11th July Crask Inn - Bettyhill

I being Linda missed this day off so sorry but here it is for you all to read.
Had porridge for breakfast plus Scottish. Mike and his wife have had the Crask Inn for 12 years, had been closed some time before they bought it. They also farm -sheep and cattle. Generous donation £20 for our charity. As we got ready to leave we were besieged by midges - first we had suffered - and had to cycle off quickly off before we went completely mad. We told Mike we were cycling to Bettyhill and staying at Bettyhill Hotel. He warned us that Bettyhill on a Saturday night was quite something!.
The road was single track and virtually empty landscape - open moorland and barren with some pine plantation. Got to Altraharra where one road to Tongue and ours to Bettyhill. We followed Loch Navar and then Naver River which apparently is a famous salmon river. In fact we came across a fisherman carrying a large salmon. The route was generally flat and gradually going downhill but of course this does not mean there were a lot of hills - which there were. It was again cold but not raining despite the forecast. Beautiful scenery but with a sad history as these areas were the Clearance Areas of 1700's eg. Achanlochy Clearance Villages.
Finally got to Bettyhill Hotel. Our room has fantastic views over beaches and sea. Great room but virtually no television reception so we are watching a seriously crap DVD waiting for our dinner as we are ,as usual, hungry.
Got to Bettyhill in less than 3 hours (33 miles)
Had dinner overlooking the beach, river estuary and sea - quite stunning. Good dinner and we both slept well.

July 12th Bettyhill - John O Groat's

With hindsight and without doubt the most difficult day - not because of the terrain,although it was quite hilly particularly between Bettyhill and Thurso, but because of struggling against gale force northerly winds. We were blown about and it was a real struggle to keep the tandem upright. Fortunately it was Sunday morning and the traffic was light. We stopped at the Royal Hotel Thurso just as it begain to rain. Had coffee and the usual, surreptitious, bacon sarnnie. Within minutes of leaving Thurso we had to stop to get into our wet weather gear as it started to rain hard. So for the next 20 miles we not only had the wind but also torrential driving rain! Finally cycled into John O 'Groats, had our photos taken, registered for End to End certificate and had a Costa coffee! John O 'Groats is touristy but not tacky in the way that Lands End is. Room in Sea View Hotal is very small which makes it difficult to dry our very wet clothes. Had a lot to drink and good food for dinner. In our hotel last night was a young man who had just run the End to End ( he featured on the national news) it took him 6 weeks, an Australian who had walked it - 70 days and of course ourselves. At John O' Groats itself we arrived a few minutes before two cyclists and just in front of 6 young men, all of whom had been supported ie others had transported their bags each day. Did not manage to telephone all the family of our arrival as we could not get a signal on our mobile. (53 miles)

july 10th Inverness - Crask Inn

Negotiated our way through Inverness traffic and then cycled over the Kessock Bridge which seperates Beauly Firth to the west from Moray Firth to the east. We decided to stay on A9 from Tore but traffic was heavy and so cycling was tricky particularly over the bridge to the east of Dingwall crossing Cromarty Firth because even though we cycled on the path buses and lorries seemed very close and made little, if any, alowance for us. This peninsular between Dingwall and Inverness is called The Black Isle. After we cycled past Alness and left A9 cycling was good with little traffic. However it was a tough day as we had many long hills to climb with an unremitting northerly wind blowing against us - thankfully it did not rain. Stopped on Guinie Hill ( 660 feet above sea level) and admired beautful views across Dornoch Loch and Kyle of Sutherland; could see clearly mountains 20 miles away. Stopped at Bonar Bridge for soup and cheese roll. Cycled alongside Kyle of Sutherland, past Carbisdale Castle and Falls of Shin to Lairg. Jeff had underestimated ! our milage ( Linda said not for the first time ! ) and we were now getting very tired. Cycled beside Loch Shin- by now the road was single track - a few cars came in the opposite direction but not a single vehicle overtook us. Cycled through Dalchork Wood but mostly very barren Sutherland landscape with moorland and pine plantations. It was reasonably flat, although gradually going up hill. Very few houses - a very wild area. Eventually came to the Crask Inn. We had been warned about it, but had also met a cyclist that day who had stayed the previous night and said the food was brilliant so we were not sure what to expect. In fact the evening was one of the highlights of our trip, not least because David and Morven, from Islay who were over staying with Morven's sister in Alness had taken the trouble to drive for nearly an hour to spend the evening with us. The room was excellent with a comfortable bed. It had been very cold all day so the central heating was on so we were able to wash and dry all our clothes. Just as we arrived - literally within two minutes David and Morven drove up. after a few photos we settled into the bar and had some drinks and then some more. Dinner was excellent; three of us had venison stew and dumplings and Morven had goats cheese and tomato tart. The Inn had two French fisherman, three irish geologists ,five sheep shearers ( two Brits, three kiwis) and a number of cyclists - it made for a great atmosphere in the bar. An altogether memorable evening. (65 miles and not 47 as Jeff had originally estimated!)

July 9th Kingcraig - Inverness

We started off in rain and arrived in Inverness in rain! It rained on and off all day but the most difficult aspect of cycling was the wind blowing from the north. On occasions Jeff had difficulty holding the tandem on the road. Continued along route7 on an escarpment above river Spey. Avoided Aviemore and A9 as route7 followed B970 with Abernethy Forest on our right. Crossed the Spey at Boat of Gartan and then route 7 followed the A9 to Carrbridge where we stopped for coffee. Once again route 7 very quiet and surfaces good.
Stopped on Findhorn Bridge crossing Findhorn River and took photo's of the two bridges in the distance crossing the river and carrying A9 and railway. Stopped neat Moy and ate our bacon sarnnies. Eventually made it to Inverness and got lost so the B&B owner came and found us in his car and we followed him back to his house. B&B ok saved for the fact that the boiler had just broken and therefore no hot water! So we are sitting here, sticky and smelly, from our journey. B&B very close to the town centre - from the end of our road we walked down the Market Brae steps and there was the centre of Inverness. Linda immediatley saw a Costa Coffee!
Met tosh and Helen who work in Inverness but live in Nairn. They took us to a chinese " eat as much as you can for a tenner" and we did not let them down. It was great to see them but we will see them again in Pachna when they are out for three weeks staying in their house.
Inverness is a fine city particularly by the river. However effect of credit crunch all too obvious with so many businesses closed down and " for Let" signs everywhere.
Superb breakfast great choice of fruit and cereals plus Scottish breakfast (50 miles)

July 8th Calvine - Kincraig

It was cold so we put on our lycra trousers for the first time and it rained or drizzled on and off for much of the day but we got most pummeling from the Northerly wind. From Calvine we were able to cycle on track - free roads, tracks or paths all the way to Newtonmore. We climbed steadly up the Dromochter Pass - about 15 miles . It was hard because of the winds. Suddenly came across an adult stag with superb antlers grazing beside our path. It was as surprised as we were. Linda tried to photograph it but it was off! Route 7 was really most impressive: just a few areas where the surface was a bit broken up. Coffee at Dalwhinnie, just a hotel and a few houses, really a centre for outdoor activites as we are now officially in the Highlands. The path followed the river and for much of the time the main Inverness railway line. The A9 rumbled to our right. Cycled pastLoch Garry and Loch Ericht. When we got to Newtonmore the river Spey joined our river near Ralia. Had our bacon sarnnies in a park in Kingussie and then on B970 above the river valley of the River Spey. cycled through Insh, a tiny village where Linda's mother was born, and then to Loch Insh and Kincraig which stands at the end of the Loch. The Ossian Hotel seems a little old fashioned and of a good standard. We had a great room with views looking across the Loch to the Monadhliath mountains.
Had a most enjoyable evening. met a local couple with their relative from South Africa all of hume insisted we had their addresses. The lady from Durban particularly keen that we visit her. Excellent meal. Only one other person staying in the hotel - a rep of a firm selling bikes and accessories. We enjoyed our breakfast with him. Jeff had haddock and a poached egg! ( 41 miles)

July 7th Aberfeldy - Calvine

An easy days ride with good weather ie it did not rain! Cycled on route 7 alongside river Tay in full flood after the recent rain. This stretch of river used by National Kayak school. Cycled across River tay on listed viaduct bridge owned by Logierait Bridge Company. Restored 2001 that cost £400.000. Now owned by the local comunity. Crossed A9 and continued on route 7 to Pitlochry where we stopped for coffee. Met a couple doing End to End who set off at about the same time as us and were due to arrive like us on July 12th at John 0' Groats. Found an internet place and updated our blog and then on through Killiecrankie, where the curious name is the best place about the place, passed Blair castle and Blair Atholl and onto Calvine which we reached in record time because the road was flat. Struan Inn not in Calvine but in Struan! Half a mile further down a steep hill which means up a steep hill in the morning.
We have seen over the last few days a number of signs saying "Beware squirrels". Today we came across a sign saying " Beware Red squirrels". I was just saying to Linda that I had never seen a red squirrel when one obligingly ran across the road in front of us. We tried to photogragh it but it was too canny and went too high in the tree.
Struan Gorge has road and rail bridges over the dramatic rapids - water roaring 30 feet below us.
We had dinner by ourselves in a room set to seat 26! Although the landlady had maintained high standards she was in fact trying to sell and she said her heart was no longer in it. It seemed a little sad. It was cold, windy, rainy, and she had the central heating on. She produced a great Scottish breakfast and gave us a generous donation. (50 miles)

July 6th Callendar - Aberfeldy

Had a really dificult day's cycling as it poured with rain from about 9. 20am after we left our
B&B at 8.50am and continued non - stop until 3.40pm ( we arrived at 4pm). We had sleet and thunder. Our wet weather gear once again kept us reasonably dry but with the wind and rain battering against us it made for an uncomfortable day. Set off and cycled along Clyde path 7 along the Falls of Leny - continious rapid for miles. Path not too bad although had to walk in a couple of places. By the time we got to the Kings House Hotel we were dripping wet and in need of a coffee.. AT first the hotel manager was not impressed with two cyclists coming into his hotel with wet capes, jackets, gloves and hats dripping all over his floor but he got over it!Decided to abandon NO 7 cycle path as too treacherous in this weather and took A84 along Glen Ogle, through Lochearnhead. Traffic not too bad. Cycled a further 15 miles to Killin. We stopped at hotel opposite the Falls of Dochart - spectacular rapids, and found the hotel was full of bedraggled cyclists and walkers. 3 guys cycling from Galsgow to Inverness. We had bread and soup ( Culhen Skink and Parsnip and bacon ) Felt restored and continued A827 alongside Loch Tay for 16 miles to kenmore. Dramatic scenery particularly with the low cloud cover hanging over the loch ( and us)! 7 miles from Kenmore we arrived at Aberfeldy - a pretty town. Eventually found Cathy Ross our B&B and Cathy was so welcoming - it was the perfect place to arrive. We were able to hang up on washing lines our wet clothes and then we had tea and freshly baked shortbread with Cathy; she also agreed to wash and dry our clothes! Cathy was a great hostess - she produced a grand breakfast - we had haggis, bacon,sausage,sliced sausage, black pudding and poached egg! Oat cakes, roll, toast and lots of fruit. By the morning all our clothes were dry and clean!