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7:
Day 6:
We awoke to our first morning in Scotland, slightly misty, but bright
and we had a delightful start to the day cycling through the Forest of
Ae. We climbed up to 1000ft to views of grey mountain ranges in the distance.
Descening to Closeburn, an a quick stop for rations at the Post Office,
we were given some more money for the Research Fund, and we then ploughed
up the A76 all the way to Cumnock. It was a tough ride, capes on, then
capes off routine, and we were bang into a NW headwind. Lunch was at the
Loch Side House Hotel near New Cumnock, and it was during lunch that we
realised that the headwind was really knocking the pace down and we needed
to get some miles in.
We hammered in to Glasgow via the A77, and crossed the city to stop at
Milngavie, where John lived. His girlfriend Ruth had made us a good meal
which revived us well, but thoughts of staying the night there gave way
and we decided to press on to Invernbeg for the night. After a few mechanical
adjustments we made a good pace and got to Inverbeg at twenty to eleven,
which wasn't bad considering we didn't leave Glasgow until about 9 O'clock.
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8:
Day 7:
Next day we left Inverbeg hostel ready to start on Scotland proper, -
Crianlarich, - Glen Coe, and the Great Glen across to the East Coast.
We were at last sheltered from the wind, and the going was a lot easier
. We stopped to take a picture of the "Brodies" stores on the
way to Glen Coe, in fact all along the route we kept stopping for photos
of the mountains and lakes which seemed endless.
Crossing
the bridge to North Ballaculish the rain started up and persisted all
the way through Fort William and Spean Bridge, and by the time we arrived
at Loch Lochy YH we were well and truly damp. My cycling socks had gone
black, as had my feet, and the hostel drying room was soon crammed with
everything from track suits to wet Kendal mint cake!
LOCH LOCHY YH (SYHA)
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GLEN COE. Click picture for a big version. |
9:
Day 8:
Our penultimate days ride left us with a dilemma. Did we just make for
Carbisdale Castle leaving us a 100 mile ride on the last day, or make
a dash for Helmsdale, leaving only 50 miles on the last day but giving
us 120 to ride that day. In the end we just got on the bikes and rode.
Through Fort Augustus and along LochNess with a tail wind was good for
morale, but the 1:7 climb from Drumnadrochit towards Beauly wasn't,
however we had a huge lunch at "Brockies Lodge" at Kiltarlity
which set us up for the climb from Alness to Bonar Bridge.
Skirting Cromarty Firth splendid views of the Black Isle were interrupted
by by towering oil rigs, and various steel constructions.
Shortly after Bonar Bridge we saw a sign saying "John o Groats
96 miles", which set us up for the next section.
We studied the map and did a few calculations and decided to head for
Helmsdale, and were glad we did so as the ride proved quite easy with
a tail wind and the sun shining all the way to the hostel, in fact it
was still light at 10 o' clock when we arrived.
HELMSDALE
YH ( Wetdale) (SYHA)
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Bridge
at Ballacullish
Fort
Augustus
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10:
Day 9:
The other reason we were glad that we had ridden to helmsdale that night
was that the following morning, - our last day - it was very very wet.
As soon as we poked our heads out of the front door it teemed down.
This plus the long climbs to Ousdale and Berridale physically drained
us, so at Dunbeath we stopped for Fish & Chips at a pub, where the
landlord supplied us with a valor heater on which to dry our clothes.
The rain eased off on the way to Wick where we stopped and made pigs of
oursleves. The girl in the restaurant where we stopped brought us a selection
of cakes and pastries to choose from and we chose " the lot"!
To our amazement we were charged less than £1 for this gastronomic
feast!
We meandered the final 17 mile stretch, apart from a mad sprint for the
John'o Groats sign which seemed futile since apart from the sign there
wasn't much else there, and then we freewheeled down the hill to our final
destination.
Shortly after we arrived the mists rose a little and we saw Hoy with cloud
resting on top of the cliff, and somehow it all seemed worthwhile.
JOURNEYS END.
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CROMARTY FIRTH - The Black Isle.
John O' Groats - Harbour.
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