LEJOG 34 DURNESS TO MELNESS (near the Kyle of Tongue) 48.4 km 774 m
Excuse me, I am going to The Bog, anyone coming? Really, the big event today was crossing The Moline, or in transliteration “The Bog”, a 15 km peat Bog between Loch Hope Aand Tongue. The only building on The Moline is a ruined two room house that served as both an emergency shelter for those stuck on the Bog in bad weather and home to an 80 year old retired forester, his daughter and five grandkids. Before the first road was built across the Bog on a raft of bundled heather the crossing “took an able person a day of labour”
Other fun bits today, the pub in Melness is closed, two holiday drivers thanked us for wearing bright colours (our CTAWA yellow vests) that they could see well ahead instead of the black that the European cyclists wear, several UK and EU people commented on the stupidity of Brexit, the Cafe operator on Loch Eriboll complained about the pollution from the salmon farms in the Loch and I had a very nice iced lemon sponge cake at that Cafe. Lots of puffin themed crafts around northern Scotland.
Oh, nearly forgot.The sun came out! The wind was a strong southerly so the first tailwind for ages, the rain stopped, and the temperature was around 15C. All very pleasant. And the hills didn’t go over 15%.
Puffins at Loch EribolLoch Eribol (‘Lake horrible’ to the British navy in WWII)John at Loch EribolTongue Moine Ho ‘The Big Bog’ nearly impassable for about 10 milesA cottage built as an emergency halfway point on the Big Bog by the local laird. Three adults and five kids lived in itBritish houses are economical on space; stairs are narrow and steep but it keeps the heating bill down
Loch Eriboll Laird cafe puffin ornamentLoch-Eribol “Loch Horrible” to the British navy in WWII
