After a hearty breakfast at the B&B I set off on a chilly but bright morning. The wind was still blowing hard, but while I headed west towards West Tarbert it was more in my favour than against. I crested the first climb of the day and soon came upon the shores of West Loch, with it's deep blue waters reflecting the cloudless sky. The A83 climbed higher and afforded great views of the loch and the surrounding hills. Traffic was light at this time of day. I spotted a large ferry in the loch, and soon after passed the turnoff for Kennacraig Ferry Terminal. The ferry would have been going to Islay, a Polish couple staying at the B&B were going on some tasting tours at a couple of the distilleries on Islay, and hopefully were on board. The road undulated for a while, and then I turned off onto a minor road for a break, where I was treated to a surprise initial viewing of Jura in the distance, with the famous Paps of Jura.
By now I was seeing plenty of fields full of sheep, with the lambs enjoying themselves in the sun. The minor road was very quiet which allowed me to get a good speed going downhill, probably exceeding the speed limit by a couple of miles per hour at one point. I had to be careful though, as there was loose gravel in the middle of the road and I didn't want to come a cropper. Passing through Clachan I rejoined the A83 which climbed for a while before cresting a summit and providing my first view of the Isle of Gigha. I'd booked a ferry to visit the isle, but with yesterday's timetable being disrupted by high winds there was every change that today's sailings would suffer a similar fate. The road was now running alongside the water, and I passed a couple of nice looking beaches. When a third came along, I had to stop to take a photo.
Setting off again, I noticed a ferry making its way across the water towards Gigha - it was running! With the wind in my favour now I was bowling along the road and the last seven miles to the Tayinloan ferry terminal passed in no time. I arrived with forty five minutes to departure time and went into Big Jessie's Tearoom for a coffee and cake.
Soon the ferry could be seen returning from the island, and I joined the queue of people boarding, stowed my bike and settled in to enjoy the journey. It only took twenty minutes to cross, and the journey was remarkably smooth considering the strength of the wind blowing. When the ferry docked, I rolled my bike down the ramp and rode up to the main road, running north - south from North End to South Pier. I turned north and followed the single track road past fields with a mixture of sheep, cows and even ducks and geese. As the road rose I was provided with views to east and west of stunning blue sea and hills on opposite shores, with Jura appearing closer than before. At Tarbert (there are many Tarberts in Scotland, it is a name given to any point where a boat could be drawn or carried from water to water) there is a standing stone marking the narrowest point of Gigha.
After four miles I reached the northerly point, and turned to retrace my route. The wind, which had been in my face going northwards, was now behind and I made good progress back to the turn off for the ferry terminal. Continuing south, I was passing houses rather than fields now, and even a community fire station. There was also a large wooded area and gardens. It was only two miles to the end of the road as I reached South Pier, with views to Gigalum and Cara islands.
I turned and headed back northwards, passing a sign for a Viking Embassy, and called in at the Wee Isle Cafe where I had a coffee and a Bramble and Peat ice cream. It sounds odd, but tasted great! After that I made my way back to the ferry terminal for the return journey to the mainland.
I sat on the top deck going back, which was bracing to say the least, but good fun. Back in Tayinloan I rejoined the A83 again for the nineteen mile trip to Campbeltown, my destination for the night. The wind was a slight tailwind for a short while, but the traffic had increased. For the first thirteen miles there was nothing of interest other than the magnificent sea and island views to my right. I passed a few villages, and more fields full of sheep. At Glenbarr I passed a memorial to soldiers lost in the two world wars, and then came across Bellochantuy Cemetery at the edge of the sea.
By now the wind was a strong headwind, and was making life irksome for me when it gusted up. I was counting down the miles to the finish, and wasn't enjoying it a great deal until I came upon a signpost for a place called Tangy, and thought I'd got a glimpse of Ireland in the hazy distance. The final seven miles were a struggle, but eventually I came to the sign welcoming visitors to Campbeltown and made my way through town to find my B&B for the next couple of nights.
I'd planned the ride down the west of the peninsula to give me a different perspective to the Caledonia Way route that runs up the east, and it had certainly paid off with some great views, and the added bonus was the trip to Gigha, an island I'd not heard of before until I planned this trip. With a bit of luck the winds will be dying down now, and the rest of the trip will be a little easier.
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