Nicks blog

• Today’s mileage: 41.9 miles
• Total mileage:    430.6 miles
• Desasters:  none really…

The day started with a hearty breakfast and a chat with our new Kiwi friends that we met in the bar last night.  

After sayimg our goodbyse and telling the manager about the beadside lamp that was arking we set off about 9:30. 

We were looking forward to today because it was essentially a downhill ride – see the strava profile below…

Lovely route through beautiful countryside with the return of trees – I love trees.

We met up with Richard & Helen at Bonar Bridge for lunch.

After Bonar Bridge the route took us on the main A roads towards Inverness. We made it as far as Tain, called it a day and got the train the last 20 miles. It was busy traffic and loads of big wagons.

Phil, a friend who lives in inverness came and picked us up ftom Inverness and we had a very pleasant night at his house in Gorthleck – thanks Phil ?

Anyway a summary of today’s route…

And that’s the end of our trip. So far this blog is rambling words written while half asleep after a days cycling. Hopefully I’ll put together some useful info on Orkneys and Shetland soon.

• Today’s mileage:  50.4 miles
• Total mileage:    387.3 miles
• Desasters:  none ?

Yesterday’s short day threw our plan out the window. We had a rethink over breakfast…

What a difference the weather makes.  Dry & little wind today so the new plan was to get some miles done. The options were Altnaharra, Crask or (at a push) Lairg. Several phone calls later and were booked into the Crask Inn. We started off about 9am.

Not much to tell really – pleasent and uneventful days cycling through beautiful countryside.  As with all phone photos they don’t do the scenery justice.

Anyway a summary of todays route…

The Crask inn is lovely. Ill write more on that when less tired…

• Today’s mileage:  29.3 miles
• Total mileage:    336.9 miles
• Desasters:  only the weather…

It was a windy and wet night and neither of us slept well. We were up by 8am, showered and got the tent down before the rain started.

The couple who ran the camp site took pity on us and gave us breakfast – eggs and toast. Really nice people as we’d only got two jelly babies to keep us going till Thurso !

They’d got two beautiful dogs who took an interest in our breakfast. The Husky’s eyes looked mean but she was soft as grease really ?

We started cycling in windy but dry conditions. The sections on the main road were grim because of traffic. The back roads were hilly but scenic.

Then the rain started, the wind increased and it became colder. Cycling became a real sense of humour test ?

We stopped at a small shop (porta-cabin) for takeaway hot chocolate and macaroni cheese & beans pie. While we were refuelling in the lee of the cabin (by the bins) we decided we weren’t going to make Tongue today. Several Google searches and phone calls later & we were booked in at the Melvich Hotel – at about half our original target distance.

It was now about 1pm and that only left us about 12 miles for the day ? As if to vindicate our decision the rain eased.

We met two interesting cyclists on route. A girl called Hanna who does LEJOG every year on her own and a guy from Suffolk who was touring Scotland for a month. The guy from Suffolk was camping and wasn’t too happy as it had rained for nearly all his trip !

Anyway a summary of todays route…

• Today’s mileage:  37.7 miles
• Total mileage:    307.6 miles
• Desasters:  only the weather…

Baldricks plan for the day was cycle down the east coast of Orkney, across the Churchill barriers and down to Burwick to get the foot ferry to JoG.  From JoG a short cycle to Dunnet Head camp site.

It turned into a game of two halves.  The ride to the ferry was great with some interesting stuff on route.  Tje the weather crapped out and it was a real sense of humour test to the the camp site.

Easy cycling out of Kirkwall to the first Churchill barrier

There are four Churchill barriers with info boards at each.

On the first island making up the barriers is the Italian Chapel.  This is a small church constructed by Italian PoW’s during WW2.

Block ships were sunk to prevent German U boat attacks until the barries were built.  Interestingly this one featured in Eurithmics music video “Here Comes The Rain Again”

Then onto the ferry.  Nice views of Duncansby Head but the weather’s crapping out…

Then the weather really crapped out for our cycle to Dunnet Head. The head wind was horrendous and we ended up getting there about 8pm.

We just got the tent up before the rain really came down. We were shattered and ate ready meals in the tent before a broken nights sleep because of the wind.

Anyway a summary of todays route…

• Today’s mileage:  28.25 miles
• Total mileage:     235.9 miles
• Desasters:  0

The idea was that today was a bit of a rest day for exploring the area round Brae. Weathers ok with light winds and no rain ?

After a lazy start we set off west up th A970 with the idea of lunch at Hillswick. 

Normally we’d avoid cycling on A roads but this is a Shetland A road – single track and very little traffic.

The first interesting site was this road sign…

The next point of interest was Mavis Grind.  This is a place where the Atlantic and North seas come within 100 yards of each other.

This was an important crossing point as the info board below explains…

We had lunch at the bay in Hillswick and what a beautiful bay it is…

On route we’d met a local and his kids who’d told us about a circulsr route home.  This took us past the local woods !   Yes contrary to popular belief there are trees on Shetland – just very few & hidden from the wind in a small valley…

• Today’s mileage: 57 miles
• Total mileage:     207.65 miles
• Desasters:  0

The day started by being kept awake by a group of chav scum Glaswegians partying in the adjacent youth hostel till the early hours…   Grrrr ?

Baldrick has a cunning plan – a new plan…

After the rowdy night we hatched a new plan which involved not staying another night next to the Glaswegians.  The new plan was to cycle without baggage to the top of Shetland to finish the NC1. Then cycle back (via campsite) and onto Brae with our baggage. This will be approximately 50 miles – another big day when carrying 20kg of kit.

Instead of booking camping we went for the 4* Brae hotel. With a weather front coming in it would give us a little luxury and an opportunity to wash some clothes.

On the road north…

We passed an honisty bus stop shop. After the chav scum weegies this again restored my faith in human nature ?

Then we came across a mockup of a viking long house & ship. No time to look round as were were on a big day again.

Saxavord space centre surprised me. Can’t see how they’ll launch from Shetland – its just too windy. Have they never tried to launch fire work rockets in a strong wind – doh… Anyway they do have a web site www.saxavord.com/ if you’re interested.

After many hills we finally reached it – the end of the NC1…

The road really did stop – we could go no further north. So we turned round and set off for Brae via the camp site.

Our route took us past Sullom Voe oil terminal. This almost looked deserted apart from one flare stack burning.

A long descent bought us into Brae to our 4* hotel – The Brae Hotel. We were greeted by a girl who had lived in Cockers until her partner got a job here. The hotel appeared clean but basic. She said the hotel was “quite busy” at the moment.

The first thing we noticed was our room key 226 also opened room 224 – a little worrying !

Then we noticed this…

We went down for dinner and were served by the receptionist who appears to do everything! In fact apart from the chef she was the only staff on in this ” busy” hotel.

Anyway we’re both knackered so time for bed… ?

• Today’s mileage: 1.8 miles
• Total mileage:     96.75 miles
• Desasters:   none – because we got a shower in the end ?

The rain from 4pm to about 9:30 was biblical. Then it stopped allowing us to get some food and a good nights sleep. Luckly the tent stayed dry.

We woke with the plan of a long shower and a lazy start. Then we had all day to look round Kirkwall before the night ferry to Shetland.

As with all our plans things didn’t go quite to plan… We were told that the drains were blocked and the shower block could not be used ! We could however use the toilets in the nearby leisure centre with the promise of a shower later (drains permitting). So feeling lighter but still smelling we set off to explore Kirkwall for the day…

Our first stop was the “Beiting and Brew” street food van for breakfast. This was a great recommendation from Pat. The locations not great – an industrial estate near the vets but well worth a visit if you’re in the area.

Well fuelled we set off for Kirkwall. Our first mission was to find the local bike shop to buy me some cycling gloves – I’d left mine on the washing line back in Cockers.

After the bike shop we walked round the rest of Kirkwall. This didn’t take long because its really not that big !

We just wandered round the shops in lovely sunshine. But you know when you start looking for something…

…but when you zoom in on the top shirt ?

So that gave purpose to our wander round Kirkwall – we were now on a Twatt hunt ! We now searched all the souvenir (tat) shops for Twatt.

We did find Judith Glue’s shop sold all sorts of Twatt gifts…

Now sorted for Twatt we headed back to the campsite for showers an a chill before food at the Kirkwall Hotel.

Nice food at the Kirkwall though a little pricey. Then off to the ferry terminal…

• Today’s mileage: 44.7 miles
• Total mileage:     94.95 miles
• Desasters:   1 – the headwinds

We woke early to clear skies and sunshine.

Coffee and porrage for breakfast before packing quickly to get on the road – the forecast says bad rain at 4pm.

The sunshine lasted till about mid-day by which time we’d seen…

• Stones of Stenness where we met a woman called Elaine from Cockers – whats the chances…
• Ness of Brodgar archaeological dig. This was the last day of the dig for some unknown reason. Really helpful and enthusiastic staff.
• Ring of Brodgar stone circle. Not as good as the one in Keswick but what do I know…
• The site of Skara Brae though we didn’t go in because we’d not booked ?
• The Brough of Birsay island. Pretty rock cave.

All very nice but none of that was top of my “to see” list. Top of my list was the village of Twatt. Being a 55 year old with the mental age of 16 I found that village name highly amusing and wanted to visit for a selfie. Sad I know…

Sarah, being a grown up wanted to stick to the EV route so we parted ways at Scorne and arranged to meet at The Barony.

I struck out on my own with a little snigger and had soon detoured to Twatt. Though there was no Twatt ! The map said it was there, the gps said i was there but there was no place names anywhere. Even Twatt farm had no sign.

I was distraught. How could the residents of Twatt not have signs ? We’re they so humourless to not be proud Twattians ?

Then I saw it – a faded sign on a church bench – Twatt church. I got my selfie ?

Happy now I pushed on and caught up with Sarah just outside Northside to report on the lack of Twatt in Twatt…

It was at this point the headwind really kicked in and reduced us to a crawl in places. Progress was slow but the scenery was beautiful in a barren sort of way.

We got to a junction by a disused quarry and there it was…

From here on it was just hard going. The wind seemed to be relentless and always in our face. The last 15 miles to Kirkwall were a sense of humour test…

We arrived at the camp site at 4pm and just got the tent up before the heavens opened. More biblical rain. Weve been stuck in the tent since then. This is how the rain radar sees our situation…

Anyway a summary of todays ride…

• Today’s mileage: 41 miles
• Total mileage:     50.25 miles
• Desasters:            zero (on a roll?)

We woke around 7am after a broken nights sleep.  I never seem to sleep well the first night under canvass and last night was no exception.  There’d been light rain over night but the day was dry and overcast.

Today’s plan was for a day ride round Hoy.  We’d booked tickets by phoning  Orkney ferries yesterday afternoon. No on-line booking but all the info and timetables can be found at www.orkneyferries.co.uk/

It was a short and picture postcard pretty journey to Hoy through the western approaches to Scapa Flow.

We landed at Linksness and cycled down the island to the light house at Ruff of Cantick.

We followed the main road which was single track all the way !  The route is undulating with no really steep gradients.  No trees but the scenery was beautiful and the road was super quiet

We had our lunch at the Cantick lighthouse.  If Carlsberg did lunch spots…

There was only one road down the island so a circular route was out and we were forced to retrace our route.

On the way back we stopped at the Longhope lifeboat disaster memorial 

Our weather luck ran out with about 8 miles to go.  It was light drizzle & not a full Scottish downpour which continued till we returned to Stromness. 

Pasta for tea washed down with some Morgans Spiced and Coke ?