Rua Reidh Lighthouse - Three times on two wheels

Jun 2014

One of my families favourite places on the West Coast is Gairloch and I've been intending to visit Rua Reidh Lighthouse at the end of  Rubha Reidh point past the small settlement of Melvaig. Not fancying taking the camper van down the final narrow section (I had believed it to be a private road but it received a good amount of public traffic) I opted for the more leisurely two wheels from Big Sands Campsite a total distance, there and back of twenty miles.

Of course on my first visit I forgot my camera, and took a few low res photos on my phone, on my second visit a thunderstorm coincided with my arrival at the lighthouse. The downpour was so torrential I couldn't see - needless to say it I didn't dare get my camera out and cycling was 'interesting'. Fortunately my third visit was uneventful and thankfully I remembered my camera!!

Rua Reidh's jetty...

Corryvreckan misadventures on two wheels!

One of my many things to see and do on the Isle of Jura was a visit to the Corryvreckan whirlpool, as its a walk from the public road end of 14 miles I decided it would be quicker on two wheels! To make matters worse my wife & kids didn't fancy being left in a car park in bleak moorland preferring the campervan to be left by the sea! 

Starting from Inverussa added another few miles to my intended route which as it was starting to drizzle wasn't a pleasing thought! In a way I was pleased the last few miles of road beyond Ardlussa are narrow & passing places are limited - the campervan was safer left down the road.

After a mile or two on the Land Rover track I also had a slight off, I'm not sure if it was due to excess speed or lack of skill (or both!!) but as all accidents it happened in slow motion & I saw it coming. The result was a sore right wrist and shoulder, my right knee was bleeding through my ripped trousers; in fact my right leg was badly bruised, on the plus side the bike that caught my left hip & shoulder (oily imprints marked the points of impact!) survived without a scratch! 

By the the time I reached Kinuachdrachd the drizzle had given way to torrential rain & gale force winds - which meant the return leg was going to be against an unpleasent headwind! Even walking was difficult so cycling wasn't going to be good!

I had also forgotton the map - so eventually with the end still out of sight I admitted defeat - with hindsight I had reached Garbh Leitir so didn't have far to go!

The bike at the end of the public road, the tarmac had given way to gravel before Lealt...