May 10, 2025
2 Saturday
To wake up comfortable, not feeling cold, to birdsong and the call of a cuckoo is a perfect start. There is nothing to complain about. Apart from having spent near 30 pounds on food yesterday and still feeling hungry when lying down to sleep last night. The cost, but more importantly the small portions. At least I've plenty of muesli for breakfast together with whole milk. I eat my fill.
The cycle-path I was on yesterday afternoon continues shadowing the main A road, until the cycle-sign points downhill to the water's edge and ferry across Loch Linnhe. Most of the cars driving off on the opposite side at a small waterfront place called Corran went left which has a sign reading "Ardnamurchan Point" a coastal location mentioned on the BBC Shipping Forecast last thing at night as I'm dropping off to sleep. And while I would've liked to go that way too, I went right and follow a single-track for a few miles to another ferry back across Linnhe to Fortwilliam. This ferry was an old fishing boat crewed by a father and son with a small cabin. The older man lifted my bike aboard and secured it with rope to the front of the cabin. The other passengers were a group of six kilt wearing Englishmen on a long highland hike, one of which produced a tin whistle and played a tune. The other passengers are a middle-age woman with teenage daughter who said were on their way to see a son and brother compete in a mountain bike race. It was cramped inside the cabin where the talk was of midges and the smell of sweat and body odour was overpowering.
In Fortwilliam with its throng of tourists on a pedestrianised main street, every other shop is an eatery. There is too much choice, but I go for fish and chips because its the one thing where you get your fill. Afterwards I sit in a cafe waiting for the phone to charge. At an hour it was taking a little too long charging. I finish the coffee and on the menu there is a local beer, so I ask the waitress for a half pint.
I took the wrong road leaving Fortwilliam. But first I made a good decision avoiding the Tesco Express on the main street and checking the map, see both Morrisions and Lidl superstores on the way out. I opt for the latter and after the beer I'm in good humour walking the aisles with soothing music. Agnetha sang. I still don't know what you've done with me. A grown-up woman should never fall so easily. (with chorus) Don't go wasting your emoo tion. Save all your love for me.
I leave town following the blue line of a Komoot route I'd downloaded. It is a cycle track alongside a busy A road; which, after a couple of miles turned up a forestry gravel road climbing the mountainside for a mile, coming out of the forest at a tee-junction with a paved road, where it goes left and I follow, descending sharply back down the mountainside to rejoin the main road where the blue line goes right and I'm riding the next five miles on the white line on the edge of the busy road with constant flow of cars, many of which pass a little too close.
After the five miles on the edge I've reached the crossroads village Spean Bridge, relieved and thinking this is madness. Surely there is a more cycle-friendly way. I check another Komoot route and find it had taken an alternative way after Fortwilliam and I could join it via the B road turn off in Spean Bridge. It was only a couple of miles off to the left, where I descend to join it and kick myself seeing that it had come from Fortwilliam on a canal towpath.
Ah well. Anyway the way on climbs up from the canal through a leafy street of Scandinavian style wood clad houses to a tee-junction where I go right and continue upon gravel forestry road above the north shore of Loch Locky. And because of steep sloping ground the hope of finding a campsite looked bleak, but eventually I came to a wide layby with sawn logs, which I could just about manhandle into a barrier to pitch the tent behind.
| Rate this entry's writing | Heart | 1 |
| Comment on this entry | Comment | 0 |