from my trip diary originally
posted at Crazy Guy on a Bike
Day 6, Fort William to Oban, via 78 cycle path
Saturday September 10, 2016, 63 miles (101 km) - Total so far:
336 miles (542 km)
Well, that was interesting. We slept beneath the peaks of Ben Nevis
(Scotland's highest mountain at 4000 feet) and the others in that range,
truly spectacular. But soon after showering and crawling into my
already soggy tent a huge storm blew up. The winds just ripped. Imagine
Everest at camp 4 or 5. The winds shook my tent for hours, but I was
able to sleep. Woke up to run to potty then rain started up again. Left
Alex in a.m. to sort out bike and went on. It was a Saturday so A82 out
of Fort William was busy but not too crazy. There is no 78 bike route
out of Fort William per say. It started out on sidewalk then was
entirely sharing the road with traffic until Onich, following the coast
of Loch Eil.
At Onich I picked up bike route 78, and what a joy.
The day was often sunny, the ups were manageable, and overall I could
feel my body recover from some hard days. The path stayed close to Loch
Linnhe. At the Ben Lora Cafe stopped and had the best homemade tomato
soup ever, and headed to the path where there stood Alex with his bike.
The shop in Fort William put on a whole new rear wheel.
We rode
together the last 6 miles into Oban. This should have been a piece of
cake if it had been like the rest of the day. But the last 6 miles were
climbing, drop, climb. Not the worse, just tiring, and a wee bit
never-ending. At a certain point I wasn't a hero.
Oban is a GREAT
town. Loving it. Yet we almost didn't stay here. We first followed
signs to a camp/caravan place, 1) too far out of town, 2) same price as
last night, $8 but for far less. Just this open field, potties NOT
ANYWHERE NEAR, and no place to buy food. So we could starve and have to
use it in this open field--I felt like a refuge, so we left. Quickly got
back into town and to the Oban Backpacker Hostel, that is the best
place I've ever stayed. Will definitely give them a review.
Tomorrow
high winds and rain predicted, but will TRY to get somewhere close to
the isle of Arran. Alex will go to another island. So by myself again.
63 miles, but some of that was going to and from the crummy campsite.
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| cycle path 78 |
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| notice the steep embankments |
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| Loch Eil |
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| Castle Stalker is a four-story tower house or keep picturesquely set on a tidal islet on Loch Laich, an inlet off Loch Linnhe |
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| notice the high peaks in the background |
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| man with falcon |
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