Cycling adventure in Scotland – part I

 

The travel came to a breaking point after three weeks, when you come from one point into another… from one time frame into another. The hostels had no television or phone signal (except emergency calls), so you can fully soak up nature. Well, if you can cape being without technology. You don’t bother with weather and start looking differently at things. What was unimaginable beforehand now seems different. For example – why would somebody open an inn at a place with nothing in site for 50km (no school, no kindergarten, no first aid, no shop…), just rain and wind. Then I realized they have all they need – good food, a place to sleep, a place to camp and a good name. No matter whom I talked to, they knew about Crask Inn. And today I’d like to buy it.

 

Everybody asked me – why Scotland? It’s been attracting me for over 10 years and I knew they had nice mountains, but I’ve never expected them to be that beautiful. I was blinded by beauty. I love history and their castles are full of stories and things. Take some time to listen to folk songs. Just one bag-pipe player will make you feel good, let alone a whole band. And the last reason is cycling. I love to cycle and the heavier the bicycle, the better. I’ve realised in my years, that the best feeling to have is to be on a fully loaded bicycle. Four strong reasons to ignore bad weather, as I’ve seen and experienced more than I’ve hoped for.

 

 

I’ve travelled between May 13th and June 16th of 2015. As I found out, that should be the period with the least rain, but I was unlucky enough it wasn’t so. First day was sunny, but bad weather started on the second one already. There was rain and wind for 25 days straight. On the west coast you can get cycles of half and an hour sunlight and half an hour rain daily. The east coast is different. There it can rain for hours without stopping, which happened also. Temperatures were low, so I had my shorts on for only two days. Therefore it’s rather hard to explain to anybody that I’ve enjoyed myself. 

 

My plan of travel was following: start in Glasgow and go along the west coast towards Sky. From the island on the west coast to the most north-western coast in Durness. Next I’d follow the north coast to the most north-eastern point at John o´Groats. Then I’d follow the east coast and go inland to Inverness, and back to the coast and to Aberdeen. From then I’d go past Stirling, Edinburgh and complete the cycle at Glasgow. But I’ve made a plan that just couldn’t stick. I had to change the route several times, and the biggest diversion was on the north coast. I had to adjust to the weather, roads, boards… so I didn’t cycle the whole north coast. After twenty days of rain I wanted some warm weather and besides, John o´Groats is besieged by tourists, so it would be hard to find a place to sleep. It’s the place where people massively come as it’s the most northern-eastern point. They take a week off and walk six days to the town and then return in a day. West coast offers little chance of camping. There’s a 1m wide patch by the road and the fence for sheep. If you do find a place to set up the tent, it will be wet by the morning, as it rains every night! So you’re forced to find an alternative. 

 

 

It wasn’t my first trip. Last year I went with the guys to Albania, and before that I cycled the Slovenian border. Each time I had problems when I started, and this year was no different. Transfer to airport failed, even though I paid. I had to get an alternative within half an hour (including the driver). With good friends all can be arranged and so I made it on time to the Venice airport. Luckily that was the biggest problem I had the whole trip. It was my first time on a plane and that was an adventure as well. At the Venice airport I had a too heavy box with the bicycle, so I had to repack a few things. You don’t pay anything if you have less than 27kg, from 27 – 32 you pay. But I guess it depends from airport to airport – in Glasgow they didn’t charge me anything on the return flight. A friend from Glasgow booked my hostel and saved the box for my bicycle. Before starting the tour I had to assemble the bicycle and load it up with gear. My wheels are made for travel. It’s unique. A steel frame, leather travel seat, inner gear shift with 16 gears, hydraulic breaks, tyres that don’t get flat, and stronger spokes. Now I can say it worked perfectly. I met my friend for a coffee next day, where he gave me last instructions and wished me good luck. I was alone with little experience in the foreign world, left alone to my ingenuity and English skills with a ticking adrenalin bomb inside.