I kind of cashed in on this on my week touring around the highlands bagging various ace trails, but my spring riding ended rather disastrously with a crash and a broken collarbone. Cue six frustrating weeks sat in the house watching the sun beat down outside. At least I was able to use the turbo trainer to keep my fitness going. Come July when I was getting back out again the weather inevitably broke. But August saw it picking up again and I'd got some time off to do some easy bikepacking.
After much deliberation I felt that the Orkneys would be the ticket. I've been four times on a motorbike and each time experienced generally good weather. I'd eyed up various beaches on the islands on the OS and following on from our successful fat bike tour of the Western Isles in 2012 I knew the Orkneys would be good.
Specifically Sanday, one of the northern most of the islands and as the name suggests containing much sand. In view of my still sore and weak shoulder I decided to use hostels and bag the beaches and shorelines on day trips. Digs were booked and one leisurely Saturday morning I cruised up the A9 to Thurso. I'd left super early to miss the traffic so it was an easy drive arriving in plenty of time to get the ship from Scrabster to Stromness.
The beast loaded up and ready to go
This must be one of the UK's top ferry journeys as you pass the Old Man of Hoy - famous and much climbed rock stack next to the island of the same name. From Stromness to Kirkwall was all on road but there was no traffic and the fatbike rumbled happily away underneath me, my pace easy given the time I had. A large raincloud was overhead and passing slowly across my path. I caught the tale end of it but sheltered in a Pub in Kirkwall during the worst of it. By the time I headed for the Sanday Ferry the cloud was breaking and the sky clearing.
Ferry journeys around the Orkneys are nearly as pleasant as the main crossing from Scotland. They can be pretty wild as well - on my first visit the boat was rolling through a 30 degree arc which was somewhat alarming until you realise that the skippers are all ex fishing boat pilots so used to far far worse. On this evening the crossing was flat calm. Arriving at Sanday just after 5 felt like I'd entered another world. Once the small amount of ferry traffic and the bus had dispersed I had the place to myself. I stuck to the blacktop as I was saving the fun for tomorrow but I got tantalising glimpses of vast beaches on the ride to Ayre and the hostel.
The evening was spent chilling in the hostel, me being the only occupant despite it being a Saturday during the school holidays, wandering up the nearby beach and checking out the sunset.
The next morning was rather damp and grey but the sky was starting to clear as I headed away from the hostel in search of the beach. This was at Roos Wick and rather shingly. I had no particular plan other than to ride as much of the coastline as I could. I picked my way north east doing bits of beach, bits of the machair and bits of path or track behind the dunes. Various rocky bits added interest, the sky was clearing and my shoulder was behaving. I kept to the shore round Whitemill point and back down the peninsular all on the beach. This is ultimate fat biking - no path to follow, just pick a line through the rocks and rock, the big tyres rolling over everything in their path.
Seaweed bog...
A bit of road riding took me through the village of Lady and out through the dunes to the Bay of Newark.
By chance I'd got the tides right and the sea was receding as I cruised along the flat sand. Past Newark Farm there were two rock areas which I got through clean, continuing my ever expanding discovery of what a fat bike can do. Then more easy beach past a spooky wreck of a German battleship from the first world war, one of many such wrecks around the islands.
Looking north I could see the flat island of North Ronaldsay, the northerly most of the Orkneys, looking like it was barely above sea level.
I reversed my route for a section and did some more road riding to head for Quyoness, one of many neolithic sites around the islands. This particular one was the remains of tomb. These oversized graveyards litter the Highlands of Scotland and the various islands and pre-date the pyramids.
A quick route reversal got me back onto the main road (not that main) and down to Kettletoft, the main village on the island - also not that main but possessing a pub. I then sat out in the now sunny afternoon drinking beer and reflecting on a fine days riding. Afterwards I had a wander up and down one last beach before heading back to the hostel for tea.
The next morning was bright and sunny so I left early and picked up one more section of beach on the way back to the ferry terminal. The journey back to the Mainland was also flat calm. A biggish cloud was wandering in from the south but barely watered me as I pedalled out of Kirkwall down to Scapa before the sun came back out.
Scapa Beach and Scapa flow - a vast circle of sea surrounded by islands. Nowadays used as a parking area by oil tankers serving the flotta refinery but underneath is the resting place of numerous German and British warships from both wars.
On the way up to Westray
4pm saw me back on a ferry to Westray. This is the island I've stayed on on my previous visits and is a belter. A well stocked shop (absent on Sanday oddly), a good pub / hotel, plenty of beaches, some big cliffs and puffins! After another easy crossing and another leisurely pedal up the road from the ferry terminal to Pierwall, I checked into another empty hostel and headed for the pub. The Pierwall hotel serves whatever comes off the fishing boats and its bloody good. I had a fine feed and several Orkeny Ales before staggering back to the hostel for bed.
Tuesday was to be another fat bike exploration day. I headed straight for the beach north of Pierwall and made may way along it until the land started rising away from the shoreline and I picked up the road to the northern tip of the island. This goes to gravel for the last bit and finishes at a lighthouse. On a previous occasion several of us stood on the cliffs nearby and watched a basking shark swimming around in the seas some 200 feet below us. Today there were no sharks but lots of sea birds and lots of sea. Sitting watching a flat horizon of endless waves has got to be one of the most relaxing things to do, particularly if there is no one there but you. Beach holidays in Spain? You can stuff'em!
From the Lighthouse the plan was to follow a marked path down the west coast to Bis Geos. This turned out to be a cracker - dry and smooth with a fair few up and downs and lots of big cliffs. Oh and birds, thousands of birds.
We'd fished off this vast rock amphitheater on previous visits. I can't think of anywhere else quite like it so wasted plenty of time riding around.
Beyond Bis geos the coast path looked more fenced in and covered in stiles so I headed up a path back to the road and past what used to be an ace hostel but is now just holiday lets. Good spot though.
Hmm, it was still early, what to do? Ride more beach of course. I headed north east past Rackwick and then on a whim turned onto a stony shore and decided to see how far I could go. Lots of rock, rocks and sand - it was ace.
Eventually after the Bay of Skail the going got progressively harder until eventually I ran out of shore. Wonder whats behind the shore? Peeps over grassy bank, Oh its an airfield....
A quick scout about revealed precisely no-one so I hopped up with the bike and pedaled across the nice mown grass of one of the landing strips to the 'terminal.' Basically a brick hut with (fortunately) no-one in. The service from Inverness to here is somewhat infrequent so it had been a good risk. I took a quick pedal up to Bow head but the shore was all low cliffs so turned back and returned to base to sit in the afternoon sun reading and drinking tea.
The next morning I had plenty of time for the boat so aimed for a further section of beach round the Bay of Tuquoy. This was easy going until it ran out and I picked up the marked path which was rather narrow and overgrown with nettles so a certain amount of grimacing followed. I rejoined a track then the road and then headed for another previously visited spot - Castle Burian. This is puffin central and I was hoping for some close ups of these fabulous birds.
This place is a Geologists paradise.
A puffin
Another one
In flight!
At last I had to leave for the boat back to Kirkwall. It had been cloudy again and even a bit drizzly but the sun had made a reappearance for the easy run down the Westray firth past Sanday.
I rode straight through Kirkwall as I was staying in Stromness that night. The bunkhouse was full so I'd splashed out on a hotel (with a pub of course). I also had to bag a few neolithic features too of course.
The Stones of Stenness. One of several such standing stones, the purpose of which is unknown. I have my own theory - they built it because they could.
I had a pleasant evening in Stromness, catching up with a couple I'd known in Stirling Orchestra who had moved out here to work and live the previous year. By chance I'd bumped into them in Kirkwall the other day so it was good to socialise. Oh and eat fine food and drink fine ales.
Thursday was my last day of riding proper and my goal was Hoy. There were several other bikes on the wee ferry from Stromness to Moaness on Hoy but none had tyres as wide as mine! I've grown use to peoples comments when they they see the fatty but this was the first time I'd been in a place with so many people in close proximity. I don't like being the centre of attention so stood near the back of the boat checking out the view.
My destination - the hills above St. Johns Head
I was off as soon as we docked, up the road a ways and then straight up the hillside, a hard push heading for the summit of Cuilags and thence St. Johns Head.
Hard but in the sun!
Summit of Cuilags at 433m the second highest point on the Orkneys. Looking north to Mainland and Westray.
Across the top was a mix of stones, heather and tussocks but all well within the fat bike's capabilties. I finally reached the trig point of Sui Fea just above St Johns head. In front of me the land dipped away and then stopped abruptly.....
Summit of Sui Fea
I followed a rough path down to the cliff tops. These cliffs are the highest sea cliffs in the British Isles at just over 1000 feet. Standing as close to the edge as I dared I peered down. It's a long way and difficult to judge the scale. A dot in the sea off shore revealed itself as quite a large fishing boat some way away from the cliff foot.
Long way down.....
I ate lunch then headed south on a narrow stony path just back from the cliff edge. This was hairy. I'm not particularly bothered by heights but this yawning abyss just to my right seriously unnerved me. Between me and it was quite a steep slope. Often the path was quite technical and it was hard to focus on it rather than the drop.
Finally it moved away from The Edge and descended in fine style, the Old Man just ahead.
I sat and viewed this impressive rock stack, a number of other people around me, they having walked in from Rackwick. I then rode out on this excellent path with another beach in sight. After checking out an ace bothy, vowing to return for a bivvy at some point, I headed down to the beach and rode along to the far end to spend some quality time in this fine place.
A while later a family appeared. In true British style they walked the length of this deserted beach and then settled down for their picnic 10 yards away from my spot. I packed up and left and cruised back along the beach. From Rackwick there is another great trail back over towards Moaness. It was along here I had my first crash since the collarbone incident so it was good to hit the deck without any sickening pain. Back to situation normal.....
I was too early for the ferry so spent some time riding the beaches nearby before the ride back to Stromness. Another evening in the pub followed (alone with my book and thoughts this time) and then my last night on the islands.
Friday early am saw me up sharp and down to the terminal. I got on board and immediately got myself a large cooked breakfast. The sailing back was flat calm again with amazing views of where I'd been the day before.
Its hard to judge scale - the ferry is actually about a mile off shore. The top of the vertical crack is where I'd eaten lunch the previous day.After rescuing my car I headed west along the north coast road. My destination was actually Aviemore and my friends place but I wanted to bag another Fat bike mecca which is the dunes of Durness. The drive east was a hoot. I rarely take pleasure in such things but the road was empty with many bends. Torrential rain came it at one point - I passed a couple of German cycle tourists in the inevitable capes battling the strong westerleys and I couldn't help but feel thoroughly smug having had such amazing weather in the Orkneys. I parked up in Durness and headed out to the dunes....
The beach was quite steep
Fooled you - more crazy geology
The Durness Dune Sea
The drive south via Ullapool was also a hoot on empty roads reaching Aviemore at 8. There followed a couple of days of great riding around the many trails of Aviemore then a journey home via Ballater so I could bag a trail I'd been meaning to do for ages, Glen Gairn
This is an Awesome trail, I'll be back!
