Miles - 61.9, calories burned - 2960, metres climbed - 953
Ardrossan to Kilmelford, Day 8 (yesterday was actually Day 7)
Today was the day Rachel and I have been looking forward to since about day 2 - the closest we get to a rest day, when we have the opportunity to sit on not one but two ferries, and only (!) have to ride 60 miles.
I have to say, much as I may now be spending a lot of time complaining about rain, sore legs, general exhaustion etc etc, today was a fantastic day, and not just because we got to sit in the Ardrossan to Brodick (on Arran) ferry and drink cappuccino for nearly an hour.
For one thing, we had glorious, uninterrupted sunshine until mid-afternoon, reminding us that while Scotland is breathtakingly lovely in any weather, it's especially spectacular in the sun. And for another, the scenery was stunning - real Highlands and Islands splendour.
Just in case we thought we were having a rest day, Matt told us that we needed to aim for the 12pm Lochranza ferry. We were late getting off the Brodick Ferry, leaving us barely more than an hour to ride 14 miles up and over Arran. We pelted up the climb, whizzed down the other side, Rachel nearly took out an old man quietly crossing the road in Lochranza, and we made the ferry with 3 minutes to spare. Andy christened it the Isle of Arran TT.
We rewarded ourselves with the monster flapjacks and millionaire shortbreads we'd bought in the Cheshire mega cake shop a couple of days ago, (more than compensating for the calories we'd just burned) and basked in the sun for half an hour.
Then it was a quick 10 miles to lunch outside Tarburt. Just the one lunch today - the shorter ride and the mega snacks on the ferry didn't justify a second one.
After a few miles of drafting (ie - for any non cyclists reading this - riding close to each other, taking turns on the front to conserve energy) up a busy road along the coast, we turned off the main road up a canal with multiple lochs, and then up a sea loch, looking out for seals (didn't see any), and across Moon Morh, a flat and reedy stretch with mountains behind, and sheep hiding in the grasses, before finally arriving at the splendidly grand Glenmore Country House in Kilmelford, where we sat in the drawing room overlooking the loch, drinking tea and eating scones. Then a bit of a midge-ridden walk down to the village to meet Rosemary and Albert for dinner in the Cuilfail Hotel, complete with bagpipes on the wall and every variety of single malt you can imagine. The game on the way home up the muddy track in the dark was scaring Rachel with ghost stories. We went to bed quaking at the prospect of another wet and - even worse - windy forecast for tomorrow.
Sorry - late blog because of flakey wifi.
For one thing, we had glorious, uninterrupted sunshine until mid-afternoon, reminding us that while Scotland is breathtakingly lovely in any weather, it's especially spectacular in the sun. And for another, the scenery was stunning - real Highlands and Islands splendour.
Just in case we thought we were having a rest day, Matt told us that we needed to aim for the 12pm Lochranza ferry. We were late getting off the Brodick Ferry, leaving us barely more than an hour to ride 14 miles up and over Arran. We pelted up the climb, whizzed down the other side, Rachel nearly took out an old man quietly crossing the road in Lochranza, and we made the ferry with 3 minutes to spare. Andy christened it the Isle of Arran TT.
We rewarded ourselves with the monster flapjacks and millionaire shortbreads we'd bought in the Cheshire mega cake shop a couple of days ago, (more than compensating for the calories we'd just burned) and basked in the sun for half an hour.
No comments:
Post a Comment