Butt2Barra has been going for around 20 years, with hardy participants joining together to raise money for charities - as well as test out their fitness - across a route which takes in six islands and offers the riders amazing scenery with some challenging climbs followed by fun downhills on the other side.
The above photo shows, from left to right, Ronnie Macdonald, Slaine Arran, Stephen Macpherson, Alasdair Elder, Emma Macrury, Murdo Louis MacDonald, Kerri Mackenzie, Pamela Harvey and Dave Clement.
This year’s event saw 25 riders saddle up for the three-day ride, including six colleagues from SSEN Distribution’s depots at Stornoway and Loch Carnon who were raising funds for two local good causes – Bethesda Hospice and Crossroad Care. Two retired former colleagues also joined the SSEN team for the three days, bolstering the team spirit and morale as well as boosting the overall fundraising element of the challenge – in addition to everyone in the photo above (taken on a well-earned pit stop), the group were also joined by Gillian Macdonald for the full three days.
Murdo MacDonald, from the Stornoway Depot, explains how he got involved with the event:
“This is the eighth year I’ve taken part in the Butt2Barra ride. When I first took part I’d never really had an interest in cycling but that’s all changed, it’s now become an event that I look forward to every year – the camaraderie is amazing, and knowing that you’re raising money for local good causes makes all the difference on some of those hill climbs!”
The challenge of covering 165 miles in three days isn’t one to be taken lightly, and training is definitely recommended to make sure participants can really appreciate the route and enjoy the team spirit that makes the occasion so memorable.
Murdo takes us through the route and the added challenges the weather brought to this year’s ride:
“The route is planned so that your total mileage tapers off each day – the first day is definitely the most challenging – not only is it a 65 mile trek, it’s also got a 3-mile long hill to climb near the end so it always feels good to get that out of the way! The weather wasn’t in our favour either this year, with rain and a very strong headwind so we were definitely all needing a rest when we got to our destination.
“The second and third days are always a bit easier as they’re shorter (50 miles and then 40 miles) and the terrain is a bit more cycle-friendly, but again the weather this year wasn’t brilliant so it was still a full-on push to the end.”
Pamela Harvey, SSEN Distribution’s Customer Relationship Manager for the region, joined the team for the last leg of the event and was hugely impressed with all the efforts that everyone had gone to to raise so much for the local charities. Speaking afterwards, she said:
“Murdo and the SSEN Distribution team have done an amazing job in raising so much for Crossroads Care and Bethesda Hospice – it’s no mean feat cycling 165 miles in three days, and although I wasn’t able to join for the first two days, I was determined to make it over for the third, even borrowing one of the local community bikes to make sure I could support the team on the last leg and help with the fundraising.”