Outer Hebrides and North Coast 500. Looking for advice.

[Andre Jute]

Enjoy Inverness and thanks for sharing your journey.

+1. Enjoying your trip vicariously, Ron.

I used to like the Albert Hotel in Nairn.* "I'll have a smokie," I said to the waiter at breakfast because the menu refused to come into focus, and that's a safe order in Scotland. He brought me a fish that hung over a large plate at both ends. "And cancel my order for everything else." I ate the entire fish and my hangover mysteriously abated.

*Past tense, because it is probably thirty years since I was there last, and hotels do change hands or even generations.

[PH]

Sorry your earlier report was lost, if you didn't catch my reply I was mostly commiserating on the midges.  Sounds like you've had a great trip.
Glad the Crask Inn is still offering the same level of service and friendliness as the previous occupiers.  We called in for a pint and ended up camping on the lawn and enjoying dinner and breakfast there.

[RonS]

 As some of you know, my parting gift form Scotland was a case of Covid, my first, hence the delay in this trip report. It was a mild case, fortunately, but it delayed the completion of the chores that awaited my return. I’m all better, and caught up, so let’s get to it.

I had great luck with the weather, considering Scotland’s reputation. With the exception of my last full day of riding, I had only two 2hr drenchings, and 2 days on the Hebrides where it would shower for 10 minutes and then dry out. Daytime temperatures were mostly in the low teens, and 5 days approached 20. I did find out my 2 degree sleeping bag is hopelessly overrated, as anything below 10, which was almost every night, I was cold. I guess a new bag will be my next big expense. The wind wizards were not as kind to me, as I only had the wind at my back maybe 4 days out of 22.

 I arrived at my hotel in Inverness at 2230hr on Monday Sept 3 and had a great sleep, having been awake for 30 odd hours. The Travelodge Inverness Fairways was kind enough to hold my bike box until my return. Tuesday morning I built up the bike, headed to the local ASDA for a SIM card  (£15 for 50gb. One of the few things less expensive in the UK than Canada) and a full Scottish at their cafe (I only had them twice. That’s a lotta meat!), I was off.

 Part one of the trip was to head to Oban, where I would meet my daughter and her partner, take the ferry to Castlebay, and ride the Outer Hebrides. For this I merely had to follow the signs for NC78, The Caledonia Way. Except for a 5 mile detour on the A82 due to forestry work, and another detour up a gravel forestry track because of work on a hydroelectric generating station, I barely had to pull out the map. It’s a beautiful ride. I’d like to complete the route to Campbeltown one day. Here are a few pics from the ride.

1 We’re off! Singletrack road through the farmland near Inverness

2  High above Loch Ness before the big descent into Fort Augustus

3  The Caledonian Canal path

4  A lovely morning near Oban

Next instalment; The Outer Hebrides

[Andre Jute]

Thanks for sharing, Ron. There's an eery, otherworldly quality to your photo taken near Oban. Superb! Looking forward to the next section of your tour.