Bridge 17 - The Bridge over the Atlantic

Bridge over the Altantic

After the Connel Bridge we chose a single-track back road through 'undulating' countryside to Kilmore, south of Oban. When the owner of a Range Rover tells you that a road is 'undulating' be afraid - be very afraid! While it was challenging, it was mostly a lovely road and nicer than having to navigate the Oban metropolis and the big hill out of it. Where the landscape was open it felt quite safe as we could see approaching traffic and take evasive action in good time.

Steep enough!

The scariest moment of the whole trip happened just before a blind corner when a Jewson's delivery lorry came around far too fast. I had thought that I had seen something so paused just before the bend. It came around at speed and took up the whole road width. As it braked on spotting us (good to have the new high-vis shirt) the fixings on the load came undone and a length of wood flew by me as if it was plastic. No harm done though I didn't consider that the load was particularly safe as he belted off over the 'undulating' countryside.

Success! 

Couldn't ask for better lodgings

There were a few miles on the 'main road' before turning off for Seil Island.  By now the sun was shining and I (at least) was glad I had packed suncream.  Bill is not afraid of sunstroke, of course, so took his chances without it. When we arrived at the Bridge over the Atlantic it was quite as stunning as people had said. It's a steep bridge, especially when you've just cycled nearly 40 'undulating' miles.

We stayed at the very comfortable and highly commendable Tigh-an-Truish Inn where we had good food and a well-deserved sound sleep before heading back to Oban for the easy way home - by train. It was an amazing trip and I just need to find another excuse to do something like it again next midsummer.

Bridge 16 - The Connel Bridge

Getting on the ferry to Mallaig

Steam train at Glenfinnan

Day two of the trip started with the first ferry to Mallaig.  Bill doesn't normally acknowledge that 9.30 am exists so for him to look so cheerful must have been a big effort, particularly given that it was a Sunday.
From Mallaig we took the train to Glenfinnan where the steam train had stopped for photos, or perhaps for coal and water! Resisting the temptation to explore Glenfinnan we set off - it was almost noon by the time I'd had my coffee and we hadn't cycled more than half a mile yet.

On the Corran Ferry

Fortwilliam in the background

After four miles on the 'main' road we had a wonderful 20 miles on single track road by the loch.  It was calm and scenic and just quite magic. If all cycling could be like this, everyone would cycle.  At the end of that gorgeous run we took the little Corran Ferry where passengers and bikes were free.

Not much of a bridge - sorry!

In no time at all we were on the A82.  Enough said.  At least there was a footpath for the specially scary bit from Corran to Ballachulish.  There was a bridge there but I didn't think it merited being counted.  We took a pic anyway as it becomes a habit to take pictures of bridges and to cycle over them. 

Creagan Bridge

Braving the Connel Bridge

From Ballachulish we were on the wonderful Sustrans' 'Caledonia Way' which they are trying to create from Oban to Fortwilliam.  The parts that are complete are lovely and we had a nice short ride down to Kentallen, where we met friends of Bill's (he knows someone everywhere) at the Holly Tree Hotel and had a well-earned drink.  Setting off the remaining three miles to our B&B, we didn't realise that this was the only eating place for a long way.  However, the B&B was lovely and the hostess drove us and our bikes back to the eatery after we had showered and put on our other set of (dirty) clothes.  A nice meal and a wonderful sunset later, the distance back to our B&B in Cuil Bay didn't seem much at all.

The next day we biked the Creagan Bridge after a great coffee stop at the Creagan Inn  The coffee and scones were more impressive than the bridge, which looks better in this pic than it did that day.  Clearly I am getting very picky about my bridges at this stage.  

Connel Bridge - not so smiley in that traffic!

Well, the Connel Bridge did not disappoint, although the traffic was a bit scary. The 'Falls of Lora' below it are impressive.  The tide starts to go out before it has fully come in and vice versa, creating a flat area of 'falls'. 

That was three bridges in a day and our next objective was the famous Bridge of the Atlantic.

Bridge 15 - Skye Bridge

Midsummer, getting into the mood

There she is!

The Midsummer Odyssey started at Kyle of Lochalsh, after a lovely train ride. I was anxious about not having a booking for the bike on the train but it all worked out ok.

Ready and already wet

Arriving by train

Bill is wet too

Jennifer and I had a nice midsummer evening, eating, drinking, watching seals and fire-making on the beach.  That a UK Border Agency boat passed by was a bit disconcerting and more unexpected than the submarine which surfaced the next day.

No rain the day before!

Bill arrived in the rain the next day and we biked the bridge, as you can see.  Then we had a welcome cup of tea aboard 'Aisling' before gearing up, literally, and heading down to Ardvasar.  Bill's panniers were not well positioned and it was a hard 24 miles as his feet kept banging into them.  We found the old road for quite a bit of the way and that was nice.  We arrived very wet in Ardvasar and my socks didn't dry out till I tied them to my basket a couple of days later.  Bill had the clever idea (well, it was his stomach that had the idea) of booking a table in the only eating place as we went by, to avoid arriving and finding the kitchen closed.  That would have been very tough.  As it was we had a super-quick shower (well, a shower each, you understand), a change into less-wet clothes and set off a few yards down the road to eat warm food.

Midsummer Odyssey - nearly leaving

The midsummer team

We have had great fun planning this.  Bill is now sailing off the West Coast as a sort of warm-up, though the only connection is 'West Coast'.  I am bringing a first aid kit for us and he is bringing a first aid kit for the bikes.  That should work.  I am packing as sparingly as possible and have decided that it's not a good use of space and weight to bring swimwear.  If I really do have an irresistible urge to have dip there will be options :-)

We start at Kyle of Lochalsh on Saturday next and cycle to the Bridge over the Atlantic at Seil Island.  We plan to be at Seil Island on Monday evening. We hope it will be warmer than Boxing Day when this pic was taken - our last bridge crossing together.

B&Bs are booked, extra padded shorts are purchased, lots of maps consulted (special thanks to Sustrans for their useful information and map).

Day 1 will be Kyle of Lochalsh to Arvasar (Skye Bridge)
Day 2 will be ferry to Mallaig, train to Glenfinnan and then cycling to Duror (Ballachulish Bridge)
Day 3 Duror to Easdale (39 miles - ouch!) (Connel Bridge)
Day 4 Cycling the Bridge over the Atlantic, back to Oban  and home on the train.

Bridge 14 - Tay Bridge

Image by Anne Tavendale

Ready to go!

Team Tay Bridge

The Tay Bridge was biked today with great support from Anne Tavendale and  Dan Champion of Team Bicycles, a group which supports amateur racing cyclists. This was the maiden Bridge voyage of the Brompton and she/he/it performed admirably, a consequence of TLC from Badger Bikes.

You'd never know I'd just been to the hairdresser!

We met this charming family.

Image: Anne Tavendale

The Crossing started with coffee (and pancakes with bacon for me) in the DCA, which is always a good place to meet in Dundee. Then we set off, Anne leading the way. We had to carry the bikes up to the bridge as the lift is still out of order - I was glad to have the lighter Brompton.

After going over and back (call me a 'completer' if you must!), Anne and I continued to Leuchars, meeting a cute swan family en route. That is a lovely bike ride, though, by the time I arrived in Leuchars, I regretted not wearing my padded shorts.

It was such a great trip that I am thinking of doing it again next week!

Bridge 13 - Neptune's Staircase, Fortwilliam

'Neptune's Staircase' is a couple of miles west of Fortwilliam and is a series of eight locks on the Caledonian Canal. They were built in the early 1800s in order to get the canal up a height of 19.5 metres, though they were yards, feet and inches then.  Thomas Telford had a hand in the planning which you can tell by the elegance of them - a feature that I failed to capture with my camera.

I promised Craig a tune here.

The rain in Fortwilliam is a particularly wet variety and I got soaked just cycling from my sub-standard B&B to my morning meeting.  I couldn't  contemplate spending an hour or so in that rain and then sitting on a cold train for 5 hours, so I sat and looked at the rain for a long time.  It cleared a bit in the afternoon so, spurred on by Linda Campbell's £50.00 dare, I set off.  The weather cleared nicely for my jaunt, returning to grizzly normal once I was safely back under shelter.

I cycled across each of the eight locks up the canal and then back down again.  It was a lovely interlude, even if I had to scramble a support team from passing holiday-makers.  The best support came from a woman who is currently artist-in-residence in Glen Nevis - I think her name is Tracey Warr but I will find out and correct this if not.  She has made a tree-house in the forest and is currently making nests.  Based on an email exchange with Craig, who told me about this lovely place in the first instance, I was practising my tune (Farquhar and Hettie's Waltz), marvelling that there was no-one to hear me, when I realised that she was filming me!  Aaargh! 

After making a complete eejit of myself, I sat and had a lovely cup of tea outside a shop called 'Caledonian Bears', which I initially thought must be a football team, but it makes and sells bears made from lovely tweed and such-like.  As I sipped my earl grey tea by the 'staircase'  the Jacobite Steam Train chugged its way past - that was all very magical, especially as the sun was shining by then.

Bridge 12 - Dean Bridge, Edinburgh

All the team, including flag

The Bridge with club logo inset

May 10th 2013

The Dean Bowling Club, whose logo is based on the 1831 Dean Bridge, have kindly sponsored this biking project.  Therefore, I cycled across this lovely bridge this evening with a group of supporter cyclists.  We were also supported by Normal Dall and Dick Webb from the Bowling Club, who brought the Club flag to add gravity to the occasion.


Particular thanks to Kevin McCann who braved the traffic to take photos from all angles - not caring a jot for the number 37 bus bearing down on him.  Duty first, it seemed.  We all survived to celebrate at the Club later.