Gaulin to Tongue

Another day arriving soaking wet at a B&B. It seems to rain heavily at 3pm every day and so our last hour is spent in full waterproofs, cycling at a speed that doesn't boil us up too much.

We managed to make Marlene at our B&B very happy this morning because nobody wanted the full Scottish breakfast. Ian and I both opted for giant helpings of porridge followed by scrambled egg on toast. Both the porridge and egg were very good and there was flax and fresh fruit for topping off the porridge.

The day started out quite sunny and the road to Durness was largely downhill, passing the passenger ferry to Cape Wrath. Brief stop in Durness for Jackie and Ian to visit the Smoo Cave and then onwards to Loch Eriboll and the cafe by the loch for baked potatoes. The loch was the location for the surrender of around 33 German U-Boats in 1945, though there is little to suggest what happened. It takes quite a while to work your way up one side of the loch and back down the other but at least it's faster than the days when a trip from Inverness to Durness would involve a 7 hour trek on foot to reach the road at the loch.

After Loch Eriboll the road climbs and descends to the sea twice before reaching Tongue. The second hill is 220m of ascent from Loch Hope to Loch Maovally. I gave it full steam with the loaded tourer and managed a respectable 12 minutes from bottom to top. At the top we picnicked on the considerable amount of food we have been carrying in case we can't find lunch stops. The rain started as we sat at the side of the road, so we must have looked a sad bunch of troops to the passers by the cars, however with full waterproofs it doesn't really matter.

The descent into Tongue is quite long and cold, even in waterproofs. Then across the causeway and up the hill into the village. The B&B is comfortable and the plan is to eat at the Tongue Hotel this evening which is a little way up the road.

A Scottish picnic by the road

A fine Roberts bike by a ruined croft at Loch Maovally

Jackie and Ian on the road to Durness