Almost an excellent day. Rode up the A82 alongside Loch Ness which was fairly quiet, and relatively swift with a strong tailwind helping out, then enjoyed a relaxed final few miles to Inverness on the path alongside the Caledonian Canal.
Loch Ness ..
Me and bike reached the 1000 mile mark in Inverness, where the elation must've gone to my head as I subsequently got a little bit lost & frustrated trying to get through the town and find a cafe stop at the same time (must of been in serious need of some cake at that point).
1000 miles covered on this trip alone, honest ! ..
View from the 1000 mile point in Inverness ( note the 'Raigmore Hospital' sign and see see entry for Day 21 coincidence fans ) ..
Somewhere in Inverness - now if I could only find the river I could get my bearings ..
Eventually stopped for lunch at a service station, relaxing on the grass watching the stragglers making their way to the Caley Thistle vs Rangers match just up the road.
Caley Thistle ground in action ...
The afternoon was lovely, in bright sunshine and still being blown along by the strong wind. Headed across the bridge out to the Black Isle. Had a quick stop in an info centre to ask about where was best to spot Dolphins & Seals. The helpful lady suggested that it was possible in Cromarty so I decided not to change my route on the off-chance. This gave me a bit of time to stop a few miles later at the Black Isle brewery, a small producer of 'organic' real-ale. Had a brief tour of the tiny production facilities, and then spent 1/2 hr tasting and re-tasting their 7 different beers - on the whole very nice.
Attractive curves on the Black Isle ( must of been the 'Red Kite' ale talking ) ..
More attractive curves looking down to Munlochy bay ..
Sign customisation at Fortrose ..
Luckily the final 15 or so miles were fairly flat and still windswept, so getting to Cromarty wasn't too much of a slightly booze addled problem.
Cromarty turned out to be a top spot to stay. Good accommodation at the Training Centre, where by luck I was able to get a bargain super-healthy evening meal. The town/village is pretty with plenty to see nearby. On that night there was a festival for bikers ( proper bikes with engines ) on the village green to add to the interest, with a variety of bands, and plenty of serious machines to admire. Sadly, I didn't spot any Dolphins whilst walking along the shore.
Stats:
Mileage 59.7
Total 1025.9
Brewery trips 1
Beers tasted 7
Dolphins spotted 0
Seals spotted 0
Loch Ness monsters spotted 3 *
Cheers,
Mat.
* Not actually alive as far as I could tell, just adorning signs.
Cromarty turned out to be a top spot to stay. Good accommodation at the Training Centre, where by luck I was able to get a bargain super-healthy evening meal. The town/village is pretty with plenty to see nearby. On that night there was a festival for bikers ( proper bikes with engines ) on the village green to add to the interest, with a variety of bands, and plenty of serious machines to admire. Sadly, I didn't spot any Dolphins whilst walking along the shore.
Stats:
Mileage 59.7
Total 1025.9
Brewery trips 1
Beers tasted 7
Dolphins spotted 0
Seals spotted 0
Loch Ness monsters spotted 3 *
Cheers,
Mat.
* Not actually alive as far as I could tell, just adorning signs.
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