Day 9, Nuclear reactors and the bright lights of Thurso !!!

I had a nice quiet sleep in an empty dormitory in Tongue, ready for the next 50 miles of the trip.  I skimmed across the north coast of Scotland toward the my stop for the night in the town of Thurso.  I had my usual bowl of porridge for breakfast before setting off.  As per usual leaving Tongue offered the customary hill climb to get the heart started !!!!.

Leaving tongue

After about 5 miles on the main NC500 route I decided to take a bit of a detour along the coast through the village of Skerray.  It was a lovely cycle along the coast.  I stopped at the charming thatched village post office to send my postcards.

Skerray Harbour.

Skerray Harbour.

Skerray Post Office

Village main street.

Skerray greenhouse, (not many buses run here I guess !!)

After my wee detour around Skerray, the route went inland for a while, it was a lumpy ride and I was starting to flag a bit.  I made it to Bettyhill for my morning coffee.  I went to the tourist information centre and and cafe.  I just had a coffee as they were charging £5 for a bacon roll !!!!!

Do I go that way ?

I cycled on along the coast through Strathy getting hungrier and hungrier until I stopped for a well deserved pub lunch of sausage and chips at the Halladale Inn, Melvich.

The final stretch of coast road to Thurso, passed the Dounreay Nuclear reactor.  As I approached this massive site there was signs to the visitor centre.  I though this would be an interesting little excursion. so I pulled over to check it out.  However the "visitor" centre was a bit disappointing:

Dounreay visitor centre.

Yep the "visitor centre" consists of a picnic bench overlooking the site !!!!!.

Needless to say I didn't stop there too long before heading along to my final destination  Thurso !!!.

It was a bit strange arriving in a big town after a week in the wilds.  I soon found my accommodation for the night Sandra's backpackers.  Its a fairly bog standard "city" backpackers, however it was clean, compact, the owner was very friendly and they provided free tea/coffee/biscuits and you get breakfast thrown in also, which was great.

After settling in I went to the Caithness visitor centre which had lots of info and history of Thurso and thankfully lots of information about the Dounreay reactor !!!!!

Reactor control room in the Caithness visitor centre.

I then took a walk down to Scrabster to watch the Orkney ferry arrive and depart.  In the evening I headed over to the Y-Not bar and grill for dinner and a few beers before the big 100 miler tomorrow !!!!

The worlds most northerly palm tree in Scrabster.

The "Hamnavoe" in Scrabster harbour.

The "Hamnavoe" in Scrabster harbour.

Day 7 No cycling, just relaxing (and caving !!!)

Rest day finally :-) had a nice long lie bliss.  I then got up made some bacon rolls then watched last evenings Olympic action (Mo Fara winning his last gold of Rio) and then it was time I washed all my dirty cycling gear and hung them out to dry.

Once all the chores were done its was time to go out and explore Durness.  It was a bit foggy to start with but I started with a energising walk out to Faraid Head.  It has some lovely beaches, sand dunes and an RAF radar station !!!.

Coo's on the beach.

Ruined church.

Very lazy coo's !!!

Stunning beaches.

After the walk it was time a for coffee at the famous Cocoa Mountain, in the Balnakeil craft village.  I recommend the chocolate tasting platter !!!.

Cocoa Mountain.

Post lunch that it was time to visit the Smoo cave.  The highlight of any trip to Durness.  I did the cave tour which involves a boat trip deep into the cave system and then a guided walk through some of the chambers, by some of the cavers.

Entrance to the Smoo cave.

Inside the cave.

Entrance to the inner chambers.

Cave boat trip.

Cave boat trip.

stalactites (please correct me if i'm wrong here !!!)

Dean the Caver !!!

Looking down into the cave from along the coast.

After the cave I headed up-to the Smoo Cave hotel for a bar supper and a few pints before heading back to the hostel to get ready for tomorrows cycle along the top of Scotland to the Kyle of Tongue.

Movie: The road to Durness !!!

Here is a (very poorly made !!!) movie I made from my bike.  Sort of give you a taste of the road !!!!!!

Loosing my marbles after 7 hours of cycling approaching Durness.

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:

Day 3, Applecross Torridon and Kinlochewe

This was going to be a tough day in the mountains.  Firstly I had to cross the Infamous Bealach na'ba to Applecross (a climb to over 2000ft from sea level) followed by a long loop around the coast, through Torridon finishing in Kinlochewe.

I was up and away early as I wanted to get over the Bealach before too many campervans were shuffling their over the pass.  It was another glorious morning as I headed round the coast to the start of the climb.  It was pretty tough going especially on a bike laden down with pannier bags.  However the views across the loch to Plockton and Skye were amazing and I actually quite enjoyed it in a sick sort of way !!!!!!

Start of the Bealach na'ba

I'm going that way !!!

Up, up forever up !!!

Looking back toward Plockton

Crazy corners !!!!

I finally got to the top and there was only a couple of camper vans up there.  I stopped to take a few photos and left as the smell of campers frying bacon was driving me crazy.

The down hill was super fast especially on a bike with heavy panniers.  I was going so fast I could smell by disc brakes burning !!!!.  I had to stop a couple of times to let them cool down.  I eventually arrived at the beautiful village of Applecross where I rewarded myself with a coffee and that bacon roll !!!

Pano from the Bealach na'ba

Downhill all the way to Applecross.

The views on the way down.

The next stage was a beautiful run along the coast looking over to the Isle of Raasay.  Started of nice and flowing but started to get a bit lumpy, and I was glad to get to the village Sheildaig for lunch.  I ate at Nanny's, I totally recommend it if your in Sheildaig.

Looking over to Raasay

Dean and Boardy in good spirits

Beautiful coastline.

Soup and a Milkshake at Nanny's

The next stage was a sharp climb out of Sheildaig (tough going after lunch) and then a fabulous cycle through the Torridon mountains.  I stopped for a wee leg stretch at the Torridon Countryside center.  I then pushed on for the final 10 miles past Beinn Eighe to Kinlochewe.  I was pretty hot and tired by the time I got off the bike and went straight to bar of the Kinlochewe hotel for a pint of lager !!!!!.  That evening I stayed at the Kinlochewe hotel bunkhouse.  I had a pleasant evening in the bar chatting to fellow cyclists and hill walkers,  discussing our days various adventures.

Why did the chicken cross the bridge ?

The road past Beinn Eighe.

Day 3 Route :