Scotland : Argyll, Isles & Loch Lomond Chat for CC Ecosse Islay Cycle Tour 2014

[Fubar]

Final payment has been made in full and those lovely folks at SYHA even offset @Brandane 's deposit against the final total so I can refund him.

6 weeks to go, Islay here we come!!!

 

[Brandane]

Final payment has been made in full and those lovely folks at SYHA even offset @Brandane 's deposit against the final total so I can refund him.

6 weeks to go, Islay here we come!!!

It wasn't very much IIRC.. Just give it to a charity of your choice.

 

[Fubar]

It wasn't very much IIRC.. Just give it to a charity of your choice.

Very kind, I'll pass it onto Maggie's Centre at the Western General.

 

[Fubar]

5 weeks to go , what are folks thinking about food while we are out there? i.e. are you the eating-out kind-of person or the make-the-most-of-the-facilities kind-of person??

As far as I can make out there are cooking facilities at all the hostels, though sourcing ingredients might be difficult so we may need to carry stuff - or do we just decamp to the nearest chippy and stuff our faces...

Thoughts???

 

[Edwardoka]

5 weeks to go , what are folks thinking about food while we are out there? i.e. are you the eating-out kind-of person or the make-the-most-of-the-facilities kind-of person??

As far as I can make out there are cooking facilities at all the hostels, though sourcing ingredients might be difficult so we may need to carry stuff - or do we just decamp to the nearest chippy and stuff our faces...

Thoughts???

- There are no shops or chippies in Lochranza. The closest Lochranza has to a shop is the distillery cafe. There might be hotels in Lochranza that do pub grub but I'm not sure. The Catacol Bay Hotel 2 miles down the road does.
- There is nothing at all between Claonaig and Tarbert
- Tarbert has a reasonable selection of eateries and a few places to restock
- No idea about the islands as I've never been on either of them. Might be the odd Co-op/Spar
- Portavadie Marina has a nice (but expensive) restaurant but no shops
- There is nothing between Portavadie and Tignabruiach
- Tighnabruiach has a mix of shops and restaurants
- There's nowhere to resupply between Tighnabruiach and Port Bannatyne

So I guess that we'll need to be carrying lots of food in any case

 

[Edwardoka]

- Portavadie Marina has a nice (but expensive) restaurant but no shops
- There is nothing between Portavadie and Tignabruiach
- Tighnabruiach has a mix of shops and restaurants
- There's nowhere to resupply between Tighnabruiach and Port Bannatyne

While that's all well and good the route appears to have changed to double back via Arran... I should pay more attention before commenting

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Carry food you say?
I'll have to bring my trailer then, with the amount I eat

 

[Telemark]

- There are no shops or chippies in Lochranza. The closest Lochranza has to a shop is the distillery cafe. There might be hotels in Lochranza that do pub grub but I'm not sure. The Catacol Bay Hotel 2 miles down the road does.
- There is nothing at all between Claonaig and Tarbert
- Tarbert has a reasonable selection of eateries and a few places to restock
- No idea about the islands as I've never been on either of them. Might be the odd Co-op/Spar
- Portavadie Marina has a nice (but expensive) restaurant but no shops
- There is nothing between Portavadie and Tignabruiach
- Tighnabruiach has a mix of shops and restaurants
- There's nowhere to resupply between Tighnabruiach and Port Bannatyne

So I guess that we'll need to be carrying lots of food in any case

There is (or at least used to be) a tiny shop at the campsite just to the east of Lochranza (near the distillery), for basics.
From memory, the hostel at Lochranza does offer dinner (prebooking required?), and also a stock of food basics you can buy (best to check rather than just believe what I say )
Claonaig to Tarbert is not very far, so should be fine without a food stop, even for CC Ecosse's finest food guzzlers.

If I can get away from work early enough on the Friday, I'd be heading from Brodick straight to Lochranza over the big hill, and could bring a stock of cake and other essentials to order, as I wouldn't be carrying much other luggage ... but won't be able to commit until much closer to departure...

There definitely are a few shops and eateries on Islay, where you are spending a couple of nights, so no need to cart food for the whole trip

T

 

[Louch]

Lochranza now has a sandwich shop. Not sure on opening hours, but seen it when last over. It's just before the harbour on the right

 

[Fubar]

Sooo, if we can take enough for the first night we should be ok once we get to Islay (I'll look at eateries and shops properly when I get some spare time) - any suggestions what we could make on night one that will feed ten people, and any volunteers to cook?!?!?

 

[Pat "5mph"]

I volunteer to cook
Need to dash now, be back with a few suggestions within next couple of days.
You can all give me feedback, then I can modify menu accordingly.

 

[Scoosh]

I volunteer to cook

 

[MikeW-71]

I'll have flapjack supplies and probably some fruit cake too. I'd happily eat out every night, but I can cook too

 

[Fubar]

I volunteer to cook
Need to dash now, be back with a few suggestions within next couple of days.
You can all give me feedback, then I can modify menu accordingly.

I'll have flapjack supplies and probably some fruit cake too. I'd happily eat out every night, but I can cook too

...and I shall happily eat the food you both cook I should have some room in my panniers, if we get an idea and each bring something hopefully we shall eat like kings (and queens)!

 

[Fubar]

For eating out in Port Charlotte on Islay looks like we have a choice of 2:

Port Charlotte Hotel, sample Bar Menu here

Yan's Kitchen (which I must say looks very appealing!) here

Of course we don't all have to do the same thing, and decisions can be chatted over on the ferry, road, in the pub...