Day 13 Loch Borralan to Braemore

Something we’ve noticed: credit cards are not really welcome up here – the %they take cuts the margins. So bring cash, cheque book ( remember them?) or debit cards.  With the rest of the UK schools now back, places are now noticeably quieter with mainly non UK visitors: ditto the roads.

The midges were waiting outside for Barbara’s appearance, napkins tucked into their chins.  “Smidge” seemed the most effective though any gaps were ruthlessly exploited.  Having deployed my decoy I emerged and harnessed up.

Peach and Horne’s remarkable discovery that rocked the world – the mapping of the Moine Thrust is well presented in the Knockan Nature reserve.  You can see and touch the rocks, the lower ones ( Durness Sandstone ) 500m years younger than the top layer (Moine Schists) which inched over them…the thrust is where they meet. Even more sobering is the pace – the upper layer taking over 0.5million years to travel from near Inverness.  Something for Arriva Trains to aim at. You can tell I’m impressed.

Soon then we say cheerio to Stac Pollaidh and Suilven for now and head down to the more fertile lands of the sandstone based Ullapool – Loch Broom area.  Trees start to appear, and the houses are noticeably wealthier.  Luxurious long lunch then shopping for tonight’s self catering. Barbara did half the job – I needed to stop for the wine and beer. Amazing how flexible panniers can be when needed though plan B was available – water bottle holders will do for the wine.  And now it’s going down a treat – aiding the anticipation of tomorrow’s tropical ride to Loch Gruinard and Poolewe.

One query….I can’t ever recall seeing water lilies up here before.  Every lochan seems to have them.  Is it me?  Oh and it’s bin day on a Wednesday here, well the blue bins that is.

 

Suilven mist

Reflections

Indecision

Plus ca change

Am I too old for you?

Inviting

Interpretation

Ullapool lunch

New town order

Day 12 Durness to Loch Borralan

Here goes at draft 2 of this one – the first disappeared into the inter-ether where who knows it may appear in an alternative universe.

One of our toughest, most climbing and yet most satisfying days, of [geological] erratics and thrusts.  Setting off into the teeth of a howling wind, our route followed the undulations of the single track A road thankful for the patience of the drivers safely cocooned in their draught proof bubbles.

Stopping briefly to contemplate the temptation of Smoo Lodge – 10 bedrooms, 5 reception rooms, 1.5 acres, sea view: £300k – we continued in the Assynt proper.   I recall reading that large parts of this have a population density lower than the Sahara and you can believe it.  Roadside information brings alive the geology that is unfolding in front of you – nice one Mr Lewis (to remind myself for future year’s reading, we’re riding down a huge junction: the western part is mainly Lewisian Gneiss- 3000million yrs old, the eastern part Moine schists – a mere 1000million). Then after lunch overlooking Kylesku bridge with its thought provoking statue to WW2 human torpedoes who trained there – the Glen Coul thrust and Moine thrust which yielded up their secrets to give birth to tectonics hove into view: the former was a puzzling sandwich of old-new-old rocks ( 3000-500-3000million yrs).  And to think a few days ago I was burbling on about 5000yr old human settlements. At this scale we really are insignificant.

The sea lochs and Bens dip in and out of view,  Stac Polaidh keeping her assets mist shrouded (whoever she was, Polly must have been quite impressive to be so immortalised).  And then we arrive at our destination to be met by hungry midges for the first time.  The clue might be in the siting of the ‘motel’ next to a loch.  Hitchcock probably had this earmarked as a film set with the lack of shower curtains being the determining factor. Worked out just grand – marvellous day.

Drying out

Gave up waiting for horse

Laird moved out

Cape Wrath approach

Bridge view

Coul thust

Older bridge

Good spot

Another highland fued

Best geological view in UK?