Back on Islay

Back on Islay, I had to speed up to the relaxed pace of life on Islay. (On Jura, it doesn't even move the needle on the pace-ometer.) A quick pit stop for late lunch in the café in Ballygrant, where the customer toilet has the most extensive selection of perfumes for customer use that I've ever seen.  I didn't need any as I was already wearing my own distinctive brand of Eau de Cyclist.

I took the quiet route to Port Ellen, which was hard work: hilly with a rough surface, into the wind, and across fairly average moorland. Dropped my pannier at the B&B and headed for the bright lights of Port Ellen, a nice place: a proper town with several places to eat.
But first. There was an unexplored road round the coast to the east, with three distilleries, and a long stretch afterwards that led to the deserted but lovely Claggan Bay.  It was a great ride - the low sun beneath the clouds made the beaches look especially attractive, and there​ were goldfinches and deer at various places.  And as it was a dead-end road there was zero traffic.  Got home a minute before a fabulous sunset.  A really good day out.

The B&B is, however, even more pricey than Tayvallich.  Well, it is Saturday night, just before the Feis Ile,  and everywhere else was booked up, even in February. Nobody really wants a single booking for one night.  The B&B is top notch and run by a lovely couple.  We had a good chat after I came in, and she pressed a glass of Laphroaig into my hand: "Here, this'll help you sleep".  Really, you shouldn't have.
I'm on an economy drive forthwith, staying in hostels for the next several nights.  Early ferry back to the mainland tomorrow.