This was to be a very straightforward day; simply get out to the Lighthouse at Rubha Reidh and then get back to Gairloch. As there is no public transport out to Rubha Reidh, I needed to make use of my bicycle again. The forecast for the wind direction had not changed, except that it had become increasingly stronger and colder. As the wind was coming from the south-east I decided to cycle out to the Lighthouse.
I started out from the B&B at 8:50, just as it was getting light. The wind had increased overnight and it was bitterly cold. The strong tail wind certainly helped with the speed of my progress and enabled me to cycle up slopes that I would normally have to push the bike up! After passing through Melvaig I joined the private road out to the lighthouse. Recently the owners of the lighthouse had taken active measures to prevent people driving along the road. When I travelled along the road I could see no evidence of obstructions or unwelcoming signage. In fact there was a visitor car park 300m from the lighthouse signed and erected by Inverasdale Estate, Melvaig Crofters and Gairloch Community Council. The road was very well maintained with an excellent surface and recently installed culverts and bridges. I spoke to some locals about the road and the main issue seems to have been the number of camper vans using the road and causing problems.
I reached the lighthouse and immediately turned around and headed back to Gairloch pushing my bicycle. I had excellent views out towards the Western Isles which seemed very close. The tip of the peninsula out at Rubha Reidh sits well out into The Minch, with northern Skye now to the South. The wind was biting as I headed back into the strong head-wind. After 3 miles I was back at Melvaig and on the public road. I quickly passed into the adjacent settlement of Aultgrishan. The road passed over open moor before coming to the scattered settlement of North Erradale.
By the time I reached Big Sand, time was moving on and I was already beginning to lose the light. I arrived back in Gairloch and went into the McColls shop to buy something for me and Bob’s supper. On my way back to the B&B I noticed a small shack housing the Two Lochs Radio studio. Anyway, I immediately had visions of Gregor Fisher inside transmitting his OHBC (Outer Hebrides Broadcasting Corporation show):-
oidhche mhath
Not a big day, but progressing long distances at this time of the year is difficult.
NB: I also publish all my Scottish Blog entries on the excellent Scottish Hills website, I use the same narrative, but larger photos and a few extra ones. They can be found here:
http://www.scottishhills.com/html/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=24434
Distance today = 13 miles
Total distance = 4,485 miles
Walking the Coast of Great Britain 
Well done for getting some more walks done during the cold and dark winter months! Looks like another beautiful walk. I remember when I walked around the Isles of Scilly there was some competiton between the islands radio station (Radio Scilly) and Two Lochs Radio over which was smaller (both claimed they were!).
Regarding the Lighthouse and campervans I can see both sides of the argument really. I have noticed during the summer months in the Highlands you will find camper vans and motorhomes parked everywhere at night (filling up many car parks, also in passing places, on grass verges and so on). But on the flip side I know from my own experience there is so little accommodation and high demand meaning most accommodation gets fully booked months in advance so there is little alternative.
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I did this walk by starting from Poolewe and walking up the road to Midtown. Then I turned left on the road to Inversasdale and then followed the “path” from there to the beach at Camas Mor (which is stunning). The path was hard, mostly seemed to be a stream! Quite rocky and also many boggy areas and quite hard to find in the various areas of woodlands. I often lost the path but then ended up finding it again a bit later. Then from Camas Mor I walked to the lighthouse at Rubha Reidh and then followed the road south from there back to Gairloch, a long walk. I managed to time my arrival, as I’d hoped, to be in time for the once per day bus back to Poolewe.
Then on another day, to close the gap, I walked from Midtown, where I had left the road before to the end of the road on the east side of this peninsula and then made my way west along the rough ground along the coast to the end of the path at Sgeir Mhor, then followed this back to Loch an Draing and then followed the same path I had used before back to Midtown.
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