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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Clachtoll to Scourie

Day 6 of GWC S3 Projects 2009

JD and I in full flow

After a battering in the tent overnight, we were all feeling rather jaded - to say the least! The kids were ok and seemed to have quite enjoyed the unexpected drama of the previous night. However, it was still blowing a gale and we made the call that it was too dangerous for the group to cycle today. There was, however, one small problem: our lack of transport in the form of a minibus...

A quick phone call from Lewis to the Sutherland Project leader and half an hour later, we had a minibus at the campsite. A crowd of friendly faces was just what we needed after the terrible night we had just experienced.

We loaded the kids into the bus and headed along the steep and winding road to Scourie. I have to say that I was quite gutted not to be having a go at the cycle today; as it was this stretch that had been the most talked about and hyped part of the route. Lewis and Pete had mentioned a few times that this road contained the infamous and dreaded 1 in 4 climb. As the bus struggled up the steep tarmac switchback, I thought it looked like a possible challenge and was tempted to get out with my bike and give it a go - but there were more pressing matters to attend to.

Machines with Scourie Bay behind

Scourie Campsite

We arrived safely at Scourie Campsite, and I was very pleased to learn that it was well sheltered from the wind. Lewis, John and I helped the kids put up the tents that had survived the night, while Pete and Jane drove back to return the minibus and fetch the bikes in the van. The kids were all shattered after a poor nights sleep so we took the opportunity to have some downtime and have a nap and visit the local Spar. Lewis, John and I visited the cafe and enjoyed a coffee and a piece of cake and chatted about how good a decision it was not to cycle today. The campsite had good facilities, so after a good hot shower we decided to put Pete's gazebo up. Lewis and I had concerns that it would just blow over later on or during the night, but Pete was having none of that chat and it was up standing in no time at all.

Gazebo action

After dinner, spirits were high again - especially after a good rest. Lewis had a great idea of having a fire on the beach and letting the kids toast marshmallows; great idea! The kids had soon gathered a healthy stack of wood and the fire was going in no time. We spent a great night next to the fire into the wee small ours chatting with the group and eating crispy S'mores - magic.

Beach at Scourie

Fire!

Distance for the day: 29 miles
Total Distance so far: 191 miles
Route for the day:

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