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As it was to be a ride that was inspired by a joke with my old friend and colleague Finlay Mackenzie, I thought it would be a good idea to try and look Finlay up and tell him of my plan. Was he still living on the Isle of Wight? Or had he moved off the Island, maybe even back to Stornoway? Wherever he was, I was sure he would be interested, and amused that I was finally going to do the ride.
It didn't take long searching the internet to find an announcement in the Isle of Wight County Press, the local newspaper, that sadly Finlay had passed away in April last year. He had apparantly stayed at Parkhurst Prison for the whole of his career (brave man!). He was slightly younger than me at just sixty years old. Not knowing the circumstances of his untimely death, and not knowing the whereabouts of any members of his family, I contacted the funeral directors on the Isle of Wight and asked them if I sent them a letter for his family, would they forward it on to them. Thankfully they agreed to my request, so off the letter went.
In the letter I explained how I knew Finlay, and the story of how the idea for this ride came about. I asked if they wanted me to do the ride in memory of Finlay, maybe raising money for an appropriate charity. As yet I have not had a reply, but it is only a week since I sent the letter so, hopefully, I will hear from them in the near future - I will keep you posted on that.
I aim to do the ride in about sixteen days, averaging about sixty miles a day. It's not high mileage for an experienced cyclist, but I am not looking at this as a race, but more of a leisurely ride stopping off and seeing things along the way. Most of it will be ridden solo without any back-up, but my wife, Joanna, will be joining me at some stage along the way (in the car), for a few nights B&B. I will be taking my lightweight one-man tent to camp some nights, whilst using hostels or cheap hotels on others.
After getting the train from Preston to Southampton, and the hour-long ferry trip to Cowes, I will stay on the Isle of Wight overnight before starting the ride.
Sandown is on the south-east coast of the Island so, starting the ride from there I will ride the 26 miles around the south of the island's beautiful coastal road to the ferry terminal at Yarmouth. A half-hour ferry trip to Lymington and I will be off up through the New Forest to Salisbury. Then after skirting Salisbury Plain and through the Cotswolds, it's westwards to Ross-on-Wye and the Wye Valley into Shropshire. North then up to the Dee Estuary, briefly visiting Wales along the way. Then maybe a night staying with my sister on the Wirrall.
Across the Mersey on the ferry, and then up to Garstang for a night at home, followed by familiar roads up through the Lake District and the border crossing at Gretna. Once in Scotland a diagonal line up through Dumfries and Galloway and into Ayrshire before taking the ferry from Ardrossan to Arran. Probably stay a night at the Youth Hostel at Lochranza, then the ferry across to the mainland at Claonaig at the head of the Kintyre peninsula. More Scottish mainland riding will get me to Oban and the Calmac ferry across to the Outer Hebrides. Barra will be the first port of call for a leisurely day exploring this small island.
Over the water once more, this time to South Uist and North Uist, probably making use of the idyllically situated crofters cottage hostel at Berneray. The final leg will take me over to Harris and the last few miles up to Stornoway on Lewis.
All that will remain for me to do then will be to get the ferry across to Ullapool, then the sixty or so miles to Inverness for the long train journey back home.
None of the route is set in stone, allowing me to explore some places I have never been, and to linger at times in places that interest me - or divert from some places that don't appeal! I will publish more detailed information of each section of the route over the next few weeks as the planning progresses. I have got my maps, (Phillips Navigator Truckers Britain Atlas), which will be cut into bits for the journey. I prefer paper maps to electronic gadgets on a bike - much more fun, and to me the simplicity of traditional maps goes more hand in hand with the simplicity of a bicycle. And maybe the simplicity of me too!
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