Plans firming up.
History: Highlander 2014, I booked accommodation for every night, as we had 108 hours due to the extra 100km. But I missed the Trantlebeg hostel and arrived at ~5-6am, ~6 hours behind. That put us back 6 hours and we missed the Hostel in Balahulish/Glen Coe. Thus we lost the hostel and its cost. On PBP we had the opportunity to stay on the floor along with a load of others, at any time we arrived.
The ride 2016.
When I planned this summer I thought about how long we rode the first day to get to the Monday night sleep stop in Carhiax, and applied the same logic. I know we'll be chin strapped the first night especially after the silly delays on the first day due to 2 ferries! we'd hope to be at Broadford at 5pm on Tuesday, ONLY if we hoof it from Kilchoan to Mallaig for the early 15:15 ferry! That's only 170km in and we need around 300km per day! This puts you at Dingwall ~9 hours later which is well past closing time for any hostels! Dingwall (town) has a hostel but its an independent hostel so will not be like SYHA and not open 24/7.
So faced with arriving around 2am in Dingwall, I thought about just continuing on from Dingwall. Dingwall has the usual curry/kebab/chippies so we'll fuel up when we can (carrying food is efficient so long as you eat everything before you arrive at the next food stop). So we plan to carry on through the night from Dingwall. Dingwall to Durness is 150km. This puts us at the convenience shop when it is open again (9 hours ahead ~11am) and possibly the hotel/pub will be open for hot. Refuel at Durness and we have 100km to Trantlebeg. That's (170km [Broadford]+150km [Dingwall]+150km [Durness]+100km [Trantlebeg]=570km - ~100km ahead of Carhiax!!) We'll be knackered but with the sun up, hopefully coffee/caffine tablets (slapping each other to stay awake!!) will allow us to get to Trantlebeg where we won't care which bed we collapse into.
Betty hill (65km from Durness) offers food at the hotel, and I plan to call ahead to see what time the chief is on shift! Carrying food from Durness to Trantlebeg and beyond is our plan. ~5 hours sleep should stop the dozys and we can leave Trantlebeg into the night. This has pros and cons. Con is slower during the night, but has the pro, less traffic on the
**** A9 !!! ****
That's right, last year we rode the Nat400 from Dingwall and rode the A9 through the night to Lairg. We have food opportunities at Helmsdale and Brora and hope to leave in time to get to Helmsdale before the shops/chippies close. The A9 is a good surface and fast and has towns along the road to Lairg, all be it, at night.
Note Helmsdale is down hill from Kildonan Lodge where as if you cut the corner off its a climb on a pothole gravelly tarmac surface!
Lairg is ~96km from Trantlebeg and puts us there around ~4am. Continue on across to Lochinver and we could be there at 9am Wednesday ready for food shops to open.
The route to Broadford is ~260km. That's 15 hours ahead, arriving around midnight. Kyle of Lochalsh has a hostel/hotels. Co op is open until late so we can stock up on food/breakfast. Then get up early and head down to Armadale ready for the 07:15 first ferry to Mallaig. Mallaig to Oban is a shorter day at 220km. we have until 2am Friday morning, loads of time right? Might be able to relax our Armadale ferry time? ;O)
Sorry for the long post, but I wanted to remind myself about it.
Dave C
