Day 2 Crask Inn to Drumnadrochit

Wednesday 15 June 11pm

I slept very well last night with a nest of swallows above my head who were twittering when I awoke at 5am (it didn’t go dark until 11.30). Breakfast was planned at 7.30 but I think it was delayed while they baked the bread. Porridge was served with salt and unfortunately I could not finish it. This really was gruel – oats in a salty water with a very unpleasant texture; very Charles Dickens and 19^th century workhouse food.  

Whilst waiting for breakfast Mark exclaimed that he’s just seen a foal run across the road. I looked out of the window and couldn’t see it. Where is it I asked? Behind the stone wall he said. I thought it must have been a very small horse because the wall was only a couple of feet high and it didn’t reappear but I didn’t pursue the matter until recounting the story this evening. Apparently it wasn’t a foal that ran across the road but a vole. This caused much hilarity.

The ride started off with a 30 mile slow descent into Bonar Bridge which was the first town we had seen since Thurso some 90 miles back. Then followed a steep climb of 500 feet over a couple of miles which we all took at our own pace.  If the climb ratings are to be believed this is the hardest climb on our trip. At the top we got good views over Dornoch Firth followed by next descent down into Dingwall for a fish and chips lunch. We’d just done 50 miles at lover 14 miles per hour which was good going compared to yesterday and only left 23 miles for the afternoon.  By the end of the day we’d done 73 miles at 13.8mph including another steep hill which was very steep coming down so we were on brakes all the way.

The day would otherwise have been incident free if (i) an old lady had not turned right directly in front of me in the small town of Muir of Ord – I stopped in time but it could have been different and I was sufficiently annoyed to have uttered a few loud words; it certainly pumped up my adrenaline and I shot away from the other guys for a couple of miles and (ii) I had remembered to uncleat myself  when stopping to talk with 8 end to enders going the other way – fortunately Mark was there to stop me falling over and making people laugh (again).

The hotel itself at Polmaily is again deserving of a book.  Unfortunately I don’t have time to cover it fully tonight.  Fawlty Towers with bats comes to mind or the Doolally Hotel as the resident Major calls it. Patrick and Jane Bradley came over from Inverness to have dinner with us and we were able to share our experiences over 6 large plates of Spaghetti Bolognese which had been specially prepared for us - once we established the restaurant would be open (it wasn’t, then it was), that standard menu of Beef Wellington etc wasn’t quite what we had in mind and we would go into town as we wanted pasta.  No draught beer (or lime or lemonade) so nothing to report.  The hotel is the place where J M Barrie wrote Peter Pan and the Queen Mother was a regular visitor. It is also home to Highland Bats as Alan discovered when he went back to our room and found one flying around – I wish I had seen him crawling around the floor to take evasive action. Having said all of this the hotel is very welcoming and the rooms are very comfortable.   

Highlight of the day: The home made black pudding for breakfast devoured while trying to forget the porridge and wondering where the foal went.

Surprise of the day: Old lady pulling out in front of me.

Body report: Still holding out better than expected although lump has appeared on my little toe.

Expectations for tomorrow:   Flat 85 mile ride by side of Loch Ness and Loch Lochie.