North-west Scotland

[lewis noble]

We are going camping (and cycling, I very much hope!) around Ullapool, leaving on the 18th.  Is it possible to ride to the Old Man of Stoer (to the cliffs, overlooking it, friends, not up the stack itself . . .)along the coast??  I have a Raven Tour and my wife has a rather more fragile city bike.

Any experiences up that way welcome.

Lewis

[Al Downie]

I've climbed it! Thanks for the memories...

As I recall there's a good road as far as the lighthouse, and then I think there's a rough track (cycleable) that'll take you to within a mile of the stack. I think you'll have to lock the bikes and walk the rest.

If you get the timing right, and there's a VERY low tide, you can get over to the stack without having to do the normal tyrolean traverse. We didn't get the timing right, there was a howling swell, and muggins here pulled the short straw and had to swim across to set up the traverse. Ooooh missus, that cold water isn't good for the anatomy...

[lewis noble]

Right Al . . . .

I'll take your advice . . . and I don't fancy the idea of a Tyrolean traverse either . . .

I'm looking forward to seeing it.

Lewis

[jawj]

Hi Lewis!
Now there is a place that is close to my heart. I spent a few weeks cycling from Inverness up to Durness and then back in a big loop. It was stunning!
I didn't actually go to the point at Stoer, but cycled on the little road from Newton to Lochinver (B869). We'd camped at Scourie (bit further North) the previous night but only made it as far as Clachtoll as that road is the most hilly I can remember! We had full camping loads and every climb involved me struggling to the top of it, propping my bike and scurrying back down to help push my girlfriend's bike up the incline. The most memorable part of that road was this, perhaps as I just HAD to take a photo of it:



That was a descent and a half on my very shonky old 'tourer'!

Have fun, it's an amazing part of the world []

[lewis noble]

Hello jawj - yes, we came over that road, but driving as the weather has been terrible for the last 2 weeks in N W Scotland.

But we had a great holiday, a lot of cycling around Gairloch - Red Point, and then around Achiltibuie.  Were you up that way, Freddered??  I caught a glimpse of someone on a Raven, looked rather like you, girlfriend following on a multicog bike??

Lewis

[Fred A-M]

If my memory serves me correctly from 5 years ago, without reference to a map, the road that Jawj refers to is known locally as the "Breakdown Zone" and is reputed to be the hilliest road in Scotland and certainly accounts for one of the tougher days I've spent in the saddle.  

All worth it though, NW Scotland and the Hebrides are stunning, the Golden Road around South Harris being particularly memorable.

[lewis noble]

Message for geocycle - hello, I have mislaid your email address - I want to speak to you again re C2C and are round you.  Can you email me on lewis@lewisnoble.f9.co.uk??  Thanks

Lewis