Broadford to Fort William

Horrendous weather in Broadford together with a worse forecast for the area tomorrow caused a change of plan, with the aim of getting as far south as possible against the wind. Even in the short time required to dismantle and pack the MSR tent it became soaking wet and the base needed drying with a cloth here at Highland Holidays.

A stop for coffee at the Torabhaig Distillery cafe during a spell of heavy rain eased the task of reaching the Armadale to Mallaig ferry, luckily just in time. The Bakehouse Cafe about five minutes walk from the Mallaig terminal was new to me but perfect for enjoyable fuelling for a long cycle.

Arrival time at the Lochailort Inn was OK for coffee but not for a meal. The inn has had luck at last in recruiting staff. Perhaps they have made their own luck by the work put into living quarters for their new recruits. Afterwards, the main road to Fort William was a quicker and less hilly route for moving south and the traffic was probably lighter than it would be on a better day for holidaymakers.

Today’s distance was about 60 miles and my guess for active calories would have been more than the 1200 given on the Garmin watch. There may have been inadvertent clicks on buttons today while adjusting clothing to meet the rapidly varying weather conditions. Ascent was greater than 2700 feet.