Day 8 - a free cup of coffee

One of those grey days where you grit your teeth and just keep pedalling. It's been overcast with light showers for most of the day so we were in waterproofs nearly all the time. I didn't tell Lesley before we set off that we had a steep climb very early on in the ride, 600 feet with a maximum incline of about 15% but she managed it with panniers and without needing to walk up any of it so she's beginning to believe in her cycling ability.

Highlights and observations of the day

* We stopped at an art gallery and got a free cup of coffee, which may have had something to do with the fact that we bought a small print from them. They had a sign outside saying they did coffees which was like an oasis in a desert as we hadn't seen anywhere to stop for ages. The coffee sign was obviously a clever marketing ploy and we fell for it!

* We stopped at the Callanish stones which are the oldest evidence of people living in the Outer Hebrides in antiquity

* We had a 4G signal on our phones for most of the day

* The steep uphill was soon followed by a great downhill

* Bus stops are great places to stop for lunch in inclement weather

* There are postboxes in some very odd locations in the middle of nowhere

We're now relaxing at our hotel, Doune Braes after a very pleasant evening meal and Lesley is coping with the disappointment of finding out that the Isle of Lewis doesn't have its own gin!

Balanced scorecard (0-10)

Total miles cycled 192

Wetness level 6

Stress level 0

Tiredness 3

Scenery 8

Enjoyment7

Kite flying 0

Excess calorie intake 4

Sightseeing 8

Midgie count 0

Tomorrow we finish the Hebridean Way and stay our journey home after that.