Dover Durness Day 9: Newtonmoor to Cromarty

Distance today        76 miles in 5hrs 38mins
Height Climbed      3317 feet burning 1903 Kcal

Distance so Far       763 Miles  in  57hrs 10mins
Height Climbed      31,186 Feet Burning 21010 Kcal

My journey north started with a north west rolling, but generally down hill ride down the valley to Aviemore. I was on the south side well away from any traffic it seems, and it was a lovely ride. The bike and or my legs felt heavy and there was very little go.

Aviemore was a bit of a awakening. 1970s style architecture, busy road with tourists stepping out as they can't hear a car. In planning I had decided to stay on the main road rather than the sustrans route. The A9 was bearing off left, I'd be fine. Well, the A road I was on was really rather busy and had heavy lorries to. Generally I have found north of the border that cars will wait to pass where they is oncoming traffic and on blind bends. They did here two. So there I

am with a line of traffic behind me wishing for a gap to come in the oncoming traffic. Fortunately the vehicles are in bunches. One chap shouts what I assume must be words of helpful encouragement as he passes in his white van. 4 miles later I am back on the sustrans route

I start to climb again and there is a sign for Slochd summit. I knew it was there, but not on my route.
Oh good another up. I am back on the route and it is traffic free again. The road, railway and cycleway all together at the summit.

Downhill is still slow. The wind is in my face and it is hard to do more than 20mph freewheeling. I am tired and 20 is fine. The descent into Inverness is again good, and I divert off the Sustrans route to shorten my route.


Into Inverness, I start with suburban streets, then a new universalist campus, crossing the main road on the "Golden Bridge". Into another estate and the Sustrans route drops me on a main road. My route went another way in the last estate, and a gate on it was locked. I ride on a pavement next to a dual carriageway. I have never been keen on the traffic in Inverness: it is too busy and too aggressive. I rejion my route. The paveent next to teh main A9 dual carriageway does not say it is a cycle way - it is now for my purposes.

A mighty big roundabout and I find a cycle way. Over another dual carriageway by traffic lights and it is onto the Kessock bridge. It is the main bridge north and has a cycle path. It is narrow, uphill and into a blocking head wind. I stop 3 times to let oncoming cyclists pass. The fourth one has her head down. I shout "heads up, heads up" Still looking down, she is coming straight at me "For Fu*ks sake, look up" She does and narrowly misses me. She stops and says she it sorry. I am not a happy bunny, but she has apologised and we are safe. I say again, you must look ahead.

Onto the Black Isle now I change from my pre-planned route and keep to the cycle route, missing Rosemarkie. Will we visit there on Sunday morning before we go home. Instead I stay on the top. It is a dead straight road, with what should be a cross tail wind. It is gradually uphill and I feel so tired. I begin to worry whether I will make it tomorrow, but there is time to sleep first. This is hard. Something makes me check the rear wheel. It is soft, oh good another one. I try to keep going to the next junction in the hope that I can find somewhere to sit. No it won't last. I sit in the entrance drive to a house. There is a bank with a dry metal cover to some BT stuff. I change the tube.

Finally the top of the hill comes, and it is one 600 foot descent to the sea and a 6 mile ride next to the Cromarty Firth to Cromarty. There is a cruise liner in at Invergordon and 7 or more oil/gas drilling rigs parked in the Firth.

 I can see Cromarty for miles along the road, dwarfed by the drilling rigs. I have a tailwind, some sunshine but I cannot push any speed. It does come closer and I ride to the Ferry Point.