3 - Inverness to Glencoe

Stats for the day:
Distance: 128.9km + (80.1 miles)
Elevation: 1240m
Saddle time: 5:49 hrs
Total time: 9:22 hrs
Punctures: 1/2

Average 
Speed: 22.1 km/hr
Heart rate: 107 bpm
Cadence: 75 rpm

Maximum
Speed: 58.3 km/hr
Heart rate: 159 bpm



Elevation profile

Loch Ness

Had today's report been written as we went along then the tone could have been very different. The first couple of hours along the banks of Loch Ness were glorious, the 400m climb into a headwind & driving rain unpublishable. The afternoon in the rain a bit of a slog, the cup of tea & mint chocolate brownie in Fort William fantastic, the last few miles  into Glencoe with the sun almost out elating. 

Fortunately this is being written over a pint in the pub having had a warm shower & refuelled on haggis, neeps & tatties. 

We left Inverness a little later than planned after Sean effected the first puncture repair of the trip having discovered an overnight flat. It wasn't long before we were peddling along the south side of Loch Ness, obviously with binoculars in hand. The route was surprisingly undulating taking us along to the falls of foyer, where the water fell impressively as waterfalls often do. 

View from the falls

Falls of Foyer



Most of the cyclists we came across today tended to be European & on an exploration of Scotland rather than end to end. 

By the time we started the big ascent of the day up to Suidhe viewpoint the rain had started, the clouds descended & the wind picked up. Coming down the other side was painful with the wind blowing hard into our faces & the stinging rain. 

We battled on through the rain, what would have been a glorious ride through a spectacular panorama.  somewhat diminished - i really need to come back to Scotland in the summer. 

Fort Augustus became the lunch stop refuge for a place to warmup & a rather tasty beef & onion baguette. After lunch it was my turn to discover a flat tyre, fortunately I had my support team on hand to perform a slicker pit stop than a Caterham F1 crew and we were back into the drizzle. 

The rain had stopped as we paused by the Commando monument, a tribute to the many soldiers who had trained in the surrounding hills, most telling were the individual tributes to WWII and Afghanistan next to each other, to men dying at very different ages in life. 

As we headed onto Fort William again the rain started as we set a course for the aforementioned chocolate brownie. The last leg along Loch Lochie to Glancoe however the sun made a bit of an appearance an all was good in the world. 

Loch Lochie