Henry is off the lead!

[in4]

Ferry to Belfast - great
Loop of Strangford Lough - Challenging in parts. Awful weather. Portaferry quite charming.
Ferry to Cairnryan - excellent
Bailed out at Ballantyre - essential, tired with a capital K
Ballantyre to Ardrossan Port - a real pleasure
Ardrossan to Isle of Arran tomorrow - wild camp, looking forward to that.

[Danneaux]

I've never read a more complete tour summary with such an economy of words!

Loved the photos!

Looks like a wonderful Adventure to me; best of luck, Ian.

Dan.

[Andre Jute]

Especially loved the photo of the sun-rise/set. Clever composition with the sun just offside from the centre.

[in4]

Thanks Andre. The first photo was just me being a bit naughty. The clock is emblazoned with  Trump Turnberry. It’s situated outside the opulent Orange One’s golf empire. The contrast between my simple pleasure and those staying and playing at Turnberry made me laugh. The grumpy security guy, not so much lol

[PH]

looks like a great trip, was that the full report or just a teaser
It has left me wanting more, though that's no always a bad thing!

[Matt2matt2002]

Many fond memories of Arran. Top to bottom and visa versa & off the top by ferry to Islay.
Lochranza, Claonaig.
Washed out once when ferry cancelled due to high winds & rain.
Popping up Goat Fell?


Happy days.

Best  Matt

[Andre Jute]

Thanks Andre. The first photo was just me being a bit naughty. The clock is emblazoned with  Trump Turnberry. It’s situated outside the opulent Orange One’s golf empire. The contrast between my simple pleasure and those staying and playing at Turnberry made me laugh. The grumpy security guy, not so much lol

Heh-heh! The security guy probably thought you were the advance guard of a thousand protestors.

[in4]

Great night at free camp site, North Sannox, Arran.
Bailed out because of the rain 🌧️
Took the ferry from Locranza to Tarbert in ‘delightful’ company, apart from her gaseous dog!
Brilliant overnight at Starfish Rooms

Lovely ride up through  Lochgilpinhead and beyond via Crinan Canal towpath.
So called cycle route past standing stone circles and staying west of Loch Awe to Taynault was very draining, particularly in the rain. Less traffic, for sure. Way to hilly for this laden cyclist. Thankfully the hills were deaf.

Taynault to Oban was fine, riding on the sidewalk.

[PH]

Bailed out because of the rain 🌧️

Great report and photos, but I don't understand this term?  Do you mean revised plans?

[JohnR]

Bailed out because of the rain 🌧️

Great report and photos, but I don't understand this term?  Do you mean revised plans?

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/bail-out

[PH]

Bailed out because of the rain 🌧️

Great report and photos, but I don't understand this term?  Do you mean revised plans?

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/bail-out

Well yes, but I don't think the term appears in the Touring Cyclists' Dictionary. 
In the same way as what others might refer to as "Lost" appears in the TCD as "Alternative route"

[Andre Jute]

I love the image of the town reflected in the rippling water.

And "bailed out" as a euphemism for "I sat in the bar in front of the fire until the evil weather passed" is absolutely brilliant!

My favourite pub for being caught out by the weather is round the corner from Timoleague opposite the lifeboat anchorage, where one can catch the reflections in the water, and they always have a roaring fire going.

[John Saxby]

Great tale & photos, Ian!

Bailed out because of the rain

No shame, been there, done that, nuthin' left to prove, eh. 

[in4]

Bailed out: I was using it in the Australian sense. IE to give up on something. You’ve all got me thinking now though. Perhaps there’s some historical, naval phrase lurking there. Perhaps a cricketing one too. To further complicate things, being bailed up by a dog is to be approached by a pooch with anything but pleasantries on its mind. Anyway, moving on. After recuperating in Oban I caught the ferry to Craignure, Isle of Mull and cycled down to Port Uisken. Gorgeous beach campsite site. £5 pn. No facilities save for drinking water.

https://www.google.com/search?client=mobilesearchapp&channel=iss&cs=0&hl=en_GB&rlz=1MDAPLA_en-GBGB875GB876&v=256.2.518341946&output=search&q=Uisken+Beach&ludocid=1879524721697674635&gsas=1&client=mobilesearchapp&v=256.2.518341946&ibp=gwp;0,7&gsas=1&lsig=AB86z5XC2f_8TM1nVKQ6mQQcbfP1&kgs=c6bc14103e950316&shndl=-1&source=sh/x/kp/local/5

Next day I took the ferry to Iona. An Island of cultural and spiritual significance, for centuries.
Even for non-believers there is a great sense of ‘the veil being thin’ here.

Too early for Corncrakes though.

Last night I wild camped at the back of Ben Mor, just off the B8035. Fantastic site, until 3am when the winds from the Devil’s own b…reath arrived! Extra guy rope duties called. I was not at my most sartorial best.

Took an hour to decamp this morning so as nothing flew off into the Loch.

Thus endeth the latest extract from Henry’s weighty tome. 😀

[John Saxby]

A good tale indeed, Ian. And 'enery, ya done well.

Superb moonlight photo!  And a properly windswept beach scene.  We spent a few days on Mull and Iona in 2008, hugely enjoyed it.  My wife, bless her, didn't bring a woolly hat.  I said, "Sweetie, it's Scotland!" She said, "But John, it's June." I said, as the rain came in horizontally from Iceland, "True enough, and there's a reason why Nova Scotia is called New Scotland..." Anyway, we found a proper one on Iona, and she still uses it.

As for bailing out:  I understood your meaning - we use the phrase that way. As for its origin, I've always assumed that it came from small boats: by "bailing out", I was chucking it.

[And, sometimes I see it misspelt as "baling out"; but that allusion to a combine harvester (or before that, a harvester) makes no sense at all. 'Cept that the writer was probably a townie.]

Cheers,  John