Day 2
Applecross to Gairloch
98km, 1,300m ascent
5.30 a.m. I find myself kneeling on the floor, face positioned over the toilet bowl, into which I’m depositing last night’s curry. Thankfully, being one half of the dynamic duo of West coast warriors, it would take more than a bout of sickness to prevent the continuation of this journey. 4 hours later, and a hearty morning breakfast consumed, the warriors were back on the road.
The cycling highlight of the day was the first couple of hours, partly because the legs were fresh but mainly due to the spectacular scenery. The rolling roads, not too dissimilar to the corrugated iron sheet profile of the terrain in Cornwall, kept our legs occupied, whilst the eyes feasted on the views afforded by Raasay, Skye & across Loch Torridon.
After a welcome coffee in Shieldaig, we made the most of a tailwind & arrived at our lunch destination, the Whistle Stop cafe in Kinlochewe, in short time. The food served inside the converted scout hut was top notch, you’d have to go a long way to sample a tastier (venison) sausage sandwich.
The 2-man peloton than embarked on a team time trial for the next 40 minutes, blazing a trail on the road running alongside Loch Maree, only to be rudely interrupted by a 3km climb followed by a block head wind on the way to the day’s destination, Gairloch.
All in all a fine day, with good weather, and a relatively short distance compared to the 150km that awaits tomorrow.
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