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Nostalgia trip for those who haven't seen it before
Topic Started: Dec 17 2012, 04:24 PM (38 Views)
Rod Goodfellow
Administrator
I thought you might be interested in this collation of emails and photos I sent to one of my mates in Florida.

https://picasaweb.google.com/rodgoodfellow/Scotland2011

Day1
(18/5/11)
Overnight train to Inverness at 0831 then rode to Ullapool 68 miles over the hills against the wind and
showers.Got the wind behind on the descent to Loch Broom and reached 47 mph in the rain.Had fish and
chips whist waiting for hostel to open.

Day2
Left Ullapool 8am,rain started after 5miles with side wind to 15 miles then turned with it at Ledmore
(literally a junction only) and then single track road with passing places to a cafe at 42 miles in Lairg.Then
dry over the hills to Rogart and Strath Brora (Strath is Gaelic for a valley) and a tea break then about 15
miles along the A9 coast road which was about as busy as Boy Scout Road,to Helmsdale and its hostel. 84
mile mostly around 50deg

Day3
Strong SW wind,rode up Helmsdale then got wind behind along Halladale,bowling along at 25mph til
reached north coast,stopped for coffee at Melvich (42m),then turned into strengthening wind along very
undulating coast road and got lashed by hail whilst going down 1 mile descent.Planned to have lunch at
Bettyhill pub which had a large sign stating open but was closed for renovation.Had to resort to cheese
and onion pastie and coffee in village shop/PO.Now rain showers and dry mixed.Continued along coast
road using 30x24 up hills.Whilst descending to Tongue a large stag jumped the fence and landed on the
road about 10yds in front of me before jumping the opposite fence- if it had landed on me that would have
been the end of me and the bike.Got into village before hostel opened,so visited shop to buy provisions and
newspaper which I sat and read till hostel opened at 1630.I thought the ride along the coast road was one of
the hardest I had ever done because of the wind.67 miles.

Day4
Set off from Tongue 0800,strong head wind (30-40mph),rain started after 1 mile.Used 30t chainring for
next 7 miles which took an hour,then down to Alltnahara (17 m)which is a tiny village and is the coldest
place in Scotland,then another 7 mile climb.Decided to stop for coffee at 35 m at isolated Crask Inn where
door was open,greeted by large friendly dog but no humans,all doors open and £95 on table! So had to push
on 7m to Lairg cafe (again),then on to Bonar Bridge and joined A9.
Decided as very hard day 5 to follow, to ride toTain 67m and catch train to Inverness.Got to station and
waited 1 hr for train but guard refused to take bike as both bike spaces were occupied and although there
was enough room for another "rules is rules" so I had to set off again into the slightly less wind and rain
for another 34 mile.Fortunately the hours rest and reduced wind meant I covered it in about 2 1/2 hours
and the rain stopped for the last hour,but not a specially plesant ride on a busy (1 vehicle every 3or 4 min)
main road.Side wind was a bit of a problem on the long bridge over the Cromarty Firth. Got to hostel about
1830,101miles.This day supersedes previous as hardest ever.

Day5
Left Inverness 0800 in sunshine!,but head wind about 30mph.Went past Cawdor castle (MacBeth's) to
Grantown-on-Spey where I stopped for bacon sandwich,during which avoided a heavy shower. Rode
on gradually climbing but with some steep valleys to cross,to Tomintoul for lunch in cafe in old fire
station.Restarted with a climb for a further 1000ft to 2060 ft,using 30x28 against an increasingly strong
wind so that going down the 1 in 6 hairpins was dangerous.By now the wind was about 45mph.At bottom
of pass stopped at Corgarff .Over the next hills I got blown off the left side of the road,but managed not
to fall off,eventually descending through the Queen's estates to Crathie (where she goes to church ) and
followed up the Dee valley which was quite sheltered with the wind only about 20mph,till I reached
Braemar hostel.84miles

Day 6
The forecast was for southwest winds of up to 130mph on the summits and 70-80 at lower levels,with
rain.I left Braemar 0745 and set off up the Dee valley using 30T ring all way,mostly at 6-8mph with the
wind about 40mph and temp in upper 40s.At about 6 mile my back tyre burst on a very exposed bit of
road.Because of the wet and chill factor in the wind it took me about 40 mins to unload and change the tyre
and tube.By then I was so cold my hands were numb and shaking so that it took about a minute to thread
each strap through its buckle.On resuming in 30x28 I rode OK into the strengthening wind to the summit at
2160 ft where there is a ski centre and cafe. I stopped and was immediately blown over landing on my back
and my helmet saved the back of my head.
The ski staff had seen my fall and when I went into the cafe,hardly able to speak coherently and shaking
uncontrollably,they wrapped me in blankets,woolly hat and gave me a thermal pad to hold.After about 10
mins I could manage to hold the first of 3 mugs of coffee,but it took about an hour before I could consider
continuing.By now the wind was about 60mph and it would have been too dangerous to ride the hairpins on
the descent so the ski staff insisted on giving me a lift in a SUV for 20 miles to Coylum Bridge.
One mile after resuming riding I was blown off my line through a pot hole and suffered a rear pinch
flat so I walked the bike about 200yds to shelter and changed tube in about 5 min, remounted and rode
into Blairgowrie where I stopped for a bacon sandwich.Whilst in cafe my bike was blown over knocking
the left brake lever inwards,so I had to straighten that.Setting off again to Coupar Angus the wind was
now coming from the right so progress was a little easier and the rain had stopped and I kept it at about
8mph.From there for the next 5 miles the wind was so strong that I had to ride about 5-6feet from the edge
to avoid wobbling off the road.Going over the Sidlaw hills wasn't too bad as it was mainly wooded but near
the top I was blown off the road again.Going mainly down hill the last 10 miles to Dundee was OK apart
from 5 trees blown down across the road.On the last1/2 mile to the station I was again blown through a
pothole,flatting the back tyre and walked to shelter of a block of apartments to change it.
I arrived at the station with an hour to spare before my train (Aberdeen -Edinburgh-London) was due.It
was 30 min late,and after I got on remained stationary for 40 mins because the Tay bridge was closed
because of the wind and we were told it was to be diverted via Perth,then 5ins later we were told the Forth
bridge was also closed so the train was going back to Aberdeen.After I got off the train it was announced
that all rail services were cancelled for the day as the Aberdeen line was now blocked by a fallen tree. So
I finished up in the Dundee Holiday Inn after unsuccessfully trying to find a BB.Several roads in central
Dundee were closed because of falling debris.
Next morning I went to the station for the 0906 to Edinburgh which didn't arrive from
Aberdeen.Eventually a train arrived empty from Edinburgh and whilst putting my bike into the luggage
compartment in the front power car the driver told me that the rear power car had failed so we would not
be travelling at the normal speed.However we got to Edinburgh where I had 12 mins to carry my bike over
the footbridge to catch a train to Preston for 1330,where it was sunny and I had a strong tailwind for the 9
miles home.
Day 6 was without doubt my hardest days cycling in 58 years.
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