James wasn't up for the full journey to the Butt of Lewis and back down to Stornoway but decided to ride with me up to the junction at Barvas and then head down to find accomodation for the night.
We cycled up with no real wind again through Shawbost where we failed to spot the campsite marked on the map, Bragar and Arnol with little to see but houses, ocean and peat.
As James continued on to Stornoway I realised I wasn't far off being out of energy too, Jane at the Blue Pig had suggested places to leave my bags but I realised that the extra weight of the bags was making it easier for me to keep going. I stopped in at the Morven Gallery for cake and looked around the paintings, I put what loose change I had into the Linda Norgrove Foundation's collection plate unfortunately I could only scrape up a few coppers.
I stopped a few times for a rest and drink as the week of cycling was now really taking its toll on my energy levels, a couple of times I spotted items of interest such as a bus shelter with 4 places to hide from the wind, only one of them within sight of the road!
And in South Dail I heard the crunch of 2 cars colliding, I stopped and looked back, it was minor so I took the rest and then continued on, while out cycling you sometimes pass kids with little better to do than amuse you, such as once in Burntisland some girls who started doing Starjumps in a bus shelter as I passed; in this case the local kids in Cros decided to wave, I was to knackered to do much more than smile and lift my hand from the bars.
At Lionel I turned up towards the Butt of Lewis, through Eoropie where I stopped due to spotting a model lighthouse and crazy golf!
When I reached the Butt of Lewis lighthouse I took a long break, and while I was there a German registered car parked up, and out popped 2 men and an Alpe Horn which one of them started playing, it turned out he had chosen various locations around Scotland to play the Alp Horn, if only I had been at Leverburgh that morning I would have heard him play it with what his friend said was one of the most amazing echoes they'd heard.
I set off back but this time I took the other road at Eoropie straight down to the Port of Ness for another rest and spent almost all the money I had left on a can of coke. I also received a message from james saying he had got us a bunk room at the Laxdale holiday park, perfect.
I made decent progress on the way back with a mild breeze behind me, although I did stop to take a couple of pictures, and for a rest next to some Peat cuttings on the Barvas - Stornoway road before finally rolling into Laxdale.
When I found James he had already had his tea as it was getting late, so I sorted my stuff out and headed into town on foot and had a look around and watched the ferry arrive on its last journey of the day.
On the way back I bumped into James and someone who was also in our bunkroom heading to the pub, I was just too knackered so headed back and went to sleep.
GPS Tracks:
Carloway to Butt of Lewis
http://ridewithgps.com/trips/347795
Butt of Lewis to Laxdale
http://ridewithgps.com/trips/347792
Photos:
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