Scourie to Durness

Day 7 of GWC S3 Projects 2009

A moment to myself...

I was hoping to wake up feeling refreshed and ready for action after yesterday being a rest day, but instead I woke feeling sluggish; perhaps caused by JD snoring all night in the tent a few feet away from me. He brought me a cup of tea to my tent door with a grin on his face and I knew straight away that the gazebo had been obliterated in the night; a comical sight indeed. John was also very proud of the porridge that he had just made, the wooden spoon standing up straight in the middle of the pot. During breakfast I had a 'moment' where I spaced out a little due to feeling rather knackered and Lewis kindly snapped a picture of me at that exact moment.

Hilarious

Perfect porridge

After everyone had sorted themselves out (me included!), we hit the road for the relatively easy day ahead. It was a cool, dry day with little wind - perfect for cycling. The first few miles were pretty easy going and we were crossing Laxford Bridge in what seemed to be no time at all. Around 11am we stopped at the Rhiconich Hotel for a hot chocolate stop for the kids. One of the kids played out a few tunes on the dining room piano - a very talented young lad indeed.

John

Hot chocolate stop at the Rhiconich Hotel

We pressed on; passing the turning to Kinlochbervie to start the long and gradual climb up and over to Gualin. Surprisingly, the going was good despite the definite chill in the air. I kept in a big gear and just powered through and wound up the momentum; gradually picking up speed. We all made good time, as we were all well rested after yesterday's unplanned break. We had a long lunch stop at the bridge at Drochaid Mhor and the sun decided to join us - an idyllic setting.

Lunch at Drochaid Mhor

Lunch at Drochaid Mhor

Leaving Drochaid Mhor

After a good break, all that remained was a nice run into Durness that was only a couple of miles. We rounded the corner and immediately had a glorious view of the sandy inlet at Rubh' a' Ghrudaidh and the turquoise Atlantic. We were enjoying every moment of this run and had built up a good pace until... we encountered the Germans, their stupidly big camper vans, and their lack of respect for cyclists on a single track road! Absolute rudeness - not to mention dangerous! Once seeing the group through that minor ordeal, we cruised downhill into Durness.

Approaching Durness

Approaching Durness

Approaching Durness

Approaching Durness

We headed straight for the hostel to get settled in and to unload the van. Unfortunately, on arrival, Lewis discovered that there had been a bit of a mix up with the rooms and there wasn't enough staff beds. Camping didn't bother me one bit and Lewis said the same so we quickly pitched our tents on the front lawn without a second thought. We got the dinner going and we talked about the plan for tomorrow - it was our planned rest day but, as we'd already had an unplanned one, Lewis was keen to try to cycle out to Cape Wrath with the group. Unfortunately the warden quickly informed us that they had been bombing the heck out of the place all week and it wasn't due to finish until Tuesday. That was that then. A day on the beach for us instead! Shame!

A room with a view!

'Papped' by Lewis

Distance for the day: 25 miles
Total Distance so far: 216 miles
Route for the day:

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