Day 4 - Heathcote to Seymour -55kms
Last evening we had a great "final dinner" at David's house. The BBQ was expertly prepared by Ellio and the salads by Jeff. Sitting out on the verandah was a very pleasant experience enjoying great food, company and some good red wines ( some from the Heathcote region courtesy of Dave). Although there was a bit of lightening and thunder, the rain stayed away so we could talk about the issues of the day!!!!
After a good night of sleep it was up early (courtesy of the galahs swarking !) and in to breakfast consisting of bacon and eggs on toast expertly cooked by Dave ...what a way to start the day. After cleaning up we were on our way at about 8.30am to Seymour...
Our first stop was at an old gold mining site just out of Heathcote to see what the miners did to the land when they used "water blasting" to separate gold bearing rock from the soil....It has left the area much like a "mars landscape" and the land is unable to be used...
Leaving Heathcote it was up the Mc Ivor Highway north to Tooborac for morning tea. Along the way we decided to ride as a group with rotating leaders which we have tried unsuccessfully on other rides...So it was with some trepidation that Phil organized this part of the ride ( approx. 20kms)....well surprise, surprise ....it actually worked and in to a rather strong southerly breeze it made for good riding....Well done Phil!
After some good coffee at Tooborac it was on to Seymour with the wind coming over our right shoulder. It made for very fast riding often hitting speeds of over 40 km/h. Along the road we passed the Puckapunyal Army Camp which brought back memories to me of my Army Cadet days at school.
Arriving in Seymour at about midday we found an excellent café opposite the rail station for lunch.
Those who were heading back to Melbourne by train sorted out the timetable and Jeff, Anthony, Ray and I packed the ute and headed home by car. We had a slight deviation back to Seymour as I lost my "pouch" with my money clip and credit cards...bugger really but all my fault!
As this is the last pot for this trip it is important to thank Gary Giles for his excellent organization on what was a great 4 days and to thank Dave for his hospitality in Heathcote.
The memories of the trip will stay with those who participated forever.
According to my Garmin we travelled about 265kms over very pretty country with good weather and great company....congrats to all wheeliebinners who came on the journey
Ellio "cooking up a storm" on the BBQ
Jeff preparing the salads...tasted great!!
Enjoying a great final dinner
Yes this is Dave's heaven!!...note the lovely gum tree!
Some the kangaroos who were interested in looking at us!
Looking at the mine site in Heathcote where they water blasted the soil!!!
Along the road from Tooborac to Seymour ...outside Puckapunyal
Ellio "cooking up a storm" on the BBQ
Jeff preparing the salads...tasted great!!
Enjoying a great final dinner
Yes this is Dave's heaven!!...note the lovely gum tree!
Some the kangaroos who were interested in looking at us!
Looking at the mine site in Heathcote where they water blasted the soil!!!
Along the road from Tooborac to Seymour ...outside Puckapunyal
Day 3 - Castlemaine to Heathcote - 61 kms
A monument recording the start of the Gold Rush...note the guy walked to Chewton from Williamstown ( near Melbourne)
The ute in the rain at Redesdale...what a thunderstorm!!
...but under shelter having a coffee and good home made cakes!!!
Today the weather was a little wet with thunder storms looming for most of the ride. The temp was in the high 20's for the ride and the wind was light , the road surfaces were good and we had a mixture of flatish terrain with some rolling hills....all of this made for good riding with good speed on the roads.
We started at about 8.00m with a ride around Castlemaine looking for a coffee shop to get an early morning "hit" ahead of the ride....well Castlemaine is very "sleepy" with virtually no shops open for business so we settled on the coffee shop at the railway station....quite good coffee in a different location! ( see photo later)
After coffee it was on with the ride through some lovely country...mainly sheep country as opposed to the past few days which was very much cropping country ( wheat and canola). This area also has a rich history in gold mining which saw it as a key area of mining in the gold rush of the 1850's. During the ride we had a few drops of rain which required us to put on wet weather gear at different times. We made it to our lunch stop at Redesdale by 11.00am which was very early and we decided to have a coffee break....very lucky as the weather closed in with a heavy thunderstorm...lighting and thunder and a lot of rain. Lucky for us we settled in at the coffee shop enjoying good coffee and cakes sheltered from the storm.
After waiting about an hour and a half we "braved" the elements to resume the remaining 25kms to Heathcote. This ride was over some 'rolling hills" with some steeper parts ( 12-14%) and some good downhill runs...all made for great times!
We arrived at Heathcote at about 1.30pm. we are staying at Dave Little's holiday home which is terrific and "very comfortable". Dave's daughter has the house next door which means we can spread out a little in to good rooms which means we can isolate the heavy snorers such as Ellio and myself!
Seems there might be a good night of sleep for some who are looking a bit weary after a night or 2 of interrupted sleep.
Dave has a great set up with a house which makes the best of the views and has good outdoor eating and entertainment areas.
Tonight we will enjoy the great cooking that is anticipated with Ellio's reputation as a great cook. Good food, great location and fabulous company....what more can you want!
Enjoy the photo's....
Coffee at Castlemaine railway station...
A monument recording the start of the Gold Rush...note the guy walked to Chewton from Williamstown ( near Melbourne)
The ute in the rain at Redesdale...what a thunderstorm!!
...but under shelter having a coffee and good home made cakes!!!
Day 2- Daylesford to Castlemaine- 86Kms
Some of the faming country....
After ride beer with the group!
Today was a reasonably hot day with the temps in the high 20's to start with and then in the middle of the day it was in the mid 30's with reasonably high humidity...tough in the middle of the day....
We started from Daylesford at about 8.30 after a good breakfast. There was a bit of a shower for the 2 km ride in to the town then after that it was reasonably clear. The trip through to Hepburn Springs was largely downhill then it was open flatish farmland along the Lodden valley through to the Cairn Curran Reservoir. The wind was from the north so we had a little of a headwind. We stopped at Newstead for coffee in a delightful café. This was well served by some very friendly staff with good coffee and muffins....you will see a photo later.
The trip through to Maldon for lunch was through good farming country with many of the farmers out on their tractors doing the harvest.....
The ride in to Maldon was hot and Maldon sits on the top of the hill which caused us to slowly make our way....Gary was struggling with cramps so I made a run in to town to get the ute to collect Gary so he could recover in the A/C car and over lunch .....He made a good recovery.
Lunch was in a delightful park near the Maldon museum and we had the opportunity to visit the history of the area courtesy of the women who ran the venue. Bill Woodfull came from Maldon (Middle name is Maldon after the town where his father was the local minister). Rather topical given Bill's cricket past and the Ashes Test being played in Brisbane.
After a rest and lunch it was off for the final 15 kms to Castlemaine with a largely downhillroad and the wind behind our backs....made for good riding.
we arrived at about 3.30pm and settled in tour cabins with a couple of beers...very pleasant!!
A good day of riding but tough in the middle of the day due to the heat!
Morning Tea at Newstead...Lovely café
Some of the faming country....
After ride beer with the group!
Pictures from today's ride
Gary our leader
Day 1- 24 November- Ballan to Daylesford
An early start ) 6.30am) to pack the "ute" and collect the "boys" that were accompanying me to the Ballan rail station. Those accompanying me were Anthony, Ray and Jeff. we made good time to Ballan and were in time to have a coffee and pick up rolls and bread for lunch. The others (Gary, Phil. Chris, Frank, Dave and Ellio) made their way successfully by train to Ballan and we were on our way by about 11.00am.
I took 'first turn" at driving the ute as we make regular changes so everyone has a turn off then bike.
The weather was in the high 20's and was quite humid so riding was quite hot.....
The roads were very good and quiet so the riding was good...not many hills, just rolling country.
After meeting the guys at Gordon it was "on the bike" for my ride.... quite pleasant really
We had lunch at the Korweinguboora oval which quite nice although the grass needed a good mow.
After lunch it was on the Daylesford where we are staying the night. We are staying a little out of town at Jubilee Lake and are in camp cottages which are quite comfortable.There is some local wild life ( Lyrebirds) which are quite pretty.
A good first day
I am afraid that the WIFI is poor and downloading pictures is impossible.
4 Day Ride Coming Up
I have a 4 day ride through central Victoria coming up next week from Friday 24 November to Monday 27 November.
10 of us from the "wheeliebinners" riding group in Melbourne are doing a supported ride through some interesting country with distances of about 65kms each day.
Hope you enjoy the blogs each day....
Peter Harrison
I have a 4 day ride through central Victoria coming up next week from Friday 24 November to Monday 27 November.
10 of us from the "wheeliebinners" riding group in Melbourne are doing a supported ride through some interesting country with distances of about 65kms each day.
Hope you enjoy the blogs each day....
Peter Harrison
Better Copy Of Stats
Better Copy Of Stats
I am afraid the totals were a bit unclear so here are the stats again....
| Lands End to John O'Groats Trip July 2017 | ||||
| Stage | Distance Kms | Calories | Max Speed | Elev Gain |
| Tongue to John O'Groats | 114.56 | 10,052 | 49.5 | 1,294 |
| Bonar Bridge to Tongue | 79.23 | 6,533 | 50.2 | 610 |
| Drumnadrochit to Bonar Bridge | 80.75 | 7,223 | 59.5 | 888 |
| Fort Willian to Drumnadrochit | 85.12 | 6,648 | 48.5 | 462 |
| Bridge of Awe to Fort William | 89.47 | 6,693 | 47.6 | 530 |
| Arrochar to Bridge of Awe | 73.51 | 6,127 | 52.6 | 852 |
| Strathaven to Arrochar | 98.77 | 6,331 | 45.1 | 431 |
| Moffat to Strathaven | 92.53 | 7,879 | 52.9 | 1,045 |
| Armathwaite to Moffat | 95.38 | 7,595 | 49.6 | 757 |
| Dent to Armathwaite | 88.72 | 8,038 | 56.6 | 1,268 |
| Hurst Green to Dent | 63.52 | 6,485 | 44.8 | 1,499 |
| Acton Bridge to Hurst Green | 97.15 | 7,873 | 50.2 | 1,222 |
| Harmer Hill to Acton Bridge | 80.23 | 5,863 | 46.4 | 682 |
| Weobley to Harmer Hill ( Shrewsbury) | 91.28 | 7,220 | 41.6 | 973 |
| Chepstow to Weobley | 87.16 | 7,094 | 46.5 | 1,059 |
| Cheddar to Chepstow | 73.74 | 5,918 | 43.6 | 949 |
| Sampford Peverell to Cheddar | 75.22 | 5,913 | 40.9 | 884 |
| Tavistock to Sampford Peverell | 91.5 | 7,816 | 51.9 | 1,387 |
| Perranporth to Tavistok | 92.29 | 8,839 | 44.5 | 1,951 |
| Lands End to Perranporth | 69.16 | 6,125 | 52.9 | 969 |
| Totals | 1719.29 | 142,265 | 19,712 | |
| Average | 85.96 | 7113.25 | ||
Back Home - 4th August 2017
Back Home - 4th August 2017
I am now back home in "cold and wet" Melbourne after the ride. The temperature yesterday was 9 degrees and it was a far cry from the ride conditions we had in the UK.
The trip back from John O'Groats was fairly uneventful with the bus trip back with most of the fellow riders to Inverness a celebration of a few glasses of champagne completing the ride, the handing out of certificates to record our achievements by Mike.
After a brief chat with a few in the bar at our hotel it was off to bed to get ready for the long train trip to London next morning.
At breakfast a few of us said our goodbyes to Rob and Mike ( our incredible leaders) and Steve ( from Tassie), Jane and Dave made our way to Inverness station for the trip home.....I might say Helen joined us as the "waving goodbye" party...thanks Helen for joining us ahead of your trip home...
The long trip home have me an opportunity to down load my Garmin on to a spreadsheet which summarized the statistics for my trip....see later
On arrival in London some 6 hours later it was back to the Caledonian Club where I was staying for a good night of sleep ahead on my last day in London.
Awaking early I arranged to get my bike packed for the plane flight back home and then did some shopping in Oxford st.....I hate shopping at the best of times and the crowds...YUCK!!!
After finishing shopping I did some packing then travelled by train to meet a long standing friend at his home in South Bromley. Ian and Liz Dalton gave me a wonderful meal and together with his brother ( Tim) and daughter and Tim's daughter we had a delightful night of catching up...I got back to London at about midnight...
The next morning it was an early start ( 5.30 am pickup to the airport) for the flight back home.
It was great to get home....apart from the cold.....and see the family.
Great to see my wife Robyn after a month away.
Here are the statistics of my ride....
The only other statistic is that I had one puncture and my bike performed excellently despite the old fella who peddled on it!!!
| Lands End to John O'Groats Trip July 2017 | ||||
| Stage | Distance Kms | Calories | Max Speed | Elev Gain |
| Tongue to John O'Groats | 114.56 | 10,052 | 49.5 | 1,294 |
| Bonar Bridge to Tongue | 79.23 | 6,533 | 50.2 | 610 |
| Drumnadrochit to Bonar Bridge | 80.75 | 7,223 | 59.5 | 888 |
| Fort William to Drumnadrochit | 85.12 | 6,648 | 48.5 | 462 |
| Bridge of Awe to Fort William | 89.47 | 6,693 | 47.6 | 530 |
| Arrochar to Bridge of Awe | 73.51 | 6,127 | 52.6 | 852 |
| Strathaven to Arrochar | 98.77 | 6,331 | 45.1 | 431 |
| Moffat to Strathaven | 92.53 | 7,879 | 52.9 | 1,045 |
| Armathwaite to Moffat | 95.38 | 7,595 | 49.6 | 757 |
| Dent to Armathwaite | 88.72 | 8,038 | 56.6 | 1,268 |
| Hurst Green to Dent | 63.52 | 6,485 | 44.8 | 1,499 |
| Acton Bridge to Hurst Green | 97.15 | 7,873 | 50.2 | 1,222 |
| Harmer Hill to Acton Bridge | 80.23 | 5,863 | 46.4 | 682 |
| Weobley to Harmer Hill ( Shrewsbury) | 91.28 | 7,220 | 41.6 | 973 |
| Chepstow to Weobley | 87.16 | 7,094 | 46.5 | 1,059 |
| Cheddar to Chepstow | 73.74 | 5,918 | 43.6 | 949 |
| Sampford Peverell to Cheddar | 75.22 | 5,913 | 40.9 | 884 |
| Tavistock to Sampford Peverell | 91.5 | 7,816 | 51.9 | 1,387 |
| Perranporth to Tavistok | 92.29 | 8,839 | 44.5 | 1,951 |
| Lands End to Perranporth | 69.16 | 6,125 | 52.9 | 969 |
| Totals | 1719.29 | 142,265 | 19,712 | |
| Average | 85.96 | 7113.25 | ||
July 29- Tongue to John O'Groats- 114.6kms
July 29- Tongue to John O'Groats- 114.6kms
Some of the coastline....
Note the sandy beaches and sand dunes....
Looking towards the North Sea...
Part of a long descent.....woooowwwww!!!
My descending has improved on this trip...
Looking towards the Orkney Islands...
...and again....
The boat harbour at Castletown....
The most northern part of mainland UK....
The sign to prove it!!!!
...and the lighthouse....
Not much else!
Yes here I am at JOG!!!!
With the trusty bike which did not let me down....only one puncture
Could not be happier!!!!
There was a real expectation in the air this morning at breakfast as we prepared ourselves for the final day "on the road" to John O'Groats (JOG).
The day was one of the longer rides for the trip so we made sure we were on the road by about 8.00am.
The weather was coolish ( 14) with cloud cover and some wind...later in the day we had some rain showers...not significant fortunately
The first few kms were fairly difficult with some steeper road as we got our climbing legs in to gear. After Bettyhill the road had several very steep bits for about 20kms as we negotiated some hilly country.
I started out with Steve and Jane but they soon left me and for about 45kms I was riding on my own...probably the 3rd ride on the road for our group. I was happy with this as it gave me some real time to reflect on the trip and to consider how luck I have been to be able to enjoy it both in terms of seeing country I have never seen before and meeting such a wonderful and friendly group.
After Melvich (42kms) I was feeling quite hungry and was looking for somewhere to eat but in this remote part of the world there was nothing really open...I spoke to the owner of the art galley in Melvich and she said I would have to wait another 30kms to get to a shop.....luckily I was given a banana at breakfast so I was able to get some sustenance!
I slowed down a bit at this time to allow Chris to join me on the ride and we continued together right through the JOG. It was a far more pleasant ride also as the road flattened out considerably and for much of it we had a wind on our backs.
Chris and I agreed that we would take a longer route to see Dunnet Head which is the most northerly part of the UK mainland....nothing much to see really except for a lighthouse which was constructed by a relative ( grandfather I think) of Robert Louis Stevenson the author.
After that it was on for the final run in to JOG and we arrived at about 2.15 and were presented with our medals and had our photos taken at the JOG sign....
The tour company ( Bike Adventures) had arranged for us all to have showers in a local pub which was great ahead of the bus trip back to Inverness.
We also had some food and drink to get some energy back after a "hardish" ride
JOG is really somewhat of a biking mecca and there were many riders staring and finishing LEJOG trips. So it was quite exciting to hear the tales from others who had done the journey. I spoke to one group who had done the trip in 9 days riding over 100 miles (160kms) each day...what an effort!
Unfortunately Chris and Steve were not travelling with us back to Inverness by bus so we had to say our goodbyes. Steve met his wife (Sarah) and they were going to the Orkney Islands for a break...Chris also was continuing his unsupported riding sojourn through the UK. He will be going to the Orkney Islands as well as visiting the Western Islands of Scotland ( Skye, Mull etc) and then travelling back to London via the East coast....Hope he has safe travels!
When the bus arrived at about 6.45pm....we loaded our bags on and proceeded on the 2 hr trip to Inverness. Mike from Bike Adventures presented us all with our certificates of achievement and we all had a celebratory champagne as we motored back.
Today we climbed 1294 metres which was mostly in the first half of the ride.
I will record the final statistics for the ride in a later blog post
Now for the photos....
Today's route...
Some of the coastline....
Note the sandy beaches and sand dunes....
Looking towards the North Sea...
Part of a long descent.....woooowwwww!!!
My descending has improved on this trip...
Looking towards the Orkney Islands...
...and again....
The boat harbour at Castletown....
The most northern part of mainland UK....
The sign to prove it!!!!
Not much else!
Yes here I am at JOG!!!!
With the trusty bike which did not let me down....only one puncture
Could not be happier!!!!
Photos from today- 28th July
Photos from today- 28th July
There is a manor house in there which was owned by the Duke of Westminster
It was the subject of his divorce settlement ...his former wife now owns it
The Falls of Shin....quite pretty....no salmon jumping up stream unfortunately!!!
An upstream view of the Falls...
Our group's bikes at the top of the staircase to the falls....
A view of the Scottish Highlands....
A view up timber logging track
There is a lot of lumbering going on here!!!
A nice road ahead despite a small gradient uphill???
......and no cars!!!
The Crask Inn...good tea and scones
Great hospitality
A long down hill with a view to die for!!!
Another Loch....there is a lot of water on "them there hills"
....and another loch.....
...and another hill....at least we did not climb this one!!!!!
.......and another loch!!
Even more important a long downhill on a good road with no cars....Yeeeeeeee!!
Home for the night and a big celebration on the night before the last ride to J O'G.....
A good pub for dinner
July 28- Bonar Bridge to Tongue- 79.2 kms
July 28- Bonar Bridge to Tongue- 79.2 kms
The other think about Scotland is that there are Lochs everywhere and being a person that come from a dry country it is a great contrast....all very scenic
The remaining 40kms was over excellent roads with fairly undulating country with the occasional steeper part ( 5%) with equally good downhills which made for fast riding.
We were at Tongue before 1,30pm which was some sort of record for our journey so far.
Arriving early it was good to clean the bike ahead of the final day tomorrow and get my clothes sorted out.
The dinner tonight at the Ben Loyal Hotel is going to be our final dinner together as many from the group will be travelling further in Scotland instead of taking the bus back to Inverness.... so it will be a rather happy but sad dinner....I have been told that Scot ( one of the folk from the US) might be playing the guitar for us tonight.
I have not spoken about today's weather so.....it was cloudy with temps in the mid teens and we had a gentle breeze in our backs all day...made for great riding.
The ride group for me today was the "3 Amigos"of Steve Chris and myself...all good fun!
Photos will have to be posted later as the WIFI at Tongue is slow....
Todays Route....
It is hard to believe that today is the second last day of the ride.....gee time goes fast when you are having this much fun and meeting so many wonderful people with so many great stories to tell of what they have done and will do in the future....
I have described this journey as something like "Canterbury Tales" where there is a journey to a destination but the conversations with those on the journey are almost as interesting as the journey itself.
Today, Steve and I had a 6km ride to catch the rest of the group who were staying at a hotel at Invershin rather than at Bonar Bridge. We made really good time but missed the briefing from Rob.... No real problem as Steve from Tassie gave us the information we needed for the ride and it was only a "one pager" of instructions.
The first stop was at the Falls of Shin which were quite pretty and we were supposed to see the salmon making their way upstream for spawning....I did not see anything but the story seemed a good one!
Amazing when you think of it really that adult Salmon make their way back to their original place of birth to spawn after travelling in the ocean for years...nature has these wonderful mysteries really.
After this it was off to the next stop at the Crask Inn for tea ( about 40kms in to the ride) and scones which had been organized for us all by Bike Adventures....This place is virtually out in the middle of nowhere in the "moor country" but the hospitality of the family who own the pub/B&B was most friendly and the scones were YUM!!!
After "refuelling" it was on the bikes with a lovely ride through the Scottish highlands. I hope the picture I took give you some idea of the remoteness of this part of Scotland where there is basically moor type country with occasional softwood forests which are logged for building timber. The timber industry in the northern part of Scotland is very big and it seems that there are timber jinkers everywhere.The other think about Scotland is that there are Lochs everywhere and being a person that come from a dry country it is a great contrast....all very scenic
The remaining 40kms was over excellent roads with fairly undulating country with the occasional steeper part ( 5%) with equally good downhills which made for fast riding.
We were at Tongue before 1,30pm which was some sort of record for our journey so far.
Arriving early it was good to clean the bike ahead of the final day tomorrow and get my clothes sorted out.
The dinner tonight at the Ben Loyal Hotel is going to be our final dinner together as many from the group will be travelling further in Scotland instead of taking the bus back to Inverness.... so it will be a rather happy but sad dinner....I have been told that Scot ( one of the folk from the US) might be playing the guitar for us tonight.
I have not spoken about today's weather so.....it was cloudy with temps in the mid teens and we had a gentle breeze in our backs all day...made for great riding.
The ride group for me today was the "3 Amigos"of Steve Chris and myself...all good fun!
Photos will have to be posted later as the WIFI at Tongue is slow....
Todays Route....
27 July- Drumnadchrochit to Bonar Bridge- 80.8kms
27 July- Drumnadchrochit to Bonar Bridge- 80.8kms
The river near Beauly...
The view over the Firth Estuary...
Another view looking inland over the Firth estuary
Looking over the moors near the top of the second climb....
The North Sea in the distance.
A bad shot of some Heather!!!
Another view of the coastline....
Looking towards the North Sea.
We saw some oil rigs coming in for repairs as we climbed up the hill...
Steve at the top of the second climb....
A view towards Bonar Bridge from the top of the second climb
Steve taking a photo of Jane ( in pink) and Helen at the top of the second climb
Home for the night at Kyle House
Very comfortable!!!!
Steve at the door....
Well another contrast again.....seems that Scotland has this ability to surprise us all!
Compared to yesterday with wet weather....today was virtually without rain and we even had some sunny patches....
I think I might have mentioned that after the ride yesterday I was so wet and muddy that I hopped in to the shower fully clothed with my helmet and bike shoes on to warm up and wash everything!!!
Well today it was simply gorgeous with some wonderful scenery as we made our way north along a lot of the East coast looking at the Firth estuary from "on high" in the moor country.
The start of the ride included a 2.6km climb where some of the gradient was at 15% which was rather challenging but once up in the high country what view we had!!
The descent from the climb was quite thrilling with me topping out at speeds of nearly 60kph and at one stage covering 8kms in 13 minutes.....Fast for me!!!
We passed through some lovely town of Beauly and Muir of Ord , Cannon Bridge ( where we had a coffee after 31kms) and Dingwall where after a short climb we had some wonderful views of the Firth Estuary....
Shortly after this we arrived in Evanton which could be described as a town somewhat "past its prime". After discussing the situation with Rob from the tour group he said it would be best to have lunch at Evanton rather than push on to Bonar Bridge where we had been allocated some "dodgy' accommodation.
We took Rob's advice and had a "sandwich lunch" ( 46 kms in to ride). Steve, Chris and I were joined by Helen , Ian and Lorna for lunch and we had a great conversation together...solving the problems of the world!!!!
After lunch it was on to Bonar Bridge...but we had another climb of about 10kms (initially steep then more gentle) through open moorland and fairly rugged country...but the views were stunning of the coastline and estuaries. The final descent in to Bonar Bridge was good.
As I noted earlier, we were advised our hotel was going to be "average at best"...so when we arrived at about 3.30pm we found the hotel was locked up....Steve and I had been allocated rooms here and we took advantage of alternative accommodation at the Kyle House B&B for 50 pounds......
The lady running the B&B ( Sheila....must have come from Aussie!!) was simply charming and took us in hand for the night.
After sorting out our luggage we made our way to the only "eating house" in the town called the Crannag Bistro and the food was quite outstanding. After finishing a meal of beef followed by strawberries and sorbe, both Steve and I had a "wee dram" to make sure we had a good night of sleep.
We had dinner with Dave and Nigel who had both been allocated to the other hotel in town and I think we all agreed that Steve and I had made the right decision to stay at Kyle House.
In summary today was another great day of riding with some hard climbs but some thrilling descents and scenery.
All in all another wonderful day on the trip.
Now for the photos.....
Today's Route
The river near Beauly...
The view over the Firth Estuary...
Looking over the moors near the top of the second climb....
The North Sea in the distance.
Another view of the coastline....
Looking towards the North Sea.
We saw some oil rigs coming in for repairs as we climbed up the hill...
Steve at the top of the second climb....
A view towards Bonar Bridge from the top of the second climb
Steve taking a photo of Jane ( in pink) and Helen at the top of the second climb
Home for the night at Kyle House
Very comfortable!!!!
Steve at the door....
July 26- Fort William to Drumnadrochit- 85.1 km
July 26- Fort William to Drumnadrochit- 85.1 km
At the start we had to negotiate this bridge on foot....
A lot of our group is pictured here with wet weather gear on!!!!
What a contrast....
Ben Nevis cannot be seen for cloud....
Glad we made the visit yesterday to see it
One of the weirs on the river between the Lochs...
Morning tea at last!!!!
June with Walt, Steve ( from Tassie) and Steve ( from UK)
Great coffee and scones!!!
The Caledonian canal... with Walt in the foreground
A lock on the Caledonian canal
Very impressive despite the rain!!!!!!
Home for the night
An average hotel
Well what difference a day can make!!!
Yesterday and the day before Scotland turned on the fine and sunny weather...today it was very wet with drizzle and rain for all of the ride. This combined with most of the ride being on main roads made for HARD RIDING.
At briefing in Fort William the weather was OK and I thought we might be in for an OK day....well it seems that the Loch Ness monster had his say as we travelled along the shores of Loch Ness!!!
It was interesting to see the Caledonian canal which was built as a shipping land across Scotland across all of the Lochs that make up the "Great Glen". From what we were told, the canal was started as rail was being used in the UK and by the time it was finished it was almost obsolete as a trade....pity because it is a real marvel. Today it is mainly used to ship pleasure craft ( motor cruisers, barges and sailing boats) from one loch to another.
Getting back to the ride....We organized to have coffee and scones at Invergarry at the local hotel where we were told by Rob ( tour leader) that they had the best to offer in Scotland!
Well after 42 kms of a mixture of climbs and "undulating" riding in the rain we were ready for a stop in the warm...
The Hotel staff were very good in getting us organized to hang our wet gear and get organized for morning tea... the only trouble was we had the thought of doing another 43 kms in the wet mainly on the main road (A82). But doing this with some sustenance was at least a good start!!!
The rest of the trip wads fairly horrible apart from a short period when we travelled along the bike path along the canal.
The only issue here was the path had this paving of loose stones (like Lilydale topping in Melbourne) which when wet splashed up to cover us all in a fine coat of white mud.... more on that later!
The ride after the bike path was along the A 82 which was busy with trucks, buses, campervans and all manner of cars ( mostly tourists) which made for difficult and careful riding. Despite this we were keen to get to the end of the ride to have a warm shower and lunch.
Steve led the ride for most of the day and we had Walt and his wife June with us and we made excellent time to be at Drumnachronit at about 1.30pm!!
I must say that for a "big fella" Walt really impressed me with his riding today.
We lost Chris before morning tea unfortunately and he continued on without the morning tea stop to be first in for the group.....well done Chris!! ( Chris said he quite enjoyed the ride)
On reaching the hotel there were some issues regarding the storage of our bikes so we left them chained to a flower box outside the hotel so we could have a hot shower.
Getting in to my room I looked in the mirror and saw that I was filthy from top to bottom and hopped in the shower fully clothed, complete with Helmet to was everything. The shower was beautiful and I managed to clean my gear....now for the drying!!!
The hotel we are staying at is the Drumnadrochit hotel which is "fairly average".
After the shower Steve and I went to the hotel where others from the group were staying and it was certainly much better. We had a burger and a couple of pints with others to reflect on the day and what we achieved...( It was my first burger of the trip and it tasted good!!!)
Today was a day we needed to "get through" and we did without any mishaps. It was the best day so far as speed was concerned despite the weather ( ave riding speed of 23.1 kph) and we climbed 462 metres...so a flattish day
As a result of the weather I am afraid there are very few photos for you all.....
Todays route up the Great Glen...
At the start we had to negotiate this bridge on foot....
A lot of our group is pictured here with wet weather gear on!!!!
What a contrast....
Ben Nevis cannot be seen for cloud....
Glad we made the visit yesterday to see it
One of the weirs on the river between the Lochs...
Morning tea at last!!!!
June with Walt, Steve ( from Tassie) and Steve ( from UK)
Great coffee and scones!!!
The Caledonian canal... with Walt in the foreground
A lock on the Caledonian canal
Very impressive despite the rain!!!!!!
Home for the night
An average hotel
July 25 - Bridge of Awe to Fort William- 89.5 kms
July 25 - Bridge of Awe to Fort William- 89.5 kms
After a wonderful dinner including some nice French wine shared between "fast" Steve and I and a restful nights sleep we awoke to another beautiful morning and day. The past 2 days have been "right out of the box: with little or no cloud and temps in the mid 20's and little or no wind...delightful for riding!
After briefing it was off to the adventures of the day....
The first stop was Connel....you would not believe it!!
It had a big bridge and I could not think how apt it was that a town named after John Connal , who is one of the best bridge designers in Australia....just kidding!!
After a bit of undulating riding on the main road it was on to Cycle Pat 78 which is a rail trail pretty much through to Fort William ( with a few diversions)\
Travelling on the Cycle Path was certainly easier than the road which was very busy with big truck and cars and campervans.
Some parts of the cycle path reminded me of the paths we have at home and the Warby Trail in the Dandenong's...the only thing missing is the smell of the Eucalypts...
I had a funny day today as I was thinking of my training for this ride when I rode on many of the Cycle paths in Melbourne...interesting!!
This was also combined with thoughts of my earlier calls home to Robyn, CC and Nick to see how things were at home....Jodes I tried you but it went to message bank. Sorry I missed you.
Along the path we met several who were on road trips with fully loaded panniers going both ways. One guy from England was doing the West East ride for instance.
We made a coffee stop at Kentallen mainly due to me going in to coffee withdrawal but I sense it might have suited Steve as he had a couple of minor scrapes on the pathways. it is amazing how riding on cycle paths is different from riding on roadways and country lanes...as we have pretty much up to now.
After coffee it was on to Onich for lunch at a pub overlooking Loch Linnhe.At this stage we were riding with Bob, Steve, Chris, Jane and myself.
After lunch it was the final push of about 18km in to Fort William.....BUT oh no.....
Steve said it was a good day to try and see Ben Nevis ( the biggest mountain in the UK) on what was a superb summers day. So we rode a further 5kms to see the mountain which was quite superb really.
On the way back Chris led us on a bike path to show us a 12th century castle which was also very interesting.
Tonight we are staying at the Guisachan Guesthouse which I am pleased to say had great WIFI so I can send out pictures of the past few days
We had a delightful dinner at a local seafood restaurant which was on the banks of Loch Linnhe and we were joined by Margarite from our group who lives in Scotland and was able to entertain us with stories of her life and times her in this wonderful country.
Today is day 17 of the trip and we have 4 more days to go.
A good day of riding with great weather.
Now for the photos....
Steve and Peter on Connel bridge
Connel township from afar
....Oooppps Steve takes his first tumble and recovers well...
A view of Loch Linnhe....quite beautiful on a lovely day
The Cycle path we rode on...
Quite different from our normal riding of previous days!!
At lunch at Onich...
Yours truly, Steve, Bob and Jane...Chris is the photographer
Ben Nevis in the middle....
Yours truly and Ben Nevis
I hope a train did not come!!!!
The riding crew with Ben Nevis
Steve, Jane, Chris, Bob and Peter...
An interesting view of Ben Nevis through the arch at the castle....
Home for the night at Fort William
Connel township from afar
....Oooppps Steve takes his first tumble and recovers well...
A view of Loch Linnhe....quite beautiful on a lovely day
The Cycle path we rode on...
Quite different from our normal riding of previous days!!
At lunch at Onich...
Yours truly, Steve, Bob and Jane...Chris is the photographer
Yours truly and Ben Nevis
I hope a train did not come!!!!
The riding crew with Ben Nevis
Steve, Jane, Chris, Bob and Peter...
An interesting view of Ben Nevis through the arch at the castle....
Home for the night at Fort William
The route today
Pictures from Arrochar to Bridge of Awe- 24th July
Pictures from Arrochar to Bridge of Awe-24th July
Briefing at the Arrochar Hotel...Rob gives us instructions...enjoy the day!!!
The big climb looking back from "RESR & BE THANKFUL"....we took the "high road"...
A pretty church at Cairndow...they were installing air conditioning...mainly for the heat.
We spoke to the Church Edler who said there were about 10 regular parishioners.....
The café at Loch Fine...very impressive but also expensive.
we needed a coffee after 23kms!!!!
Briefing at the Arrochar Hotel...Rob gives us instructions...enjoy the day!!!
The big climb looking back from "RESR & BE THANKFUL"....we took the "high road"...
A pretty church at Cairndow...they were installing air conditioning...mainly for the heat.
We spoke to the Church Edler who said there were about 10 regular parishioners.....
The café at Loch Fine...very impressive but also expensive.
we needed a coffee after 23kms!!!!
A view of Loch Fine...they have very good oysters here....
The castle at Invararay....very impressive
The waterfront at Invararay...
Steve and a roadside worker who is dropoing off skittles
This was shortly after my altercation with a truckie....
A nice view of Loch Awe..
Home for the night at Bridge of Awe
Well run hotel by a Kiwi family
Good food and good rooms....
Pictures from Yesterday.....
Pictures from Strathven to Arrochar
Iron bridge across the Clyde in Glasgow
Walt repairing his tube before lunch
He got a new tyre at lunch later on....
..an interesting sculpture on the bike path with a few of the "clan" on board
I am in the white....
Our lunch spot at Bowling Basin.
They had a bike shop where a few has running repairs done...
Yours truly at Loch Lomond...yeh!!!
One off the bucket list!
A pretty cottage near Luss...
The "main drag" at Luss...
Pretty village but full of tourists!!
Wonderful view of Loch Lomand... I feel a song coming on!!!
"By yon bonny banks etc etc...."
Steve and Scott watch as Walt had a repair for a puncture
On a bike path through Glasgow
Iron bridge across the Clyde in Glasgow
The crew we rode with on the iron bridge
Yours truly, Chris (from NZ), Fast Steve ( from UK), Steve ( from Tassie) Walt & June ( from US) and Bob ( a POM who now lives in US)
Yours truly, Chris (from NZ), Fast Steve ( from UK), Steve ( from Tassie) Walt & June ( from US) and Bob ( a POM who now lives in US)
Walt repairing his tube before lunch
He got a new tyre at lunch later on....
..an interesting sculpture on the bike path with a few of the "clan" on board
I am in the white....
Our lunch spot at Bowling Basin.
They had a bike shop where a few has running repairs done...
Yours truly at Loch Lomond...yeh!!!
One off the bucket list!
A pretty cottage near Luss...
The "main drag" at Luss...
Pretty village but full of tourists!!
Wonderful view of Loch Lomand... I feel a song coming on!!!
"By yon bonny banks etc etc...."
24th July - Arronchar to Bridge of Awe- 73.5kms
24th July - Arronchar to Bridge of Awe- 73.5kms
Today's route....
I think we all decided that the hotel at Arronchar was probably the worst hotel we have had on the trip so far.....The hotel was in bad need of maintenance and had a residual smell of smokers and the food for both dinner and breakfast was average!
The location however was very picturesque....all in all good potential not being used.
Having said that.... all of the hotels we have stayed at have been very, very good!
Today was a one sheet instruction ride of 75kms....a far cry from the 7 sheets of yesterday!
Chris, Steve and I started shortly after the 9.00am briefing and it was not long before we were on the the big climb of the day from Long Loch to Loch Fine. The climb to the top of the saddle was about 7kms at an average of about 6% on a good road. It was a steady climb with no relief. We had a choice to take "the old road" which was lower to start off with but had some steep switchbacks at the end....we took the "high road" so to speak and although busier was quite scenic.
The top of the climb is called "Rest and be Thankful" ...and we did and were!
On the way up we were passed by a Scottish rider who made me look as if I was standing still...great riding. I hope he was years younger than me!!!
After a short break it was then a big steady descent to Loch Fine. The descent was about 8kms and I topped out at speeds over 50kph....could have gone faster but my descending is poor compared to others.
We stopped at Loch Fine where there was a restaurant/tea room plus deli and had coffee and a croissant. The restaurant has some great history as it sells the famous Loch Fine Oysters and was the scene of a famous meeting between Gordon Brown ( PM at the time) and another politician where that decided on important things economically for the UK during the financial crisis....I would recommend this as a place to visit for lunch!!
After that it was along Loch Fine to Inveraray which was about the half way point of the day...36kms.
This is a very pretty town which has a castle which is very well kept. It is the home of the Campbells. Many of our group had lunch here but Steve, Chris and I decided to "push on" over the second climb of the day through to Loch Awe. Once again this was a steady climb of about 12kms which had a real kicker at the start of 13% for about 100 yards then "flattened out" to an average of about 5% for the rest of the climb. There were some flat bits every now and then for some relief. Along the way we passed through some intense forestry operations with softwood timber and every now and then we were passed by trucks loaded with logs off to the mills.
The descent from the top of the climb was again exhilarating with us all going fairly hard as the road was good...until we reached a 2km stretch which was being resealed and there were loose stones everywhere. A truck passed me along the way and when we had to stop for the road crew doing their resurfacing...the truck driver was quite abusive...I ignored him as I could not understand a word he said.....At the stop I said to Steve and Chris that I would let him pass which he did without any further comment!
I must say that in all the travels so far this is the first time a driver has been abusive towards me...
We intended to stop for lunch at Lachawe but could not find a café so we pressed on to a café near the Cruachen Power Station ( Hydro power). This a delightful café on the banks of the Loch and the food ( sandwich for me, panini for Steve and soup for Chris) was good.
After lunch we only had a short ride in to the Brander Hotel at the Bridge of Awe. The hotel is excellent and is owned by a Kiwi who has just completed full renovations.
The menu looks good and talking to the owner he says we will be not disappointed with the cuisine
Unfortunately the photos cannot be downloaded again so I will try when the WIFI use is not less...
All in all another day of excellent riding with excellent weather ( sunny and in mid 20's) and a good mixture of climbs descents and undulating riding.
Today's route....
July 23- Strathaven to Arrochar- 98.8kms
July 23- Strathaven to Arrochar- 98.8kms
As I said earlier Arronchar is located on Loch Long which has access to the sea...as opposed to Loch Lomond which is a fresh water lake.
Today was a good ride in many ways but in some way spoilt by my disappointment with Glasgow.
The photos are going to have wait as the WIFI connections are poor.
Here is the route for today
Today was an interesting day where we had very little climbing...in fact we only had a day where we climbed 431metres over the 98.8kms travelled.
The say stated out with our briefing from Rob and we were delighted that despite 7 pagesof notes for the ride, it was going to be flat and relatively easy....
It was a day where we negotiated through Glasgow and saw some very interesting country as we rode along cycle paths into and along canals, rivers ( the Clyde and the Leven) and finally we cycled beside Loch Lomond to our final destination at Arrochbar which is located on the banks of Loch Long.
We organized the day so a number of us rode together as in theory the day was an easier day.... Steve was elected leader and I was the "sweep" for the day.
The trip in to Glasgow was fairly uneventful other than there was a bit of rain and it was a bit cool....temp for most of the day was 16 degrees which was OK.
Going through Glasgow was interesting along the Clyde River where you could see the remnants of the big shipbuilding that was huge in the early part of the 20th century.
My feeling was that Glasgow could make better use of the paths alongside the Clyde to have outdoor cafes etc....The interesting part was the number of bridges that cross the Clyde...there must have been at least 15 of them that we saw....many of these were built in the 1800's out of stone and iron.
We also passed through some very depressed parts of Glasgow with Housing Commission style houses and apartments.
After passing along the Clyde it was on to the bike path along the Clyde canal....this was far prettier. The path we travelled on here was a former railway which is now disused but serves as a terrific bike path.
We stopped along this at a place called Bowling Basin at 54kms in to the ride. The café was OK but limited food was available as the electrics were "shorting out" when we arrived....Luckily for a few in the group, the café was located next to a good bike shop ( Magic Cycles) and those with tyre and puncture problems were able to get sorted out.
After lunch it was on to the bike path again with Steve leading and me sweeping. The bike path moved through Dumbaton ,which is situated on the Leven River, and then on to Renton, Alexandria and Balloch where shortly thereafter we were able to see Loch Lomond....
I must say that the Loch was very picturesque and being a Sunday the " locals" were out in numbers on boats and generally sight seeing.
The bike paths were also very busy with riders of all ages doing their Sunday rides from Glasgow to Loch Lomond and return.....We passed an older gent and his wife who were "very gruff " as we made our way....I guess with us trying to be friendly they simply did not understand us!!!
Alongside Loch Lomond we travelled to the town of Luss which is very pretty but was full of tourists. We had an ice cream and took a few photos then it was on to Arronchar where the ride fir the day ended.As I said earlier Arronchar is located on Loch Long which has access to the sea...as opposed to Loch Lomond which is a fresh water lake.
Today was a good ride in many ways but in some way spoilt by my disappointment with Glasgow.
The photos are going to have wait as the WIFI connections are poor.
Here is the route for today
July 22- Moffat to Strathaven- 92.5kms
July 22- Moffat to Strathaven- 92.5kms
We crossed over this bridge on the way out of Moffat....
...as we leave Moffatt....quite sad really as we enjoyed our rest day here.
Near the top of the climb out of Moffat we stopped to enjoy the scenery
This is Steve and June..
..and wow this was the view...
...and what we still had to climb...errr!
But there was reward at the top of the climb...the "highroad"...
...and the descent was glorious...even though it was drizzling
Coffee at Broughton ....June and Steve with our hosts who were very good
The coffee and scones were good also...
A view across the Clyde valley
The Scottish bagpipers we saw in full dress in Biggar....
Quite resplendent in their kilts.
Crossing the Clyde....it get much bigger when it gets to the coast!!
On the other side of the bridge there were houses with lawns which overlooked the Clyde
Pity about the weather!!!
Ooooppps ...should we go down this road???
Of course...only a short walk...maybe???
It will slow down the average speed for the day???
Going back is too much trouble...lets just go for it!!!
Finally after a good day of riding our home for the night
After 2 whiskey shots it was good to get to bed....
Well today I awoke after the rest day with a "good feeling" about the day and the ride ahead despite there being some drizzly rain and cloud around. The temperature throughout the day was in the "mid teens" and the drizzle was on and off for most of the ride...
The choice we had today was to do a shorter ride of about 70kms or the longer more scenic route of 92kms.....well Fast Steve ( now know his surname Bawtree) agreed that we would do the longer ride with June ( from the US and not sure of her surname!). So off we set, a little earlier than the rest of the group.
The first stage of the ride was a 11km climb out of Moffat to the Scottish Borders region which I think starts to separate the Highlands from the Lowlands. The climb was fairly constant at about 5-6% which was not too bad. I must admit my "climbing legs" are feeling quite good after the past 13 days of riding plus a day of rest.
The view from the top of the climb was quite stunning and despite the drizzle we enjoyed a stop at the top to enjoy it. Thereafter there was a really good and long descent through country that was being farmed with sheep and cattle and with timber plantations. Steve explained that a lot of the softwood timber plantations were not native and the locals had made complaints about this as it did not attract a lot of bird life and that now restrictions were in place now to include local indigenous trees as part of the plantations.
We made or only stop for the day for food at Broughton ( after 37kms) and found a delightful tea room with some entertaining Scottish ladies who ran the shop. We had coffee and tea with the mandatory scones with jam and cream....YUM!.
It was then on further through some rolling country and some lovely towns. At one town, Biggar we saw a group of 5 chaps dressed in their kilts and regalia with bagpipes and they kindly obliged for a photo....A real highlight for us and for them to be photographed by an Aussie, a yank and a Brit.....
After that it was on over the Clyde river towards towns which included Thankerton, Carmichael, Lasnahagow, Boghead, Sandford and finally Strathhaven ( pronounced Stahern)...as the ladies at the coffee shop said...in Scotland you leave out the Tea and drink whiskey....makes sense to me)
The travelling after the morning break was quite fast with Steve setting the pace. The roads were quite good although we came across a road which was closed due to road works....rather than go around by a different route we decided to press on and take our chances. The road was in fact being resurfaced not far from the turning point and as a result we had to walk our bikes for about 500metres over some rough surfaces which were also soft....see later pictures.
We made really good time after this minor delay and arrived at our hotel at about 2.30pm, only to see that Chris had arrived via the shorter route before us....well done Chris!
We celebrated our ride with a ham sandwich, chips and 2 pints of the local beer...very refreshing
The hotel we are staying at is excellent and sitting here in my room you could not wish for a better feeling after another great ride ( despite the weather)
Today we climbed 1045 metres.
PS...the Dees had a good win today back in Melb over Port Adelaide and talking to Christopher this morning Mykala and Neat are now home which is great....
Now for the photos...sorry some are bit blurry as rain got on the lens NOT BEER!!!
The route today
We crossed over this bridge on the way out of Moffat....
...as we leave Moffatt....quite sad really as we enjoyed our rest day here.
Near the top of the climb out of Moffat we stopped to enjoy the scenery
This is Steve and June..
..and wow this was the view...
...and what we still had to climb...errr!
But there was reward at the top of the climb...the "highroad"...
...and the descent was glorious...even though it was drizzling
Coffee at Broughton ....June and Steve with our hosts who were very good
The coffee and scones were good also...
A view across the Clyde valley
The Scottish bagpipers we saw in full dress in Biggar....
Quite resplendent in their kilts.
Crossing the Clyde....it get much bigger when it gets to the coast!!
On the other side of the bridge there were houses with lawns which overlooked the Clyde
Pity about the weather!!!
Ooooppps ...should we go down this road???
Of course...only a short walk...maybe???
It will slow down the average speed for the day???
Going back is too much trouble...lets just go for it!!!
Finally after a good day of riding our home for the night
After 2 whiskey shots it was good to get to bed....