Day 18: June 4

Tomintoul to Inverness

84 km / 850 m

We are now in whisky country, crossing Spey Bridge into Grantown-on-Spey.  Next we stop at a beautiful little picnic spot at Dulcie Bridge and onto Inverness.  Time allowing you may wish to visit Cawdor Castle (Macbeth) and the battle fields at Culloden.  Tonight you are free to look round Inverness and take in the sights and flavours.

Well, I'm glad I didn't bother with a lot of sunscreen today......  I can't remember the last time I wore full legs on a bike ride; probably on the Gulf Islands trip sometime before the pandemic.  But I had thrown my "legs" in the bag this time and thought today might be a good day to put them on.  Forecast was for cool temps, high winds (head & cross), and a high likelihood of precipitation.  It rained a bit while we were having breakfast but then cleared up to start our ride.  As a precaution, though, I packed my phone away in a waterproof bag for safe-keeping.  Too much of my life essentials are on there to risk getting it wet.  So naturally, the scenery was spectacular from the get-go, and I'm sorry I wasn't able to take any pictures.  Oh well.......  After a few miles I did dig it out.

At least the 20% was in our favour today.

The rebound on the other side was only listed at 13%.  I thought I would be walking some of  it, but managed to stay on the bike.

A look back from near the top, and a look forward.  The reason I stopped there was that it was starting to rain.  On went the rain gear and away went the phone/camera.  Throughout the day I feel like I stopped about 37 times to put clothes on or take them off.  After this point it rained for about 5+ miles.  Of course, by the time it actually stops raining the drops on my sunglasses are so numerous that I really can't see whether it's raining or not.  As we gained elevation into the more barren landscape the wind was more apparent as well.  It was gusting all day and we were constantly changing direction, so at times it was a headwind and at other times a crosswind (from the west).  Rarely, it was a tailwind.  Sometimes it was taking my full concentration just to keep the bike upright and on a straight line.  As I mentioned one other day, I find the constant noise of the wind can be a bit draining as well.    

Peter had set our first tea break at 22 miles, at "Diva".  I was thinking Diva was the name of a cafe, but when we found him set up with snacks outside the van, the only building in sight was this AA Box (which he had mentioned there would be).  Apparently this road junction is called "Dava".  This building apparently is a "motoring call box", or "sentry box".  Over time about 1000 of these boxes existed in Scotland.  They were first introduced by the Automobile Association starting in 1912.  In those early days when cars were prone to breaking down, the AA employed patrolmen to help its members and their sentry boxes provided shelter for its patrolmen.  The patrolmen would man the boxes, providing motorists with roadside assistance, directions, and first aid.  Each sentry box carried its own unique number which helped the AA dispatch patrolmen to a specific location.  Following the development of the telephone, these were fitted and members were given a key so that they could use the telephone.  By 1968 the AA started phasing out its sentry boxes and by 2002 all AA phones were decommissioned due to the widespread ownership of mobile phones.  Today there are believed to be 19 surviving boxes, just 2% of the boxes installed.      

 Rain was threatening again, so everything was packed away. But then we got on this gorgeous quiet road so out came the camera - until it started to rain again. We also got hailed on a few times during the day; ouch!  

At some point we passed the Dulsie Bridge.  Stopped to read the sign (Robbie Burns was here!), but I’m sorry I didn’t get the camera out; the bridge runs over a gorgeous canyon. 

We stopped at this bridge for yet another wardrobe change.  Can't recall if it was before or after Dulsie Bridge.

 Lunch was scheduled to be at the Clava Cairns at about mile 44.  As we descended towards lunch I dug out the camera again for this beautiful bridge - the Culloden Viaduct.  This bridge was built by the Highland Railway and was opened in 1889.  It is still used today as the main rail link into the Highlands.  It's the longest masonry viaduct in Scotland at 1800 feet (549  m) long.  There are 29 arches.  It is built in sandstone.  The 100 foot wide central arch reaches across the River Nairn, with 14 arches on either side all 50 feet wide.  I was thinking maybe it wasn't in use anymore because there appeared to be trees growing out of the top of it.

On to a picnic lunch at Clava Cairns.  I just took a quick peek at the site.  The Clava Cairns are about 4,000 years old (Bronze Age) and were built to house the dead.  By the time I finished munching it was starting to spit again.  Back on the bikes and shortly we passed by the Culloden Battlefield, but with rain coming down once more we took a pass and headed straight for the hotel. The Culloden Battlefield is a monument to the final Jacobite Rising.  On April 16 1746, the final Jacobite Rising came to a brutal head.  Jacobite supporters, seeking to restore the Stuart monarchy to the British thrones, gathered to fight the Duke of Cumberland's government troops.  It was the last pitched battle on British soil and, in less than an hour, around 1,500 men were slain - more than 1,000 of them Jacobites.  

So - it was just a few final miles into Inverness.  It looks like a nice little city, and I'll be back here for a few days at the end of the trip to explore a bit more.  BTW - showers continued on and off into the evening.........

Just three more days left.  The legs are holding out.  I must say, though, that the days are easier when I stop a lot for photos.  Not sure how much more of that I'll be doing.  Tomorrow's forecast looks similar to today.  Cool, windy, and potentially wet.  In fact, that pretty much describes the forecast right through to the end...........  Oh well...........

Inverness:

Population:  61,000

Inverness is a city in the Scottish Highlands and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands.  It is the northernmost city in the UK.  At the latest, a settlement was established by the 6th century with the first royal charter being granted by King David I in the 12th century.  Thanks to its often violent history, though, few buildings of real age or historical significance have survived.  Inverness is one of Europe's fastest growing cities, with a quarter of the Highland population living in or around it.  In 2008, Inverness was ranked 5th out of 189 British cities for its quality of life, the highest of any Scottish city.  Inverness is situated at the mouth of the River Ness.  Nearby Loch Ness is Scotland's largest lake and, of course, home to Nessie the Loch Ness Monster.  By volume, the loch contains more water than all the lakes in England and Wales added together.

Hotel:  The Coo's Guest House   www.thecoosguesthouse.com

The Coo’s Guest House is a family friendly property located in a traditional Victorian Villa within walking distance to Inverness city centre, train and bus station.

The guest house has nine modern bedrooms fully ensuite, with WI-FI, Smart-TV, hair dryer and hospitality tray.

Ride Stats:

84.0 km

891 m (2923 feet)

The Route: