I carried on to the village of Rossaveal and took a ferry to Inis Mór, the largest of the Aran Islands for a couple of days. On returning to the mainland, caught out by the appeal of looping along the coastal road past Carna and autumn"s early sunset, I arrived at Ballynahinch Castle in the dark. My first view of the estate-turned-hotel was a cluster of lights mirrored in Owenmore River. After carrying my bicycle panniers to my room and changing out of muddy clothes, peated whisky from Micil Distillery was a warm welcome.