I’m still aching today after doing this 50-mile ride from the west coast of Ross-shire to the east.
This cross-country route is a popular one in the Highlands, and the number of footprints and tyre tracks I spotted on the way were testament to that. Having said that, I didn’t see a huge number of people in these remote Ross-shire glens and straths.
The route, which I was checking out for my book of walks and bike rides coming out next March, is a tough one but what an experience! It mostly follows hill tracks, with a short section of walking where the bike becomes a bit of a struggle more than a benefit.
The weather was fine, with the projected showers failing to materialise and the suncream coming in handy! The views of Seana Bhraigh were particularly dramatic and certainly stick in the mind after this epic trek through the mountains.
Photo gallery
All photographs © John Davidson 2010
We took the new car west yesterday for a relatively easy walk in Torridon. Sadly the tops of the mountains were in cloud so the views weren’t as dramatic as they can be in this beautiful area, but we still enjoyed a fine trek behind Liathach.
I haven’t done much Munro-style walking in this area despite a number of visits, so a trip up Beinn Alligin is in order soon, I reckon.
As promised, a couple of photos from the route (see previous post!)
Meg crossing Allt Gharbh Ghaig via (relatively dry) ford!
Heading onto cycle path at Dalwhinnie on route to Drumochter Pass.
With the car finally back in action (just in time to be taken to the garage later this week to be part-exchanged for a new one) we made it out at the weekend to complete a fantastic route through the Gaick Pass.
This runs between Blair Atholl and Kingussie in the Highlands of Scotland. Our plan was to do a circular route which began with a cycle over the Drumochter Pass on the cycle route before tackling the off-road section to return.
I’ll stick up a picture here soon and there’ll be a full piece about our efforts in the Inverness Courier within the next couple of months. This one was well worth the sore legs in the office today!
I promised an update on our adventures in Skye recently, but unfortunately the adventures were not the kind I had hoped for. We had car trouble from our arrival in Portree last Friday, so instead of heading down to the Raasay ferry on the Saturday, we spent the day around Portree in the rain.
On the Sunday, rather than cycling around the Trotternish peninsula, we waited for the local garage (on behalf of the AA) to come and pick us up and take us back to Inverness with our car on the back of a low loader!
After getting it fixed, we had more problems last weekend which ended our plans for an epic cycle on Sunday, too. We did get out on the bikes, though, and enjoyed a spin from home around to Loch Ruthven on south Loch Ness-side in the rain and cloud.
Here’s hoping for more luck (and a new car!) this weekend.
John Davidson's Guide to Walking and Cycling in Inverness and the Highlands
I'm a journalist in Inverness in the Highlands of Scotland who specialises in the great outdoors - including walking, cycling and mountaineering. I write a regular Active Outdoors feature for the Inverness Courier as well as contributing to other publications, including leading hillwalking magazine TGO.
