2 - Altnahara to Invernes

 

Stats for the day:
Distance: 118.8 km (73.8 m)

Elevation: 984m
Saddle time: 4:54 hrs
Total time: 7:16 hrs

Average 
Speed: 24.2 km/hr
Heart rate: 104 bpm (note incomplete data)
Cadence: 79 rpm

Maximum
Speed: 56.2 km/hr
Heart rate: 143 bpm
Cadence: 121 rpm

Elevation profile

I'm going to blame the brevity of tonight's offering on Germany & Argentina taking an extra 30 mins to decide a winner. As a consequence it's late at night, my eyelids are heavy & it's a struggle to construct a full sentence.  

The A836

The day started with possibly the most beautiful A road in the country,  some steady climbing alongside 4 end to enders who were also heading to Inverness for the evening. The denomination as an A road may just be an alphabetical anomaly however as cars were waiting at passing points to let us by.



Falls of Shin

We then happened upon the falls of Shin, an unplanned stop at a waterfall to see huge salmon attempting to climb against gravity & water.

Bonar bridge

Climbing Struie Hill

Onwards & downwards to Bonar bridge & across the bridge to Ardgay for lunch at a bike shop/cafe. But going down means there's usually an up the other side & sure enough Struie hill was waiting for us with a climb of about 250m touching 12%. The rewards are at the viewpoint with some glorious views in the sunshine. 

Highland Cow

Crossing the A9 road bridge into Inverness our B&B was just around the corner from the castle.