Dover Durness Day 10: Nigg to Durness

Distance today        94 miles in 6hrs 43mins
Height Climbed      3737 feet burning 2487 Kcal

Distance so Far       857 Miles  in  63hrs 53mins
Height Climbed      34,923 Feet Burning 23497 Kcal

The last day has arrived. I’ve had a weather eye to this day since we started. It can be just an ordinary summers day, but a bit cooler than I am used to, or 50mph winds in torrential rain. The latter had been the case two weeks before and I was a touch concerned that the cycle would repeat at just the wrong time.

I started from Nigg, the other side of the mouth of the Cromarty Firth. I didn’t take the ferry, as it can be somewhat unpredictable, as to if it is running and the timetable. It had been running yesterday, and was rolling nicely on the swell. I really wouldn’t like to try to get a car on or off it.

The initial road was quite quick, through an industrial area and large oil tanks. I joined the A9 for the first of two short times, and claimed the area to the left of the white line as mine. A couple of miles and I turned off through Tain to rejoin the A9.

I was pushing slowly into the wind, when for the first time in the ride I was passed by two other cyclists. I jumped on the back wheel and was doing 19mph into the wind. All too soon they turned north with the A9 as I took the side road towards Bonar Bridge. I asked them if they could be persuaded to go to Durness, but apparently not.

 With much less traffic now, and trees to break the wind, I headed North West with the railway beside the road to keep me company. Past Bonar Bridge and onto a side road. Here I passed a post man in his red van. He was walking up to a house, a few minutes later he was passing me, and stopping to deliver. We carried on this merry game with passing and repassing until we came to the railway station and a group of houses. It not fair playing a game when only one of the two people in it knows they are playing, but I beat him fair and square.

I knew that I had to cross the river to the A road, but couldn’t see how. Sustrans had provided another novelty. This time two flights of metal steps approached down a narrow grass track. The steps lead to a metal platform part way down a cast iron railway bridge high above the river. Then more steps to the road. I carried my bike. If laden with bags I could see several trips up and down to get it all over.

As soon as I got onto the A road I was treated to one of the days spoilers. A group of performance cars moving quickly close together came towards me and on down the hill. I encountered several groups during the day. Miles from anywhere, eager to push pass, and move on. One group passed me uphill on a blind bend, on the other side of the road.

On the other hand the man in the historic Porsche was very polite.

Passing through Lairg I continued north then turned northwest on a single track A Road. Sustrans route 1 was straight on and went to John O’Groats, I was off to the other corner. The bike Sat Nav said turn right in 38 miles. I don’t think that happens on a bicycle too often, 38 miles and one road.

In effect I rode up a valley to the top for maybe 25 miles then down another to the coast. There were a series of reservoirs that powered hydroelectric schemes and much of the time I was close to the shore. There were sporadic houses, a hotel and a café. No sheep, no cows, just grass and trees. The road was busier than I expected, not hard as I expected nothing. There were a few tourists, a couple of groups of performance cars eager to be on their way, Passepartout and me. The wind was light but in my face, it was sunny and 14C. How lucky was I?

The descent took me into a geological park. Evidence of glaciation was everywhere. So pretty, so hard, so remote yet so many cars parked up.

Laxford Bridge marked the right turn, now 21 miles to the end.

There is plenty of time to think:

Denise had said this will be your last long distance ride. At first I took offence, 4 days ago I agreed, today I can ride forever. Maybe just not so far tomorrow though. Having a fixed destination for the day can make it harder it seems. I had meet and chatted to other cyclists coming towards me or going the other way. They were just drifting. They had a destination, but were making it up on the way. I don’t think this is my last multi-day ride. Maybe not so far next time.

I don’t have a bucket list, but if I did, this ride would be on it. It was a childhood dream and I was about to complete it.

One last hill. Somehow the wind had turned to a tailwind and pushed me up and over the ridge. Downhill, tracking Passepartout who passed my just before the top. She was not getting away on this downhill.

We finished at a beach in the top left hand corner. There was a cemetery to the rear and Britain’s most northerly (mainland) golf course. The sun was shining, it was warm, and there were no midges. A great place to end. The bee and I sat on a wall and looked back at the hill we had climbed. The view was good.  

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.

Dover Durness Day 8: Kinross to Newtonmoor

 
Distance today        90 miles in 6hrs 50mins
Height Climbed      4577 feet burning 2354 Kcal

Distance so Far       687 Miles  in  51hrs 32mins
Height Climbed      27,869 Feet Burning 19,107 Kcal

We watched the weather forecast this morning. Sunny until lunch time then heavy showers, moderate north westerly. Just the right weather for a mountain pass then? Yes, I know it has a trunk road and a railway over it, but they both get closed due to weather, they even have snow gates. It is very open over the top.

I started on the same B road out of Kinross, but soon turned off onto a walking and cycle friendly road. There was no traffic, no cars, cyclists or walkers. There was the odd settlement, there were cars parked, but no one to be seen. Quite remarkable.

The route comes close to the A9, and uses back roads and roads that were once clearly the main road, now bypassed. Sometimes I could

see it, sometimes hear it, as I could the railway.

There was a section which stated it was "Road Closed". Please NO! The alternative is the A9. I am going to have to give it a try. The closer is not far. I get close to it, ready to carry the bike through, but there is a pedestrian way. Not advertised at either end of this 5 mile section of road. Not good enough.

At the end of the road as I came into Dunkeld I met a car on a blind bend. The road was narrow and he slowed and pulled over. The next car, a white fiesta with a blue bonnet was hugging the inside of the bend, my side, and moving quickly. I headed for the hedge, swearing loudly, and he/she corrected for the other side of the road, and they missed me. I stopped and looked back. They stopped. I gestured to come and have a chat. They drove on.

Through Dunkeld and onto Pitlochry and Blair Atholl. Climbing a little all the time. The valley was wide but protecting me from the wind along with the trees. Finally the back road alternative was over and it was onto tracks, many of which were at first abandoned sections of the A9, ox bow lakes of road. I climbed out of the trees and into a blocking headwind. Don't panic and twiddle the pedals.

Then there is a sign warning me of how exposed the path is ahead. How high it is, and if it rains that I will take the full force of it.

I can see where I am going to go as I can see the lorries on the A9 on the side of the vally. The river is getting smaller, I can see a man

on the other side. He is tiny, dwarfed by the mountains behind him. I turn to the north, the wind is now on my side, making headway a little easier. I am tired of going up now.

Finally I am at the top. There are signs on the cycleway, the road and the railway. All proclaim a different height, as indeed they are, but the cycle way seems to have lost a few metres in the climb from the first sign.

The route down is glorious. Brand new tarmac and a wind that appears to have turned to behind me. I’m off, I love to go fast on descents and the surface is great. I nearly overshoot a left turn coming off one of the many wooden bridges, leaning and swearing I stay on the tarmac, noticing the skid marks of others who have clearly gone into this corner too fast. 

 

It is a lovely run down into Newtonmore. Tired but happy. I have driven over this road many times and watched the course of this cycle way, finally I have been able to ride it. 

Dover Durness Day 7: Ford (Etal) to Kinross

Distance today        99 miles in 7hrs 55mins
Height Climbed      2023 feet burning 2821 Kcal

Distance so Far       597 Miles  in  44hrs 42mins
Height Climbed      23,292 Feet Burning 16,753 Kcal

View south from Ford

Ford is an estate village based around a castle. I left though the castle grounds and down the drive. Well what was the drive, historically, I freewheeled very slowly down the moss covered drive to the road wondering if the gate was open. There was an entrance lodge, a fine pair of gate posts but no gate. Release.

Onward and its not long before I cross a river and into Scotland. Confirmation that I am getting somewhere but it is big country. 

Back on the road and more rolling arable land. Bit of a tail wind. I'm getting a bit tired, it feels slower than it should do. I appear to be 500 feet above sea level. I have been climbing slowly for ages. But not for long, one short desecnt and I am back at sea level, through a ford (which was deeper than expected) and then climb back up.

Dunbar and it rains, not for long, but long enough to remind me I have turned into the west wind which is throwing the light rain at me. Haddington and down to the coast. Edinburgh next.

Edinburgh's Sea Side

I think the cycle route into the city from this way is along the coast. This is into the wind and the occasional shower. Whilst on the promenade this is fine if slow, but the crinkly bits of the country parks is no fun. I cut a corner on the planned route, and it appears that I have had this thought before and had routed myself on the main road. The traffic is heavy, the drivers courteous, but the potholes big and scattered all over the road. I push on into the wind, I know somewhere there is a cycle path. Finally it comes, smooth, wide and traffic free, if on a long low grade of up.



The traffic free path ends,  but I am on suburban streets, many dead ends except for cyclists, then on road side cycle paths. Since the last rain the wind has changed as forecast. It is now from the north and moderate to fresh.

Well it is definatly fresh and full in the face as I cross the Forth Road Bridge, now only open to buses and taxis. Bikes use the cycle path. I last used this cycle path 36 years ago when I rode LEJOG after my A Levels.

After this it is a B road with aspirations to be an A road. The M90 runs parralle, sometimes I can see it, sometimes hear it but it is there. I appear to be in heavy local traffic, I check the time it is rush hour.

Passepartout has checked into the hotel. We have been put on the first floor about as far from the car as we can be. They have charged us an extra tenner for the dog, which we weren't told about. I have a moan and after I produce their email to me we are moved to the ground floor closer to the front door. Still less than ideal, an tenner down and the dog doesn't even have her welcome pack!