I love Tongue

Leaving Melvich in the morning from my camping pod I had to be out by 10:30, I ate some breakfast at the restaurant and got my laptop hooked into their Wi-Fi which I couldn’t do from the pod, I had some emails to respond to, plus I spent time having a long chat with the campsite owners interesting people, this ended up with me in a rush to finish packing before the cleaner needed into the pod, it ended up with me leaving with some of my stuff still damp, it’s a beautiful area that northern coastline it has some awesome beaches with sand dunes, the cycling was outrageous ups and downs, the roads all day seemed to climb up from sea level for ages then level out over empty undulating peat bog to drop dramatically back down to sea level again only for yet another steep cycle back up a hill, betty hill the town and place being a good example of that but amazing views down from the hill top to the beach from the hill top hotel there,

The cycling took ages for such a low distance total, the distance I cycled that day took me three times as long as it would have done on flatter roads in better weather with an unladen bike, it was a hard afternoon’s cycle to tongue, I had stopped plenty for photos which also gives the legs a stretch,

at the approach to the town of tongue which is named after the body of water that comes in from the sea between some mountains in the shape of a tongue, I was told this by two cycle tourists I had stopped to speak to on the road, he was Bulgarian and she was polish they were cycling the NC500 for a charity, they were filming it on a you tube page which I tried to find but can’t, they told me about how the town got its name and were very impressed with how when the tide is in its all water when the s tide is out it’s a huge beach, the tourists like me love a bit of tongue in cheek banter about the place name, you can buy car stickers key rings etc. all with I love tongue on them! I couldn’t think of anyone I would be able to buy some of that tatt for, but I did want a rude photo of myself sticking my tongue at the roads side, it’s a real pest setting up my phone timer for a photo with my wee tripod it’s a joby (another word that raises a giggle with us scots) one of the tripods legs has came of adding to the faff of getting a photo of myself. I was crouched over at the side of the road for ages trying to set up the tripod and timer, a car stopped over the road and a woman came over all concerned, she was wondering if I was okay needing any help, she had thought I had taken a fall or been hit! I was impressed by this lady a true good Samaritan in these covid times, it was very refreshing, restoring my faith in humanity as sometimes I can get to thinking that us humans are a bunch of rats, I smiled and thanked her greatly telling her I was trying to take a photo she laughed because she knew I wasn’t hurt, I said so you could help though would you mind taking my picture? she did yet again this cheered me up that there were nice people out there still,

I cycled up to the Ben Loyal hotel which was another recommendation from Orkney mark, his recommendations for stuff on Orkney were wonderful, they made for a much better time there than would have happened had he not made some of those suggestion’s, he had drawn me up four A4 sheets of things to see and do while in Orkney, most of which I fortunately got to tick off, unfortunately the Ben Loyal was shut, there was a B&B along the street I asked how much to stay there they wanted £85, this is too much on my budget,(which I haven’t actually set yet) I could camp at the hostel, it’s a bit out of town and downhill the hostel/campsite which is where I went, once there I asked at reception down at the braw big waterside site, how much for a hostel room it was £60 or camp for £13 I opted for the room as I could get Wi-Fi also and use of the big downstairs lounge, I opted for the comfort getting some cold beers out of the fridge and ordering dinner before a walk out to the causeway and along the shore

It was a steep cycle up out of the hostel to the road south in the morning, once up at height though, it was a very long slow incredibly scenic decline past loch loyal and another long loch with some good woodlands around, it was joyous cycling through woodland along side lochs and rivers with no wind and gentle rolling roads, I intentionally slowed down trying to live in the moment being grateful at my luck to cycle through this area at this time, very little traffic no midges stunning scenery and if there was a wind it was at my tail, there was a broch a boathouse beeches forests old and new, raptors not much traffic no planes or noise pollution it was glorious, a truly wonderfull experience to cycle through this area at that time

Eventually I reached the village of Altnaharra where there is a hotel with a public bar, the ghillies bar was open yah beauty, I bought myself a draught pint, the timing was good as it rained while I drank that beer, I put on my waterproofs while sheltering in the eaves sitting on a windowsill admiring the garden’s trees and flowers what a pleasant place, it gets most of its trade from salmon fisherman

This is a very remote area as I cycled off, I hadn’t checked maps to see what sort of distance I had left to go. To my destination for the evening the legendary Crask inn, cycling through this area was a pleasure not a worry about distance or arrival time I was enjoying the journey. BUT I was saddened to pass a big wind farm construction site, the construction workers for this site along with the forestry log trucks were the only down points of an otherwise fantastic days cycling

Arriving at the Crask late afternoon with plenty time before dinner was great timing, you are supposed to phone ahead if staying at or dining at the Crask, I had arrived early enough that I could just ask the owner if it was okay for me to pitch my tent and get my supper? it was the same owner and wee bar dug that had been here on my last visit four years previously, on that occasion I stayed here while in the wee bongo (campervan) that journey was taken so I could walk Scotland’s most northern munro ben hope, while in the area it was wise to also do ben Killbreckie which is close to the Crask, this visit was a different agenda to visit the most isolated Inn on the UK mainland, offering accommodation, food and drink to all.

The Crask Inn, is a family-run, fully licenced inn in Sutherland. Its popular with walkers wishing to travel across the nearby hills and Munros; along with fishing groups to fish on the nearby lochs also it’s a popular stop for cyclists taking on the JOGLE route. When I done my LEJOG in 2008 I chose the east coast, there was two young cyclists camping in the gardens near my tent who were on their final push towards Jon-o-Groats early in the morning, they like I was at their age were on a mission to get the length of the country cycle trip done and in the bag. I done mine in ten days! Things are different now I am in no rush a wee daunder doon the road is my mission now

The Inn was donated to the Scottish Episcopal Church by its previous owners, The Crask retains a religious role for local residents and guests with services which are listed on their website, I am unsure of the Inn`s and outs of this set up I believe it’s the only pub owned by a kirk, which I think is something that could catch on! I was a big fan of a Sunday morning worship at church out at kings cross back in the rugby days great place happy times, boozing dancing party games best Sundays at church ever, the Crask is not like that church though! it’s a laid back affair

The wee yappy (to begin with) dug came away from the welcome fire in the bar to greet me and became a wee pal after we introduced ourselves a sniff at my hand and a hello head rub! The owner Douglas, (although I think its actually the church that own it I am unsure of the whole inns and outs of this pun intended) was extremely helpful, it was no problem for me to camp out at the front, I could even sit in his wee summer house if I wanted, he could only serve me alcohol outside but I was welcome for teas and coffees in the warm bar, I ordered a beer and we discussed dinner its normally a set menu you eat what the household family are having,

I said I was dairy free which would be an issue that night as everyone else would be having fish pie, thankfully Douglas could accommodate me I got a bean chilli it was braw, the owners pride themselves that this is a place where strangers become friends, we all sat down for dinner together this bunch of strangers but by the end of dinner we all knew each other’s business, it was a birthday weekend get away for the elderly couple, Jackie and Connor are hill walkers who had stayed here often before, he was walking all the Corbets with only forty to go a fantastic achievement, along with the two young cyclists I’ve forgotten their names, the Crask stayed true to its ethos this occasion like my previous I became friends with people who were previously strangers