Getting marmalade ingredients

New year ride though history

Winter excursion

Christmas adventure

Merry Christmas

Thank you kyleakin on Skye.  Lovely Marsaili taught me Gaelic phrases and sang sweet Gaelic laments over breakfast. Delightful stay with her and partner James. Have learned so much about living in the Highlands and how the rest of us take so much for granted.

I pedalled over the stunning Skye bridge that has done so much for the island (except for little Kyleakin which misses what the ferry used to bring.)

Kyle of Lochalsh - what a lovely name that rolls off the tongue and is so redolent of mystery and romance.

It's defined by the water. The railway station boasts two platforms at least 4 lines and they all end right by the Loch. It's as far as you can go without getting wet.

Marie runs the ticket office for two trains a day from Inverness and we enjoyed a nice chat on the platform.

Garry and Sion are from Wales filming for BBC2 show 'take a hike' and stopped for a conversation and a selfie.

I rode out of the village and met George with great dreadlocks. "Oh my F'ing God, it's Only Timmy F'ing Mallett " he exclaimed. 

The road follows the railway to Porlock and I stopped for a coffee. A pretty village, the postie wanted a few words, after which I took some pictures and explored a bit.

There are so many waterfalls... All along the roadway. I crossed the county boundary into Ross and Cromarty along the Loch. The rain started, and the wind.

It sent me into the Albatross cafe at Lochcarron. Peanut, Lisa and Angie all spoke about Baellach no Blaaaah and why the weather makes the difference.

You do it for the views.. if the rain is coming down and the top of the mountain is obscured you'll see nothing... Then the motorcyclist declared he would avoid it today. They all talked me into going to shieldaig instead.

It was a good decision.

The mighty Baellach is one of Britain's biggest climbs and looks brilliant but....
Two cyclists coming down agreed.
"We didn't see anything,."

There's a dry dock, a fish farm, fish processing plant all at the bottom of the mountain on the Loch. Nice to see industry and pleased that whole economy isn't reliant on tourism.

My route over to Shieldaig was quiet in comparison to the north coast 500 to Applecross.

This fresh air is tiring. Time to stop and have a look at a painting I could try.



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Timmy Mallett

Beallach Na Blaaaah!

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Getting marmalade ingredients

New year ride though history

Winter excursion

Christmas adventure

Merry Christmas

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