Invershin - Lairg - Crask - Altnaharra - Syre - Bettyhill
Miles : 47.12
Average Speed:
Hours:
Feet up : 1906
Feet down : 1736
What an amazing day. I know it sounds obsessive to immediately go to the weather, but when you are cycling, it is the main thing on your mind, along with which route are we taking, and where are we going to sleep of course,
So today the weather was fine and mostly sunny, virtually no wind, and what there was was at our backs. And then there was the scenery. After leaving Invershin about 9.30 am, our route took us up the river Shin, and eventually down into Lairg, a prettily situated village at the foot of Loch Shin. We had read about the isolation of the next 35 miles, so we stocked up on cheese and crackers, and off we went.
It was a wonderful ride. For the first 15 miles or so we followed a river valley. There is a great and slightly funky Inn at Crask, in the middle of nowhere, where we were able to get a pot of tea. Our hosts were a lovely lady and her husband, ex bikers, who make a habit of providing food and shelter for bikers and hikers going through. Because, believe me, we were so lucky to get the good weather - in a howling northerly with rain, one can only imagine how evil it would be. The son of this family shears and lambs in Scotland, and then in Australia and New Zealand in the Scottish winter.
The Crask Inn
During this break we had a great chat with a fellow biker, a woman we had first met on our rainy day in Kirkby Lonsdale. She is doing it alone, and it was great fun to share tales. We caught up several times along the way, and it was while talking with her and the hostess at the Crask Inn that we firmed up our change of plans - i.e. to bike to Bettyhill rather than Tongue, thus avoiding some nasty (unnecessary) hills tomorrow. Another case of not taking the scenic route, just because, but rather thinking of our poor old biking selves !!!
Another few miles on we began one of our greatest downhills into Altnaharra. The moors and hills stretched forever, with the river in the valley bottom, and every now and then a loch.
Then we began our ride around Loch Never. All of this on a really single lane road, with little passing places indicated with a tall sign, so that you could judge where to pass if you met a car, although there were very few if them, and they were all very polite.I also noticed the red and white poles that indicate the road during winter snow,,,,,, ugh!!!
Finally we found our way into Bettyhill , and suddenly there it was - the north coast of Scotland, and a sign indicating only 55 miles to John o Groats.... We are nearly there.
And to cap it all off, now we are installed in the lovely (being renovated) Bettyhill Hotel, where our room looks right over the aforementioned north coast of Scotland, and the young host Chris is just lovely.
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