Talking with LWaB last night and he is concerned that the ride will need a turn of pace to make certain ferries (he isn't riding, but did study it). Personally, I think there are only a couple of stages where there is a minor concern - and it is minor. Hit the ferries and the stages between them only need a bottom speed of 15-16kph to make the next one - famous last words, but shouldn't cause too many dramas.
We will
all arrive at Craignure @ 08:30 on Tuesday morning (unless anyone convinces a fisherman to take them across the night before). We will all be out of time at the Tobermory control but, whatever.
The next ferry is at Tobermory - 35 km away. There is a ferry @ 11:00 - sure, it isn't flat (roughly 400m of ascent in the 35km) and it often takes a few minutes to disembark etc., but that is still over 2 hours to ride 35km. So, I don't think it should cause any dramas - missing this ferry would probably start to put the next stage out of reach though (2 hours until next ferry).
So, we should arrive into Kilchoan at 11:35 and the next goal is Mallaig at 95km distance - last ferry at 18:00. Call it 10-15 minutes to disembark - 6 hours and 15 minutes to ride 95km, with around 1800m of ascent. Again, I think we will all be bunched back up and able to make use of group riding - though it is quite hilly. But still - that's 6 hours to ride less than 100km
Once we make that Mallaig ferry (340km) that's it for ferries for over 900km.
Am I missing anything?
Sure, there's a million and one other things that might scupper us - but if the ferries run to schedule, I really don't think that anyone need worry overly?
Once ferry stresses are dealt with, we can worry about food and accommodation next.