The thing with mini adventures is that as long as you are always ready they can be organised on the last minute. That wasn’t the case with this one.

Ferry tickets for the crossing to Islay had to be bought in advance and times were tight due to work commitments, so someone had to do the travel logistics, and lucky for me Derek took on the task. All I had to do was to make sure to shut the workshop on time and meet him and Euan at India of Inchinnan for 2pm. This would tie in with a leisurely ride to Gourock for the ferry to Dunoon.

It didn’t work like that…Leaving 15 minutes late meant a mad rush to Inchinnan, a quick hello and a time trial style ride to Gourock for the Ferry.

Cramping in style

Only a few minutes crossing and we were on Hunters Quay in Dunoon. Heading right along the coast and turning onto the B836 towards the hills. And what hills we encountered!

With 20% gradients at times, a bike loaded up and already weak legs, this was the hardest part of the ride. I experienced multiple cramps while pushing up the way and unlike Neymar, didn’t have the choice to roll on the grass screaming, but had to ride them out instead.

30 miles later we were descending into Portavadie for the last ferry of the day to Tarbert. But you need to read the small print. The last ferry had left, and the one we were aiming for only runs until the 10th of August.

A bit of wild ‘glamping’

In other circumstances this could be an inconvenience, but not for us. A quick look around led us to the entrance to a forest walk, and after a short ride we found a clearing with a table and benches.

This was too tempting, and after a quick pitch of the tents due to a bunch of excitable and welcoming midges, we were ready for our first night of wild glamping with garden furniture.

Euan and I had the privacy of our tents, but Derek decided to go minimal with a bivvy bag, a bit of a weather proof cocoon to put your sleeping bag in with only a hole for the face.

This meant he was the one having to say good morning to the early dog walkers and answer the occasional friendly comments. The boy done well.

Tarbert to Islay

After another short ferry crossing we were in Tarbert, and ready for the short 5 mile ride to Kennacraig ferry terminal, where a big ferry was waiting for the 2.5 hours crossing to Port Askaig in Islay. This was a good opportunity to enjoy the views of the imposing Paps of Jura. Three conical shaped mountains visible from the mull of Kintyre to the isle of Skye.

The riding in Islay can be flat, very flat…we enjoyed the welcome break when the wind was behind us and cursed the geography when having to push against it without the up and down roads we are used to in Scotland, where what it goes up it must come down and give you some respite. That was a fun day.

A Distillery Tour of Islay

We visited at least 10 distilleries with Lagavulin being the highlight for Derek. He fulfilled his childhood dream and posed for pictures from every angle of the imposing building. Due to COVID19 restrictions, guided visits aren't allowed, this meant we could only stop for a pic and move on. That day we also visited Bridgend, Port Ellen and Bowmore, the biggest town in Islay.

We arrived at Port Charlotte, our final destination for the day ready for some hot food. Being around 5pm we thought it was going to be easy to find good food available, we were wrong…

The only lasagna on Islay

The recommended seafood restaurant was shut. Apparently the staff decided to go back to university so they couldn’t open. This must’ve happened the night before in some sort of secret ploy unknown to the owners. The Port Charlotte hotel would not take us without a booking or provide three hungry cyclists with a take away meal. The Spar was closed at 5 (??). The survival mode was switched on!

We kept on hearing about Graeme. He owns the campsite in Port Mor. “Graeme may serve some food” “Have you been to Graeme?”

Arriving at Graeme’s site was a dream come true. The biggest if not the best lasagna was waiting for us. It was already 7pm and we didn’t have much daylight left for finding a spot for night camp.

Graeme had offered us to stay at the site on the perfectly lawned field overlooking the sea. It was tempting, but our adventurer’s souls couldn’t accept the offer and rode back to the outskirts of Port Charlotte, where a small beach hiding below the road was waiting for us.

It was the perfect spot, a bit windy, no midges and with incredible views. Quick pitching, gathering some wood and a small fire on the rocks (of which we left no trace of) allowed us to warm up ready for a night sleep.

At 5am we were woken up by the sound of rain on our tents’ flysheet. Worrying how Derek was doing in his cocoon I opened the zipper to the sight of him face down and the reassuring sound of a snore, proving he can sleep standing on a queue…

Foraging

By 7am we were up brewing some coffee to the sight of Euan return from foraging. He had gone back to Graeme’s campsite and came back with (the biggest) square sausage rolls.

Another mild day ahead for us to follow the long way back of our return journey. Ferry chasing, hard climbs and fast descends was the call for the day and by 10pm we were boarding the last ferry from Dunoon to Gourock and back home for midnight.

Earth-Friendly Adventure

Another great trip. Scotland always surprises me with how beautiful and varied it can be. Travelling by bike lets you see more of the sights, and bikepacking allows you to take only what you need and take it away with you, leaving no trace or impact to the environment. Preparing for a trip and learning to take less every time you do it is a challenge on its own.

Look out for a blog post on bikepacking gear - coming soon!

Adventure of the Week: 3 day bikepacking tour of Islay.