Day 5 - Tuesday - Departure back to the mainland
So my host had to leave at 6am to get the ferry up to Stornaway for some treatment, so I was home alone with a more leisurely start. No great shakes for today, have some breakfast, walk the dogs, pack up and leave about 12.
The sun was shining again so I went downstairs to take the two trouble makers (the two black labs) out for a walk. I came down in the morning to see two very sheepish looking dogs and a horrible smell.... nice. labs being labs they had overindulged the day before on a stags carcass and lets just say there was some constitutional disruption and reverse flow due to the amount of bone consumed. Man the smell.... raw venison from a stag this time of year has a strong enough smell as it is, let alone after 18hours inside a Labrador.
Breakfast was delayed - after I cleaned that up my appetite seemed to diminish for some reason... so off for a walk!
No further hiccups (or eruptions) so I got myself packed up and headed off about lunchtime. You can see St Kilda from here and given the sunshine and good visibility I was hopeful so headed up to the St Kilda viewpoint near the radar station near Hosta. No luck - rain, cloud and hellish winds. Did a lap back around through the Committee road which is a nice run and a good place to see hen harriers apparently.
I was now heading for Lochmaddy to get the ferry which was delayed by an hour - so now a 5:30ish departure. I stopped in by a mesolithic burial chamber which is on the main road in/out of Lochmaddy - unfortunately the roof had collapsed and it was closed but still good to stretch the legs. On a fine day the views would be good from up there.
I had a spot of lunch at the café at the Taigh Chearsabhagh Museum & Arts Centre - good food and the soups were good (I ate here twice this trip) and a nice place to wait for checkin for the ferry. If you take this ferry just note there is actually a waiting area/room.... but you cant see it. I pulled out the camping chair and set that up in the bike shelter to hide from the wind and read a book - after 30min a Calmac guy came over and pointed out the waiting room. HAHA. top tip - when you are in the queues its over to the left hand side.
Ferry arrived - 1st on, no issues. A slightly rough crossing but it gave me time to type out the first two posts of this trip report and get them posted! The 1.5hr journey also gave me time to reflect on what a great trip (despite the wind) it had been - and confirmed to me that I need to do a lot more of this!
So I was about 2nd or 3rd off the ferry - the bike was covered in salt water from the spray (bow was uncovered) but it will live. I was aiming for Portree for a re-stock of supplies (yes.. beer and also some protein for dinner to use up the last of the pasta). A nice run down in the early evening - the scenery is amazing and I always forget how good it is.
The scenery. Yes its great. It also makes great travel posters. Posters that seem to get emailed to every b*stard in western Europe and the USA who then converge on Skye! Portree was mental. I have not been to Portree for about 8 years and my goodness its been over run by tourists. Given it was the 2nd week of September and should be shoulder season it was way, way busier than peak July/August 8 years ago. I did 2 laps trying to get the bike parked so I could get to the Coopy - no luck. Rammed. I gave up and headed for the filling station south of Portree. Fully fuelled and I grabbed a pint of milk for a brew and the breakfast porridge and then aimed the GS for Sligachan campsite about 15min down the road.
I arrived there and was shocked at how big it was. After the quiet small sites on the Isles this was not great... Tents pitched up everywhere, vans, caravans, people like ants in every direction. I pulled up outside reception and sat on the bike. Loads of staff in logo'd uniforms and it just wreaked of a big commercial site. I looked about... waited. Looked about again... and had a feeling in the pit of my stomach to get the hell out of there. I could not face staying there. I am not a fan of campsites for this exact reason, I hate all the people crammed in as it defeats the purpose of getting away in a tent for me. That said I really enjoyed the small, quiet personal sites on the Isles. Now its probably not that bad - but after being riled in Portree with it being full or gormless tourists I think this was the straw and I was the Camel. I'm still on the bike with my helmet still on - I fire up google maps. Take me home - ASAP. Duration 4.5hrs - ETA midnight to the minute. I'm feeling fresh, and should make the main roads outside Inverness before its too late. Fk it, lets go, worst case I'll pitch up in a layby or similar. I fire up the boxer and set my sites for the East coast.
So in hindsight I should have followed the A87 towards Loch Ness... but its faster to go up towards Loch Carron and go through Achnasheen and onto Garve before dropping into Inverness. Google maps also routed me that way so I cracked on thinking I could clear it with some light left. I forgot how fast the nights are drawing in now and that I was 1hr behind the planned time due to the late ferry. I was basically half way between Plockton and Achnasheen and it was pitch black - the full moon doing a shite job at fighting back the darkness that engulfed me and GS. I'm starting to get second thoughts but its a bit late now...
Ok - sh!t was starting to get real. This area is heaving with red deer and this is the witching hour - 1-2hours after sunset just after the darkness really set in. I'm starting to have second thoughts and I pull in to a few lay-bys but either full of campers or no grass to pitch. I crack on - 45mph max. Then there is a hind and calf right on the edge of the road - hind crosses, calf freezes... i'm waiting for it to move but it just stares at me. ABS is on and hazards are going like the clappers. I pulled up OK but pulse was now at about 180bpm. I set off gingerly and after 500m I see two small stags on the side of the road and slow to 30, a BMW 5 series overtakes me and rips straight past the stags! I've really got the fear now and its 35mph max and I pass another 6 or 7 deer. I've whacked a few reds in my time with a rifle and I'm starting to think that they're trying to get their own back.
I get the Garve and the roads are much better with more traffic - I'm wrecked. Its 10pm and I've been on the go one way or another for 10hrs with the last 1.5hours on hyper focus. I cruise on through Inverness and start to feel a lot more relaxed so crack on - keeping it to about 50mph. I get to Elgin and I'm starting to feel cold and am totally whacked. I see a Premier Inn so pull in, I've just had a bad feeling about this and was regretting my decision to leave the campsite so best to call it a day whilst still in one piece. Trust your gut.
Full. Every bed. Its a Tuesday night in Elgin !??! WTF. Its hardly a raging metropolis. Ok - crack on... try the Travelodge 1mile down the road- full. Something must be on that I have no idea about. Message the missus with an update - 1.5hrs to home with 1hr on the main road and 30min cross country on back roads. I have a snack and some water and head East!
The run to Inverurie seems to take forever, getting colder and yawning a bit I'm now down to 45mph. 30min left - watch out for Roe deer and focus!
I finally pull into the house - no further issues. Eyes are like two p!ssholes in the snow and my head is spinning, ears ringing and I'm done. I realise I probably got away with it... lesson learned and one not to be repeated.
Chuck the bike in the garage, leave everything on the bike and head in for a shower, some water and bed.
