Fallen Tree Causes Havoc to Cyclist's Coffee Break

Day 44. Inverness - Bonar Bridge    48.30 miles

I left Inverness just after 9 o'clock with a bar bag full of food, thanks to Elizabeth, which included a box of Clootie Dumpling she had made for me and a flask of coconut milk hot chocolate.

My first stop was just north of Dingwall where I had been told there was a good coffee shop. Although I was cycling along the A862 it wasn't too busy as most of the traffic was heading to Inverness. The views were across the Beauly Firth and then along Cromarty Firth towards the oil rigs.

The café I was heading for was on the A9 about five miles from Dingwall. There was a quiet road that ran parallel to the A9 and I’d been told there was a track off it that would take me down to the café. I found the track which run through a wood and was obviously not used very often. It wasn't long before my way was blocked by a fallen tree. Sadly there was no way around as to one side was a drop down to a river and the other had a fence. I turned back to the road, there would be no coffee stop today. But I did have the hot chocolate in my flask.

I found a bench outside a pub in Evanton and had my lunch and then oiled my chain before heading along the B9176 which took me over the heather moor to Struie. Someone had told me this was a long difficult hill and said it was much longer than the one out of Fort Augustus. I had resigned myself to a long walk, so was pleasantly surprised when I saw a sign that said 1 mile to view point and I was still on my bike. I stopped there and took the rather grey photo and then put more layers on ready for a long ride down to Bonar Bridge.

I only had the name of the Bed and Breakfast we were staying in as Richard had booked it. I had the choice of three roads but luckily chose the right one and arrived before the rain and before Richard.

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