Isle of Skye 2007

Tuesday - Over the sea to Skye

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Yesterdays cunning plan to dry my boots out on our bedroom radiator had failed miserably. I found the radiator stone cold and the boots were just as wet on the inside as they were last night. There was better news in the drying room, just about everything was bone dry. The little de humidifier had been emptied by us three times since we arrived, extracting more than a gallon of water from the atmosphere! Breakfast was taken on the hoof, toast with strawberry jam with plenty of tea and coffee, while the bikes were loaded and moved in to position for an easy ride away. I mislaid my wallet and spent ten minutes searching everywhere and trying not to panic before finding it in last nights jacket, buried deep in my pannier.

Gee started up his GPZ and despite standing in the rain all night, it was running just fine.

08:50 It was just raining lightly when we rode out of Corran north on the A82. After passing through Fort William we turned left on at Invergarry on to the A87, heading for Skye.

10:30 After 66 (mostly wet) miles we stopped at the Shiel Shop, Shiel bridge for refreshments, but, sad to say, it wasn't as good a visit as the last time I was here with Bill in September 2005. I'm afraid £5 for one coffee and beans on toast seems a little steep to me.

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11:30 From Shiel Bridge we're riding over Mam Ratagan (1148ft) via an old unclassified single track military road to pick up the tiny 'Skye Ferry'. The road starts easy enough, but soon becomes a steep single track road with hair pins and passing places. Its a great pity it's raining :-( as we gained height, the view over Lock Duich opened out below us. If you are in the area, this is a 'must ride road'!

There are at least two places you can park up and admire the view, and this isn't one of them :-) But the road had opened up and it was just level enough to stop and take a picture of Patto and Neil coming up the road.

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Riding over the top of Mam Ratagan, the road changes to long gentle curves as it makes its way back down to the ferry.

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12:04 Arriving at the Skye Ferry, we were just in time to see it off, the crew shouted they would be back for us in 15mins. But for once its not raining, so an excellent opportunity to take some pictures. This little ferry is the last of the manually operated turntable ferries in Scotland, you ride on, once on, the crew pull the turntable around by hand 180deg ready to ride off again at the other side. The ferry is now owned and run by the local community, they hope once the London Olympics are over, there will be money to renovate and preserve the boat, I hope so.

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Fifteen minutes later the ferry was back, and it was our turn, the car deck was rotated around and the doors lowered to form a ramp. Then it just a matter of riding on carefully.

Eighteen years young, the two wheeled miracle, that is Gee's Kawasaki, always raises a smile interest!

Gee chatting with members of the crew, we were all advised to remain on the bikes for the crossing

Just ten minutes later and we've crossed to the Isle of Skye and riding up in to the hills on another single track road.

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We turned left on to the A87 and rode on toward Portree, our destination for tonight. And 30 miles later, through yet more rain, we arrived at the Portree Independent Hostel... it was closed, we were too early! <sigh> Oh well, we'll have a ride around the Trotternish Peninsula  to pass on an hour, after all, it wasn't raining too much. We rode up the west side passed Earlish and Uig but didn't spot a cafe, as we went over the top to the east side the sun came out showing us what was hiding under the grey sky, mist and rain, it was lovely!

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14:40 We did find a cafe just here before finishing our ride back in to Portree. I thought I had a picture of the front which would give me its name, but I haven't :-( Anyway, the Sun was out and it was dry so we sat outside at the picnic tables and had hot pasties, tea and coffee, now this was more like it!

Then it was back to Portree independent Hostel (£13 per night) which was now open, and I have to say rather disappointing. 'tired' is probably the kindest way to describe it. Our room was quite small, and I think someone had been taking the planks from under the mattresses to make an escape tunnel, the name Stalag V was coined, and instantly stuck. We were booked in here for two nights, so if it rained we had the town to entertain us. But nobody wanted to stop a second night. Patto and I tried the other hostel close by, the Bayfield Backpackers, but that was already full. Having previously done some research I knew of another Hostel on the other side of the island called The Water Front Bunkhouse in Carbost, I made a call on Gee's mobile and we were booked in straight away, result!

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18:35 After cleaning up we went for a walk by the harbour, it was a lovely mild sunny evening. The Fish & Chip shop on the harbour front was open and seemed a tasty option for our evening meal. Well, that turned out to be a bad idea, they were the worst fish and chips any of use had ever had. Nearly the whole lot was thrown away, quite what the American couple who were served before us must have thought of it I can't imagine. Thinking back, I wish we'd complained, but we're just too English :-(

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Still, we did have a good night around Portree's pubs, where we topped up with a variety of ales and peanuts. Hopefully tomorrow will provide better accommodation and food, and you never know, it might just stop raining!

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A detailed map of the old military road over Mam Ratagan from Shiel Bridge to the ferry and Skye.

The elevation profile from Shiel Bridge to Skye Ferry. Peaking at 1148ft over Mam Ratagan.

Today's route in yellow, Corran to Portree 114 miles - Plus another 48 miles for the loop around the Trotternish Peninsula (top left)

Today's temperature graph, Corran to Portree

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