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13/07/2025

Sunday 13th July 2025 - Back to the Day Job!

Well today, after being away on my travels, was back to the day job, hosting our Sunday Social. X11 today, and nice to welcome Emma and Jamie as newbies. Hopefully we won’t scare you away.

The bread and butter of the Weegie Wheelers, Kilmacolm, out through Paisley and the cycle path. Nice to see Gillian back out with us, and presented us with a puncture before we started !

38 miles, back via the golf course, a good day had by all.

11/07/2025

My Mum ..

11/07/2025

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvGe8vmLozU 3 weeks later with internet i can experience becky's latest ... video here.

Join me for three days backpacking through the Grand Canyon, as I hike from rim to rim to reach the finish of the Arizona Trail - full film for that video co...

10/07/2025

Thursday 10th July 2025 - Lerwick

Well today was the last day of this magnificent 2 week trip. We were staying at Braewick last night on the north west of the Shetland mainland and with the ferry to Aberdeen at 730pm, I decided to cycle it.

It was the main road, A970, and was pretty straight forward, a few ups and downs but nothing difficult. And guess, had a headwind for all 40 miles. 🤨. Just a fact of life up here.

Route here - https://strava.app.link/MGInRHOzTUb

Pam and Sandy went and did some exploring around Lerwick, and I scooted about on the 🚴‍♂️ until it was time to check in for the ferry.

At time of typing we were away on time , only 12 hours to Aberdeen.

It’s been a fantastic tour, the best yet with great company. Will definitely be back.

So stats. On Shetland, cycled 197 miles, climbing, 14,000ft.

Combined total 447 miles and 26,800ft of climbing. From the bottom of Orkney to the top of Shetland, I salute you. A special thanks to Pam and Sandy for the opportunity and memories to cherish. !

09/07/2025

Wednesday 9th July 2025 - Heading West on Shetland

We are coming to the end of this fantastic trip, and our time on Shetland. For the last park up/ camp we headed west to a Braewick.

Braewick is a settlement on the west Mainland of Shetland, Scotland. Braewick is on the western shore of Aith Voe and 1.2 mi (2 km) north of Aith itself. Pam & Sandy went in van - I cycled solo.

Komoot gave me a straight forward route, around 30 miles. Left Yell around 11, and it was a constant headwind on open roads until Brae.

Stopped at Marvis Grind -

Mavis Grind (Old Norse: Mæfeiðs grindor Mæveiðs grind, meaning “gate of the narrow isthmus”) is a narrow isthmusjoining the Northmavine peninsula to the rest of the island of Mainland in the Shetland Islands, Scotland. It is just over 90 metres (295 ft) at its narrowest point.

Mavis Grind, looking south, with an inlet of St Magnus Bay at right and Sullom Voe to the left
Mavis Grind carries the main A970 roadto Hillswick in the northwest of Shetland and is about two miles (3.2 km) west of the settlement of Brae. It is said to be the only place in the UK where you can toss a stone across land from the North Sea to the Atlantic Ocean. To the west of the isthmus is St Magnus Bay of the Atlantic and to the east is Sullom Voe, an arm of the North Sea.

Back in the day fishermen used to drag their boats across this to save going round top of mainland !

A bit of lunch and onwards west onto new roads. Near Braewick, the mist and drizzle was coming in but finally here. Place very quiet.

Mora night we get the ferry to Aberdeen. Last ride on Shetland is from here back to Lerwick and it’s all over booooo.

Sunday - Weegie Wheeler Reunion. Bells Bridge 10am.

Today’s route - https://strava.app.link/xHP384ZNRUb

And a big happy birthday to Pam today.

09/07/2025

08/07/2025

Tuesday 8th of July 2025 - Isle of Unst

Today we ventured off Yell, to cross to the northern isle of Unst. Unst (/ˈʌnst/; Norn: Ønst) is one of the North Isles of the Shetland Islands, Scotland. It is the northernmost of the inhabited British Isles and is the third-largest island in Shetland after Mainlandand Yell. It has an area of 46 sq mi (120 km2).

Weirdly we were not charged for the ferry. Neither was any car just turning up, out lucky day ? - ferry only takes around 10 minutes and boom another isle. Komoot calculated it was around 15 miles to the top. There is 1 main road that serves the island with some off shoots. Leaving ferry terminal the sun was shining and there was a slight head wind but nothing like we had experienced.

Unst turned out to be quite tame, no mad hills but there was 1 turning near top. More on that on a minute.

There is a week long festival on the isle this week, so guy at ferry said they had been more busy than usual. We worked out way up to the top quite quickly, saw a radar station and was tempted to climb up, but time was short. A quick visit also to the space port in development:)

The top of Unst (by road) is at Skaw - a beach and the official start/end of the NCR1. Not often you can say you are at the very top of the UK. To get there was a 22% hill climb. (Walked that bit!).

Sadly the tea room on Haroldswick was shut, so back we went towards the ferry terminal, getting 1645pm back.

A lovely day, lots of Viking evidence on Unst.

30 miles / 2000ft route here - https://strava.app.link/Ecdjig0mQUb

08/07/2025

No every day you get to the most Northerly part of the NCR1. … About as far North you can go in the UK. Ironically on this very day 7 years ago I was at Land’s End.

07/07/2025

Monday 7th July 2025 - Let’s have a Yell about the Wind !

So today the adventure went off the mainland onto the Isle of Yell, for the next couple of nights.

Yell is one of the North Isles of Shetland, Scotland. In the 2011 census it had a usually resident population of 966. It is the second largest island in Shetland after the Mainland with an area of 82 square miles (212 km2),[3][6] and is the third most populous in the archipelago (fifteenth out of the islands in Scotland), after the Mainland and Whalsay.[3]

We got the 1130am ferry over from Toft, which only took 15 mins and made our way up to the camp site at Buravore. This is an excellent wee place £10 a night for a tent or £20 for a camper.

Today’s plan was to loop yell with an extension up to the end of the road in the north. We set off and as usual into a stiff headwind that would not relent. Plus 20 mph. A short stop in Alwick at the large store for some snacks then onward. At 10 miles, average speed was 9.8mph, so gives you an idea of the wind.

Pam decided, correctly to do the south loop, and we parted company as heed the baw (me), was stubborn and wanted to do the full plan. So I continued on main drag, up and down with a strengthening head wind. It was actually becoming irritating when your having to pedal down hill !

I passed the ferry terminal for Unst where we go mora and thought, I’ve came this far. Just get on. That far north was quite dull and barren until I reached Cullivoe. Place had a shop so stopped for a bit to eat with views of rugged Unst, and eventually got to the top.

The sun had made an appearance and so did a HO**ER of an actual tailwind. ! , you heard me a tailwind for 20 miles. I enjoyed the rolling hills and descents, hitting 40mph watching the beautiful west coastline.

Eventually made it back to camp at 730pm, and a hearty dinner.

So apart from a yell about the headwinds, it was a good day. Meaty. 49.5m and nearly 4000ft climbing. Route here - https://strava.app.link/kXfgvRKsPUb

Mora. Unst 🥴🚴‍♂️🚴‍♀️

07/07/2025

After yesterday’s great 37m/3100ft. Yell was very testing with a constant 25mph headwind for half of it. The tail wind hame made up for it 🙈🚴‍♂️🤨🫣🚴‍♀️

06/07/2025

Sunday 6th July 2025

Today we were up sharp for first proper cycle on Shetland. We were heading for Brae an overnight before going on to Yell on Monday morning.

I plotted a route on Komoot from Skeld, at 37 miles and saying 2100ft. Aye right. …

We set off heading out of Skeld, breezy but Sunny. 1st port of call was the Village of Walls for Pam and Sandy’s Surname fix lol. Nice wee shop there to get some snacks.

What I had discovered was to try and stay off the main drag (A970), and the side roads did not disappoint. Rolling hills were theme of the day, up up up, some were 14-17% in places with stunning drop backs and views.

We were on search for ‘Twatt’ and found a sign for a chuckle and laugh. We stopped at the ‘The Cake Fridge & Tea Room’ for a well deserved slab of chocolate cake and coffee. Then the climbing started again as we were heading for Brae.

Today wasn’t about speed or distance, just the views and scenery with a strong head wind.

We got to Brae around 530pm, to our digs tonight and dinner was a nice Sausage Supper from local chippy.

Today’s photos don’t do it justice, defo in my top 10 for rides in the UK. Breathtaking.

So today 37miles, 3200ft, Route here -

https://strava.app.link/jeMwnJRsPUb

mora we leave mainland bound for Yell and Unst. Another fantastic day, with the weather behaving its self finally despite the headwind. 🤪😂🚴‍♂️🚴‍♂️💪🏻