Day Eleven - Fort Augustus to Brora - 97 miles

Today’s Weather Gods: content.

Today’s Bottom State: dead.

Distance Covered: 97 miles.

With a fair distance to cover to reach Brora on the east coast we planned to set off early. As we loaded the car with our unwanted bags the sky overhead was overcast and promised rain and the midges moved into action on our legs. Our route today took us along the remainder of the Great Glen, along the edge of Loch Ness and to Inverness, where we would stop for breakfast. We would then head more directly north, approaching the end of the journey but with one more overnight stop, at Brora on the east coast and some 65 miles from John O’Groats. 

We headed off along the road that ran near the shore of Loch Ness. The skies some miles ahead were clear although we had a couple of showers as we headed the 22 miles to Inverness. It was while we were taking a short break and looking out across the Loch that the most amazing thing happened. There was a ripple on the water and then this great body appeared with a long neck. We were transfixed for only a moment before Paul grabbed his phone and I grabbed my camera. Unfortunately, in his haste, Paul pressed the wrong button and ended up ringing his mum and my camera ran out of space on the card. It was then that the creature became aware of us, hearing the drip, drip, drip of John drooling on the wet ground over what could, perhaps, have been the greatest fish supper of his life. With a swish of its giant fishy tail it disappeared below the surface of the Loch, Lord Lucan riding astride its back on a saddle of the finest Haggis pelt.

Loch Ness

The road to Inverness seemed harder than the day before; the roads were still gently undulating but they seemed just a little steeper and a little shorter than yesterday. And the road was a little rougher.  Before this trip I had been a little concerned over how hard Scotland would be. My analysis was simple: Cornwall has hills that are not that high but are steep and difficult. Scotland has hills that are very high and very steep and so would therefore be very difficult. Fortunately, this is not how it has turned out. The roads in Scotland follow the valley and they have very long but gentle inclines. Our battle hardened legs could cope with this; just get into a good rhythm and keep going.  The descents are equally long and gentle and so you get plenty opportunity to recover from the work you put in going up in the first place. Without doubt, the hardest days were those of Cornwall and Devon.

After Inverness we headed further east to the coast. We identified a cycling route that allowed us, for the first few miles, to avoid the only main road heading north and which took us via a couple of minor villages. It was a great, smooth route but unfortunately the Puncture Pixies had managed to track us down (and their teeth seem to be on a par with those of the midges) and before long we had to stop for Paul to undertake repairs. We continued via Alness, which from a distance seemed to have some rather large skyscrapers for what we thought was a small village. As we got nearer it became clear that these were oil rigs floating in the Cromarty Firth; this area seems to be key in the support of the oil industry.

The last 20 miles to Brora seemed to take and age, with rough roads and the wind blowing hard into our faces. But we are now ensconced in a pub in the village of Brora and readying ourselves for the last 65 miles to John O’Groats tomorrow morning.

Across to Cromarty Firth

Our first Sign for John O'Groats - 20 miles from Brora