Knoydart visit
18 km
Friday 10th June 2011 Visit to Knoydart
We decided to stay in Mallaig for another day so that we could visit Knoydart – the peninsula opposite Mallaig. Although Knoydart it is on the mainland, it is completely cut off from the other roads in Scotland. The only access is by passenger boat from Mallaig. The mountains on the Knoydart peninsula appear very rough and rocky and include three impressive-looking Munros.
Inverie is the only village on Knoydart and there is a short length of narrow road around the end of the peninsula. The ferry boat ‘Western Isles’ belongs to Bruce Watt, the husband of the landlady at the Western Isles B and B. We set off in sunshine with the tandem on board the morning boat leaving Mallaig at 10.15 and arriving in Inverie by about 11.
We chatted on the boat with the three cyclists we had met at Arisaig the day before - they were going to stay in a self catering cottage and go walking up the various Munros.
We took the tandem to Knoydart so that we could explore the peninsula.
Inverie has a tearoom, shop, restaurant and information centre, some accommodation (B and B, self catering and bunk house). The area around the bay at Inverie is verdant and seemingly sheltered, quite a contrast to the big bare mountains behind it.
We rode first down the short road to the east through some very lovely landscape - clearly managed by the locals, passing a small number of white houses. We were delighted by the large clumps of yellow irises on the beach at the end of the road, foxgloves were also plentiful.
We returned via Inverie to follow the road that goes across the end of the peninsula, taking the fork on the right up the hill. We stopped for a picnic before the end, sitting on a cliff with views of Skye and Rhum. If you continue on the road, there is a path down to the shore at Doune where you can get tea and cake if you warn them. This narrow road became a bit rough towards the end, so we left the bike and walked a bit further. On return we had time to take the short road along the shore to the west of Inverie. We had a good coffee in the Tea Room while we sheltered from a brief shower - this Tea Room is one of those welcoming places with books, sofas and excellent home made cakes.
The return boat to Mallaig at 3 pm calls at Tarbert on the North Mar peninsula - this area is cut off from the rest of the peninsula of Mallaig by Loch Morar. People walk from Tarbert to the loch shore and then into Mallaig via Morar. There is no road or quay at Tarbert – passengers go ashore via a small boat.
Back in Mallaig, we walked along the outer pier after dinner and talked to a man who used to be a fish trader. We heard about the decline of the fishing industry due to the over-fishing of herrings and how the current prawn fishing was damaging the new small fish.
Again, the evening light was astonishing - colours over the water, reflections, yellows, pale blues. Even at 10.30 pm, still not dark
Springbank B and B
Springbank is also in East Street. We had to move there as Western Isles had no space for the extra night. Meal at Fish Market restaurant.
