Itinerary: Cycle for Schools

Before we get to the itinerary for Ulva’s Somerset Charrington’s great Cycle for Schools adventure, it’s worth passing on a fabulous suggestion from one of our readers posted as a comment from ‘School Defender’ on our announcement yesterday of the event.

‘School Defender’ has suggested ‘getting a peloton behind Somerset’ – which would see other cyclists at random join him en route from place to place. That would be simply spectacular, fun, company for Somerset and a visible manifestation of the widespread solidarity on school closures that led him to commit himself to this challenge.

We will do all we can to help to make this possible – the itinerary is below, with approximate arrival times in brackets. We will also publish a Google Map – although he may take alternative routes on occasion. BUT we’ll also do everything possible to keep you up to date here with where he is and which road he’s on.

He’ll be phoning his wife Carolyne, a founder member of the Argyll Rural Schools Network (a doughty support for threatened schools) from time to time;  and she will let us know what time he’s been at a specific point on which road. So do wheel off and join him for a spell; and cheer him on from the roadside.

Email us your photos (email address, mobile number and landline number are at the foot of this article) – of Somerset, of companion cyclists, of yourselves, of where you are – with your name and the time you took the shots. We’ll do a running photo gallery, with your help and your photos, tracking the wheels of what Carolyne has described as ‘sort of chain letter of support’.

Somerset will carry messages from each school to the next, starting with a letter from his own community’s school of Ulva on the Isle of Mull to the first of the schools he’ll visit and that are now under threat of closure – Ardchattan in North Lorn.

He’s leaving on Saturday (14th May 2011) morning – from the evocatively named Treshnish Point on west Mull and hopes to be at Ardchattan School by around 12.30 on Sunday.

He’ll be coming to the mainland via the CalMac ferry on Sunday morning from Craignure to Oban so you could pick him up  coming off the ferry.

Somerset Charrington’s Cycle for Schools itineray

NOTE that there are some days where Somerset has got a lot of cycling to do and will be between schools. He might appreciate some company on wheels on these passages. Keep us in touch if you join him.

• Saturday 14th May: From Treshnish Point to Craignure
• Sunday 15th May:  Craignure – Oban ferry, then Oban to Ardchattan School (12.30); and on to Achaleven School (3.00) to Glen Lonan
• Monday 16th May: Glen Lonan to Kilchrenan to Ford
• Tuesday 17th May: from Ford to Minard using forest track coming out just south of Minard School (12.30) to Lochgilphead
• Wednesday 18th May: Lochgilphead to Clachan School (3.00); and on to Rhunahaorine
• Thursday 19th May: Arriving Rhunahaorine School (9.30); on to Skipness School (2.00) (via Kintyre Way to east coast and up to Skipness) to Tarbert
• Friday 20th May: Tarbert to Portavadie ferry, to Colintraive ferry, to Port Bannatyne – North Bute School (3.00). Boat to Toward from Bute.  (being kindly arranged by Toward, times TBC)
• Saturday 21st May: At Toward School  (9.00?) to Dunoon.  Ferry to Gourock.  Ferry to Helensburgh.  Helensburgh to Luss School  (?)

And then he’s got to go home again – to Ulva.

Contact details for your photos, texts and chat

Send photos – of Somerset, of any cyclists riding with him, of yourselves, your place, and the exchange of the message from the previous school for the message from your school to the next one; and anything else you want to say.

And tell us what’s in the messages between the schools.

• Email: lm.henderson@powdermills.com
• Mobile: 07775 409445 (for texts, sightings of Somerset and information)
• Landline: 01499 500677 (for sightings, information, chat)

The photograph above shows the view to Benmore on Mull, from Ulva and is by Carolyne Charrington.