Hebrides tour – Day 3 – 2 Wheels and a Walking Stick

The weather relents:

The morning broke bright and sunny and I was ‘almost’ tempted to wear shorts but thankfully didn’t. I treated myself to a full Scottish breakfast (like a full English but more expensive) at the Old Inn. I thought it may be my last chance of a decent breakfast for a good few days. I worry I might waste away if not adequately nourished!

The climb out of Carbost was soon rewarded by distant views to the Cuillin ridge.

Sgurr nan Gillean with its Pinnacle ridge to the left, the Bhastier tooth and Am Bhastier further right.

Looking back down Loch Harport towards Carbost.

The western coast of Skye is a fascinating series of peninsulas and sea lochs, we’ll worth spending time exploring but my route today was long enough so I kept largely on the main road which unfortunately is fast and much busier than I remember. The peculiarly British pass time of drivers terrorising cyclists is alive and well on the Isle of Skye. The use of passing places on the single track sections seems often to apply to cars only with far too many drivers thinking it’s ok pass at speed within inches of cyclists.

Some views enroute to Dunvegan:

The twin flat tops of Healabhal Beag and Healabhal Mor
‘Macleods Tables’

I stopped at one point to take a photo of yet another glorious view, also stopped in the same place was another cyclist. We got chatting, he was a vet in the Lake District and a keen hillwalker and cyclist. We compared notes for 10 minutes on past adventures, current ailments and the wisdom of curbing yours activities with advancing years. It seemed neither of us had quite got the grasp of this yet.
We parted company, I duly got my photo and set off in the same direction. A mile down the road I met the guy again, on the grass verge with his bike upside down and that ‘punctured’ expression on his face which all cyclists will recognise.
It was rather more than just a puncture, his rear tyre had a substantial split in it. At this point I realised that in my hasty preperation for this tour I hadn’t packed a spare tyre, note to self!
We discussed the options, there weren’t many. A repair was attempted and I was tasked to press on the few miles to Dunvegan in the optimistic quest to find a bike shop or maybe a bike hire place that could supply a new tyre.
There are lots of things Dunvegan doesn’t have, not surprisingly any sort of bike facility included.
Via several messages it transpired that a sort of repair had been achieved and the travelling vet was bound for Portree and salvation.

I pressed on towards Uig. I took a wrong turn just beyond Dunvegan, I passed the castle entrance hoping to continue along the coast but had to retrace and pickup the road towards Portree. It seemed counter intuitive to be heading towards the east side of the island when I wanted to get to Uig in the north west. I also kept seeing Sgur nan Gillian which Id passed the day before and it didnt seem to be getting any further away. I’d only bought a map for the Outer Hebrides as I was confident I knew Skye well enough, I was confused by getting closer and closer to Portree not remebering that the island is very narrow at this point and its only a few miles from Portree to the west coast.
Soon enough I hit the junction and took a left for Uig.
The day was harder than expected, lots of long steady climbs and at around 50 miles it was enough with my current fitness. Before the final descent to Uig I stopped at yet another bus stop, not to shelter this time but to rest and enjoy the view.