UK – Page 5 – Travelling reflections

1DTM Bettyhill to Bonar Bridge

DTM

The breakfast power cut reminded us of previous stays in Bettyhill. It also the into sharp relief the new pressures of cashless. We’d paid the night before: without power the owner didn’t have access to who had eaten what, nor the means to charge them.

Today is straightforward navigating. Follow the river Naver south, through Strathnaver then swap to the River Shin. In between there ate vast sways of the Flow Country: carbon sinks, covering the Altnaharra estate.

The A road through Bettyhill is a bumpy mess. The B road through Strathnaver is smooth: we get into the swing of passing places and most drivers are patient. Adrenaline levels run a little high: as we turned onto this road a sign said “Road Closed”. This turned out to be 20 miles further on. Luckily the workers let cyclists through: explains why the postman wasn’t happy with his 40mile detour. It also means the road is exceptionally quiet. I hope they’ve finished by the time I return cycling up this road in September!

The Crask Inn is in the middle of nowhere. It’s owned by the Church of Scotland: the congregation must be outnumbered by sheep. We’d passed hill side workings on pristine land: wind turbines. This turns out to be a scheme which will benefit the local community to tune if £9million/yr

You can do it!

The Falls of Shin are an amazing demonstration of the power of nature. Salmon one way, water the other. I came here in 1963 as a 5year old: somewhere there’s a photo my Dad took of salmon leaping. Hope he’d be pleased with my effort today.

The wider A road, no longer single track, is a reintroduction to reality.

Down the Middle, UK

In the beginning

Down the Middle, why and what?

Why. 2000 we cycled Land’s End to John o’Groats. 2010 we cycled ‘the other diagonal’: Dungeness to Durness. So a logical completer finisher mind, not mine, saw the next link: Down the Middle. From Bettyhill to Portland Bill.

What. Cycling from Wick, we will start at Bettyhill, which looks almost in the middle of the North Coast of Mainland Scotland. Then, as far as road cycle roads permit, we’ll go south to take in as many of the geographic centres of the UK.

There’s no settled list of the geographic centres as it’ll depend on what you’re taking in. The mainland, islands, topography etc. Ours include:

Centre of Scotland, near Dalwhinnie (with another disputed one in nearby Newtonmore)
Old political centre of Stirling, including the strategic crossing point of Stirling Bridge
Watershed in Central Scotland, near Harthill, Cumbernauld
Centre of Britain in Haltwhistle
Dunsop Bridge, another geographic centre of Great Britain
Fenny Drayton, Centre of England
Meriden, another centre of England

We’ll finish at Portland Bill, off Weymouth. Why there, a) why not it looks as good as anywhere, b) allows the routing to go via Avebury and my sister’s. Then we’ll cycle back to Wales.

1132 miles and about 58000feet of ascent, 58000feet of descent.

Cycling, UK

Lakes and Dales Day 4: Gosforth to Cartmel

A delightful end to our wee circuit. Shortest distance and highest ascent meant we had plenty of time to take in the views. Cold Fell and Eskdale were suitable places to practice assymetric cycling: very slow up and very fast decents.

The fine weather showed off Spring flowers at their best. Strangely the bluebells looked almost done: we hadn’t seen them North of here in bloom. The garlic was waiting to come out next.

The western Lakes are quieter than the honey spots, though no less prittier, with fewer tea shops. Still plenty of quiet hedgerows and stone walls to bring relief though to the thirsty cyclist who’s been drinking water.

Then back to the welcoming abode of Bill and Neil, 202 miles completed. Excellent

Cycling, UK

Lakes and Dales Day 3: Mungrisdale to Gosforth

A classic day. Blue skies with large white clouds, empty rolling roads, light breeze, spring flowers and hedgerows. The latter I examined at close quarters avoiding the only idiot can driver we’ve seen who was hurtling down hill and didn’t care. Made up for by the later artic driver who deliberately shielded us from traffic through road works. Shame we only tend to remember the idiots (and I thought I’d avoided bring Brexiteers into this).

The varying landscape kept our eyes busy and away from the oscillating hills we very cycling on. Our route follows around the outer rim of the National Park with volcanic rugged build on our left and flatter pastures on our right.

Cockermouth proved to be an interesting wee place: lived in and real, not quaint and conserved. It contrasts with the slightly run down feel of Penrith.

Cycling, UK

Lakes and Dales Day 2: Tebay to Mungrisdale

Great place names evidence the tussle between the Brythonic origins and later (Viking) conquests. Kirks have traveled South obviously, though I don’t know if they are stuffed full of the same calibre of people (interpret that as you will). Add a “by” and you have a village or settlement around a church. As in Kirkby Lonsdale, Kirkby Stephen etc. I spend the day thinking about where Kirby Grip fits in.

The morning is spent amongst the sandstone of the western side of the Yorkshire Dales. Undulating across moors and cattle grazed fields. Lovely to hear nothing but the sound of the countryside; happy birds, dopy sheep, and the sharp intake of a cyclist spotting the vertiginous slope ahead.

Village greens, complete with maypoles, start appearing. Then cross the M6 back into the Lakes. Penrith’s attractions remain hidden before we get into more rural pastures. Blen is the prefix now, meaning “hill or uplands”, from Cumbric/Welsh. No answer to my question as we pass through Blencow if there is a Blenbull.

Tonight is in Mungrisdale, which has a pub. And nothing else. It was apparently second choice for the set of the Lamb and Slaughter. Hope the mist keeps away.