Last year, before the urge to write a travelogue, I cycled twice from Dumfries as far as Skye and found it especially enjoyable seeing Ardnamurchan for the first time. Also, replacing calories and rehydrating are satisfying when touring and in my opinion the variety and quality of food and drink on sale in the highlands is higher than ever.

Part of the impression left by eateries is the atmosphere created by staff. Memorable for me was, during an inspection of stones at The Treasure Hut in Market Square, Broadford, the voice of Salvatori through a megaphone from The Market Kitchen, “Norman, your coffee awaits you.” The Market Kitchen will feature in Broadford visits.

This is a self-log of Norman Morrison’s cycling tours, currently with a tent for accommodation throughout. This first lap is from Dumfries (with recent photo of the bandstand in Dock Park) to Broadford and back to Dumfries over 18 days from Wed 19th April.

Reasons for this route include why I retired to Dumfries rather than to the Isle of Skye where both my Mum* (Isabel/Isabella Campbell)  and Dad* (Malcolm/Calum) were brought up, resulting in visits there to the bulk of my relatives. We visited for example Mum’s sisters Morag, Flora and Ola and Dad’s sisters May and Effie and eight of my eleven cousins are still alive in widely varying states of health.

Apart from briefly reviewing businesses (campsites, cafes, restaurants, shops, CalMac ferries) and discussing interactions with fellow travellers, there will be sections on advice for bicycles for touring, places to visit that are not overused, camping including wild camping, health and fitness. I will be experimenting and reporting back on attempts to broaden the touring experience by, say, adapting the bike and touring when the temperature drops.