2003 Tour - Ullapool and the Northwest

Stage 1: Tuesday 27th May Ullapool to Lochinver

Stage 2: Wednesday 28th May Lochinver to Durness

Stage 3: Thursday 29th May Durness to Altnaharra

Stage 4: Friday 30th May Altnaharra to Ullapool

Stage 5: Saturday 31st May Drumbeg coastal circuit

Stage 6: Sunday 1st June Ullapool to Poolewe

Stage 7: Monday 2nd June Poolewe to Shieldaig

Stage 8: Tuesday 3rd June Applecross

Stage 9: Wednesday 4th June Shieldaig to Ullapool

Day 1 - Tuesday 27th May Ullapool to Lochinver

Miles: 31.5
Drive to Ullapool, unpacked and loaded the bike, setting off for Lochinver at about 1pm. Sunny pretty much all the way to Ullapool, and sunny spells continued through to Lochinver. Stopped for lunch just after turning onto the Achiltibuie single-track. Much hassle with motorists, and road surface really poor - broken and friable - for about 5 or 6 miles after turning towards Lochinver.
A good afternoon's cycling. Discussion re tomorrow's destination - Cape Wrath is on the cards, maybe after Durness.

Day 2 - Wednesday 28th May Lochinver to Durness

Miles: 53.74, max: 38, ave: 7.4, time: 7:06:18
Dry when we woke, but rain at breakfast, but then drier. Left Lochinver 9:35 on A837, several fairly steep climbs from the off. Dry at start, but a heavyish shower a few miles before we turned onto the A894 and approached Quinag, but it eased and stopped so that we could stop for tea in its shadow. Pressed on to Scourie, via bridge at Kylstrome. Stopped at Scourie for baked spuds and tea. Pressed on up a couple of steep climbs - one out of Scourie, the other out of Laxford Bridge, then a steady ascent past Foinavon. Eventually arriving at a glorious descent towards Durness (though somewhat spoilt by traffic on the single-track). Wind getting very strong, so found B&B rather than camp. Everything is apparently booked up on Friday because if an "annular eclipse" (whatever one of those is). Bet they don't see a thing! Decided against the Cape Wrath idea, since the boat is at 11am, and it's a minibus trip through an MoD firing range. It would take too much time, really. (Apparently the Tornadoes use a small island here as a target).
After showering, we wandered down to the pub for a pint and for dinner, then down for a walk on the beach. It was a glorious warm and sunny evening, even if very windy!
Saw deer today, and several large birds of prey (don't know what they were, but they might have been eagles).

Day 3 - Thursday 29th May

Miles: 43.1, max: ?, ave:?, time: ?
Still windy when I woke at 6:40, dry, but it looked like there had been some rain overnight. After breakfast, light rain had begun, but we set off anyway (it didn't last long). Wind was a real problem though, particularly on the run south along Loch Eriboll (we got blown off the road at one point). Stopped for tea just round the bottom of the loch, thought we saw some choughs (heard more cuckoos). Nice run back up the loch, with a tailwind, though a stiff climb at the end, and another at Hope before we turned south along Strath More (a stiff headwind again along here), beside Loch Hope and Ben Hope. We stopped for lunch in a sheltered spot, then pressed on beyond the loch to stop and look at a broch - quite a good example for a mainland broch. On up and over increasingly bleak moor until reaching Altnaharra, where we found a B&B - the only one there..
In the evening, wandered down to the Altnaharra Hotel (there isn't much else at Altnaharra!), which is quite a splendid little fishing hotel, for beer and food. Then a quick stroll up the road confirmed how small Altnaharra is!

Day 4 - Friday 30th May

Miles: 65.76, max: 43, ave:8.6, time: 7:31:51
Altnaharra to Ullapool, via Lairg.
It was lightly overcast when we woke, gradually got brighter all day, and by evening was pretty clear and (hot). Anyway, from Altnaharra, we climbed steadily upwards for about 8 or 9 miles, before descending to Lairg (21 miles), where we stopped at a shop, had a Magnum, then called in at the Information Centre for a cup of tea. Another gentle steady climb out of Lairg was followed by a wonderful ride to the Ullapool-Durness road. We stopped for lunch at about 1.30pm, after stopping to chat with a couple of Welsh guys doing the End to End (apparently, the easiest way of shifting the bikes is to fly EasyJet Inverness to Gatwick). Saw two cuckoos. By this time the sun was pretty much out. The road was still enjoyable until Elphin - for the last 15 miles, we had a succession of stiff climbs before we reached Ullapool and found a B&B. Very thirsty, had 2 pts Belhaven and 1pt McEwan's 80/-! Dinner was a HUGE seafood platter (£38) shared with Carol. Saw Will and Cath come up the road in the car, but we have no idea where they went!

Day 5 - Saturday 31st May

Miles: 40.23, max: 39, ave: 7.2, time: 5:30:44
Drumbeg coastal circuit.
Cycled to the carpark, loaded the bike on the car and drove to Lochinver. We just took a saddlebag and handlebar bag. From Lochinver (10:15) we cycled up the little hill on the main road (as we had done on Wednesday morning) then turned left towards Drumbeg. This little road is well-surfaced single-track, but with 12 severe gradient markers on the map! Paused at a beautiful beach at Clachtoll (where there's a caravan site), then on over two more severe climbs, to have lunch on a craggy rock just before Drumbeg. After Drumbeg, the road goes really crazy, with one descent of 25%! Anyway, we took it all in our stride. Met an Italian cyclist with wife in a car, but we coped with the hills better than he did. We passed three girls going the other way at about 2.30pm - don't know where they were going, but they at least had some idea of the road ahead - although maybe a bit inaccurate! This road emerged onto the Ullapool-Durness road - we climbed back over Quinag in reverse direction to Wednesday. Uneventful return to Lochinver for the car.
Met Will and Cath for dinner at the Eilann Donan guesthouse (excellent - I had Fillo basket of mussels and bacon, baked cod, and bread & butter pudding; Carol had a peculiar sweet salad for starter and Florentine sole). Some discussion of what to do for the rest of the holiday - unresolved by bedtime!
Today was another scorcher, hopefully it'll be a bit cooler tomorrow.

Day 6 - Sunday 1st June

Miles: 52.44, max: 42, ave: 8, time: 6:27:34
Ullapool to Poolewe.
This morning we rationalised our baggage, to leave behind the camping kit, and decided on a route. We plan to cycle to Poolewe today, to Shieldaig on Monday, do the loop round Applecross on Tuesday, then move on to Garve on Wednesday, leaving 32 miles to Ullapool on Thursday.
Quite a late start, since we dumped the camping kit in the car, and popped into Safeway for some food items. Cycled off about 9:45, fairly slow going along Loch Broom, and quite a bit of traffic. At about 13 miles, made a right turn towards the Dundonnell Forest. At 15 miles stopped for tea (and the fruit pies we bought yesterday at the pie shop in Lochinver), but finished rapidly, due to midgies! A terrific descent of over 6 miles ensued! Lunch stop at about 32 miles. The only hard bit today was the climb at Gruinard Bay - we remembered this from a previous visit (when a tourist video'd us)! Saw a seal in Gruinard Bay.
Tried a B&B in Poolewe, but it was full, so they phoned ahead to book another, near the Poolewe Hotel.
A few spots of rain at the be ginning of the day, and a few at the end but really a dry day, mostly overcast, but with some sunny spells. A heavy shower at teatime (while we were eating in the Hotel).

Day 7 - Monday 2nd June

Miles: 43.08, max: 38, ave: 7.9, time: 5:22:59
Poolewe to Shieldaig.
Torrential rain overninght (I woke briefly at 4:30 am), but sunny by 7:00 am., and remained sunny all day.
Out of B&B at about 9:45, but popped into the village shop for snacks. Climbed over the hill to Gairloch,but didn't stop. Stopped to brew a cup of tea by Loch Maree, then on to Kinlochewe, where there's a tea-room by the petrol station. Stopped here for a toastie and tea. Then through Glen Torridon, where they appear to be reinstating the ancient woodland. Near Torridon we climbed past huge swathes of rhododendron, then over a hill to Shieldaig, where we got a room in the Rivendell B&B. Shieldaig is very small, but does have a Hotel (as well as the B&B).
We ate our evening meal in the B&B - a selection of smoked fish - it was excellent. The sunny weather lasted well into the evening.

Day 8 - Tuesday 3rd June

Miles: 48.46, max: 39, ave: 6.5, time: 7:20:13
Applecross (anticlockwise).
After another great night's sleep, woke to a glorious sunny morning. Set off into Applecross, but had to return after a mile and a half because I forgot the tools! First 15 miles or so quite hard, very switchbacky. Stopped near Fearnbeg for a cup of tea. Nice sea view, getting a bit cloudier. After rounding the point, the road got much easier. Reached Applecross at about 12:30, and stopped for lunch. We both had King scallops then crannachan. I also had oysters. Magnificent! Then the climb! Actually not too bad, except for a section near the top. The biggest problem was the constant stream of traffic, particularly HGVs. At the top, we took some photos (and had one taken of us), before cautiously beginning the descent. Again, traffic a problem - a big HGV took a 5 point turn to get round the first hairpin! Saw a cyclist going up.
Returned to the B&B just as raindrops began falling - then proper rain started for a brief shower! Went to the pub for a pint, and then again for something to eat (more seafood). After this, we went for a stroll, and saw the cyclist zooming into Shieldaig - looks like he's staying at the same B&B!

Day 9 - Wednesday 4th June

Miles: 84.67, max: ?, ave: ?, time: ?
Shieldaig to Ullapool
Quite a bit of rain (and wind) overnight, but by 7am, quite sunny. Easy cycling in fresh sunny weather over to Lochcarron, where we failed to get money from a bank machine, but did stop for tea and scones. The road onwards was lovely - no really steep bits - just rolling along. We reached Achnasheen (34 miles) before 1pm! The road being somwhat bleak, we decided not to stop and cook lunch. We stopped at a craft shop/cafe for lunch (smoked venison & salad for me, ploughman's for Carol). While we were there, the cyclist we saw on the Applecross climb came in, and we had an interesting chat (Scottish roads harder than the alps, etc). We began to think in terms of going further than Garve. We reached Garve (52 miles) at about 2:30pm, and decided to carry on to Ullapool. We kept up the brisk pace, stopping occasionally for a drink and snack. Arrived Ullapool and found a B&B by 5:20pm! Dinner at the Seaforth, and a pint at the Ceilidh Place.