On Friday 17th April, John and I set off to spend the night in Lochgilphead with Jenny and Colin before the four of us took the ferry the following day to Arran. The forecast was fair so we were all looking forward to our adventure.
As we were sitting on the ferry on Saturday morning we were planning our first stop (thinking of our stomachs!!), only to find the shop was shut when we got to it! The road was fine and quiet, though undulating it has to be said. John discovered a small off-road (approx 3 miles) piece which would take us right down to the shoreline and past The King's Caves (a one time hiding place of Robert The Bruce-I guess John wanted to seek out his ancestry.) We very quickly discovered why it was not marked as a cycle route!
We had lunch in a hotel in Blackwaterfoot and then we started the real hard-core cycling very hilly but the roads were not too busy and by the time we got to our stopover we were glad to be there. Though we only did 40 miles it was a pretty tough one.
The following day was interspersed with visits to a chocolate factory (Jenny runs a sweetie shop and we called in at one of her suppliers), cheese shop and Arran Aromatics. It was a short cycling day but we had a long drive to get back to Inverness that night. We stopped to have our tea in The Lock Inn at Fort Augustus, the same place as we ate in the night we stayed there, during our End2End cycle ride.
Well I hope I'm more fit to do the Malawi Bike Ride as I felt the Arran Cycle very hard work. I don't know how much weight the panniers were and if that had any bearing on it, but there was one hill in particular where I was sorely tempted to ditch the lot!
Thursday, 23 April 2009
Friday, 13 March 2009
Carbisdale Castle
On the weekend of 7th and 8th March a team of hardy cyclists set out from Inverness to cycle to Carbisdale Castle, spend the night there and return the following morning. The forecast was reasonable so Saturday saw us meeting at the Palace Hotel to set off around 9am (Bruce time)
We did have some rain and when we got to the top of the Struie, though a fabulous view awaited us, we couldn't really see it at its best! However we were geed on by the thought of stopping for a pint at The Lady Ross Hotel in Ardgay before our last 5 miles to the hostel. We hadn't bargained on the fact that the hotel had closed down for business andthe nearest was a couple of miles off our route in Bonar Bridge. We thought a hot bath was more appealing than doing an extra few miles even if the Guinness was calling!
Inside the castle was an awe inspiring sight. The decor, the statues, even the ceiling in the dining hall was beautiful. The staff were very friendly and helpful. The evening meal was wholesome and satisfying. The wine flowed and Ann's massage parlour was in much demand. A game of Charades finished the evening off nicely.
Sunday morning started off with the sun shining and gorgeous views up the Shin Valley, and the mountains on either side. However before we set off there were flurries of snow which kept us back but we eventually decided to go. The weather continued to close in. Snow flakes like needles on our faces and in our eyes, making conditions evermore hazardous until we came to the conclusion that it was both futile and dangerous to continue.
We stopped at Tomich Cafe, thawed out, had some tea and soup and called for assistance to come to our rescue. It was a sad end to our weekend but it was the wisest decision to make, we still had nearly 30 miles before we reached Inverness and the weather, though pleasant between the showers was not showing any signs of abating. We abandoned bikes and headed home.
We will return to complete the route but we'll wait for a better day!
We did have some rain and when we got to the top of the Struie, though a fabulous view awaited us, we couldn't really see it at its best! However we were geed on by the thought of stopping for a pint at The Lady Ross Hotel in Ardgay before our last 5 miles to the hostel. We hadn't bargained on the fact that the hotel had closed down for business andthe nearest was a couple of miles off our route in Bonar Bridge. We thought a hot bath was more appealing than doing an extra few miles even if the Guinness was calling!
Inside the castle was an awe inspiring sight. The decor, the statues, even the ceiling in the dining hall was beautiful. The staff were very friendly and helpful. The evening meal was wholesome and satisfying. The wine flowed and Ann's massage parlour was in much demand. A game of Charades finished the evening off nicely.
Sunday morning started off with the sun shining and gorgeous views up the Shin Valley, and the mountains on either side. However before we set off there were flurries of snow which kept us back but we eventually decided to go. The weather continued to close in. Snow flakes like needles on our faces and in our eyes, making conditions evermore hazardous until we came to the conclusion that it was both futile and dangerous to continue.
We stopped at Tomich Cafe, thawed out, had some tea and soup and called for assistance to come to our rescue. It was a sad end to our weekend but it was the wisest decision to make, we still had nearly 30 miles before we reached Inverness and the weather, though pleasant between the showers was not showing any signs of abating. We abandoned bikes and headed home.
We will return to complete the route but we'll wait for a better day!
Time to celebrate
Its been a long time since I was last on here. So I hope some of you ardent followers haven't given up. The team have not only achieve their goal but they have really surpassed it!
On February 27th we held a ceilidh to hand over the cheques, thank the sponsors and to celebrate the team's efforts.
The total money raised was £28,030 which far surpassed any of our expectations and well over our £20,000 target! I cannot get pictures on from this computer but will add it once I can.
NOW onto our next project in May John and I (Tina) are cycling in Malawi, raising money for Embangweni Hospital, which is in the north of the country near the border with Zambia. I will endeavour to update the website with information about this, but in the meantime you can make a donation via www.justgiving.com/john-tinabruce Thank you all for your continued support.
Tina
On February 27th we held a ceilidh to hand over the cheques, thank the sponsors and to celebrate the team's efforts.
The total money raised was £28,030 which far surpassed any of our expectations and well over our £20,000 target! I cannot get pictures on from this computer but will add it once I can.
NOW onto our next project in May John and I (Tina) are cycling in Malawi, raising money for Embangweni Hospital, which is in the north of the country near the border with Zambia. I will endeavour to update the website with information about this, but in the meantime you can make a donation via www.justgiving.com/john-tinabruce Thank you all for your continued support.
Tina
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