Day 20 – To Bealach na Ba

Saturday 15th May

A great stopover location was rewarded with an outdoor shower this morning. It’s the first chance I’ve had to use it properly, and it is good bit of kit.

Seems like also we’re having the best weather in Britain at the moment. Being so close to the coast we are avoiding the showers also.

I had a decision to make this morning, up to the Quiraing, or, enough on Skye for now, over towards Applecross.

The latter won out. I suspect the Quiraing will have plenty of people stumbling up to it. But before leaving Skye, a quick view of what has in the last week become quite famous, I think ‘trending’ is the expression. Skye might have its Bridge, the Cuillin, its Distillery, but the most looked at attraction at the moment is this, at Broadford…

Beached – like a see-saw… No one has been able to move it for more than a week. Either that or they still want some fun at the driver’s expense.

A few stop-offs during the day; supermarket and fuel, as nothing of any size now until Ullapool in about a week most likely. Then the Bealach na Ba climb, which is in an Epic Bike Climbs of Europe book I have, the only one in Britain. From Loch Carron this route is now the North Coast 500, and already quite busy with motorbikes, cyclists, vintage cars and campers. There’s a sign at Loch Carron that says no caravans or motorhomes on the pass, but that is ignored by many. It’s not particularly steep, but one lane with passing places, in its 9.1 km it ascends 2053 feet, 626 metres, making it the greatest ascent in our isles. Though it is only Scotland’s 3rd highest pass.

With calm and clear weather it seemed logical to stay over at the pass. I expected several other vans, but there was only one.