Well, we had a new tent to try out and I needed to get some mileage on my new bikie so we headed off after work last Friday night.
Wully spent the day cramming everything required for a weekends camping into his panniers leaving me to carry the stuff that wouldn’t fit in an Ortleib bag. He only forgot to pack plates and butter…
Tootling off to Fort William for a much needed fish supper- it was getting late and we managed to resist the temptations of the Lochy. Once bikes and peeps were refuelled we decided to head on over to Arisaig to find a campsite. The roads were quiet – lot of road construction work going on though and this will be a great road once it’s complete although it– feels quite disorientating coming into Arisaig now.
The first campsite was full but had a notice in the office window listing available pitches?? so we headed over to the next one which was a lot more welcoming and we ended up with a top view right next to the sea.
The next morning after coffee since (some choob forgot to pack the plates and butter
) we headed on over to Mallaig for a ferry and hopefully a bacon buttie – unfortunately no bacon buttie shops were open but we’d timed it well for the ferry to Armadale. We met a group of german tourists and blethered with their tour guide – who admired my bike – he having the new 800gs blinged up with the biggest road book ever seen and various Touratech bits.
Pre Ferry Blether
Bikies’ first ferry trip
The Armadale ferry crew are well used to bikes and made a great job of securing them
From Armadale we headed on over to Broadford for coffee, the long anticipated bacon butties and a pour over the map re where next – Wully wanted to go to the café at Achnasheen having been there a couple of weeks ago and was still raving about the roads and the food.
A quick visor faff stop en route to Broadford
So off we headed for Achnasheen via the bridge to Kyle of Lochalsh and over the A890 to Loch Carron.
Along Loch Carron - the road just went on and on and on
Eventually we stopped at the junction with the A896 – dilemma – the Bealach na Ba was just along the road – it seemed rude not to go for a wee looksee, so we hung a left and headed on over.
Made it, loved it.
Not nearly as bad as I’d worked it up to be…(prob helped that it was really quiet)
What a cracking day for the views!
Then it was back down and on over to Achnasheen for soup and scones as per the original plan.
I hate caravans but this one was quite cute.
From Achnasheen it was on over to Kinochewe, along the very scenic Loch Maree to the Gairloch.
We were admiring the view here when a bloke got out a car and came and admired MY bike
– Wully was in the huff by now – it’s normally his bike that gets all the attention and here was mine getting it – for the 2nd time today. Telling me to stop preening, we kept going…..
I was pretty knackered by the time we got to Gairloch so we started to look for a campsite (bear in mind that up until about February I used to think Oban was a long way on the bike). We had criteria for the campsite – or at least Wully certainly did – we were carrying no food so it had to be near a pub that served food (of course)
.
Loch Ewe and I can hardly get off my bike…
We found a likely looking campsite in Poolewe so we called in – and were asked if we were members of the Caravan Club
FFS we were both on bikes, in full riding gear. So as we’re NOT members it was going to cost us £26 each. Despite being knackered, sore and hungry, the fact I’d been brought up in Fife came out in me and I decided she was having a laugh with those prices so we headed on – after I’d had a snack!!
What a TOP decision – the roads just kept getting better and better and each view was fantastic – we ran out of superlatives to describe the new view after each turn in the road. Saying “Wow! Look at that view” over the intercom was becoming a standing joke- everywhere we looked had spectacular or merely beautiful views.
Finally we rolled into the campsite in Ullapool…Wully having to be dragged past the curry house on the way in. Prime waterside camping spot was selected and I tested the ground for comfort after a long day in the saddle.
stage 1
stage 2 and
stage 3
After eating posh fish and chips - fresh Megrin sole and sea bass - plus several welcome beers
we crashed out to enjoy the sunset.
Perfect end to a top day.
In the morning – after coffee, provided by Wully’s trusty jetboil. No pancakes and maple syrup because some choob forgot to pack the plates and butter...he’s definitely getting into this camping lark (thank goodness) – new tent and a proper camping stove – Did I mention that we’d no plates?
we headed for home via a breakie stop at Corrieshalloch Gorge......
........a fuel stop in Contin, snacks at Drumnadrochit, lunch with a pal in Glencoe.......
..and then back via the coastal road to Oban and home, just short of 500 miles round trip.
I’d just like to thank all of you who encouraged me to give biking a try when we were at GotC and Skye last year (and of course Wully who bought me my CBT and lessons for my birthday last year). Actually maybe I should just give you all a kicking – I never realised (although I did suspect this might be the case – prob why I never got round to it before) it would be SO MUCH FUN – and so addictive. So now of course I’ve got another toy to play with and still not enough time to play with them all. OH, and a bling list the length of my arm…
With regards to my new f650gs – I love it – it looked after me exceptionally well – very forgiving and feels like a great bike to continue learning on – according to the computers it averaged over 70mpg (Wully’s GSA was getting 51.5).
The bike’s now been serviced courtesy of MC and had a Scottoiler added. I’m looking forward to the next trip already, and am now off to the garage to add the latest piece of bling to my bike – a proper tax disk holder, lol. My handguards are ‘in the post’.
Cheers
Wully spent the day cramming everything required for a weekends camping into his panniers leaving me to carry the stuff that wouldn’t fit in an Ortleib bag. He only forgot to pack plates and butter…
Tootling off to Fort William for a much needed fish supper- it was getting late and we managed to resist the temptations of the Lochy. Once bikes and peeps were refuelled we decided to head on over to Arisaig to find a campsite. The roads were quiet – lot of road construction work going on though and this will be a great road once it’s complete although it– feels quite disorientating coming into Arisaig now.
The first campsite was full but had a notice in the office window listing available pitches?? so we headed over to the next one which was a lot more welcoming and we ended up with a top view right next to the sea.
The next morning after coffee since (some choob forgot to pack the plates and butter
) we headed on over to Mallaig for a ferry and hopefully a bacon buttie – unfortunately no bacon buttie shops were open but we’d timed it well for the ferry to Armadale. We met a group of german tourists and blethered with their tour guide – who admired my bike – he having the new 800gs blinged up with the biggest road book ever seen and various Touratech bits.
Pre Ferry Blether
Bikies’ first ferry trip
The Armadale ferry crew are well used to bikes and made a great job of securing themFrom Armadale we headed on over to Broadford for coffee, the long anticipated bacon butties and a pour over the map re where next – Wully wanted to go to the café at Achnasheen having been there a couple of weeks ago and was still raving about the roads and the food.
A quick visor faff stop en route to Broadford
So off we headed for Achnasheen via the bridge to Kyle of Lochalsh and over the A890 to Loch Carron.
Along Loch Carron - the road just went on and on and on
Eventually we stopped at the junction with the A896 – dilemma – the Bealach na Ba was just along the road – it seemed rude not to go for a wee looksee, so we hung a left and headed on over.
Made it, loved it.
Not nearly as bad as I’d worked it up to be…(prob helped that it was really quiet)
What a cracking day for the views!
Then it was back down and on over to Achnasheen for soup and scones as per the original plan.
I hate caravans but this one was quite cute.
From Achnasheen it was on over to Kinochewe, along the very scenic Loch Maree to the Gairloch.
We were admiring the view here when a bloke got out a car and came and admired MY bike
– Wully was in the huff by now – it’s normally his bike that gets all the attention and here was mine getting it – for the 2nd time today. Telling me to stop preening, we kept going…..I was pretty knackered by the time we got to Gairloch so we started to look for a campsite (bear in mind that up until about February I used to think Oban was a long way on the bike). We had criteria for the campsite – or at least Wully certainly did – we were carrying no food so it had to be near a pub that served food (of course)
.
Loch Ewe and I can hardly get off my bike…
We found a likely looking campsite in Poolewe so we called in – and were asked if we were members of the Caravan Club
FFS we were both on bikes, in full riding gear. So as we’re NOT members it was going to cost us £26 each. Despite being knackered, sore and hungry, the fact I’d been brought up in Fife came out in me and I decided she was having a laugh with those prices so we headed on – after I’d had a snack!!
What a TOP decision – the roads just kept getting better and better and each view was fantastic – we ran out of superlatives to describe the new view after each turn in the road. Saying “Wow! Look at that view” over the intercom was becoming a standing joke- everywhere we looked had spectacular or merely beautiful views.
Finally we rolled into the campsite in Ullapool…Wully having to be dragged past the curry house on the way in. Prime waterside camping spot was selected and I tested the ground for comfort after a long day in the saddle.
stage 1
stage 2 and
stage 3
After eating posh fish and chips - fresh Megrin sole and sea bass - plus several welcome beers
we crashed out to enjoy the sunset.
Perfect end to a top day.
In the morning – after coffee, provided by Wully’s trusty jetboil. No pancakes and maple syrup because some choob forgot to pack the plates and butter...he’s definitely getting into this camping lark (thank goodness) – new tent and a proper camping stove – Did I mention that we’d no plates?
we headed for home via a breakie stop at Corrieshalloch Gorge......
........a fuel stop in Contin, snacks at Drumnadrochit, lunch with a pal in Glencoe.......
..and then back via the coastal road to Oban and home, just short of 500 miles round trip.
I’d just like to thank all of you who encouraged me to give biking a try when we were at GotC and Skye last year (and of course Wully who bought me my CBT and lessons for my birthday last year). Actually maybe I should just give you all a kicking – I never realised (although I did suspect this might be the case – prob why I never got round to it before) it would be SO MUCH FUN – and so addictive. So now of course I’ve got another toy to play with and still not enough time to play with them all. OH, and a bling list the length of my arm…
With regards to my new f650gs – I love it – it looked after me exceptionally well – very forgiving and feels like a great bike to continue learning on – according to the computers it averaged over 70mpg (Wully’s GSA was getting 51.5).
The bike’s now been serviced courtesy of MC and had a Scottoiler added. I’m looking forward to the next trip already, and am now off to the garage to add the latest piece of bling to my bike – a proper tax disk holder, lol. My handguards are ‘in the post’.
Cheers
It's taken me all week tae get roon tae writin it.
:
)
; get your shoulders down and your elbows in - breath!;" etc etc 
)
