Sandown to Stornoway Cycle Ride......at last. By Mike Coleran: Day Twelve

Day Twelve

Saturday September 22nd 2012

Oban to Lochboisdale, South Uist.

Mileage today - 34

Total mileage so far - 831

Well, what a stroke of luck! I've just come down to the local pub and they have let me log on to their Internet.

I shared a room last night in Oban Youth Hostel with two Swedes and a Canadian, although I didn't see very much of them. After a good seafood risotto at a local Italian restaurant I had an early night. I was up, breakfasted and gone before the others surfaced. The morning was perfect for late September, clear skies but very cold, just above freezing. The ferry slipped out of port at 8-30, leaving Oban behind and heading out towards the Sound of Mull. . With Mull on the left, or should that be 'starboard'? And the mainland to the right, the views were stunning. Mull is a big island but Tobermorey was soon in sight towards the western end of the island. From there the views got even better, with first Ardnurmurchan Point, the most westerly point on the British mainland, followed by Rhum and the magnificent Isle of Skye. Then it was out to sea proper with the Outer Hebrides in the far distance never seeming to get any closer. A pod of dolphins made a brief appearance on the port side, pity I was on the starboard side at the time! I was told they only popped up a couple of times but one man with a huge lens on his camera managed to get a good shot of them. I went inside for a while and treated myself to Caledonian Macbrane's 'malt of the month', Bunnahabhain. Never even heard of it, but at £3.95 for a double it went down very well indeed and one to remember, it was loverly! Well, it was getting cooler out on deck and I needed a warmer! After docking at 1.40pm it was just a ten minute ride to the Uist Bunkhouse. I've never seen a bunkhouse like it. Own ensuite room, clean and nicely furnished for £17 a night. A quick shopping trip to the Co-op to get provisions mainly for tomorrow. I've been warned that nothing opens on Sunday's here so can't risk not getting any food! Then, finally it was a short bike ride around the area, 34 miles in total today. I always intended this as a rest day, or at least a very easy one after three hard days in a row, and that's what it has been. Weather wise it's quite breezy and a fair nit of cloud has moved in, but the sun still keeps peeping through. Got myself a curry for tea then off to the pub up the road for a couple of hours. Back tomorrow!