Dunoon - Oban

Miles 77 today

In 5hrs 32 mins burning 2293 Kcal climbing 3300ft

Miles total 1046

In 70hrs 00mins burning 32874 Kcal climbing 46333ft

Most miles in a day : 106.2

Go to the end of the drive and turn left and were off into …… correct. The same wind as yesterday. I slogged into it for the first few miles, and though yet another ‘Road Closed’ which wasn’t to cyclists.

Fortunately, I soon got in amongst trees, and shelter from the wind. Now I have gone on about the wind and it has been a major feature of the past few days. Today though was quite odd. In theory it was a strong westerly, and the white horses on the waves on Lock Eke proved this. The mountains and valleys then played with the wind. As I rode up the lochs I changed direction from north west to north east, around the end of Loch Fyne, and back south west to Inverary. The wind though did not stay in the west, moving from side, to front to rear. I was bemused but didn’t care, at least it wasn’t staying in front.

Into Inverary, Denise had only just got there. I had been 35 miles ahead. One close incident with a car passing way to close. I suspect he was spending too much time looking at the view. I made it clear that I wasn’t happy, and he seemed chastened when I caught up with him at the only set of traffic lights for miles on the approach to the village and sat behind him. He gave me loads of room when he passed 20 miles later.

An Eccles cake and off again. Climbing over to Loch Awe, a loop around the end and join the main road. This was in poor condition, bouncing around in the subsiding edge of the road, and dodging the remarkably light traffic.

I still turned off at Taynuilt and onto the side road. 10 miles of single track road, 3 cars, one of which was Denise. 3 miles short of the destination it rained. I hid under a tree and was joined by a sheep. An uneasy truce broke out. It was either me or rain and the sheep decided I was unusual but safe. Just before I had stopped next to a Highland Cow (He-land Coo) and took its picture. It scratched its back with its horn and was clearly eyeing me up for how fast I might be and could I outrun it?

I dropped down into Oban and onto the Ferry Terminal. We go onto Mull tomorrow, so it is bound to rain.

It was a short ride today, I was only just getting into it and it was over.