Craignure Meet Part 2 - Pedal to Perfection
Sub 2000s: Cruachan Min
Date walked: 16/04/2018
Time taken: 2.8 hours
Distance: 8.5km
Ascent: 470m
Sub 2k Marilyns: Cruachan Min.
Date: 15/04/2018.
Distance: 3km + 5.5km.
Ascent: 110m + 360m.
Time: 1 hour + 1 hour, 50 minutes.
Weather: Sunny and breezy with a shower on Cruachan Min.
Also 73 miles of cycling on Sunday and 12 miles on Monday.
On the Sunday of the meet, I woke up a little groggy, but not feeling as bad as on some other occasions
. I finally managed to get moving shortly after 10am. Many plans had crossed my mind for today. Originally I wanted to cycle up to the Ulva ferry and head over to Ulva and Geometra, but this ferry didn't run on Sundays until June apparently. Then it was a toss-up between visiting the Carsaig Arches and the Fossil Tree, and probably throwing a Marilyn in somewhere. In the end I decided to go west and visit Iona - something that had been on my to-do list for quite a while.

Cruach Ardura
The initial hill out of Craignure was a bit of a puff (it isn't big or steep, but I didn't feel great!), but after a few miles, I settled into a rhythm and enjoyed the quiet roads. Despite today's weather forecast being poor, the summits were clear and it looked nicer than yesterday. I suppose I could've easily stopped and gone up one of the higher hills, but Iona was in my sights now.

Ben More from Glen More
A rapid descent of the west side of Glen More took me to the beautiful coastal road along the shore of Loch Scridain. I was in new territory now. A tail wind eased me along with almost no effort - this didn't bode well for the return journey, although I recalled something about the wind swinging round to the west over the course of the weekend.

Ben More across Loch Scridain

Ardmeanach Peninsula
Around 2 hours and 20 minutes of lovely cycling finally brought me to Fionnphort. Although the skies had greyed over a bit, there was no dulling of the blue waters and white beaches in the Sound of Iona. Perfect
. Although there are cars on Iona, you need a permit to take them on the ferry, which no-one seems to have except for the locals. So it was a nice quiet ferry over, taking 10 or so minutes.

Ferry approaching Fionnphort

From the Iona ferry

Approaching Iona
I made vague plans to cycle north once on the other side - there looked to be some nice beaches and inlets at the north end of the island, as well as the highest point - Dun I. Since traffic is a bit of a novelty on the island, every person I passed on the bike did a surprised jump out of the way
. I passed the abbey and parked up the bike at the end of the road.

Iona Abbey
A short walk across the machair took me to the northern end of the island, from where I made my way to Traigh an t-Suidhe. This was a lovely bay - reminiscent of the best beaches on Harris and Barra. In fact the whole of the Iona was like one of the rockier Outer Hebrides in miniature.

North end of Iona

Treshnish Isles – Dutchman’s Cap to the left

Dun I and the approach to Traigh an t-Suidhe

Traigh an t-Suidhe
It was an easy wander from the end of Traigh an t-Suidhe to the rocks of Dun I, which is a great little hill. Even with the haze and grey skies, the views were brilliant. Unfortunately I could feel the eastern wind blasting in, which I knew I needed to cycle back into for 37 miles!

North end of Iona from Dun I

South down Iona

Looking across the Sound of Iona from Dun I

Lambs on Iona
Back at the bike, I stopped in at a small shop for coffee and a bit of cake near the abbey. There were a few spits of rain, and after wondering about whether to explore the island further, I instinctively pulled onto the ferry which was just about to leave. Good choice - the rain really hit at this point, and didn't stop the whole way back through Bunessan. Fortunately the wind didn't seem as bad as it had on the summit of Dun I, and despite the rain, the cycle was much less unpleasant than expected.
I had a quick Marilyn in mind on the way home. Cruachan Min seemed like a good quickie from the road I was on, so I parked the bike up on the verge near Ormsaig and hit the rather rough hillside. The rain had eased as I started, but I was treated to more heavy showers as I made my way across the moorland.

Ross of Mull
I went up in a series of steps, with some of the ground being OK and some being pretty rough and boggy. However once past Loch nan Learg, the going became easy over short moss and turf. The rain stopped as well, and stayed off for the rest of the day.

Ardmeanach Peninsula

West along the Ross of Mull from Cruachan Min
The views should have been great from up here - you can barely go wrong with any island or coastal hill. Unfortunately there was a lot of cloud and haze hanging around, so I wasn't able to fully appreciate it. A more direct route back to the bike had me on the road in a relatively short time.

Loch Scridain

Loch Scridain from the descent of Cruachan Min

Back down at the road
The rest of the cycle was pleasant and the sun came out again. Sitting on the shore of Loch Sgridain opposite the post office at Kinloch, I would happily have stayed there all evening. Going up Glen More into the wind was a bit slow, but other than that it was fine. Despite this being a main road, there was a 10 mile section where I didn't pass any other traffic.

Loch Scridain and Ardmeanach Peninsula

Ben More and Loch Scridain

Corra Bheinn and Cruach Choiredail
Getting back to the bunkhouse a good hour later than I thought I would definitely called for another visit to the pub
.
___________________________________________________________
I had ideas for the Monday after the meet - I had deliberately booked onto a later train home to give myself a free morning. I thought about another Marilyn on Mull, or perhaps a rapid departure from the island giving me enough time to make a quick trip to Kerrera. The rain was bouncing off the roof when I woke up so I did neither. Instead I had a leisurely morning and headed for the 11am ferry with Hils, Billy and Mark. Mark was off back to his 'other' home on Lismore, and I briefly thought about having a look over there, but the logistics didn't work out.
About 20 minutes into the trip, the weather started clearing, and by the time we got to Oban it was a lovely sunny day.

South to Scarba and the Paps of Jura

South end of Lismore from the ferry

Kerrera from the ferry
I realised I had been planning too ambitiously, and filled the couple of hours before the train taking a leisurely pedal past the Kerrera ferry terminal, Pulpit Hill, Ganavan Beach, a quick lunch at Dunollie Castle, and McCaig's Tower. Then the scenic ride home again (as far as Dumbarton at least).

Sound of Kerrera

Oban from Pulpit Hill

Morven from Pulpit Hill

Dunollie Castle
Ganavan Beach
Morven from Ganavan Beach

Mull from Ganavan Beach

Mull and Kerrera from McCaig’s Tower

Oban from McCaig’s Tower

Inside McCaig’s Tower

McCaig’s Tower

Ben Lomond from the train home

Cobbler from the train home
A great meet with some good company, and enough inspiration for me to start planning some more island trips for the rest of the year
.
Date: 15/04/2018.
Distance: 3km + 5.5km.
Ascent: 110m + 360m.
Time: 1 hour + 1 hour, 50 minutes.
Weather: Sunny and breezy with a shower on Cruachan Min.
Also 73 miles of cycling on Sunday and 12 miles on Monday.
On the Sunday of the meet, I woke up a little groggy, but not feeling as bad as on some other occasions


Cruach Ardura
The initial hill out of Craignure was a bit of a puff (it isn't big or steep, but I didn't feel great!), but after a few miles, I settled into a rhythm and enjoyed the quiet roads. Despite today's weather forecast being poor, the summits were clear and it looked nicer than yesterday. I suppose I could've easily stopped and gone up one of the higher hills, but Iona was in my sights now.

Ben More from Glen More
A rapid descent of the west side of Glen More took me to the beautiful coastal road along the shore of Loch Scridain. I was in new territory now. A tail wind eased me along with almost no effort - this didn't bode well for the return journey, although I recalled something about the wind swinging round to the west over the course of the weekend.

Ben More across Loch Scridain

Ardmeanach Peninsula
Around 2 hours and 20 minutes of lovely cycling finally brought me to Fionnphort. Although the skies had greyed over a bit, there was no dulling of the blue waters and white beaches in the Sound of Iona. Perfect


Ferry approaching Fionnphort

From the Iona ferry

Approaching Iona
I made vague plans to cycle north once on the other side - there looked to be some nice beaches and inlets at the north end of the island, as well as the highest point - Dun I. Since traffic is a bit of a novelty on the island, every person I passed on the bike did a surprised jump out of the way


Iona Abbey
A short walk across the machair took me to the northern end of the island, from where I made my way to Traigh an t-Suidhe. This was a lovely bay - reminiscent of the best beaches on Harris and Barra. In fact the whole of the Iona was like one of the rockier Outer Hebrides in miniature.

North end of Iona

Treshnish Isles – Dutchman’s Cap to the left

Dun I and the approach to Traigh an t-Suidhe

Traigh an t-Suidhe
It was an easy wander from the end of Traigh an t-Suidhe to the rocks of Dun I, which is a great little hill. Even with the haze and grey skies, the views were brilliant. Unfortunately I could feel the eastern wind blasting in, which I knew I needed to cycle back into for 37 miles!

North end of Iona from Dun I

South down Iona

Looking across the Sound of Iona from Dun I

Lambs on Iona
Back at the bike, I stopped in at a small shop for coffee and a bit of cake near the abbey. There were a few spits of rain, and after wondering about whether to explore the island further, I instinctively pulled onto the ferry which was just about to leave. Good choice - the rain really hit at this point, and didn't stop the whole way back through Bunessan. Fortunately the wind didn't seem as bad as it had on the summit of Dun I, and despite the rain, the cycle was much less unpleasant than expected.
I had a quick Marilyn in mind on the way home. Cruachan Min seemed like a good quickie from the road I was on, so I parked the bike up on the verge near Ormsaig and hit the rather rough hillside. The rain had eased as I started, but I was treated to more heavy showers as I made my way across the moorland.

Ross of Mull
I went up in a series of steps, with some of the ground being OK and some being pretty rough and boggy. However once past Loch nan Learg, the going became easy over short moss and turf. The rain stopped as well, and stayed off for the rest of the day.

Ardmeanach Peninsula

West along the Ross of Mull from Cruachan Min
The views should have been great from up here - you can barely go wrong with any island or coastal hill. Unfortunately there was a lot of cloud and haze hanging around, so I wasn't able to fully appreciate it. A more direct route back to the bike had me on the road in a relatively short time.

Loch Scridain

Loch Scridain from the descent of Cruachan Min

Back down at the road
The rest of the cycle was pleasant and the sun came out again. Sitting on the shore of Loch Sgridain opposite the post office at Kinloch, I would happily have stayed there all evening. Going up Glen More into the wind was a bit slow, but other than that it was fine. Despite this being a main road, there was a 10 mile section where I didn't pass any other traffic.

Loch Scridain and Ardmeanach Peninsula

Ben More and Loch Scridain

Corra Bheinn and Cruach Choiredail
Getting back to the bunkhouse a good hour later than I thought I would definitely called for another visit to the pub

___________________________________________________________
I had ideas for the Monday after the meet - I had deliberately booked onto a later train home to give myself a free morning. I thought about another Marilyn on Mull, or perhaps a rapid departure from the island giving me enough time to make a quick trip to Kerrera. The rain was bouncing off the roof when I woke up so I did neither. Instead I had a leisurely morning and headed for the 11am ferry with Hils, Billy and Mark. Mark was off back to his 'other' home on Lismore, and I briefly thought about having a look over there, but the logistics didn't work out.
About 20 minutes into the trip, the weather started clearing, and by the time we got to Oban it was a lovely sunny day.

South to Scarba and the Paps of Jura

South end of Lismore from the ferry

Kerrera from the ferry
I realised I had been planning too ambitiously, and filled the couple of hours before the train taking a leisurely pedal past the Kerrera ferry terminal, Pulpit Hill, Ganavan Beach, a quick lunch at Dunollie Castle, and McCaig's Tower. Then the scenic ride home again (as far as Dumbarton at least).

Sound of Kerrera

Oban from Pulpit Hill

Morven from Pulpit Hill

Dunollie Castle



Mull from Ganavan Beach

Mull and Kerrera from McCaig’s Tower

Oban from McCaig’s Tower

Inside McCaig’s Tower

McCaig’s Tower

Ben Lomond from the train home

Cobbler from the train home
A great meet with some good company, and enough inspiration for me to start planning some more island trips for the rest of the year

Click to mark this as a great report. Register or Login free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
Comments: 2
Craignure Meet Part 1 - Magnetic Meanderings

Sub 2000s: Carn Ban (Mull)
Date walked: 14/04/2018
Distance: 19.5km
Ascent: 1690m
Comments: 2
Views: 118
Windy Gyle
This post is not published on the Walkhighlands forumDonalds: Windy Gyle
Date walked: 08/04/2018
Views: 7
The Cheviots from Linhope - might as well do the lot

Date walked: 08/04/2018
Distance: 38.5km
Ascent: 1610m
Comments: 3
Views: 105
Rainy Howgills and a short detour to the Dales

Date walked: 07/04/2018
Distance: 26.5km
Ascent: 1830m
Comments: 2
Views: 88
April fool - an Easter weekend summit camp of two halves

Hewitts: Allen Crags, Dovenest Crag, Glaramara, High Raise (Central Fells), Pike o' Stickle, Red Beck Top (Glaramara S Top), Rossett Pike, Seathwaite Fell, Ullscarf
Date walked: 02/04/2018
Distance: 32.5km
Ascent: 1940m
Comments: 2
Views: 142
Cleveland Hills on Good Friday

Distance: 25.5km
Ascent: 1000m
Comments: 5
Views: 187
Post-run leg stretcher on the Foundland Hills

Date walked: 25/03/2018
Distance: 6km
Ascent: 400m
Comments: 3
Views: 216
Snow dodging around the Galloway hills

Donalds: Alhang, Blacklorg Hill, Shalloch on Minnoch
Sub 2000s: Craiglee (Ayrshire), Criffel
Date walked: 18/03/2018
Distance: 40km
Ascent: 2270m
Comments: 6
Views: 430
Last minute Kielder bothy trip

Distance: 8.5km
Ascent: 400m
Comments: 1
Views: 148
-
malky_c
- Location: Inverness/Sunderland
- Occupation: Civil Engineer
- Interests: Walking, Scrambling, Cycling, Mountain Biking
- Munro rounds: 1
- Corbett rounds: 1
- Graham rounds: 1
- Munros: 282
- Corbetts: 222
- Grahams: 219
- Donalds: 59
- Wainwrights: 102
- Hewitts: 243
- Sub 2000: 199
- Filter reports
- Trips: 18
- Distance: 420 km
- Ascent: 21150m
- Munros: 3
- Corbetts: 2
- Grahams: 5
- Donalds: 12
- Sub2000s: 6
- Hewitts: 36
- Wainwrights 20
- Trips: 59
- Distance: 1009.8 km
- Ascent: 54765m
- Munros: 27
- Corbetts: 11
- Grahams: 9
- Sub2000s: 36
- Hewitts: 23
- Wainwrights 9
- Trips: 55
- Distance: 1132.8 km
- Ascent: 59985m
- Munros: 18
- Corbetts: 20
- Grahams: 20
- Donalds: 4
- Sub2000s: 33
- Trips: 50
- Distance: 1009 km
- Ascent: 58815m
- Munros: 10
- Corbetts: 18
- Grahams: 35
- Donalds: 5
- Sub2000s: 26
- Trips: 52
- Distance: 1143 km
- Ascent: 56245m
- Munros: 11
- Corbetts: 23
- Grahams: 43
- Donalds: 33
- Sub2000s: 23
- Trips: 45
- Distance: 1121.2 km
- Ascent: 52310m
- Munros: 9
- Corbetts: 23
- Grahams: 36
- Sub2000s: 26
- Trips: 61
- Distance: 1911.9 km
- Ascent: 64050m
- Corbetts: 8
- Grahams: 16
- Sub2000s: 19
- Hewitts: 95
- Wainwrights 16
- Trips: 49
- Distance: 867.2 km
- Ascent: 45165m
- Munros: 5
- Corbetts: 21
- Grahams: 31
- Sub2000s: 11
- Hewitts: 18
- Trips: 45
- Distance: 987.3 km
- Ascent: 49290m
- Munros: 7
- Corbetts: 33
- Grahams: 32
- Sub2000s: 10
- Hewitts: 4
- Trips: 43
- Distance: 741 km
- Ascent: 35725m
- Munros: 8
- Corbetts: 35
- Grahams: 14
- Sub2000s: 5
- Hewitts: 1
- Trips: 47
- Distance: 540.5 km
- Ascent: 37865m
- Munros: 15
- Corbetts: 22
- Grahams: 18
- Donalds: 3
- Sub2000s: 6
- Trips: 40
- Distance: 471.5 km
- Ascent: 30550m
- Munros: 22
- Corbetts: 19
- Grahams: 7
- Donalds: 3
- Sub2000s: 4
- Trips: 36
- Distance: 472 km
- Ascent: 32785m
- Munros: 39
- Corbetts: 6
- Grahams: 4
- Hewitts: 1
- Trips: 29
- Distance: 464 km
- Ascent: 27635m
- Munros: 29
- Corbetts: 7
- Grahams: 1
- Sub2000s: 2
- Hewitts: 5
- Wainwrights 8
- Trips: 43
- Distance: 839.4 km
- Ascent: 47975m
- Munros: 60
- Corbetts: 6
- Grahams: 2
- Donalds: 2
- Sub2000s: 1
- Hewitts: 1
- Trips: 45
- Distance: 798 km
- Ascent: 51905m
- Munros: 68
- Corbetts: 5
- Hewitts: 5
- Trips: 47
- Distance: 634 km
- Ascent: 42245m
- Munros: 46
- Corbetts: 3
- Grahams: 3
- Hewitts: 24
- Trips: 61
- Distance: 738.5 km
- Ascent: 59035m
- Munros: 45
- Corbetts: 1
- Sub2000s: 1
- Hewitts: 52
- Wainwrights 23
- Trips: 51
- Distance: 512.5 km
- Ascent: 42190m
- Munros: 19
- Corbetts: 2
- Sub2000s: 1
- Hewitts: 55
- Wainwrights 26
- Trips: 47
- Distance: 504 km
- Ascent: 43786m
- Munros: 23
- Corbetts: 1
- Hewitts: 49
- Wainwrights 4
- Trips: 37
- Distance: 378 km
- Ascent: 33525m
- Munros: 12
- Hewitts: 46
- Trips: 43
- Distance: 512.1 km
- Ascent: 44205m
- Munros: 19
- Corbetts: 4
- Grahams: 1
- Donalds: 2
- Hewitts: 62
- Wainwrights 6
- Trips: 40
- Distance: 476.5 km
- Ascent: 40740m
- Munros: 12
- Corbetts: 2
- Hewitts: 74
- Wainwrights 17
- Trips: 2
- Joined: Nov 22, 2009
- Last visited: Apr 21, 2018
- Total posts: 5497 | Search posts