Wet Dry Wet Dry Wet Dry

As it says, bit of wet, bit of dry and a bit of sun today. Showers & sunny intervals is what the weather man would say.

Leaving the bunkhouse on Skye

Looked promising leaving Skye, top up with fuel at the co-op (refill in Alan's case) and via the bridge heading for Applecross, but just as we're stopping for a cuppa & breakfast bun at the Locharron Golf Club tea room it chucks it down - timing is everything.
After egg baps & coffees all round we're off and up the pass to Applecross - plan is to get to the top then go back down again the  way we came and head over to Torridon and make our way to Ullapool and then Lochinver.

Top of pass towards Applecross

 It was good weather all the way along the road to Shieldaig and on to Torridon. Very clear and you could see for miles, so the scenery was at its best. Stop again for a break and a brew at the café in Torridon village, Al goes further along the road to the Alligin Shuas viewpoint as he's not been along that road before. You can see it snaking up the hillside across the loch from the other viewpoint on the A696 - the other three decide to stay in the café for cream cakes - either no sense of adventure or already know that Loch Torridon looks the same whatever side you look at it from!!


Loch Torridon from the A696 side.......

....and looking back from the other side near Alligin Shuas

After those extra few miles, Al needs a sit down but the others are ready for moving on after gorging on tea & cream cakes at the café in Torridon..

Weather still good & dry so a few more miles and stopped in Poolewe to have another break. Riding round & staring at the scenery is thirsty work and we ended up in this another café, this time at the Bridge Cottage Café. Looked good to sit outside but a shower drives us indoors. Nice little café, but pretty cramped indoors with all our clobber.

 

Just after squeezing out of the Bridge café in Poolewe

 More scenery beckons and the executive decision is made to crack on to Ullapool where we shall partake of an ice cream before heading further north to the B&B at Lochinver.  To be honest it was more like a hostel than a good B&B. Very dated - shower and toilet were shared between at least three rooms, but the owner was a friendly guy, we had a cooked breakfast and no real drama to be fair. Its just that we were expecting a B&B!!! Sometimes when booking on the web you get some good ones and not so good ones.
Couple of pints in the pub down the road and some dinner then to bed wishing for more dri-ish weather in the morning.

Ice cream time in Ullapool



Still Wet in Scotland

Plan is to get over to Skye today via the little 'Man & Two Dogs' ferry from Glenelg, but first over to Fort William for more fuel for Alan as his Ducati only has a 17l tank as opposed to the 25l to 33l of the rest of us - he does have 162bhp though!
After planning the next fuel stop for Alan (80 miles or so to Broadford) its past the Commando Memorial and then along Glen Garry and Glen Shiel, stopping at the Cluanie Inn for a coffee and a bit of a dry out. Not far then to the turn off and the Mam Rattigan road to the ferry, but its still raining and wet so not the best of fun.

Viewpoint overlooking Glenshiel

 

The ferry's just got over to our side when we arrive and we get straight on. The two dogs are running all over the place - if you've been on the ferry you'll know what I mean - they're an entertainment in their own right.

Theres a temptation to chuck something over the side just to see if the dog would go after it

Onto Broadford and Alan not too sure about the single track, wet, gravel etc as his tyres are more suited for smoother tarmac etc. Al couldn't give a toss on tourances.
Pretty much pizza for lunch for everyone at the Cafeasia café in Broadford and then its a tour up the east coast of Skye - Storr, Kilt Rock etc and then over the Quirang in the drizzle with its single track gravel etc. Alan had better get used to it as there's more to come over the next few days.
Stopping at the Waterfront bunkhouse next to the Old Inn in Carbost tonight - bit cramped in the Pirates Cove but its only a dozen steps or so to the pub.

Wet wet wet in Scotland

Four go to Scotland in the rain. Al & Steve on GS's, Alan on Ducati Diavil, Darren on Aprilia Capanord. Absolutely chucking it down . Brekkie at Stainmore café on the way, then next stop Dumfries for fuel and then Mauchline for a comfort stop.

Cottagers caught on camera

Heading for Erskine bridge and then up along Loch Lomond. We get split up going around Glasgow - Al & Daz one way, Alan & Steve another, but manage to rendezvous at Luss and at last a stop for a cuppa and a bit of a dry out at the Green Welly.

A wet Green Welly

Stop for a cuppa at the Green Welly and Al B needs to change his nappy as its wet through - major trouser failure

 

Glencoe goes by somwhere in the mist

Alan & Daz peering at Glencoe

Here it is as the drizzle rolls back

Stopping Corran bunkhouse tonight, so its onto the ferry to the pub, just don't miss the last one back at 21:20

Water taxi to the pub at Ardgour

Off to the pub

The pub