Terry and Sooz's Travels

Thursday, September 26, 2019

September 26, 2019 - Isle of Skye, Scotland

Today Scotland gav us a little taste of what the normal weather is like. After a quick coffee and breakfast in our Airbnb we geared up and headed out on the bike for the northern part of the island. It was raining and in the low to mid 50s when we left and pretty much stayed like that for our 5 hour ride.

After about an hour and less than 30 miles we stopped in a small coffee shop in Portree, the largest city on the island. We were chilled and the rain was solid. The coffee and warmth helped and the weather lightened up a little. We had a nice conversation with a couple of young guys from Ann Arbor, Michigan who were traveling for a week in Scotland. It's great to see young Americans traveling overseas.

We warmed up and then did a little shopping and bought a couple of sandwiches in a local bakery to take back for dinner. At one point we considered turning around and heading back but in the end decided to keep heading north.

We went all the way to the north end of the island and circled around to head back south. The weather changed again and started raining. Our gear kept us dry but we did get chilled again. The northern part of the island is really desolate. At one point I mentioned NASA could test Mars landing equipment here. We didn't take a lot of pictures today but you can get a feel from the ones we did take.

The place we are staying has a small wood stove so we fired that up when we got back to warm up and dry out. Tomorrow we head to Glencoe.

The route we followed today

On the road on Isle of Skye, Scotland

Skye

Warming up after ride

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

September 25, 2019 - Isle of Skye, Scotland

Susie and I had another wonderful day of beautiful riding on the motorcycle, excellent food and fun conversation. We started with breakfast at the Applecross Inn and packing up the bike. Based on recommendations from Jerry last night we headed southwest along the coast arriving at Nanny Cafe for coffee and a piece of cake. The ride was spectacular. Another narrow, 2-way cart path of a road through dramatic landscape and changing vegetation. It started without trees and ended in thick woods and shrubs.

When we were stopped for coffee at Nanny's I had a fun conversation with a truck driver delivering goods to the cafe. He described what it was like getting up at 4am and driving 12 months a year in the road from Applecross to Nanny's. He loved his job and said it can be challenging in the winter now that the municipal governments have c'waat baat on the grit and salt. It took me awhile to figure out he was saying cut back, meaning it was much more dangerous with less grit and salt on the icy and snowy roads due to the municipal government trying to save money.

We both took a lot of pictures and I have included some videos that Sooz took while riding on the back seat of the motorcycle. She's amazing.

Dinner tonight was 2 orders of fish and chips from a walk up shop around the corner from our Airbnb - $20 for both

Our Airbnb on Isle of Skye

A Passing Place on a narrow road

You have to read both of the signs

Susie took this great picture of us sharing the narrow road with Highlands cattle

This is one of several inland freshwater lochs (lakes) very near the coast

Applecross shoreline

We are loaded up and ready to leave Applecross, Scotland

This is a picture of a picture hanging in the pub showing part of the road we took today

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

September 24, 2019 - Applecross, Scotland

We had a very adventurous ride today from Inverness to Applecross by way of Clava Cairns, Loch Ness and the highest point in Scotland. Unfortunately, the Wi-Fi here at The Applecross Inn is very slow so I will have to upload pictures when we have better internet access.

Clava Cairns is about 20 miles east of Inverness and consists of several stone mounds and small ceremonial structures built 4,000 years ago surrounded by active farmland.

From there we headed south and followed most of the 23 mile western shore of Loch Ness. I think I captured Nessie the Loch Ness Monster in one of my photos but you'll have to wait until I upload the pictures for you to pick her out. The weather started out rainy but cleared up to be another beautiful sunny day.

As we left the Loch and headed west we began climbing into the true Scottish Highlands. The landscape was dramatic with cliffs, boulders, and no trees. It really looks like an alpine terrain with no trees. We arrived at Bealach na Ba, the highest point in Scotland at an altitude of 2,000 feet but it feels much higher.

I have to spend a couple of minutes explaining the 'single track', two-way roads in this area. They are truly single track; maybe 8 feet wide with no guardrails and periodic narrow and very short 'passing places'. If someone did not pull over into a passing place you could not proceed. At times it felt like we were riding along golf cart paths. Generally, people drive well but of course there was occasionally an idiot who would try to pass when he shouldn't, just like any other part of the world.

We did okay and made it to the Carron Restaurant in Strathcarron for a fantastic lunch. It is family run with Mom in the kitchen and Dad running the front. Mom came out and spent several minutes with Sooz making sure to understand Sooz's dietary constraints.

We checked into the Applecross Inn, rested, walked around and then had dinner in the pub at the Inn. For dinner Sooz and I both had fish and finished dinner by sharing an order of Sticky Toffee Pudding with ice cream. It was a steamed, moist, spicy cake with warmed toffee sauce and ice cream. Dangerous stuff it was so good.

By the time we left we had met Jerry and Rhona a Scottish couple who moved from Inverness to Applecross 20 years ago to retire. They introduced us to Judith Fish the owner of the Applecross Inn and Restaurant who was awarded the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) for her work promoting tourism in the Highlands. Prince Andrew presented her with the award. Rhona was also celebrating a birthday, we didn't ask which one.

On the other side of us at dinner we met and chatted with another couple who were traveling from northeast England. They were traveling in a van that extends into a tent. They were a hoot.

Tomorrow we take a coastal route to Isle of Skye recommended by Jerry and Rhona. Looks like fun.

Jerry and Rhona celebrating Rhona's birthday

Sunset at the Applecross Inn

Applecross Inn pub

In front of the Applecross Inn

Crossing The Highlands

Narrow 2-way road going up to Bealach na Ba

Bealach na Ba

Loch Ness

Road going to Clava Cairns

A cairn

Susie in a cairn

Monday, September 23, 2019

September 23, 2019 - Inverness, Scotland

Well, we made it to Inverness. It was a long day partly because we got a late start due to a wonderful breakfast and a little shopping. Susie and the person working at the shop next to the hotel, Gillian Orr, hit it off making it difficult to leave. She was a hoot as you can tell from the short clip below.

Susie bought a sewn doll made by Gillian from scrap fabric and it has special Scottish charms. I think they named it Bobby or Robby and I don't know why.

We loaded and geared up and rode to see Rob Roy's grave. We drove by it at first, I was concentrating on driving down the narrow 2-way road in the rain and I went right by it. We turned around and took a tour of the grave site and church. The headstones in the grave had dates going back to the 1800's and some were so covered with moss and lichen we could hardly read the writing.

Rob Roy (MacGregor) was a Scottish outlaw, revolutionary and folk hero who died in 1734. Liam Neeson played him in a movie.

We then rode a little further down the 2-laned road to find a local art project located out in the middle of a large open field. It's called LookOut: Lock Voil and is a small mirrored cabin. Strange but intriguing.

We never made it to Loch Ness today. After a late start and wandering through beautiful small wooded lanes we barely made it to Inverness before dark. Maybe tomorrow.