“Oh Jean” Hebridean Way 2022 Day 5 Archmore - Calanis Standing Stones- Carloway - Butt of Lewis (end of Herbridean Way) - Stornoway. Another one ticked off the bucket list!

 

Stats: 72.6 miles, 3,944 ft climbing, 2 beers, a 20mph head wind and 2 stone circles!

Well it’s probably not what most people will remember today for, but it’s done! Another trip ticked off the bucket list! The day started out with breakfast at the B&B, Dec talking to the other couple staying. He was a cyclist and he was returning to complete the trip he started early on this year, his wife driving the support car. He had got as far as Berneray when the ferry broke leaving him stranded. Again it shows how lucky we’ve been on the trip so far.

Packed and ready to go 10 minutes early, you’ll find hard to believe, the first stop was to be just 5 miles up the road to the Calanais standing stones, a number of stone circles in a small area around this part of Lewis erected about 5,000 years ago. We got to the small circles first, me and Kieran riding up to them over the peat. Stood in the middle on a beautiful early morning with no one about Kieran decided to see if he could connect with Conleth the Druid to see if he would arrange fair passing for the bikes in what was becoming an increasingly strong headwind! It didn’t seem to work, so it was off the route and a detour of a couple of miles to the main stones and the visitor centre.

The beauty of setting off early was that the museum and cafe were shut, not opening until 10, and therefore there were no bus tours or, in fact, any other people about. Just as we parked the bikes the sun came out and as we walked up the hill to the circle the view was pretty breathtaking. The low sun and the shadows from the stones was very powerful and we spent a good 25 minutes there, reading about them from the various plinths dotted about the site. Still no response from Conleth however, so taking off the gilets and coats we’d put on leaving the B&B (the first time I’d had to put them on on the whole trip) it was off on the lumpy road to Carloway where we’d been told there was a cafe after 20 miles where we could have another breakfast. 

As me and Kieran took the uphill, but quicker route back to the main road Dec and Frankie carried on back to the main road putting them about a mile behind, the same distance you may recall, that I was behind Dec yesterday when he beat me up the climbs. Funny that my excuse then, that I was a mile behind at the start and therefore wasn’t competing, which didn’t wash yesterday, was exactly his excuse when I beat him over the first 3 climbs today! When I say I beat him, I did, but obviously I was with Kieran and that didn’t end well for me! I did manage one after he looked over his shoulder to see me struggling and I managed to get by on his blindside, but that was it for me for the rest of the day as Dec and Kieran firmly took hold of the “race” me and Frankie relegated to watching their antics from a looooong way behind!

As I mentioned the prayer to Conleth hadn’t been answered and as we turned the corner near Carloway we faced the full force of the Hebridean wind for the first time. The day looked beautiful, sun was out, but the wind was straight in our faces. We tried to get (a very slow) train started but the constant up and down meant it kept falling apart. It was with great relief then when we came to the sign for Mollans cafe, then disappointed to see it was another mile off the route and down a big hill which we’d have to climb back up. With no real option it was left and down the hill to a rather odd cafe in a shed. However the bacon and sausage baps were great, the curdled milk in the tea and Frankie’s somewhat milky tuna sandwich not so much, but it was nice to get out of the wind for at least a little bit.

Back up the hill to join the route and with the stone circles and the cafe, we’d only done 19 miles in just over 3 hours! We knew the run to Butt of Lewis was a straight  run, but it was to be in the teeth of the wind. Again, we tried to form a train, but Kieran and Dec were too strong for Frankie and me to keep up with (there, I’ve said it!) and while me and Frankie stuck together mostly taking turns to keep out of the wind, the 2 up front doing the same got further and further into the distance. The road was also constantly up and down, not huge amounts, maybe 50 feet at a time, but on the downhills we were reduced to around 10 mph so you didn’t have any momentum to get up the slight incline at the other side, so down to 5/6 mph on the uphill bits. It was painful going and it took us all of another 2 and a half hours to do the 20 miles to the Port of Ness where we would turn left for what I thought I’d route planned was the end of the Hebridean Way. 

2 miles further on and the route had ended on our Garmin’s, mine showing I was in the sea, but there was no sign of an “end”. We were now fighting a cross wind and Kieran was getting very annoyed! Spotting the lighthouse in the distance he very much shared the view that he wasn’t going any further, that it could still be miles away and that he was turning round. 200 miles with just what it appeared was about a mile to go, and he was turning round! Luckily a walker was coming the other way and I asked him if we were heading for the end of the Hebridean Way. Somewhat puzzled he answered “where do you think it’s heading if not there?!” on hearing this Kieran had just enough time to chastise Frankie for giving way to a car, and with Frankie leading us in, we’d done it! I’m quite pleased it had been a hard 30 miles to get to the end as it had seemed to be going to well and a little to easy, so a few demons in that 30 miles is always good to remind you that it is hard sometimes!

Photos and videos taken, but we didn’t stop for long at the end. We later discussed that we never do. Miz-Mal, JOGLE, the etape, we’d done the same at all 3 and agreed that it was very much the journey that’s the important bit, the end just something to aim for. When you’ve got there, it’s done. Apart from the 30 miles back to Stornoway of course! As there was nothing apart from the lighthouse at the Butt of Lewis we retraced our footsteps to Port of Ness then turned right, AND THE WIND WAS BEHIND US! Boom! The 3 miles to the Historical centre museum and cafe were done in what felt like 5 minutes and just after 3 we were rolling up for a well deserved lunch. After some fantastic sandwiches, coffees and cake, we had time to look round the gift shop and me and Kieran finally found fridge magnets to add to our collections! It was a lovely shop and the 2 ladies working there were Gaelic speakers, it was wonderful to just be hanging around listening to them chat!

We knew we had 15 miles with the wind behind us, which would fly by, then 12 with a crosswind and a gentle but constant climb up to 350 feet before the descent into Stornoway. From the off Kieran pulled the pin. Having seen close up his magnificent thighs as I was trying to get as close to his back wheel as possible to shelter from the wind on the way to the Butt of Ness, he was making the most of them as he literally pushed Dec up the climbs at 25 mph! Even though me and Frankie were tanking along at over 20mph for most of the 15 miles back to the turn, Kieran had buggered off. We wouldn’t be seeing him again until the sign for Stornoway where he’d been waiting for a full 15 minutes (and Dec 5 he has forced me to pint out) until me and Frankie pulled into the town. KC had done the 25 miles in a very respectable 1 hour 40! Both me and Frankie could always see Dec on the horizon, but we knew we’d never catch him, doubly so when going over a cattle grid my bike started making horrible screeching noises. Stoping to investigate I found my water bottle which had been resited  to under the bottom down tube to accommodate the new bike luggage had jumped out of the cage and wedged between the frame and the tyre…lucky escape then ,but I now need a new bottle!

The last 12 miles into Stornoway had also been tough but strangely enjoyable, despite the wind, busy road and gradient, and it was now properly done! Just time for Dec to mess around trying to get us to the hotel, finding out Frankie had been given the accessible room (had they seen the poor sod trying to get on and off his bike?!?, seriously, it looks excruciating painful…) and out into the Stornoway night for a few beers and some food.

The 3 amigos will be saying their farewells in the morning ( or middle of the night, they have to be in the ferry for 6-30 am) then they have a 30 or 60 or zero mile ride from Ullapool to Garve or Inverness or get in a taxi! They’ve promised to give me an update for the blog tomorrow! As I can’t bare to leave the islands yet, I’m retracing my steps back to Tarbert for the ferry to Uig. The route is either 45 miles or 60, ferry at 4.30. I can tell Andrea’s worried as I have no supervision for the next 4 days…

I’ll do jersey’s etc tomorrow as it’ll give me something to pad the blog out with, as Declan says, “I’m giving you all the material, without me the blog’s nothing…