The story so far…

We’ve had a pretty horrid day today, more of which later, but safe to say that we have arrived at a B&B with fully functioning internet, so my first duty is to bring you guys up to speed with route stats and photos from yesterday, which if you’ve been paying attention you will know started in Scotland! So first the route:

The first 20k was straight forward enough – just over a bloody great hill and then an easy descent to the ferry terminal at Cairnryan. Two and a half hours later and we were docking in Belfast. It took us a while to navigate our way out of the city, past Stormont and on to Newtownards, and our first visit to a McDonalds of the trip. Coffee and doughnuts and we were off on the final leg, a gentle 30k to Portaferry along the shores of Strangford Lough – or so we thought. As it turned out the weather started to deteriorate as soon as we got on our bikes – first rain and then a stiffening head wind. The road itself was a bit of a nightmare as well – at times it was like cycling around the lanes of the Scilly Isles, but with A47 traffic! We eventually got to the rather grand Portaferry Hotel by 5.30, when the weather started to improve, leaving us with a sunny evening but still with a chilling breeze.

Bryan preparing for departure from the Kings Arms, Ballantrae

On board the Stena line ferry with the Ayr coast in the background

Me, doing a bit of sea watching – mostly watching the sea!

The Belfast city skyline, with the River Laggan in the foreground

Stormont – location of many controversial ‘peace talks’ in the past

The exterior of the rather grand Portaferry Hotel taken from the harbour

The lounge of the Portaferry Hotel

The setting sun over Strangford Lough, taken from across the road from the hotel

….and now, a bath time story – but not one for the children!!

For the first time on this odyssey, as Bryan likes to call it, we arrive at our accommodation and, unlike previous places which have had a perfectly serviceable shower, the Portaferry Hotel had a bath in the room!! I can’t believe my luck – finally a chance to soak my weary limbs in a hot tub. I dump my bags, turn on the taps, get my kit off and run to immerse myself…..only to discover that it’s one of those ‘optical illusion’ models, only about four foot long. What a cruel twist. If you are of a nervous disposition – look away now!

Well that brings you up to date. Todays exploits follow shortly.

Woke this morning to thick cloud and drizzle. Well it had to happen, BUT why on possibly our most challenging day of the whole trip?? The only ‘good news’ on the weather front is that the clouds should thin during the day, as the winds from the south west pick up…oh goodie! We are currently reviewing the route options to balance distance, height gain and direction, with the reality that anything we don’t do today will have to be added to tomorrows already demanding schedule. Still no WiFi, so no pics our routes – looks like I’ll be spending our rest day on Wednesday ‘back-blogging’.

Time to face the music…….

It started in Scotland and finished in Ireland; it was sunny, warm and windless when we set off – cold, showery  with a moderate head wind when we finish; we were full of beans this morning (metaphorically speaking that is, as beans weren’t actually on the breakfast menu for some reason!) but by the time we arrived at the rather splendid Portaferry Hotel, more of which later, we were knackered!

Disaster has befallen us – despite the generally luxurious nature of the hotel, it’s WiFi service is down! Unfortunately the 3G signal in these parts is also pretty intermittent. All this adds up to the disappointing news that they’ll be no route analysis or photos from todays stage tonight. The other worrying development is that the weather forecast for tomorrow is rather bleak – rain and a strong south westerly wind on what is potentially the most challenging stage of the whole trip – the longest and the biggest height gain! We’re currently assessing Plan B!

On the positive side the bird list has crept up, mostly due to the ferry crossing which, despite being flat calm and in the middle of the day, produced Kittiwake, Gannet, Guillemot, Razorbill, Common and Arctic Tern – taking us over the 100 mark.

Watch this space for any developments and stay tuned…..

Woke up this morning to another glorious sunny day – oh and my back and belly covered in little red bites! That’s all I need, another free-loader, hitching a ride! Anyway, to more pressing business – what are we up to today? First off there is a shorter than planned ‘spin’ into Craigryan – just 20k, but it does include a 600ft climb apparently. Then on the ferry to Belfast and a pleasant afternoons ride through the Irish countryside, along the shores of Strangford Lough to Portaferry. Total distance for today, a modest 75k. See routes details below.

A week down, one country done and 700ks under our belt, with just over another 1000 to go!

Well one thing we didn’t do much of on the 7th day was rest! This was the second 100k plus day on the trot, the first half of which was spent following the NCR 7, on a circuitous route around the Ayrshire industrial coast line, passing a number of local nature reserves on the way. As a consequence of which we added three new warbler species in the first hour. The second ‘half’, which should have taken us to Girvan but, because of a local folk festival in the town, we had to ride a further 20k to Ballantrae, to secure a bed for the night. A notable feature of the landscape during the mornings ride was the succession of  renowned links golf courses, Royal Troon, Ayr, Preswick and Turnberry. The other aspect of the morning which was strongly evident was the cold, hence the goosebumps, until I succumbed and put on a second wind-proof top. Our coffee break was taken in a ‘quiant’ tea room in Troon, run by a rather ‘theatrical’ couple, with piped seventies show tunes as a fitting accompaniment. A long stint of 40ks, through the historic town of Ayr took us to the lunch stop at Maidens and then another stint of a similar length along the scenic coast road, with the off-shore island of Ailsa Craig being our constant companion. We arrived at the hospitable Kings Arms Hotel by 4.40, showered and eat an enormous evening meal, washed down with Caledonia Best…umh!

Assuming this blog loads smoothly, I feel an early night coming on….

Stats for todays route were as follows:

Starting the NCR 73/7 at Saltcoats, with Arran in the background

The Ayr coastline, looking towards the town of the same name!

A less scenic aspect of the N7!

Me looking posey on the old town bridge in Ayr.

Bryan being even more posey on some sort of thone thing!

Ailsa Craig – it seemed to follow us around…

The ‘club hut’ at Turnberry.

And to finish with, some Bluebells on the beach…aahh!

In case you were wondering, the three warblers were Whitethroat, Sedge and Garden. These plus a few others along the way bring the trip total to 97!

It seems difficult to believe that we’ve been at this malarky for a whole week! During which time we’ve covered 580ks and ridden from the north east tip to half way down the west coast of Scotland. Today sees us cover the majority of the remaining distance to the ferry terminal at Cairnryan, details below. Perhaps the most surprising thing however  is the weather – touch wood (Bryan, stop reaching for your leg!) we haven’t seen a drop of rain, we’ve had plenty of sunshine and the wind has been on our backs most of the way – so thank you Sue Titman for your good luck charm!. We’ve had close on a thousand hits on the blog and our sponsorship has risen to over £1900 – so thank you all. Keep reading, keep giving and spread the word – mention our ride to three new people this weekend!

Better go now, breakfast and another 100k is calling…

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Today has been a day of transition – of weather, scenery and ride fitness. Got up early, packed and had breakfast, ready for the ‘off’. With a longish day in prospect, including a ferry crossing, we were on the road by 08.30. For the first seven miles we didn’t really turn a pedal, descending from Crianlarich to the shores of Loch Lomond, followed by a stretch along the loch side to Tarbert for coffee. Took the old military road to Arrochar on the shores of Loch Long, at the base of the Cobbler, one of the ‘Arrochar Alps’ peaks. A steep descent into Garelochhead, saw us reach a top speed of 56kph and on past the nuclear submarine base – all very exciting! By this time the prospect of catching the earlier ferry appeared a real possibility, so it was flat-out down the Rosneath penisular. Seeing a ferry boat moored up in the distance ahead of us we thought we were approaching journeys end – no such luck! The road took a sharp turn inland and up an equally sharp incline – the second nasty surprise of the morning! Struggling to the summit, we regained our composition and cruised into Kilcreggan an hour ahead of schedule. Clearly the aches and pains that have been a feature of the previous few days are beginning to subside . A short ferry ride across the Clyde took us from a world of Highland hills, lochs and woods to a urban landscape in post-industrial decline. A welcome lunch stop at a garden centre cafe (I never thought I’d hear myself say it..!) and the unconscious bond between us said, ‘let’s finish this’! So it was another 20 miles, at time-trialling speed, to reach Ardrossan by mid afternoon. A cup of tea in Asda (these boys really do know how to live!) before locating the only reasonable hotel along the Ardrossan sea-front, courtesy of Jane, back at ‘Mission Control’. The Lauriston has seen better days but the bike shed is to die for – see photo below. A pint of Deuchars IPA and the sun setting behind the peaks of Arran rounded off a day of change and transition – of looking back to the Highlands, forward to the conclusion of our Scottish sojourn and a new country on Sunday.

Bry ‘spinning’ along the shores of Loch Lomond

The pedestrian ferry at Kilcreggan, with the Clyde in the background

The ‘terminal’ on the Kilcreggan side

The ‘bike shed’ at the Lauriston – aka the Arran Ballroom!

An amazing window on the stairs – Arts & Crafts? (comments from experts welcome!)

A well deserved pint of Deuchars at the end of the day.

The stats from todays ride, in two sections:

Another quiet day on the birding front, the high-lights being three Gannets going up the Clyde having taken a wrong turning, several Manx Shearwaters off shore at Androssan and a Ringed Plover on the beach. Total for the trip so far, 89.

Just realised that we need an early start tomorrow – ferry to catch and all that, so here’s the route. It’s in two sections, before and after the ferry crossing:

In summary, the route is approx. 61 miles with close on 600m of climbing. Lets hope that todays form lasts – because it doesn’t look like the weather’s going to!

Follow @bryanwillams66 to see how we get on….

Not the one where the Campbells abused the McDonalds hospitality by kicking ‘ten bells’ out of them – no this was the massacre of the climb through the pass of Glencoe by yours truly! What a difference a whinge and a few ibuprofen make! The first dozen or so miles along the loch were pretty flat and we whizzed along at 20-25ks. A brief stop at Corran to look at the ferry and check for sea duck  (none were found), and then on to the Glencoe cafe for coffee and cake. Although the climb begins at this point , we made things harder by going on the old road to the Clachaig Inn, where it joins the main road – several steep sections, but very scenic all the same. Once on the main road it’s a relentless drag for around 10ks to the summit on Rannoch Moor at 1142ft, in the shadow of Buchaille Etive Mor. By this time we were on fire – and not just because of the sunshine! We surged on, declining a lunch stop at the Kings House, until we reached the view point above LochTulla and a strategically located burger van. By this time we were ahead of schedule which allowed for a spot of sun bathing – Twitter followers, you can still cast your vote! A fast down hill section to the Bridge of Orchy , followed by another relentless climb – this time with a moderate head wind, to Tyndrum and a much deserved cuppa. Suitably refreshed it was then a matter of only a few miles to tonights destination of Crianlarich and the delightfully quaint Glenbruar House B&B. Just washed out our ‘smalls’ and are settling down to a post-ride analysis with a glass of William Wallace in our hand. A fitting motif for our day of the massacre of Glencoe.

Todays route:

Bry approaching the Ballachulish bridge, heading for Glencoe

View from the hotel at Ballachulish, looking across Loch Linnhe towards Ardgour

Coffee stop at the very excellent Glencoe cafe – don’t be fooled by the ‘pre-cast garage’ appearance or the ancient sign

…the Massacre of Glencoe.  Bry approaching the two-thirds point

For those of you who haven’t spotted it, Bryan is carrying a portable solar panel to charge our various electrical appliances and thereby reducing our carbon footprint. Well that’s what he says – personally I think he’s got it rigged up to some sort of motor!

The summit of Glencoe – the massacre complete!

On the birding front – complete pants! Only one species added, a Wood Warbler, singing in ‘hanging’ birch woods alongside Loch Linnhe.

Just off to the pub for a well-earned ‘barbarian brunch’…….

Don’t forget, all the day-time action is Tweeted on @bryanwilliams66

I realise that two old men banging on about their ailing body parts isn’t what you want to be reading over your cereals and toast, but just because I didn’t mention them in my last couple of blogs, doesn’t mean they’re not hurting!! Every muscle in my thighs, back, shoulders and arms remain as stiff and sore as they did after the ‘prologue’ on Day Zero. I’m beginning to seriously doubt this ‘ride yourself to fitness’ strategy – if only I’d have done more training! I should say in contrast that Bryan remains a relative specimen of health and fitness – apart from the rather nasty black big toe which he sustained in his ‘slip in the shower’ incident. However, thinking that I was the only one of this ‘pantomime horse’ that was suffering, it was greatly encouraging to hear Bry say this morning that he was feeling ‘rather sluggish’! Could this be the first chink in the armour, we shall see today! Speaking of which, todays  route is again, over the 50 mile mark. The first 20ks being a flat ride down the side of Loch Linnhe and  over the Ballachulish Bridge into Glen Coe. A steady climb up through the spectacular pass, up onto Rannoch Moor and the Black Mount, where I’m hoping for some pretty interesting bird life. Then down to the Bridge of Orchy, a long pull up to Tyndrum  and finish at Crianlarich. Sounds easy to me!