Day14

Today was the best ride of the trip. For those of you who were excited enough by my account of cycling through the suburbs of Birmingham to copy it - don't bother come up further and do today's ride - it was brilliant. I caught the ferry at 7.15 from Tobermory and suggested to the crew member that it was a lot of diesel to use for one old bloke and a bike, me being the only one on board. He said that they had to go to the mainland to pick up the school children to bring back to Mull. I was expecting to get my breakfast on board but this ferry is more of a floating diesel engine that can also carry a few cars. The Ardnamurchan peninsula is very remote and very cold. As I cycled through the village of Kilchoan, a teacher, just arriving at her primary school, said, "Are you leaving our village so soon?" I explained that I had a long way to cycle and was worried about missing the last ferry and then cycled on wearing as much clothing a I could find easily. After climbing a long hill I stopped to take a photograph of the distant mountains and noticed a large herd of red deer which had been disturbed by me and were leaping across the hillside. After 30km I reached the village of Archaracle where there are some houses a shop, post office and tea rooms. Despite being concerned about getting to Mallaig in time for the ferry I decided to stop and get some food - I could not cycle the 100km without food - "I've minded Uncle Ethan" [film quote there - free ride on my bike for anyone who knows which film]. I noticed that there is someone in the tea rooms taking blood pressure and Avril explains that she is a local nurse and that it is 'Blood Pressure Week'. (Didn't you know?) 'Would you like yours tested?' Avril asks me. So, in between cakes I have mine tested and it is 142/85 which is pretty good for me - the best it has been for ages. I have found the answer to my high blood pressure problem: cycle 60 miles every day.The views continued to be spectacular and I reached some flatter ground by 3.00 I realised that I should reach Mallaig in plenty of time. I cycled almost non stop after I realised how good my blood pressure was and reached Malliag at 4.00 - the last ferry. I was aiming for was 5.45 - but there is a ferry at 4.30 which I get on. The SYHA at Amadale on Skye is good and very empty. The local pub put me off eating there by insisting I sit on a tiny table squashed in between two tables full of people, when there is plenty of bigger tables available - "In case larger groups arrive" explained your man. I didn't like the idea and walked back to the Hostel and cooked my emergency meal. Tomorrow not too far - Glenbrittle - I've been there before - 42 years ago. 100km today

Night. Night.

Graham