There was an interesting snippet in this week’s email from Cycling UK regarding something called The Cape Wrath Fellowship. It caught my eye as a few years ago I travelled to Cape Wrath as part of a cycle trip along the northern and western coasts of Scotland. This is what the email from Cycling UK said:
“An estimated 2,000 cyclists have joined the Cape Wrath Fellowship since it was founded in 1949 by Rex ‘Ragged Staff’ Coley. Over the 70 years since the Fellowship began, details of the earlier members have been lost. Now Cycling UK is calling on the cycling community to help them ‘Find the Fellowship’.
The Cape Wrath Fellowship was initially administered by Coley until his death in 1985, and then by cycle journalist and CTC member Peter Knottley who took over until 1992. At this point it was passed on to CTC (Cycling UK’s former name), which since then has maintained the records.
Time, office moves and handing over the responsibility for maintaining the record has meant many of the early records have disappeared. Cycling UK wants to restore and preserve this important part of cycling culture in the UK, and is urging everyone who is a member of the Fellowship to check the list, and if they donโt find their name, to register again by sharing a copy of either their certificate or provide photographic evidence.
Speaking to the family of ferrymen who have run the service across the Kyle of Durness for the past 35 years, Cycling UK has heard that cyclists make the crossing on an almost daily basis while the ferry runs. The charity is keen to include all those who have made the journey to the lighthouse by bike in the roll call of the Fellowship, and would urge these cyclists to get in touch and join the Fellowship.”
CyclingUK.org
Now I hasten to add that when I took that ferry myself, I left the bicycle behind on the eastern side of the Kyle of Durness and am thus ineligible as a member of the fellowship. If, however, you chose not to do so, you could be in line to become a member… Read the full story of that 2014 cycle in Scotland on this page of CyclingEurope.org. Below are a few photographs from that memorable day exploring the north-westernmost point of the British mainland.
Categories: Adventure, Cycling, Photography
I’m hoping to do the An Turas Mor off road trip from Glasgow to Cape Wrath next year. Hopefully I’ll qualify if I can get the bike over. I believe there is 14 miles on the island to cycle to the light house and its a military zone which sometimes restricts access.
No doubt there will be a number of challenges with the trip, not least midges. I’m one of those people they love.
There is a track all the way from the Kyle of Durness (which the little ferry crosses) all the way to the lighthouse. If you can do it in a mini bus (the method I used although I was a mere passenger), you should have few issues on a bicycle with sturdy tyres. There is also a bothy up there should you wish to break your journey. Good luck!