A memorable trip round Harris

Didn't see much from the ferry: I was inside conducting investigations and trying to get warm.  When we arrived, it was about lunchtime and there was a convenient café,  sorry restaurant,  so I had up-market fish and chips.  Very good.

Then I had a choice. Ride round Harris, 50 hilly miles in stong winds, or wimp out. Rather uncharacteristically,  I rode round the island, and I'm glad I did.  I left my panniers in the hostel in Fraserburgh. The West is beautiful,  with great big sandy beaches, the sand shining even in the mist and rain.  The landscape is hilly, formed of glacier-smoothed rocks, with a bit of moorland hanging on between.  I was forced to stop at another café after ten miles, because it was there.  Met a bunch of six cyclists on tandems who had also been in the other café. ..a guilty secret shared.

Then a huge hill (good luck, tandems with panniers). All of this with the wind mostly behind me, so I was saving up trouble.  It was also raining steadily by now. Then I rurned onto the 'gold road', which winds around the west and south coast.  It was fabulous.  Single track, very hilly, contorted round little coves, cliffs and inland lochs, with tiny hamlets with strange names: Lickisto, Geocrab.

As I twisted and turned the wind was totally unpredictable, one minute trying to blow me off the road, another blowing stinging rain into my face, another all quiet.  I couldn't really enjoy the views, as I was fully occupied trying to stay on the road.  But it's probably the best 25 miles I've ever ridden, despite the awful weather.   When you're next up here, don't miss it.

Got back around 7pm wet through, exhausted and happy.  The shop was shut, so I dined on my emergency pasta.

Pictures are of the west coast: it was raining too hard later.