Molly and I got off early yesterday on our day’s bicycling. We were thrilled to have calm winds and crystal clear skies for our cycling. Better yet, after 120+ miles over the past few days conquering HUGE mountains that border the Scottish Lochs, we now were travelling through the more gentle land near the coast.

While biking through a farming area I suddenly spied the rare Caledonian Crested Quail! What luck for this Scottish John James Audubon (bird ID for today’s post … comment with your identification). The day turned out to be very “birdy”. Also found the “Long Tailed Limey” and the “Great Blue Striped Heron” (I actually know the ID for these two birds!).

It was a great cycling near and along the Atlantic Coast. We are now 19 days and 733 miles into this bicycle tour. The trip diary may be found on the Crazy Guy on a Bike Portal. You should also read Molly’s impressions via her blog, Superior Footprints.

Photos: (edited after returning home … real bird names added)

• Caledonian Crested Quail (Northern Lapwing)
• Great Blue Striped Heron (Gray Heron)
• Long Tailed Limey (Ring Necked Pheasant)
• My Bike Enjoying the View on the Scottish Coast
• Our Route Map Through 19 Days of Touring

Molly informs me that we climbed 3,200 feet in elevation while cycle touring in Scotland today (Garmin data). We have now biked over 500 miles on this trip. The hill climbing was tough today, but the rush hour traffic made the ride almost unbearable! 🙂

Photos: (edited after returning home … real bird names added)

1. Molly avoiding rush hour traffic
2. Molly dealing with all the cars along the Loch
3. The local traffic cop, a “Whiskey Piper” (Common Sandpiper)
4. Our end goal for the day, Tobermory on the Isle of Mull. Our lodging for the night is the pinkish colored building on the right, a SYHA Youth Hostel! We were please to discover upon check-in that the information card one must fill out actually had an age grouping older than the two of us … 70+ year old youths!

Molly and I both had the opportunity to practice a new skill during today’s ride … the fine art of Sheep dodging. While biking uphill, in fact way uphill into a p-Scottish Highland valley where we are spending the night, we often found our way forward blocked by the local residents!

Down by the sea, families were out and about enjoying the fine weather. Mr. and Mrs. Gray Goose watched over the kids. (even though rare to see in the Duluth area … believe this family might be Greater White-Fronted Geese).

Read more about Molly and my three week bike tour of Scotland …

Molly’s impressions of our trip via her blog:
https://superiorfootprints.org/tag/scotland-tartan-cycling-tour/

Our daily bike trip diary via Crazy Guy on a Bike:
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/ScotlandTartanTour

Photographs: (edited after returning home … real bird names added)

1. The fine art of Sheep dodging on a bike
2. A Scottish Highlands vista. Will eventually climb the mountain in the distance
3. Gray Goose Family 1 (Graylag Geese)
4. Gray Goose Family 2 (Graylag Geese)
5. Our route through yesterday … 451 miles biked … not flat!