53 miles ridden – 3650 feet climbed – temperature 10C.

Because we are staying two nights in Ullapool, today was essentially an optional ride. The weather forecast was cloudy, cooler but NO rain so when I woke up this morning and looked out of the window to see it was raining I was sorely tempted to give it a miss but I’m glad I didn’t. We had a lovely day.

I think most of us could have done without the climbs out of Ullapool but they were relatively gentle – 5% average – and it was the beginning of the day which always makes it a bit more manageable. It was still a bit misty with clouds on the hilltops.

We were heading out to an area called the Summer Isles and the nearer we got the better the weather became. It was cool but after the first hour or so it was dry so for the first time I finished a day’s ride without waterproof overshoes. The scenery was stunning.

As we neared the end of the peninsula we saw Achnahaird Beach which had a touch of ‘Local Hero’ to it.

There were people on the beach but it was far too cold for swimming. The area is heaving with tourists with the vast majority of motorbikes, campervans and Porsches coming from Holland, Germany and Belgium. The main difference we notice is that they are generally more considerate to us than British drivers.

After lunch at the Am Fuaran Bar in Altandhu we retraced our route back to Ullapool where it started raining just after I got back. Weirdly it is raining with the sun shining.

These picture were taken along the main road – in fact the only road – to Achnahaird. The wind was behind us, and being able to remove my overshoes, waterproof jacket and cool weather gloves meant I was back to fun cycling in beautiful countryside.