My bikes got 3 wheels

Picked up a puncture on just about the farthest north you can get on Skye. Eventually manage to plug it with repair kit but it's 500 miles to home, it's a Sunday, tomorrows bank hol Monday and theres probably not a tyre in Scotland anyway. However, for piece of mind johnny at the b&b has a GS and very kindly offers me the use of his wheel to get me home. Top man.

The B&B - Lochbay - is a stunning place, in a stunning location run by Tash and Johnny. The best we've ever been in, no arguement. If you arrive on a GS it's even better as Johnny has one, hence the loan of the wheel - maybe its an additional service to punters to cannibilise his bike for spare parts? Reminds me of a visit I had to RAF Coningsby, arranged by a work pal ex.RAF. We went to see the eurofighter typhoons, and in a corner of the maintenance hanger was a typhoon that had been gradually cannibilised for parts - £69 million parts bin. They were gradually using all sorts of bits off it.

We also got to see inside the BBMF hanger for a really good close up look at the Spitfires & Hurricanes and have a chat with the maintenance crews. The Lancaster wasn't in but had broken down in Holland after an air show. A replacement engine was being prepared and the German air force (of all things) were sending over transport to pick it it up and deliver it to Holland!!!. According to my grandad, the best things to come out of Germany weren't mercedes & BMW but empty lancaster bombers - not very pc but the sentiment of that generation I guess.

The.little b*#$€%d that spoiled the day

Nige having a day off the bike today, so me & Steve off on a bit of a tour of Skye. First up is over to Portree and then North towards Staffin, past the Old Man of Storr and stopping at various viewpoints overlooking the Sound of Raasay. The waters like glass and we think we might have spotted a whale (or a very small part of it). A black arch in a disturbance of the water, which repeated itself every couple of hundred meters.





Stopped at the Kilt Rock viewpoint, but soon moved on as it was jammed packed with those little highland tour minibuses that had japanese tourists jumping in and out of them.
At Staffin we head west to Uig over the Quirang, then follow the road around to Dunvegan. For the best views of the castle carry on past the castle entrance and follow the single track road North - plenty of places to stop and look back.

That is what we did , and it's where I discovered the sliver of bone that found it's way into my back tyre through the thickest part of the tread. Admittedly I must have picked it up before then as the bike had felt loose at the back earlier on but I had put that down to gravel.

Although I carry a tubeless tyre puncture repair kit - the Rema type - I've always looked at it and thought to myself 'I hope I don't have to use that it anger'. Well f**k me, three or four miles up a single track road in the most Northerly part of Skye I get my chance and it's like a rehearsal for Billy Smarts Circus. I manage to rip 2 out of the 3 plugs that I have as I haven't reamed the hole out big enough and end up sticking the bone sliver back in the hole smothered in rubber cement to get us back to the B&B, stopping every 8 miles ot so to bang a CO2 cartridge in when the tyre went flat. Four CO2 cartridges later and we're pulling into the B&B just as Nige is pulling out. Nige has got some more plugs and rubber jollop, Johnny at the B&B has an air compressor and I finally give it one more go and get a plug in which seals.
With that it's a walk down to the Stein Inn for the rest of the day to drown my sorrows.

Day 3 Inchnadamph to Skye........

........via Achiltibuie and Applecross.

We stayed overnight in the Inchnadamph Hotel this year - the hostel was fully booked with a university party. The owner Richard, only had the place open a week (the hotel closes from October to April) and was getting up to speed again and the food portions were massive - 20 pieces of scampi for one!!! Nige had to help me out with that.

Fantastic weather yesterday evening on the run down to Inchnadamph and as you come down on the A894 to the junction with the A837 at Loch Assynt herd of about 20 twenty red deer crossing the road ahead of us as we come along. Half of them get across and run off up the hillside, the other ten or so stand just off the side of the road looking at us as we approach - which by now is pretty much at walking pace. Unsurprisingly they make me very nervous these things.

That was last night,this morning we are off to Skye but first take a detour along a liitle road we have'nt been along before which turns off the A835 just after Drumrunie and heads west to the coast and a place called Achiltibuie. Steve wants some smoked fish and apparently there's a smokery near there.

Loaded up with smoked kippers (Steve had a packet) we're on our way again, next stop Ullapool for a tea break and fuel. From there, we follow the coast road past Gruinard Bay, Gairloch, Kinlochewe and turn off to Torridon and then the road around the Applecross peninsula. Nearing Applecross, there's a nuclear sub on exercise in the sound and we spend a few minutes stopped watching that float past - you never know we might see this happen again. Anyhow, the sub doesn't get stuck this time and keeps moving by which time it's about 3 o'clock when we get to the Applecross Inn for a late lunch/early tea.
As you'd expect on a Saturday with the sun shining the place is rammed buts it's not a long wait for me & Steves snap, but Nige has drawn the short straw again as he watches us eat our meals then we watch him eat his.

Staying two nights on Skye at the Lochbay B&B. We get there about seven o'clock, quick wash & brush up and then Johnny the owner takes us to the pub in his 4X4.
Good night in the Stein Inn, so good that Johnny has to ring his better half to come and pick us up at closing time. All the seats get nabbed and I get a ride hanging on for grim death in the open back space of the 4x4 - great fun.

Day 2 Braemat to Inchnadamph

Ice on the bikes this morning so it must have been chilly last night. But nice and warm in our holiday chalet.


Up and over the Lecht and through Inverness, then over to Lairg, after which it's north and turning off on the little used road at Altnahara, which requires the grass cutting on it. Miles of nothing in every direction.


Around loch eribol the fire brigade are out in force as there's a very large scrub fire on the hill side just before Pontys cafe. We end up stopping at Durness for Nige to top up with fuel at the only petrol station for 30 miles in all directions ( apart from 24hour pump in Scourie)


Don't pass by these pumps if you've got less than 75 miles left in your tank.
The last hour or so of the day is along one of the best roads in the country, the A894 from Durness to Inchnadamph, where we are staying in the hotel this year - hostel fully booked by some university.

Scotland 2011 day 1

420 miles today following a Nige detour to the falls of dochart. In a chalet in Braemar tonight at the place we stayed in the bunkhouse last year. Ronnie is the owner and by a coincidence we got talking to his brother in law Gary at the top of an alp
In France last summer


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Steve polishing his helmet in Southwaite services car park. Oo er!!


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Stop for snap at Stainmore on way to Scotland. Meeting Nige 40 miles further on


Posted on the go