Day 9, Poolewe to Melvich

Grizzly was suffering today, having been feasted on by midges yesterday. 

The glorious sunshine of yesterday was not forthcoming today. Just ready to leave, it started to drizzle,  so on went the waterproofs. They stayed on all day, not because it rained all the time but because it never quite became one thing or the other. Stop 1 was a fuel stop, an interim as we didn't know if Grizzly could get to the next one in Ullapool. We both topped up as scheduled in Ullapool and Grizzly found Boots, so was able to get the cream for his bites.

Next up was Lochinver and the pie shop. It's famous round these parts,  having been on telly. I stopped there back in 2018. They do very nice pies. I wasn't having one but Grizzly had 2 haggis and neeps. The shop advised getting them warm, not that mattered,  as we had an hour's ride to our lunch stop by the Kylescu Bridge, once more on single track roads. 

At the bridge we parked up in a corner and sat on a bench. I was telling Grizzly I was sure there was toilets last time but nothing this. Then, a truck pulls up, and a guy pulls a portaloo off the back and plonks it right by us. My own personal bog!

I asked the chap if it was OK to use and he said something about 20p. I thought he meant it was a pay one. Turns out he had left it locked and the 20p was to turn the lock. We both used it before we left and locked it again afterwards. 

We had another fuel stop next. One in Tongue was a single unmanned pump,  Grizzly said he was ok to go to the next, which I'd also added to the route. Unfortunately, the second one no longer exists! Hopefully, the one 6 miles further up the road from oyr b&b will be there, and open tomorrow. The light is on!

We continued to our digs, a very nice b&b, run by a Swiss chap. We have a room at the front, with a sea view.

There are only 3 places to eat in Melvych. The hotel; booking needed, the Inn; walk in (according to our host) and the b&b. A walk down to the Inn proved fruitless, as they were fully booked, so we ended up back in the b&b, with schnitzel and chips. Decent enough,  with salad starter and a couple of glasses of beer but I fear it could be a tad expensive when we come to pay.

Tomorrow we are heading for Inverness and some points in between, including, of course, John O'Groats.