Pitlochry to Kinross

Baking hot day. After applying several layers of suntan cream & insect repellant, all infused with sweat and wood smoke, really needed a shower. So family campsite on a bank hol weekend was a bit of a change!

Packing away all this lot becomes morning routine.

Followed river tay for most of the day. Following photos along the route.

Plenty of hills today, but more concerned with getting over them and never thought of stopping for photos.

Nice cycle route into perth. 

Caffeine and sugar boost needed towards end if afternoon.

Scorching sun today.

The route basically follows the transport corridor that is the A9 and railway, though i actually never rode on the A9. Today 57 miles from Aviemore to Pitlochry. 

 Many thanks to my mate Geoff who gave the idea for this ride and also from who i cribbed the idea for thus bike stand i made yesterday from fishing and tent parts. Got fed up of struggling taking panniers on/off single handed.

 

Need to get a selfie stick!

Early set off 6am. Hot still night.

Thought if i ate breakfast in the forest, mozzies would eat me. Breakfast picnic courtesy of rspb reserve picnic area.

nice river gorge

Nice and quiet. Sun all day.

Along side A9

Not so close this time. Road summit was 1500 feet high.

Inverness to the Cairngorms

The whole area around inverness feels more like france than the uk with building and house design. This is the uni campus... new and deserted.

The route roughly follows the thundering A9. But completely avoids it.

Clava Cairns. Prehistoric burials.Coach loads of tourists and kilted tour guides.

Interesting new wooden railway bridge.

Lunch stop at Tomatin village store.

Railway cutting....wouldn't it be easier to go around the rock?

Couple i met cycling from lands end. She was originally from Hayfield!

Again thinking of france....sunshine and the smell of pine forests.

The mighty Caingorms loom.

Well earned cake stop at aviemore and one of the worlds best cake shops..ask cate!

Wild camp in the forest.

Soon as the tent is up, out come the midges and mozzies. Cooking by real fire keeps them away.

Back to civilisation...for a bit

Spent much of today along side Dornoch and Cromarty Firths. Surprisingly flat. Cromarty ferry out of action because the berth colapsed so the route goes a longer way around.
So far i have been glad i chose the sustrans route. Keeps away from busy roads and steep inclines. And it is so well signed that you could almost navigate without a map. I do have a cycle gps but it is very moody and glitchy. If had had to rely on it, it would probably have been chuvked in the loch by now.
Proper campsite at inverness tomorrow, so decent shower instead of river water.

Flat landscape alongside durnoch firth

First cafe stop since leaving home.

This is the sustrans alternative to part of the notorious A9

Final crossing to inverness.

Wind turbine blades. Cycle is ting spec bottom left for scale.

Sun cream and shorts

Bought a cheap wooley hat and fleece in Thurso yesterday. Today the sunscreen is out. Cool nip in the wind but hot otherwise in the afternoon. Late start messing around like you do. 60 miles.

Swiss Peter. 1200miles into a 3000 mile trip

Pick up provisions when you pass them Managed to get a juicy orange from this shop.

Last view of the coast....now turning south at Tongue.

If only all A road were this quiet. A car passes every 5-10mins

No one around for miles

A quick drink at the Crask Inn to say hello to friends of Hywel & Sylvia. Isolated pub on its own. 

Off the beaten track

This bit was ok. Carrying bike up steps at both ends wasn't.

Tonights wild camp. A forest ledge.

Gentle build up?

Promised myself i would build mileage up. But somehow ended up doing 62 miles on first day! Still, enjoyable day, good weather and scenery.

Brilliant wild camp site by river with bbq chicken for tea.

Everybody, thanks for comments and messages. Sorry I can't reply to you all, i am having to snatch phone reception when i can.

Dounreay nuclear plant in the middle of nowhere.

Starting to get hilly

Regularly pass near the coast

Started........brrrrrr.

Quite a few doubts set in last night as arrived in Wick at 6.30 pm and then I cycled the 17 miles to JOG into a cold strong NE  headwind. Camped just outside jog and struggled to keep warm during the night. It is a lot colder up here. Enormous task ahead!

 A new day and set off at 8am. By 9.45 have covered 24 miles and am stopped at Thurso Tesco for coffee and to find a cheap fleece.

Very flat and exposed part of the country.

Feeling a lot more positive after some warm food. Aim is to do 50 miles a day. May not sound a lot to sports riders but bike with gear is about 40-45kg!