No rain. What a shocker!
We had thought to take the quieter single track road that runs along the south side of Loch Ness and avoid the very busy A82 which we had been warned about and which had been one of the principal reasons for our abortive diversion to the west coast isles.
However, in the bar the night before we had chilled off this idea when we heard there was a 4 mile steep climb to reach it out of Fort Augustus. Also tales of the Beast of Boleskin’s spooky residence along the route put us off further. We prolong our choice of route by watching the locks open and a stream of boats move up into Loch Ness. We had better get moving.
We had thought to take the quieter single track road that runs along the south side of Loch Ness and avoid the very busy A82 which we had been warned about and which had been one of the principal reasons for our abortive diversion to the west coast isles.
However, in the bar the night before we had chilled off this idea when we heard there was a 4 mile steep climb to reach it out of Fort Augustus. Also tales of the Beast of Boleskin’s spooky residence along the route put us off further. We prolong our choice of route by watching the locks open and a stream of boats move up into Loch Ness. We had better get moving.
The A road is surprisingly quiet…no trucks, no midgies and no tourists looking for the monster. We reach Urquhart Castle, an imposing ruin on a promontory on the edge of Loch Ness. The bright yellow gorse that seems to permeate the whole of the Highlands is a wonderful contrast that frames an otherwise sombre landscape. Loch Ness has an underlying malevolence to it. We turn left into Drumnadrochit, the small town with a name like a throat infection.
Once above the “mother of all hills”, described by Simon below, we reach a plateau of wilderness with isolated lakes, brown heather and more bright yellow gorse -brighter than Colmans mustard on a crisp white shirt.
We are rewarded with a long descent to Beauly where we stop for the usual bowl of lentil soup. We stop to get some cash from an ATM and as we pull away from the kerb my goggles fly off the back of my bike into the road and break into two pieces.
We are rewarded with a long descent to Beauly where we stop for the usual bowl of lentil soup. We stop to get some cash from an ATM and as we pull away from the kerb my goggles fly off the back of my bike into the road and break into two pieces.
On further beyond the Beauly Firth through the Muir of Ord, Conon Bridge and to Dingwall on the Cromarty. Our route should take us on a quieter B road running adjacent to the very busy A862. Simon ignores the left turn on the edge of town (despite protestations) and we miss it. Must have been the hill that put him off! We then have a 12 mile ride on a truck ridden road at rush hour to Alness and our first encounter with the midgies. So far it has been too cold, too wet and too windy for them to appear.
We stay at a rambling, rather run down B&B, The Morven House Hotel. A family with a fleet of kids. They are very relaxed and pleasant. Their internet connection actually works and we are able, after a lot of voice mail jail, to connect with East Coast and Scot Rail and secure our train tickets back to London from Wick via Inverness -but not until Monday 30th. Getting bodies and bikes on the same train in the UK is not a trivial task. However, at least this has given us and extra day or two to complete our journey.
Simon Sez,
After witnessing the wonders of the 5 stepped locks joining the Caledonian canal to Loch Ness, a drop of 18 metres, we cycle along Loch Ness to Drumnadrochit. Here there is a feared and faned hill, probably one of the steepest in the British Isles, rather worse I fear than the Penpillick in Cornwall. Needless to say John cycles straight up it. Sometimes I wonder about his state of mind.
Eventually we get to the town of Alness – best forgotten although distinguished by having two separate distilleries, Dalmore and Teaninich. We stay in a distinctly average B&B, a good mile out of town and the Indian restaurant where we eat. We watch a little of the Scotland v Wales football match in the perfectly dreadful Railway Hotel. Later, after curry, we try some Dalmore in the Commercial Hotel. It is excellent, rich, powerful and reviving. The town is drab and grey and dull.
We stay at a rambling, rather run down B&B, The Morven House Hotel. A family with a fleet of kids. They are very relaxed and pleasant. Their internet connection actually works and we are able, after a lot of voice mail jail, to connect with East Coast and Scot Rail and secure our train tickets back to London from Wick via Inverness -but not until Monday 30th. Getting bodies and bikes on the same train in the UK is not a trivial task. However, at least this has given us and extra day or two to complete our journey.
Simon Sez,
After witnessing the wonders of the 5 stepped locks joining the Caledonian canal to Loch Ness, a drop of 18 metres, we cycle along Loch Ness to Drumnadrochit. Here there is a feared and faned hill, probably one of the steepest in the British Isles, rather worse I fear than the Penpillick in Cornwall. Needless to say John cycles straight up it. Sometimes I wonder about his state of mind.
Eventually we get to the town of Alness – best forgotten although distinguished by having two separate distilleries, Dalmore and Teaninich. We stay in a distinctly average B&B, a good mile out of town and the Indian restaurant where we eat. We watch a little of the Scotland v Wales football match in the perfectly dreadful Railway Hotel. Later, after curry, we try some Dalmore in the Commercial Hotel. It is excellent, rich, powerful and reviving. The town is drab and grey and dull.
I could murder a cigar.
No comments:
Post a Comment