Orkney 2009

Thursday 7th May - The bedraggled

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08.53 A good nights sleep and a decent breakfast goes a long way in to restoring your senses after yesterday gruelling ride. Today's forecast looks nowhere near as bad, here's hoping we get just a little sun...

N57 53 57.0 W5 09 45.8 (map)

09.55 Surprisingly most of our gear is quite dry after spending the night in the drying hut, all except for my boots and gloves which had spent the night on our bedroom radiator (the heating went off during the night).

N57 53 57.0 W5 09 45.8 (map)

10.13 Filling up at Ullapool before setting off. We've only around 150 miles to ride today down to Oban via Loch Ness, if the weather had been good we'd have been taking other routes to pad the day out, but that doesn't seem likely today.

N57 53 48.4 W5 09 11.2 (map)

Loch Broom from the filling station. It looks much as it did the last time I was here I'm afraid, rather grim and forbidding.

N57 53 48.4 W5 09 11.2 (map)

11.44 First stop Urquhart Castle on the banks of Loch Ness, built in the early 1200s and with a chequered history of changing hands, there's not much left of it now is there. This bright sunny image may lead you in to think today's a lovely day. Well, it's looking a bit better now, but the ride down here felt positively arctic and it rained so much the temperature sensor had packed up again, the last reading it took was 4.6c.

N57 19 28.8 W4 26 41.4 (map)

12.21 So you can imagine what was forefront in our minds next, you guessed right, a cafe. I spotted a sign for the Glen Rowan coffee shop on the A887 road and followed it in.

N57 12 56.5 W4 37 14.3 (map)

They have a lot to put up with do shop owners, imaging looking up and seeing this - runaway!!!

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The Glen Rowan Licensed Restaurant, Cafe & Coffee Shop, I guess that line just about covers everything and as advertised it is bike friendly.

N57 12 56.5 W4 37 14.3 (map)

12.30 The pain in my right ear had been building all morning and was back with a vengeance now, it was so bad I was struggling to take my helmet off due to the pain. I wasn't sure what was causing it, but all I could do now was remove the helmets right side ear cup and ride without it. My helmet sat a bit crooked on my head but the relief was immediate. Looks like this is how its going to be for the rest of this trip.

14.48 Since stopping for a break at lunch time the weather has been awful, not the battering we received yesterday but pretty much constant rain. But we couldn't ride by this view of Stalker Castle without stopping and risking the camera for a picture or two. Otherwise known as Castle Aaaargh in  the film "Monty Python and the Holy Grail". Stalker Castle was built in the 1440's by the Lord of Lorn, Sir John Stewart on Loch Laich. Unlike so many Scottish castles this one has been restored and is habitable.

N56 34 26.5 W5 22 44.6 (map)

14.49 The bedraggled Black Widows waiting patiently for me to finish taking pictures, anyway, not far to go now, maybe 20 miles to Oban, lets hope my waypoint is right this time.

N56 34 26.5 W5 22 44.6 (map)

15.23 After riding miserably through Oban town centre in drizzling rain we arrived at the Maridon House B&B. At least the waypoint was spot on this time and we have plenty of parking at the front, five bikes in two car places looks quite tidy to me.

N56 24 34.7 W5 28 41.9 (map)

Mine and David's room on the ground floor, warm and cosy with an ensuite bathroom, but finding places to put things while they dried was rather challenging as you can see.

N56 24 34.7 W5 28 41.9 (map)

17:49 So early to be in the bar! This is unless I'm very much mistaken the Lorne Bar on Stephenson Street as recommended by the proprietors of the Maridon. It took a little finding but we got there eventually, and from what I remember it was a good meal in a pub with plenty of character.  

N56 24 46.1 W5 28 14.7 (map)

Desert, he likes his ice cream does our David.

N56 24 46.1 W5 28 14.7 (map)

21.39 Dave and I walked back a little earlier as we seem to do, but it was at least an opportunity to take a couple of night shots (well, late evening shots then...).

Oban railway 1/3sec f3.5 hand held!

21.42 We're lost again <sigh> No one to ask the way on the little lanes above Oban, but at least it isn't raining, just cold. It took a while, but eventually we found our way back to our little room and safety.

Oban by night - 1/3sec at f4, nice colours.

Tomorrow we're riding the last leg home.

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Today's tracklog and waypoints in Garmin .gdb format

Another rain and wind blown route in yellow - 155 miles

Today's temperature graph with more holes in it than a Swiss Cheese.

That drop in temperature to near 4c early on in the ride was no error on the sensor, it was really cold :-(

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