On yer bike!

Just a quick blog before we bid farewell to this superb Camping and Caravan Club campsite and head further north.

We were off on our bikes today to Cove at the end of the headland. This area is not only gorgeous it's also full of history, from the Pictish gravestone (one of only 2 on the whole west coast of Scotland) to the importance of Loch Ewe as the starting point for the Russian convoys during World War 2 - the derelict buildings around the headland a poignant reminder of bravery and tragic loss of life.

One thing I've not really mentioned is midges - and that’s because we've barely been troubled by them. I think it's a combination of breezy weather and me wearing enough Skin So Soft to ward them off the entire campsite.  On the bright side my skin will be positively glowing by the time we return!

The campsite  is on the shoreline just left of centre. Stunning!

Highlands and Islands

Well, we've been in the wilds for 5 days but have landed at the Camping and Caravan Club site in Poolewe for 3 nights, and what a magnificent place it is!  You don't have to take my word for it - this is the view, right now, as I type this:

A few days without electricity and wifi is good for the soul - we've wildcamped, which sounds romantic but usually involves parking up in an out of the way carpark - but it does keep costs down!  Rather than bore you with lots of witterings about what we've been up to I'll just do it via photos instead.

We headed for the Cuillins for a spot of walking.

First up,the Fairy Pools - very pretty!

 Then on up into the hills for more of a yomp!

And a quick (VERY!) dip - there would have been more pics but a hailstorm arrived...

 Sunny valley & moody Cuillins.

 Trying to get to Loch Coruisk involved a bit of a paddle...

Sadly this is as close as we got.

 Because there's a "bad step" which looks a bit like this!

Seriously, we got THIS close!

Leaving Skye via Boradford & heading for the mainland

 Using a payphone to book our site in Poolewe because neither Vodafone nor O2 seem to be capable of sorting out a signal up here.

Pausing at Plockton.

Then there was the bike ride near Stromeferry.

The waterfalls above Loch Torridon.

And a walk to the loch at the base of Beinn Eighe.

 

And just to prove it's not all high adrenaline and hiking, today we spent the day enjoying the gardens at Inverewe - just a very short walk from the fabulous C&CC campsite in Poolewe.

Tomorrow we'll be off on the bikes again - I'm hoping for a sandy beach and maybe a quick dip - minus the hailstorm this time...