Today we crossed from the west coast to the east: from Kyleakin on Skye passing the Dornoch Firth on the way to Lairg. It was another long day - 109 miles, while we were all very tired.
An excellent ride today - lots of fantastic scenery, including lochs, mountains, sheep and even oil platforms. The day started off very wet, but eventually the rain stopped allowing us to dry out and warm up. We had one particularly exciting decent from 250m above sea level down to a loch which included a rather 'exciting' section over a narrow bridge which necessitated emergency braking to avoid a collision with a rather mean looking wall.
Thankfully, we all escaped unscathed and without losing any skin - which may have been rather lucky considering the circumstances.
All tired - falling asleep on the bikes. Mike arranged a lunch for us, and moved things around in the truck so that the 4 of us could eat inside - heavy downfall and dive-bombing midges outside). Fantastic views and scenery in Sutherland - many highland cattle, sheep and lambs.
Hi All...news from the BarbMobile. How do these guys do it? Over a hundred miles a day; normally 7am start and 9:30pm arrival. Mabe 7 hours sleep if you are lucky; a crazy but varied diet; whatever nature wants to dish up on the day; bikes with rock hard tyres and next to no shock absorbers apart from their tail ends....you have to be having a laugh. But no they have come through the day to see the wonderful scenery, we are literally on top of the world in a beautiful area where I can only descibe the scenery inadequately as BIG stuff. Huge valleys sculpted out of fine hills and mountains; water and greenness everywhere we look. A buzzard, swifts and even a red kite on todays list, plus a roe deer and littlun.
ReplyDeleteSo tomorrow is the payoff day. These fab 4 will each achieve their 1000 mile goal...and guess what. What is driving us along that happy way is that all the kind people we have met and you our blog followers have now racked up a sum for Children In Need (Japan) that we think will exceed £4000.... so that means for each mile for each rider that every mile they have battled along will be adding another pound to the funds raised...WooHoo and thank you all for caring so much.
I have not sorted out more photos yet ( and how to add them to the blog) but the one of a cat carefully sheltering from today's rain in Plocton springs to mind! We have scenery we have views but what is most important is that we have a record of the fab4 along this superb ride. I would not miss it for the world and hope when you get the chance come along to Scotland the Beautiful and soak it up.
More tomorrow to be sure.
All the best. Mike and the BarbieVan
Todays heros:-
ReplyDeleteTerry & Laila at the Kyleakin Hostel
As Alastair said we were made most welcome, the showers were fast and hot and they gave us a free breakfast which set us off in good spirits. What more could you want!
Kyle Co-op Thanks Kate and staff. Eating those yogs without the spoons that you gave us would have been tricky! ( but we do messy very well anyway)
Mitsubishi UK. Where would we be without our mothership? Simply the best. Spacious, comfortable lugs all the kit and the bodies with ease. A brilliant loan item for which we are truely grateful.
Ciren WI ladies. Thanks for those lovely home made cakes which Wallace brought with him. we had saved till today. Put a big grin on all our faces...very yummy sort of cross between parkin and a sticky fruit cake...scrummy. One cake still to go so that bodes well for tomorrow.
The weather Gods. They have really been more than kind to us.
Time for bed said Zeberdee
Well done for getting close to the 1000 miles mark.
ReplyDeleteDavid M
well it is a bright sunny day...superdooper. will not ty o figure out how to uploa somse pics. mike
ReplyDeleteYes I remember the stark beauty of Skye when I visited it many, many years ago. The west coast is a magical place, especially when its sunny (unfortunately not often :-)).
ReplyDeleteWhen I returned I had to take a week off work due to Whisky poisoning! I think you'll all need time off too, to recover the use of your legs..... etc.
Frank & Sharon.