Day 6 : Its a long way to the top......

Today was doing to be a long day.  The last day cycling up the west coast  including the extra miles from staying in Achiltiebuie.  I was up early again for porridge and it took me 2 trips to take my bags and then my bike up the track to the main road.  Plus  the midges was ferocious at this time in the morning.  I hastily took a couple of quick snaps of the beautiful morning before starting along the road.

Photo looking back down the track to the hostel and the Summer Isles.  The midges were eating me alive !!!!

Beautiful morning view from the hostel.

So instead of following the road all the way out of Coigach to the main road and the NC500 route, the hostel told me of a cracking wee road up-to Lochinver.  Quiet but a bit twisy turny.  I decided to go for it.  It was a beautiful little road up the back of Stac Polly and on up the coast to Lochinver.

The road to Lochinver

I got to Lochinver around 10 am, time my for morning coffee.  What do you do in Lochinver ?, you go to the Lochinver Larder !!!.  The Lochinver Larder is famous for its pies (which you can also send by post).   I had one for breakfast, so good I bought another two for later !!!!.  They have a vary array of fillings, something for everyone !!!!

My breakfast pie !!!!

Yum yum !!!!.

You guessed it after my super pie breakfast there was a huge hill up and out of Lochinver.  The next section we turned off the main road to do a loop along the coast past Achmelvich, Stoer, Clashnessie and Drumbeg.  There are a lot of amazing beaches and campsites along here.  I would have liked to cycle out to the Stoer lighthouse back it was an extra 12 miles, which was going to add to what already looked like a tough day.

Boardy with Suilven in the distance.

Old church.

The winding road ahead.

If you want beaches, Scotland's got them !!!!!

The second section of this road started to get very lumpy.  I stopped at the Drumbeg store for lunch then had a very difficult ride back to the main road.  I think once the steepest roads of the NC500 is on this section.  Its not long, more of a ramp but it must be about 25%.  I managed to cycled up it, but I had to put all my weight over the front of the bike to prevent me pulling a 360% !!!!

Drumbeg.

I was finding this road mentally quite tough and never ending.  I was glad when I could see the Kylesku bridge in the distance which meant rejoining the main road again.

I had a coffee and chocolate cake at the Rock Stop and visitor centre.  This is the main visitor centre of the Highland Geo park and well worth I visit.  I spend a little time in the visitor centre and little walk around.  Its surrounded by the most amazing mountains.  I even managed to pick up a few donations from other visitors who asked about my trip and the charity I was doing it for.

So now it was stage of the day: the long pull right up-to the north of Scotland, Durness.  Firstly crossing the Kylesku bridge, then a series of long climbs.  Not steep but just long and it was a very hot afternoon.  It was a long never ending cycle.  I bumped into a few other cyclist's struggling up here and it was great giving each other support  "just keep going mate, keep going".  I stopped at the shop in Scourie for some nourishment (fizzy juice and chocolate bars).  There was a final long brutal climb up past Kinlochbervie before I could see the north coast.  A nice long last downhill for a while then a long cycle past the Cape Wrath road to Durness.  I was so happy to get there, I was completely done in.  80 miles cycle, 6455 ft of climbing (cycled up Ben Nevis, twice) and 7 hours of bum numbing cycling.

However the hostel I staying in was fantastic.  It is called Mackays and is very modern, clean and boutique.  There is also boutique hotel rooms, but the hostel was just a good as a hostel !!!

When I staggered into reception they had a parcel for me from Gillian.  She had sent me a postcard of Peebles and a pack of chocolate coated rice cakes !!!!.  I ate the rice cakes straight away standing in the reception I was so hungry !.  I settled into the Hostel and made my tea (another Lochinver pie) before heading down to the pub (Sango sands oasis) for a couple of well deserved beers !!!

Sundown at Durness.

Tomorrow was a rest day off the bike and boy I was looking forward to it !!!!!

Day 6 Route: