We have had a “debate” about whether today was our second dry day or not - Christine maintains that it was definitely raining when we left Dalwhinnie while Stephen insists that, as he didn’t put his rain jacket on, it cannot have been even if there was a little dampness in the air! Anyway, whether it was “rain” or “dampness” it soon went and, although the clouds hung about on the hilltops, it turned into quite a pleasant day and the evening in Inverness was lovely.
The route is here and below.
Here's the (approximate) route so far.
Leaving Dalwhinnie, we enjoyed some of the best cycling possible - 25 km of gentle downhill on quiet roads with beautiful scenery to look at - magic!
Our route ran next to the A9 pretty much all day - generally on the old road but sometimes on a cycle track next to the rushing traffic. The railway line also follows the same overall direction so we are looking forward to seeing the sights again in a few days time - but this time without having to push those pedals round.
We passed through Aviemore which, like Pitlochrie yesterday, was bustling. It feels strange after so many hours with just your own thoughts or a few words exchanged between us to be amongst so many people.
Shortly after we went through Carrbridge which has a - you guessed it! - bridge but not one that is suitable for cars!
After such a long descent followed by a flat stretch it was a nasty shock to discover that we had to climb back to 1,300 feet to get over Slochd Pass (not sure how you pronounce that name but it probably involves lots of spittle flying everywhere if done correctly!) This was quite a bit steeper than yesterday’s ascent of Drumochter but, thankfully, that meant it was shorter.
Once over the top it was time for more fast downhill stretches and then the Moray Firth and Inverness suddenly appeared in view.
We arrived just before 5 o’clock - thanks to all that downhill - so Christine decided a siesta was called for before dinner, while Stephen finished off the previous day’s blog posting and carried on with his book (“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” if you are interested - an excellent crime thriller translated from Swedish - highly recommended).
We were the only ones eating in the hotel restaurant so dinner was quickly done. With Christine having had a nap, she did not rush off to bed as has happened every other night and so we took a leisurely stroll along the River Ness in the evening sunshine and ate Orkney ice cream.
Hi Steve
ReplyDeleteI'm really enjoying your travels - maybe even making me a little homesick LOL! I've travelled over the Drumochter pass in the winter with snow on the ground and deer on the hills - it's beautiful. I wish the weather could have been a little kinder to you. Annette
Hi Annette,
ReplyDeleteIt certainly is beautiful up here - when the rain clouds lift! And there are other attractions too - such as the whisky!
Steve