Barra to Butt
Posted: Thursday, 22 June 2006 |
Last year, I realised the tourist season had started when I met the first cyclist coming up the A859 at Airidh a'Bhruaich, heading north. It's an annual ritual - the Barra to Butt trek. It starts in early spring, and goes on until winter commences. The steady stream of hardy (or not so hardy) walkers, cyclists and users of motorised transport who do Castlebay to Ness in a couple of days. I admire them.
Most of them, as the heading of this entry indicates, head south to north. Unfortunately, during the time that I've been in Lewis (19 months), the prevailing wind appears to have been northeasterly. Although the law of averages dictates the opposite direction, our climate has decided to be contrary in 2005 and 2006. The other problem is the copious amounts of precipitation that can fall in these parts. I won't easily forget the group of Aberdeenshire pedallers who came to a Stornoway establishment, water oozing out of their biking shoes - only to realise that their dry clothing was still in the support vehicle, which had gone off. They had cycled 55 miles that day, from Gearrannan up to the Butt, then back down to Stornoway.
A lot of folk cross the Minch from Uig (Skye) to Tarbert, and merrily ride up the A859, until they round the corner at Ardhasaig - to be confronted by the Harris mountains. Now, the road does not go all the way to the summit of the Clisham (799 m), but it still reaches a respectable 190 m above sealevel, and sealevel is only a few miles away. I believe the incline near the quarry is not far off 1:4. Coming down the other side is equally steep, and whenever I tackle the route on the W10 servicebus, there is always this herd of sheep above Scaladale who are determined to soak up the warmth from the tarmac by lying on it. The other tricky bit is the 5 mile run up from Balallan to Laxay, which is a continual climb.
Good luck to anyone yet to enter on that challenge - don't forget to admire the scenery, but please avoid riding into it.
Most of them, as the heading of this entry indicates, head south to north. Unfortunately, during the time that I've been in Lewis (19 months), the prevailing wind appears to have been northeasterly. Although the law of averages dictates the opposite direction, our climate has decided to be contrary in 2005 and 2006. The other problem is the copious amounts of precipitation that can fall in these parts. I won't easily forget the group of Aberdeenshire pedallers who came to a Stornoway establishment, water oozing out of their biking shoes - only to realise that their dry clothing was still in the support vehicle, which had gone off. They had cycled 55 miles that day, from Gearrannan up to the Butt, then back down to Stornoway.
A lot of folk cross the Minch from Uig (Skye) to Tarbert, and merrily ride up the A859, until they round the corner at Ardhasaig - to be confronted by the Harris mountains. Now, the road does not go all the way to the summit of the Clisham (799 m), but it still reaches a respectable 190 m above sealevel, and sealevel is only a few miles away. I believe the incline near the quarry is not far off 1:4. Coming down the other side is equally steep, and whenever I tackle the route on the W10 servicebus, there is always this herd of sheep above Scaladale who are determined to soak up the warmth from the tarmac by lying on it. The other tricky bit is the 5 mile run up from Balallan to Laxay, which is a continual climb.
Good luck to anyone yet to enter on that challenge - don't forget to admire the scenery, but please avoid riding into it.
Posted on Arnish Lighthouse at 12:59
I have been in Lewis since late 2004 and am observing life on this fascinating island from an outsider's perspective. I look out at the lighthouse every day - as it looks out over the island and the sea. 
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