Journal Part 11 & 12

Monday 10th August 09

There was heavy drizzle on leaving Glencoe Hostel this morning so we wore our shower proof jackets. One of the first things we engaged was a young deer, standing at the side of the road. We slowly approached it as we cycled down the road, and it confidently strolled across the road in front of us.

This part of the journey was always going to be very scenic, as you can see.

This photo was taken just at the side of Glencoe, and if you look carefully, it appears that we're been watched from above. We found the face in the clouds amusing, and a little 'Harry Potterish'.

The hills were not as tiring as we thought they might have been.

After leaving Glencoe we made our way to Fort William, then on to Fort Augustus. We spent some time watching the boats coming through the lochs, while the soaking up the sunshine. We couldn't have asked for better weather. 

Outside the shop in Fort Augustus we leaned our bikes up against the wall, as usual. When we came out of the shops there were two Harley Davidsons parked next to them. The thought did cross my mind to get on the wrong bikes, by mistake, but I think someone would have noticed.

Everywhere we looked today, there were sights not to be missed. The problem we had was knowing when to stop to take photo's, and when to cycle on.

After Fort Augustus we cycled the length on Loch Ness to Inverness. I know it sounds corny, but throughout this part of the journey, one eye was on the road, and the one was scanning the Loch, in a hope that something strange or unusual would be seen breaking the surface of the water. You never know what you might see in this part of the Country.

Cycling into Inverness was a pleasure, and the 86 miles completed today was one of the most enjoyable rides.

Tuesday 11th August 09

I know that the ride from Inverness to John O'Groats could have been done in one stint, but we decided that we wanted to enjoy the last day as much as possible, so Helmsdale was our destination.

This was also an enjoyable ride of 74 miles, which started with crossing the bridge on the A9.

While on the A9 we stopped at the Tomich Cafe, which offered home-bakes, home-made soup, and various other freshly made choices. We were made very welcome, and as you can see, again we seemed to attract large motorbikes.