps and the Lottie Shaw's I bought from the farm shop earlier in the day. Ah well, I'd have to make sure I got a good breakfast in tomorrow! 

Distance ridden : 76.2 miles

Time : 6 hours 11 minutes

Elevation : 3,150 feet 

Proper bike-packing

I recently undertook a 'proper' bike-packing trip, i.e. actually carrying my camping equipment on the bike, as a tester to see how I would manage, prior to a couple of tours I've got in mind for the future. Destination for this was The Old Mill at Candy, the other side of Oswestry, not too far away but far enough to make it a decent test. Most of the roads were familiar to me from a 100 mile ride I did to Whittington Castle last year, but I also threw in some cycle paths through Crewe to Nantwich to see what they were like.

I set off with the usual panniers on the back, but also for the first time with a bar bag carrying my sleeping bag. It was quite strange at first but I soon got used to the setup. Going through Crewe on the cycle paths was reasonably ok, but nowhere near as fast as if I'd been on the road. Not far into Crewe I'd just ridden onto a cycle path beside the King George V playing fields when I rode over a speed bump and bang - my pannier rack became detached. Although a simple fix, it did take a while to resolve as I had to take off my sleeping mat and panniers to reattach - first learning point (add a secondary security option to the pannier rack to avoid future repeats). I set off again through Crewe and then took the cycle path alongside the A530 at Wistaston to head towards Nantwich. Following the cycle route I missed a turn in Nantwich before getting back onto the familiarity and comfort (!) of the roads again.

After Nantwich I headed through quieter roads to Wrenbury, and on to Whitchurch. The day was turning quite warm now and I was beginning to regret my choice of jacket for the trip, although there was sufficient wind to keep me from overheating. At Whitchurch I joined another cycle path where a rather fancy marker post indicated I was on the Mercian Way. Back on the roads I continued on towards Whixall, where I called in at the marina for refreshments.

Leaving Whixhall I headed past Lyneal Moss and on to Colemere, where I cycled past the grapes of Colemere vineyard, cycling on through narrow and verdant lanes. Near Welsh Frankton (in England) I joined the main Oswestry road for a short while before turning off through more narrow lanes, twisting and turning before coming out onto the road to Gobowen. Leaving the town on the Chirk Road, I turned off uphill into more narrow lanes before a left turn saw me heading towards Oswestry. Passing Old Oswestry Hill Fort I dropped down into the town, threading my way through the streets and out past Oswestry School. Leaving the town, I turned off on Back Racecourse Lane (leading to the old racecourse), then left towards Candy, and a final short descent to the Old Mill and my place for the night.

The friendly owner showed me around the site, after which I set up my tent and took advantage of the portable shower, and tucked into a superb baked potato with chicken, leek, ham and mushroom. As a bonus it turned out the site was licenced as well, so I washed it all down with a few bottles of beer. Sitting there, in the bottom of a valley with lush countryside around me, listening to the gentle sounds of the birds, cattle and sheep, I felt very relaxed indeed.

I turned in for the night and had a decent sleep, waking only for a call of nature, until dawn at just after 4am when it seemed that a thousand rooks were waging war on each other! I managed to get back off to sleep and woke again later, when I packed away my gear and headed off to the Kettle House where I made myself a brew to go with the bacon and egg breakfast bap I'd ordered the night before. Setting off again I retraced my route through Oswestry to Gobowen, where I headed out through St Martin's and into Wales, heading through Overton and then taking a turning for Worthenbury. Shortly after, I turned off the Malpas road to head through Shocklach and on to Crewe By Farndon. Here I turned right towards Stretton, then right again to Tilston and The Lost Barn cafe, where I stopped for lunch and a great conversation with a couple of gentlemen about cycling and touring in Scotland.

After lunch I set off through familiar (and some unfamiliar) roads back to Nantwich, where again my navigation on the cycle paths went awry a couple of times before getting back on track and heading to Crewe. Here again, the cycle paths did their best to confound me, not being helped by a closure on one of them with no signed diversion, but I finally made my way out to Leighton and thence back through Warmingham Lane and Hall Lane and home.

It had been a fun trip, and I came away with a few lessons for the future. As well as pannier rack security, I've since got a lighter and more compact sleeping mat and a lighter tent, which is yet to arrive. My next bike-packing trip is in the hilly Yorkshire Wolds, where the lighter equipment should be very useful indeed!

The shower

My tea

My tent

Scotland 2025 Day 5 : The good food day

I woke up early and managed to catch the sun rising over Loch Fyne, with mist rising on the mainland opposite. It was a reasonably short hop back to Oban today, on the Caledonia Way as far as Kilmartin then on the main road from there. As a treat I had crunchy nut cornflakes, fruit and Loch Fyne Smoked Salmon omelette to set me up. On checking out I noticed a picture of the "looks like an old art deco hotel" building from south of Campbeltown (Day 3), so asked the B&B owner if she knew the story. "Yes", she said, "it's an old art deco style hotel that fell into disrepair". I loaded the panniers on the bike and set off on the short ride to Ardrishaig, enjoying my last glimpses of Loch Fyne. At Ardrishaig I left the main road to pick up the Crinnan Canal towpath.

I enjoyed the flat towpath run, and there were few people around on it. I passed Lochgilphead, checked that I still had my wallet (I did), and bowled along, enjoying the cool morning and the beautiful surroundings, so much so that I started singing as I rode. One bloke left the towpath a bit sharpish before I could say excuse me! After passing a few locks I came to the Moine Mhor National Nature Reserve on my right, one of the largest and most important intact examples of peatland in Britain. There were a few cattle grazing in there, and several birds were calling. Soon after a motor yacht came down the canal towards me, and I then came to Bellanoch Swing Bridge, where I left the towpath and headed northwards over a very nice looking weak bridge.

The road ran dead straight here, and I paused a moment to watch the cattle march to get stuck into a stack of hay and watched a bird calling and flying. It was very tranquil and peaceful and made you feel glad to be alive. Continuing on the straight road, I passed a lovely stone bridge over Kilmartin Burn and came to Nether Largie Standing Stones, an X shaped monument of five tall standing stones that line up with the rising and setting of the sun and moon at significant times. I got off my bike and wandered over for a bit of a nosy. 

This road had been very quiet in terms of traffic, but soon after the stones I came to the busier A816 that would take me straight into Oban. The first stretch wasn't too bad and I rode through Kilmartin with its beautiful old parish church and graveyard. Shortly after I came to the point where the Caledonia Way branched off right towards Ford and Dalavich, where I'd come through on Day 1. I was feeling quite smug at all the climbing I'd be missing on that leg, when the main road started rising and my computer beeped to warn me of the first of the day's five climbs. Suddenly I wasn't feeling so smug any more, and my legs started to feel the efforts of the previous days. At least I had the chattering Abhainn Airidhcheoduis river on my left to distract me. The road continued to rise and fall among bits of woodland and fields, and eventually I spotted on my left Ardfern Yacht Centre on Loch Craignish.

I rode past the turn off for Craignish wondering if there was a post office or general stores coming up where I could get something to eat. Soon the road dropped downhill and I picked up speed until I came to some roadworks with lights, where I was brought to a halt. Traffic came from the opposite direction but it was soon my turn to go, and I then found another set of roadworks with traffic lights just as my computer beeped for the second climb of the day. The lights were red again as I approached, however I could see nothing coming the other way and the roadworks seemed quite short so I nipped through and hugged the cones as I crawled slowly upwards. Nothing did come, but I did have an escape route planned just in case. Soon after more blue appeared on my left as I came across Asknish Bay, with a sign for Loch Melfort Hotel with a cafe. Feeling peckish, I headed in and had a coronation chicken sandwich and the classiest cake I'd ever had - marmalade drizzle with cream and fruit - and a lovely view of Asknish Bay.

Suitably refreshed I set off again with lovely views of the aforementioned Loch Melfort on my right. Climb 3 of the day, a stinker, came and went, and I passed Loch nan Druimnean with some wild salmon farming, and then the River Oude Reservoir. The road continued through forest and farmland again for a while, then just after Kilninver a view opened up on my left over to the Isle of Mull.

I rode on through Knipoch, and came to the last climb of the day which was every bit as tough as the others, but somehow knowing it was the last helped ease the pain. After this the road dropped steeply into Oban and I found myself suddenly in an unknown place. I stopped for a quick look around, and soon realised that I knew where I was, and headed on into the town centre intending to stop for an ice cream at The Pokey Hat. Sadly Oban was rammed with people, presumably as it was warm and school holiday time, so I abandoned my ice cream plans and headed to the hotel to load the bike into the car, check in and enjoy a hot bath, after which I treated myself to Deluxe Fish and Chips at the fabulous Waterfront Restaurant.

For what was really a Plan B trip, my Oban - Campbeltown - Oban tour had been a very enjoyable five days, if tougher than expected. Kintyre is a place I'd never considered visiting, however it proved to be a little treasure with lots of spectacular scenery. 

Scotland 2025 Day 4 : More treats than you can shake a stick at

Today was going to be a long day, from Campbeltown to Inverneil, with plenty of climbing. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little apprehensive about it, but I'd done the distance before and longer, so off I set into a day that wasn't as chilly as I was expecting. I left Campbeltown on a climb, taking a final look back at my base for the last two days, and getting a good view of Davaar Island and the lighthouse. The wind was light this morning, and in my favour as I rode along the undulating road (is there any other type of road around here?). The road dipped and climbed as it crossed many streams emptying into sea, often on lovely stone bridges. At times on downhill stretches I came across hairpin bends requiring me to brake sharply to get round safely. At one point I passed a 12% downhill sign, inwardly smirking, only to get my come uppance around the corner at a 14% uphill sign! After a while I came to the village of Carradale where I'd intended to get some supplies in. Luckily the community post office was on the main road, meaning I didn't have to divert off route to find a shop. 

I bought a few things, stopped for a drink and an energy bar, then set off again. All the while I was being treated to fabulous views over an azure blue water to Arran, whilst on my right was forest land and farm land, with sheep in the fields. At one point as I passed a house a black and white cat launched itself into the garden and ran along the fence as I sped past. There were some beautiful beaches from time to time as well, including one at the fantastically named Grogport. Shortly after I came across two birds of prey circling majestically over the edge of the loch. I passed a salmon fishing farm in the water, and also spotted what I assumed was the ferry to Lochranza on Arran. I soon came to the turn off for Claonaig, where the ferry works from, and Skipness Castle, however my route took me straight on and up the next challenging climb. I paused at the top to look back at Arran for the last time then continued on up and over to get my first views (again) of West Loch and Jura. At the end of the road I turned right on the A83 to head towards Tarbert. The traffic was understandably a lot busier than I had been used to thus far, and I was glad to turn off at Tarbert Golf Club (watch out for any wayward shots) for Kilberry. 

There were some interesting looking yellow flowers among the bulrushes here (I don't get out much) that seemed to be the source of a strange aroma. The road to Kilberry was less hilly than normal, although still a little rolling, with glimpses of West Loch on my left and plenty of woodland. I passed a section of forest that seemed to have been named by someone with a bad cold - Achaglachgach! Bless you! The road felt very much like a Center Parcs road through a forest park, with what looked like holiday houses (or even possibly people's private houses) dotted here and there. At one vantage point I had a good view over to Gigha, where I'd ridden on Saturday, and soon got an even closer view of Jura. I'd been riding a fair while now, and was running out of water so was hoping for Kilberry to come with hopefully some shops. At last I came to the village, and luckily saw the Kilberry Inn had it's doors open. I was welcomed in by a lad from Burnley, who forced me to have two beers as we chatted about football, whisky and cycling. 

It was an amazing little pub, with a lovely wooden bar and a great selection of whiskies. I've no idea how long I stayed there, but left feeling very refreshed indeed! After Kilberry the views opened up to my left with more stunning vistas of Jura, and then further along the road dropped down to the shores of Loch Caolisport. There were more beaches here, and at one spot I noticed three seals basking on top of some rocks, each with their own particular rock. They looked very comfortable in the sun indeed. I also came across another small herd of Highland Cattle splashing by a stream. Just after Ormsary I came across a house which had a display of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves in the garden. Soon I turned away from the loch and my computer chirped with the last climb of the day. I was around five miles from the B&B and was now faced with a climb of just over two miles. There was nothing for it but to slip it into the smallest gear and grind up, and after a while I managed to get to the summit and saw in the distance Loch Fyne for the first time.

Fortunately the horrible long climb was followed by a lovely long descent, on a wonderfully wide and smoothly tarmaced road. I flew down this, soon coming to the A83 again, where I turned left and almost immediately left again into my B&B for the night. It had been a long day, but not too stressful, with some lovely treats by way of views and wildlife. Just one more ride tomorrow now back to Oban.