Ride the North 2026 : Tour of Angus

I’d noticed the Ride the North event at the back end of last year, and wanted to ride it in 2026 as it covered a part of Scotland I’d never ridden before and was closer to my mum’s part of Scotland. It is a circular route starting and finishing at Glamis Castle and offering a few options of route length – I’d chosen the longer 150k / 93 miles option. I’d taken the train up to Dundee on the Friday and cycled to my campsite at Greenhillock Glamping, ten miles from Glamis, on roads that were rather hillier than I’d been expecting. Arising early on Saturday morning I set off along the track from the campsite, past golden fields of harvested grain with a fabulous morning sunrise, just a few clouds hanging around in the blue sky. 

Approaching the road towards the end of the track I saw a roe deer in the field to my left, skipping away as it heard my approaching wheels. I turned right for Glamis and a little further on another roe deer bolted across the road in front of me, heading off into the fields. I turned off at Inverarity and passed the farm that would be the first control point on the ride later in the day, noting the coffee stall that was being set up. Another cyclist pulled alongside me and we chatted for a while, and then I encountered the first riders who had set off at 7am heading towards me. I exchanged “good mornings” with a few, some that passed looked like they were already suffering a little from the rolling nature of the route. At this height I was blessed with some great views of the open countryside with the foothills of the Cairngorms behind. It wasn’t long before I turned right onto the A928 and headed downhill towards Glamis, crossing the A94 and riding through the village and into the castle grounds. The long drive took cars and cyclists to the registration area where I joined a throng of other cyclists waiting to start at their allotted times. I took my position in my group and awaited the off. 

After a safety chat from the organisers we were sent on our way, and I headed back down the drive, through the village to the A94 where marshals were waiting to cross us safely. I was retracing my earlier ride and so climbed up the A928 before turning off and rolling back to Inverarity and the first control at Mill of Inverarity farm, where my passport was stamped. This was proof of your route completion and had helpful mileage information so you knew how far it was to the next control. I had coffee and cake, knowing that the distance I was cycling was going to require lots of calories taken on board. Setting off again the long route soon turned south and headed towards the wonderfully named Carrot, where Carrot Hill was waiting to be climbed. There were chalk messages written on the road, presumably from the event the year before, giving encouragement to cyclists grinding up the incline. I found another rider’s passport on the floor on the road, and stopped to pick it up to take to the next control. A few miles further on I got my first glimpse of the North Sea and the Firth of Tay, before continuing on and dropping down into Monikie and the next control at Monikie Memorial Hall, the most southerly extent of the route. 

After a brief stop I headed off past Monikie Country Park, then rode through more farmland and past another country park, Crombie, before turning west at East Skichen and rolling on to Whigstreet where the long route rejoined the main route. I found myself among more cyclists at this point, and near Lour we all puffed up a short steep section before turning right to pass through Craichie and Bowriefauld to reach Letham, where the next control was situated at the Village Hall. I had a bacon butty and a coffee, and visited the loo before setting off again, riding through and out of Letham, passing a couple of joggers and exchanging pleasantries. A little further on the route passed Balgavies Loch, and glancing to my left I noticed three highland cows relaxing by the side of the water. 

Whilst many cyclists were passing me, and I was passing many too, I was noticing a few that seemed to always be around me, and had a little chat with a couple of them as we passed and repassed. The route passed several woods amongst the farmland, and there were occasional people watching on from the side of the road that were cheering the cyclists as they passed by, making for a very friendly and welcoming atmosphere. I also noticed three buzzards hovering just off to the side of the route, hopefully not waiting for weary cyclists! The road descended steeply on a rough sketchy surface shortly before coming to Brechin, entering the town across a splendid bridge over the River South Esk. I headed up into town and the next control on the High Street, which was closed to traffic but was thronging with cyclists. After a short stop I continued on to Distillery Road where, rather than turning left to follow the route I headed right on a little detour. In planning for the event I’d noticed a distillery existed in Brechin that I hadn’t heard of, so of course a visit was in order! Turning up at the Glencadam distillery I headed into the shop, where I picked up a magnet, a couple of miniatures and headed to the till. I asked the girl at the counter which was best – the 10 year old or the 15 – as I was planning on buying a bottle. She gave me a little description of each and then asked if I fancied a small taste of each to help decide. Well, I thought, it would be rude not to! I made my choice and left with my purchases in my backpack, wondering if the weight of the bottles would hold me back on the bigger hills to come! 

I rejoined the official route just as a couple of cyclists arrived, and I rode along for a few miles with them. One of these was an American woman, who was wondering why I had come to the route from a different direction to everyone else. I explained my distillery diversion and we had a chat about whisky and cycling for a while before I eventually left them. Soon I was riding into Edzell along the High Street and on to the next control at Edzell Muir. A piper was playing a few tunes while I snacked on a small quiche, vegetable muffin and can of Irn Bru. This was the northerly limit of the route, and leaving here I rode past Edzell Castle and on to a serious climb up the Caterthuns. Managing my effort I was soon cresting the summit and continued along the rolling roads, looking left across to where I’d been riding earlier in the day. Approaching Bridgend I looked left and spotted a road that appeared to be going straight up the side of a steep hill, and thought to myself “hope we’re not riding up that”. Shortly afterwards, a sign at the side of the road warning of Max Grade 17% gave the awful truth that we were indeed going upwards again. This one was even tougher than the first, but with determination and measured effort I ground my way up to the top. 

What goes up must come down of course, and after a nice bit of flying downhill I found myself turning right where the next control at Menmuir was only a short distance away. A cup of tea, banana and a trip to the portaloos and I set off again, passing an interesting windmill tandem structure by the roadside. The next control at Memus was only 8 miles further on along rolling but not too steep roads, and for the last mile I found myself chatting to another cyclist about cycling in Scotland. I didn’t stay long at Memus as I knew the next control was just 5 miles further on at Kirriemuir, and it wasn’t long before I was riding past Kirriemuir Golf Club and on into town. Kirriemuir was the last control before the second extra loop for the long route, and I needed to make a decision here about whether to continue on the long route or take the short, or standard, option. The route had been a bit more challenging than I’d expected with all the climbing, and my legs were feeling a little heavy when the road went upwards, this coupled with the fact that there was a time limit for finishing meant a bit of thought was needed. I bought a couple of cakes and a cup of tea and went to sit down and consider the options while I refuelled. 

Eventually, after a bit of discussion with one of the local volunteers who gave me positive vibes and encouragement, I decided to continue with the long route, and after a visit to a portaloo I set off again. It was a couple of miles to the point where the shorter route turned off, and as I rode past the turn off I knew I’d committed to another hilly section. A couple of miles of rolling road passed and then it was onto another couple of miles of climbing up to Balintore, the high point of the route. The whisky bottle in my backpack kept shifting and settling and making gurgling noises as I rode on. After Balloch where the road became more rolling before the big climb I stopped to take a photo of the beautiful glen with the road dropping away in front of me. 

Remounting I enjoyed the brief respite of descending fast before the road reared up again steeply into Balintore. As before I settled into a rhythm I could manage and ground up the incline to the top. Just before Balintore I came across the grand sight of Balintore Castle, a Victorian Category A listed building which is undergoing restoration. After Balintore the road began dropping again, allowing me time to catch my breath back. Just before crossing the B951 by the Loch of Lintrathen a house on the right was offering drinks, flapjacks and free toilets to Ride the North riders, just another example of the wonderful supportive community that I’d seen all day. A few more miles down the road I came to a right turn for Peel, and Isla School where the penultimate control was situated. Here I used the toilet, bought a can of drink and an energy bar and sat on the soft and welcoming grass to eat them. I lay back for a while to get a bit of rest, then set off for the last 16 miles to the finish at Glamis Castle. Leaving Peel I passed alongside the Loch of Lintrathen where a fisherman was trying his luck from a boat. 

At Bridgend of Lintrathen the route turned away from the loch and descended to the B951 where a left took me heading back towards Kirriemuir. In a couple of miles the shorter route rejoined from the left and then a right turn before the Loch of Kinnordy sent me past Westmuir to cross the A926. By this time I was flying along, the tiredness in my legs had disappeared and I felt really good and strong. After the A926 I turned right to Moberty, then left to Hatton of Eassie and left again to head towards Glamis, passing a group of cyclists on the road, some of whom had Not So Hairy Bikers jerseys on. In a few more miles I came to the A94, where marshals were on hand to make sure I crossed the busy road safely. Once over I rode on, and came across another group of Not So Hairy Bikers in a layby who collared me and asked if I’d seen any other riders with the jerseys on. I told them of the group I’d passed just before and continued on my way. Soon I had reached Glamis and the entrance to the castle. I rode through the portal, and down the drive towards the castle where I was cheered through to the finish by the event volunteers, making my way to the registration tent where I got my final passport stamp and picked up a finishers goody bag. 

It had been a hard but brilliant ride, with fantastic support from the communities I’d ridden through. I’d been lucky with the weather, having expected an afternoon of showers but only seeing a couple of short light spells of refreshing drizzle as I rode round. All that was left was some fish and chips and the ride back to the campsite, and so for the second time that day I left Glamis Castle, rode through the town and crossed the A94. As I started the climb up the A928 I spotted another roe deer in the field to my right. I continued climbing and retraced my morning ride back into and out of Inverarity and from there direct to the campsite. Shortly before the turn for the campsite I spotted another roe deer in the fields, as well as being shadowed by a buzzard flying along the fields on my right. And so, 13 hours, 115 miles and almost 8,000 feet of climbing later I headed back to my tent for a well deserved shower and rest. It had been an amazing day out.

 

Ride to the Sun 2026

“You doing Ride to the Sun?”. I was waiting on platform 12 at Crewe for my train to Carlisle, and two cyclists from Alsager Harlequins came down the stairs, one of them posing the question to me. I replied that I was indeed, and it turned out they were too, along with five other club members who were going on a later train.

Ride to the Sun is an event I came across a year or so ago. The aim is to arrive at Cramond Beach in Edinburgh in time to see the sun rise on the Sunday closest to the summer solstice, having ridden through the night from Carlisle to get there. It’s free to enter and bills itself as a friendly ride, not a sportive. There’s a chippy tea stop nearly half way at Moffat followed by a climb up The Devil’s Beef Tub to a piper, a rave half way at The Wee Crook Cafe then a gentle ride to Edinburgh and the beach. That ticked all my boxes, so I registered at the start of this year.

In the week leading up to the ride it seemed it would be more appropriate to call it Ride to the Drizzle, as the forecast wasn’t looking promising, however by Friday it looked very good indeed. Arriving at Carlisle station I rode to Bitts Park, the official starting point, and picked up my free badge from the organisers before heading to the cafe for a coffee and an ice cream. In addition to the riders from Alsager I spotted one from Holmes Chapel Velo and a couple from Crewe Clarion Wheelers. I’d pondered long and hard about timings leading up to the ride, after all it’s not every day I do a hundred miles and wanted to ensure I got to the beach not too early and not too late. According to my schedule I would leave Bitts Park at 6pm, however I decided to set off early as I’d got restless waiting around, so around half past five I headed off out of Carlisle for the north.

Traffic was fairly busy as I crossed the M6 and headed up the A7 to Longtown, where I rode over the wide and beautiful River Esk then turned off onto the A6071 to Gretna. I noticed a couple of young ladies at the side of the road and asked if they needed help. One of them had an issue with her front changer so I stopped to sort that out for her, then set off again. It seemed that the wind was blowing in my face at this point, which was disappointing as I’d expected a gentle tail wind. I rode past MOD Longtown and recrossed the M6, where the road veered round to the right and headed into Gretna. I paused for a photo and video at the “Scotland Welcomes You” sign marking the border and continued on into Scotland, turning right after the A75 to Gretna Green and then left by Gretna Green Famous Blacksmiths Shop onto the B7076. This took me north through Kirkpatrick Fleming, Ecclefechan, Lockerbie and Johnstonebridge, closely following the main A74(M) and West Coast railway mainline, to join the A701 just south of Beattock. Bypassing Beattock, the road took me under the A74(M) and on into Moffat, where there was a Midsummer Market taking place. I stopped at the end of the High Street where a load of other cyclists told me that was where to find the Best Pizza and Kebab House, and I joined the queue and bought fish and chips. I ate these to the accompaniment of the band playing at the market, then headed off to what I knew was going to be the toughest climb of the trip, up to the Devil’s Beef Tub.

The name arose in the 16th century when it was frequently used by the Johnstones, a local reiving (rustling) family, to hide stolen cattle after a raid, the geography of the place meaning it was a good place to hide in. The climb up started immediately on leaving the town, and soon I was high up overlooking some beautiful scenery on my right in the valley of the River Annan. As I climbed more of the rolling hills opposite came into view, and looking back I could see down into Moffat. I could also see forward a fair way, and ahead there was a trail of winking red lights where other cyclists were also making their way up to the top. Further along, looking back I could also see a trail of white headlights of the cyclists who were following me. As I neared the summit of the climb I could hear the sound of bagpipes ahead, and I paused as I passed the piper to listen. It was quite exciting, if not a little surreal, to hear the sound of pipes in the late evening at the top of a steep climb.

It was shortly after 10pm that I reached the top of the climb. It certainly wasn’t dark at this point, although bike lights were certainly necessary to help others see you. There was a quarter moon out, but no stars were visible yet, it was too light for that. The road descended from here, giving an easy pedal along. I passed a car park for the source of the River Tweed, and continued descending with the river showing as a silvery thread on the right. I heard a bird crying out as I passed a small wood on my left, and wondered what it was, whether it was a bird of prey hunting or feasting. As I was descending, my body temperature was dropping as I no longer needed to work hard, and was glad for the merino top and Proviz gilet I’d put on at Moffat, although my hands were starting to feel quite chilly. It was definitely getting darker by now, although there was still a small area of the sky that showed where the sun had set. After a while I came to the Wee Crook Cafe, a scheduled stop where bananas, flapjacks and hot drinks were available, as well as a disco! I had a banana, a flapjack and a cup of tea, although I spilled a fair amount of the tea through my hands shaking because of the cold.

After a wee I got back on the bike, now with my long fingered gloves on top of my mitts to keep my hands warm, and set off again for the final stretch. The road changed to a more rolling nature, and after a long while seemingly in the middle of nowhere little hamlets and villages began to show themselves. I wondered what the occupants of the houses were doing, and what they would be thinking if they chanced to look out of their windows. I was passed by a few cyclists in singles and groups, and overtook a few myself. Although I’d been riding for over 70 miles and six hours I was feeling quite good, just slowing down when the road began to rise occasionally. I rode through Broughton, Blyth Bridge, Romannobridge, Lamancha and Leadburn, where I turned left on the A703 for Penicuik. This was a huge change from the preceding hours, with wide roads, lots of street lighting and shops, including a Tesco. Although there were far more buildings around now I still passed open fields on either side. Six miles later I rode across the City of Edinburgh Bypass and knew that the end point wasn’t too far away.

As soon as I crossed the bypass it was obvious I was in a built up area, with lots of side roads and houses either side of the street. I made sure I rode with other cyclists at this point for safety and security. There were a few cars and taxis about, although at no time did I feel under any threat of danger. Indeed, Edinburgh has a number of cycle lanes closed off by bollards which makes it easier to get through although there are the occasional potholes to be aware of. I passed through Buckstone, Comiston, Greenbank, Morningside, Bruntsfield and Fountainbridge. I rode past Edinburgh Castle, blissfully unaware of its presence in the city night. At Princes Street there were a few people out and about, presumably making their way home after a night out. Crossing the tramlines and heading onto Queensferry Street a man looked at us incredulously and yelled “It’s half past two in the morning!”. Queensferry Street became Queensferry Road, and the A90, and then a short stretch of dual carriageway before a right turn led us onto Cramond Road South, and I knew we were very near the end point now. Passing Lauriston Castle the buildings suddenly came to a stop and my first view of the Firth of Forth presented itself. In the very early light of the morning, with the hint of dawn on the horizon, it was a simply stunning view. Shortly after this I turned right onto Cramond Street North and then onto Cramond Glebe Road, turning into Kirk Cramond for the village hall, where food, toilets and goodies awaited. It was around 3am, I’d ridden 101 miles and was ready for a rest.

After a quick toilet trip I bought a bacon roll and cup of tea and sat down to enjoy them. I saw the young lady I’d helped earlier, glad to see that she’d made it to Edinburgh safely, and looking around the hall I saw several cyclists were sleeping, either in their seats or on the stage. At 4am the organisers came in to tell us that it was approaching sunrise, and I got back on the bike for the very short ride to Cramond Beach. The sky in the east was dark orange, and the high clouds promised a good sunrise. 

I’d brought a wee dram with me to toast my father and father-in-law, as it was Father’s Day, and had an emotional moment as I sipped my whisky. I grabbed a free beer that was being handed out and climbed onto the little grassy mound to watch the sun coming up. 4:26 came and went, and then the sun popped it’s head up on the horizon, a red-orange pin prick at first, then turning into an orange globe. It was a spectacular scene, worth all the previous effort. 

After a brief talk from the organisers it was time for everyone to disperse back to wherever they were going. I saw the two Alsager cyclists and had a brief chat with them before setting off back to Edinburgh Waverley train station for the train ride home.

I’d planned a route from Cramond to Waverley that would take me on a circular route to the station, and set off along Cramond Promenade into the rising sun, passing Silverknowes Beach. There were few people around, but plenty of gulls. I looked back at one point and got a view of the Forth Rail Bridge with the other bridges behind it, before passing Granton Harbour. Shortly after here I left the seafront and headed inland onto the Trinity Path, one of many former railway tracks now converted for walking / cycling around Edinburgh. 

This lead me onto the Chancelot Path and from here I turned left onto Warriston Path which became the Water of Leith path. This is named for the Water of Leith river which flows through Edinburgh and into the Forth at the Albert Dock. The water was very calm here, and the sky impressively blue so I had to stop for a photo.

At the end of the path I crossed the river and headed through Leith Links Park and Gardens, then past Seafield Cemetery to join Seafield Road, hopping onto the shared use pavement to avoid the road here before coming to Portobello Beach. I noticed several young people were walking away from the beach, and the music coming from the shore suggested a solstice party had been / was still taking place. I rode along the promenade, which despite being close to the sea was a little disappointing due to the proximity of industrial estates and houses. I left at Bellfield to cross the Sir Harry Lauder Way and east coast railway line, passing Portobello Golf Course and High School, crossing Milton Road and navigating through a few side streets to pick up the Innocent Cycle Path, running on the trackbed of the former Innocent Railway line. This was a lovely track, running through Jewel Park and passing Bawsinch and Duddingston Nature Reserve and then Arthur’s Seat to come to the Innocent Railway Tunnel, a short well-lit tunnel adorned with colourful graffiti. 

At the end of the tunnel I navigated a few more side streets and came to The Meadows and Soderberg Cafe. Unfortunately I was too early for it to be open so sat on a low wall outside chilling. When it did open I treated myself to a coffee and a couple of cinnamon buns before continuing on through the streets to Waverley Railway Station, and my train home. It had been a fabulous weekend of cycling, and in a good way it somehow seemed a lot longer than 24 hours since I’d woken at home and prepared to do my ride.

Roam Scotland Rally Reflections

After a short ride around Inverness on the Sunday I caught the train back to Edinburgh in the company of fellow Roamers Andrew and Tim, and then we caught the same train back down south. We chatted on the way, and after parting at Oxenhope and Preston I spent the rest of the journey reflecting on the previous seven days.

I had no preconceptions about the ride, other than seeing a few videos on You Tube, and was approaching it with a slight trepidation but much anticipation. I was hoping for some cracking scenery, which it delivered in spades. The days were very long, in a good way, due to the tremendous variety of terrains and scenery on offer, and this led to the week feeling very long as well. Edinburgh seemed days away on the Monday! In terms of the weather, the main thing was the cold temperatures, particularly in the latter part of the week. Yes, it rained, but not much, not for long and there was usually some sun to come afterwards to dry you off. The wind was not helpful as it seemed mostly north westerly, and given we were heading north north west for much of the time it was in our faces.

Overall the route was very rideable, with some wet and muddy places, some tough rocky tracks but a lot of good gravel and road. The hike-a-bike sections were necessary, and even if I had to stop pushing occasionally to get my breath it was an opportunity to take in the scenery and listen to the nature. My bike coped with everything I rode on, and gave me no trouble mechanically.

I generally prefer riding in my own company, but meeting with other Roamers on the trail throughout the day, or at cafes or campsites was great, and made you feel connected on the route. Everybody was friendly and helpful.

I dipped out on some challenging parts of the route some days as my body reacted to the efforts during week. I wasn’t disappointed or downhearted about this as I still saw plenty of good things on the route I did take anyway, and it was good to be able to be flexible as and when necessary without feeling judged.

There’s a few things to look at for next time – maybe look at using the MTB setting on my Garmin maps to avoid / reduce navigational issues, and perhaps consider a saddle pack rather than panniers. But that’s not to take anything away from what was an amazing and satisfying week of roaming. And will there be a next time? Oh yes, as long as my health holds you bet! 

Roam Scotland Rally Day 7 : Contin to Inverness, Saturday May 16th

It was bloody freezing overnight! Previous days had been quite chilly early doors, but this morning was really cold. Nipping out of the tent for an early toilet call at the dawn chorus I noticed that there was ice forming on the lower edge of the tent. After breakfast I packed the tent up, saying my farewells to Kenny who was up before me, then set off on the uphill stretch to Jamestown where I turned off, passing what looked like the ruins of an old church before heading onto a climb through some woods.

 Here I lost my route, as I couldn’t see any obvious track ahead of me, nor could I see any helpful tyre tracks from other Roamers, and so I turned round and retraced my route to get back onto the A835 for a short while before turning off for Marybank, crossing the mighty River Conon again. At Marybank I took the road towards Urray, passing the Urray West Church of Scotland and heading on into Muir of Ord where I spotted the pagoda chimneys of the distillery. At the junction by the railway station I was waiting to turn right when I noticed Kenny riding in from the direction of Conon Bridge and caught up with him for a chat. After a few navigational issues the route took a fabulous track through Spital Wood which gave the first glimpses of the pan flat Beauly Firth with reflections from the bank opposite. 

At one point I came through a gate in the woods into open fields on my right, and here I spotted a couple of what I believe were Red Kites engaging in a bit of play fighting. I stopped to watch for a while, during which time a third Red Kite appeared, before setting off again along the singletrack, meeting three bikepackers going in the opposite direction. Eventually the track came to an end at a road, where I turned left and headed for Redcastle Viewpoint on the shores of Beauly Firth. 

Here I took a photo of an old boat with a heron on the Firth shore before turning back inland to head into Redcastle estate, passing the ruins of the medieval Redcastle and a rather nice looking farmhouse to follow a track which came out on the road running along the side of the Firth. This ran smoothly through to Charleston passing Coulmore Bay Holiday Park, and I also saw a small sign on a post at the side of the road saying “Do Not Photograph This Sign”. From Charleston I’d planned to detour to the Black Isle Brewery inland, as I’d missed this on my previous trip to the Black Isle. I climbed up out of Charleston to pick up NCN 1 running alongside the A9 for a while before dropping onto B roads for the three mile ride to the brewery. 

I bought myself a cycle jersey and sat outside with a couple of beers enjoying the sun and chatting with a guy from the shop about bikepacking kit. As I was starting to feel the midday sun I finished my beer and retraced my route back to Charleston to follow the cycle route to Inverness. At North Kessock I came across Graeme and Zak sitting outside a cafe and stopped for a chat. After the cafe a short steep ramp took me up to the Kessock Bridge separating the Moray and Beauly Firths, and I rode over on the cycle path where I got a superb view back over the Beauly Firth to the mountains in the west. 

Over the bridge I turned off on the outskirts on Inverness and headed into the city. Inverness was very very busy, and after a week of riding through very quiet out of the way spots came as a brutal assault on my senses. By now I was starting to feel a headache coming on and decided to head to my accommodation for a refreshing shower and rest. I crossed the Greig Street Bridge over the River Ness and saw a cyclist coming in the opposite direction. It was Kenny again, off to catch his bus back to Glasgow. We said our farewells and I booked into my room, then showered. My headache wasn’t going away, so rather than meet the other Roamers for a beer I picked up some supplies, including some paracetamol, from Tesco and went back to rest in my room. It was the end of an absolutely superb week of roaming through Scotland! 

Roam Scotland Rally Day 6 : Cannich to Contin, Friday May 15th

I woke to hear a little bit of rain on the tent, but fortunately it didn’t last long. I had breakfast, packed up and set off, but not before one of the local feathered friends dropped a present on my hand and my frame bag! I’d decided to do the simple road option today rather than the rolling route up a hard climb as I didn’t feel my legs were up to some more off road stress. It was good to feel the tarmac buzzing under my wheels as I set off, and after a quick divert to find a post box I left Cannich over the River Cannich. This fed into the River Glass, which was a good size and remained on my right as I headed north. A couple of miles out of Cannich I passed St Ignatius’ Well, a historic holy well and roadside cairn built in 1880. 

More gorse was blooming along the road, and I came across a sign declaring “Never Mind The Ballachs”, designed to resemble the Sex Pistols album of nearly the same name. This was advertising a group campaigning to stop a proposed Ballach wind farm by a German company. As in many other places in the Highlands, this highlighted the ongoing debate / fight between needed energy and destruction of local habitat, and in that place it was hard not to argue with any potential desecration of such a beautiful wild landscape. Further on I passed a field of black sheep, of a type I’d not seen before, then the beautiful church at Struy just before crossing the magnificent River Farrar on a bridge. 

Here I stopped for a photo and noticed two other Roamers coming up – it was Fiona and Sara, Calum’s sister and niece. We had a chat and then resumed our journeys. The Farrar joined the Glass shortly afterwards and the two combined became the River Beauly. Approaching Beauly I passed the extremely ugly Beauly Substation, a real eyesore although no doubt very necessary, and headed into the village, stopping at the Corner On The Square cafe for coffee and apple pie. As I was leaving to set off again Jim, my glasses saviour, was arriving and heading into the cafe for his break. I headed out of Beauly, noting that the fibre glass Highland Cow from my previous visit was still there, and called in at Robertson’s Larder and Highland Cows. They have two orphan cows which have been on the farm since they were two weeks old, Katie Morag and Jamie Mackenzie Fraser. 

I bought a couple of gifts to take back with me and resumed my journey north to Muir of Ord, where I took a left at the railway station to cycle past the Glen Ord Distillery. From a previous trip here I knew this was going to be a very pleasant road to cycle on, and was even more so this time due to the road being closed at the distillery, resulting in very little traffic as I rode through. There was more gorse at the roadside, and I rode over the River Orrin just down from the falls and passed a very funny roadside sculpture at a house, resembling the robot Bender from Futurama. 

A nice downhill followed into Marybank, then after crossing the River Conon I turned left into a headwind on the A835. This was on the North Coast 500 route, and although very busy it wasn’t long before I came to a turn for Strathpeffer, and I headed uphill for a couple of miles before riding into the village. Strathpeffer is a Victorian Spa town and contains many beautiful buildings including the Spa Pavilion and several churches, but I was heading for the Old Station. 

This was built in 1885, with passenger services ending in 1946 and the line closing in 1951. The station itself is remarkably well preserved, and looks every inch a Victorian station with wood panelling in the gents toilet and other interesting features. Today it houses the Highland Museum of Childhood in addition to a community gift shop and a cafe, which I called in at and enjoyed a warming bowl of soup and a cup of tea. After my break I set off back down the hill to rejoin the A835 into Contin. It had started raining by now, and in a few hundred yards I pulled up at Contin Stores which was just outside my campsite, and joined a couple of other Roamers in the shop where I bought an ice cream – well I was on holiday! The rain had stopped, and I went outside to join the Roamers on the benches and had a chat whilst waiting for the campsite reception to open. As well as Mike and Jason from the train up, I chatted to Graeme and his dog Zak. As well as carrying his camping kit, Graeme was pulling a dog trailer with Zak in it! Zak was the most placid, relaxed dog I’d seen and seemed utterly unfazed by anything that was going on, and stayed in the trailer while Graeme rode over the rough tracks. After this I went into the shop again to pick up my supplies and then booked into the campsite. I pitched my tent, showered and then went back four hundred yards up the road to the Smiddy Chippy, buying fish and chips which I ate whilst sitting at the edge of the River Conon that ran alongside the campsite. 

Another Roamer, Kenny, had arrived at the camp and we sat chatting for a while before turning in. It had been a very nice and reasonably relaxed day, with just one more to go. 

Roam Scotland Rally Day 5 : Fort Augustus to Cannich, Thursday May 14th

Despite the pitter patter of rain on the tent in the night I managed to get packed up and set off in dry conditions. I retraced my route through the forest to get back to the Great Glen Way and set off pedalling, the trees parting occasionally to give some great views over Loch Ness with the occasional yacht or boat breaking the smooth surface. After a while the track dropped down to meet a road which took me on the A82 into Invermoriston, passing St Columba’s Well before a left turn on the A887 and a sharp right up a very steep road with hairpin bends. It was a walk for most of the way up, at the top I was met by an excitable puppy out for a walk with its owner and as expected the height reached gave some cracking views over Loch Ness. I resumed cycling along the forest track, at one point passing a huge pile of felled trees at the side before descending down through where they had obviously stood previously. 

A few miles further on the track climbed through a series of bends to join the Great Glen high route, and as I crested the top of the climb I met Mike from the train coming out of the high route path. The track continued on past some thick gorse and I came across a bit of logging going on, with a winch hauling some fallen logs up from further down the slope. I stopped to watch for a while, then resumed to follow a wonderful bit of singletrack through the forest to reach Grotaig, rejoining the road near the Loch Ness Clay Works Pottery and Tearoom. 

I was tempted by the tearoom bit, but ploughed on along the road for a few miles, passing some more daffodil clumps and coming to a long descent into Drumnadrochit, by which point it was raining steadily. Riding into Drumnadrochit I stopped at Cafe Eighty 2 for a coffee and a Potato Hash Bowl which turned out to be an excellent choice! I ordered a second coffee to wait for the rain to stop then headed into Drumnadrochit to try to find some long fingered gloves, as I had lost mine earlier in the week on one of the rough tracks. At the Whisky Gift Shop I found some leather Tweed gloves, which were clearly not what I needed, however they had a fair selection of whisky miniatures so I bought a couple and headed across the road to the Nessie Gift Shop where I bought some 3M Thinsulate thermal ones. Purchases complete I set off for Cannich feeling a little tired. The road rose gently for four miles before turning off into Balnain Forest where I pedalled along on a smooth forest track, passing trees with little bits of lichen hanging off the branches, something I’d seen before in the Highlands. I’d stopped to take a photo and noticed three other Roamers, a man and two women, riding up towards me so I took a photo. 

They stopped for a chat, and I thought to myself that I recognised the man’s voice. “You sound like you must be Calum” I said, and sure enough he replied that he was indeed. Calum was the founder of the Roam Scotland Bikepacking Society and I’d heard him on a podcast talking about the rally earlier in the year. We chatted for a while and then set off again, Loch Meiklie coming into view on my right hand side through the gorse. Shortly after this I had a little navigational trouble at a confluence of routes, finding myself dropping into a farm with plenty of cows waiting at a gate. I retraced my steps but found myself at the same place, fortunately help came along in the shape of some more Roamers who pointed me in the right direction – this being downhill on a track to a gate with a cow watching on inquisitively on the right. The track met a road at Shenval, then I followed another forest track through to come out near Corrimony Chambered Cairn onto a minor road which joined the A831. 

Back on tarmac I climbed on a gentle gradient for a couple of miles before rolling downhill at speed for a couple of miles with the River Glass on my right to reach the turn off for Cannich. I booked into the campsite and set up my tent, then headed off to Cannich Stores for supplies, passing a house with a large collection of ornamental teapots on the garden wall. I found the stores, which to my surprise and delight sold beer and freshly made pizza, with a bus outside for sitting in! 

It would have been messy if I’d stayed, so contented myself with one beer in addition to the supplies for the night and morning. Back at the campsite I enjoyed a warm shower and ate my food before settling down to relax, the sun shining and the birds singing. It had been another tough day with plenty of climbing albeit over a shorter distance, but another day that I had really enjoyed. 

Roam Scotland Rally Day 4 : Loch Ossian to Fort Augustus, Wednesday May 13th

No dawn chorus today, but I did wake up and go for a wee anyway. To make up for the lack of birdsong a few geese began having an enormous argument around 6 o’clock. The day was grey and chilly, but that didn’t stop a woman going for a swim in the loch! After breakfast I packed up and set off, heading north east along the side of Loch Ossian on a road through the trees that gently rolled. Once past the loch the trees stopped and the landscape opened out in a broad valley, the road running past Loch Ghuilbinn in between the snow capped hills. 

After five miles I came to some woods and the road started descending. I heard more cuckoos, and for the first time in a very long while heard the sound of road traffic. Riding through Fersit I came to the An Dubh Lochan and stopped for a photo of the hills and trees reflected in the still water. 

The road continued descending to reach the A86 where I turned left and rode through Roy Bridge, with a closed cafe, reluctantly passed the Glen Spean brewery and shop and came into Spean Bridge where I stopped for lunch at Faith’s cafe with a few other Roamers. After a very pleasant lunch break I headed back on the A86 for a short while before turning off onto a public path that ran alongside the River Spean on the trackbed of the former Invergarry and Fort Augustus Railway and went past General Wade’s High Bridge, where the first shots were fired in the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745. I had a good view of Ben Nevis from here, and also passed the remains of a railway viaduct over the Spean. The path joined the B8004 just down from the Spean Bridge Commando Memorial, but not before I had to clamber over a slightly wobbly stile after lifting my bike over a fence. 

Turning west here I rode towards Gairlochy, passing the Mucomir Hydro Electric Power Station which takes water from Loch Lochy, and crossing the Caledonian Canal to turn right onto NCN 78, the Caledonia Way. I rode for a couple of miles with Loch Lochy on my right, then turned off towards Achnacarry for a pre-planned diversion to see Loch Arkaig and an impressive looking waterfall. I passed the Clan Cameron Museum, a long single storey whitewashed building, and what looked like the seat of Clan Cameron with some old Steading Apartments opposite. At the head of Loch Arkaig I crossed a wooden bridge and turned back east to come to the Eas Chia-Aig waterfalls, which certainly turned out to be impressive. 

I rejoined NCN 78 along the loch, and in a few miles came across a large wooden statue of a bear and cub, with hiking equipment, which signalled where a basic camping / rest spot was situated on the loch side. Shortly after this a series of hairpin bends diverted the route away from the loch due to exploratory works for the Coire Glas Hydro scheme. 

It wasn’t a long diversion though, and I rejoined the original route and came to the Laggan Locks where I crossed the canal and continued on to North Laggan. Here, I continued on NCN 78 and came across Invergarry Station, where the Invergarry Station Project were restoring the platform and buildings. The former line continued for around three miles through gates, bridges and some wet patches in places before leaving to run alongside Loch Oich to the Aberchalder Swing Bridge carrying the A82 over the canal. As I pulled up at the gates to cross the road the swing bridge started closing, allowing me to nip across unhindered by traffic, and in a short while I came to the Cullochy Lock where I crossed to the other side of the wide canal towpath. It started raining now for a while, and I rode along the towpath avoiding the potholes and puddles where I could. Four miles later, and with the rain having passed, I rolled into Fort Augustus where I stopped to pick up some supplies and have a coffee, and managed to get a photo of a rainbow over Loch Ness. 

I rode out of Fort Augustus to find my campsite for the night which was four miles along the Great Glen Way, passing Morag’s Hostel where I knew a number of my fellow Roamers were staying. I found the way onto the Great Glen Way, which was a short steep scramble up a soft slope, and at the top followed the way for a few rolling miles until I came to a sign for my campsite. I had to follow a track through the woods, waymarked with white tree stumps and over plenty of tree roots, but managed to find it ok. I checked in, put the tent up and had a hot shower then had my tea before retiring for the night. 

Roam Scotland Rally Day 3 : Killin to Loch Ossian, Tuesday May 12th

Having been woken by the dawn chorus at 4:10 I had to go the toilet. Back to the sleeping bag for a couple of hours then got up at 7:30, packed up and left at half eight on a sunny but chilly day. I rode back down the A827 to Killin, turning right before the Bridge of Lochay onto a road with the River Lochay running alongside to the left. I rode past a whitewashed cottage that looked boarded up, then came across a small patch of wildfire damage on the left of the road. I continued on into Glen Lochay passing an information board for the Woodland Project, and then turned right to go over the first climb of the day. I stopped to take a photo and noticed two more Roamers behind me, so waited for them to come through and took their photos. The climb up gave some great views back to where I’d ridden from earlier, and further up passed Lochan Learg nan Lunn before descending again down to the Lubreoch Dam at the head of Loch Lyon. 

The ride down Glen Lyon was absolutely magnificent in the sun, and further on I came upon the Stronuich Dam and reservoir. The road climbed occasionally and on one such rise I stopped to take a photo of another two Roamers who were coming up behind. Shortly after this I came across a herd of Highland cows on both sides of the road, including some calves, and there were also a number of clusters of daffodils still in bloom beside the road. 

A few miles on I came to the Glen Lyon tea room and stopped for soup and coffee. There were a fair few Roamers in there already when I arrived, and I sat at a table with a guy called Jim. After a lovely lunch I reluctantly stepped out into the cold and set off again, and in a mile left the road to head up over a track towards Loch Rannoch. It had started raining at this point and I stopped to put my overshoes on. The track was steep in places and I resorted to pushing more than a few times. The rain turned to hail at one point, covering my handlebar bags. 

Over the top the track started to descend with a few stream crossings where the track had been washed away and repaired with rubble. At the entrance to Rannoch Woods I went through a gate where there was a large piece of bone on the ground, after which the track became a wide forest track and at one point I stopped to let a forest lorry pass. Some time around here I realised that on the descent I’d lost my glasses, which I’d foolishly hooked into the straps of my handlebar bag – obviously they must have shaken loose on the way down. The track continued on through the forest on good gravel, at one point the left side of the track had high stacks of tree branches piled up for a stretch. 

On leaving the forest the track dropped down to Loch Rannoch at Camghouran, and at the road junction I turned left towards Bridge of Gaur. Not long after this I heard a loud roaring, and a plane passed me overhead at a fairly low level. I passed another herd of Highland cattle and stopped for a photo, wondering if these were the same cattle that I’d seen when I passed here in 2024. As I was taking photos the inquisitive herd began to make their way towards me, perhaps hoping I’d have something interesting for them. I set off again, and after Bridge of Gaur turned left on the B846 towards Rannoch Station, into a stiff headwind. It was a bit of a slog for four miles, passing Loch Eigheach Gaur Reservoir after which the Garmin indicated a right turn on Road To The Isles. This sounded exotic, I thought, until I reached it and saw that it was a rough gravel track. 

It was a long slog over this track, with the surface very variable with some wide stream crossings, and some hike-a-bike sections. It was as quick to push as it would have been to try to ride at some points, but as before the payback was some fabulous views over the surrounding area, including the iconic conical Schiehalion peak to the east. To the west black skies and occasional rainbows suggested heavy rain, and although the clouds kept away the wind occasionally blew showers at me. I met a couple of women doing a short tour based in Kinloch Rannoch who were heading in the opposite direction to me, and they warned me about the upcoming “road we all love to hate”. 

I ploughed on doggedly and eventually came to where the track started descending. Because of the surface this was almost as tricky as the ascent, but I made my way down safely to the shores of Loch Ossian and rode to the Youth Hostel. It had taken me two hours to cover eight miles. I’d planned to try and find a spot to wild camp on the north side of the loch, but with dark clouds threatening and it being fairly late in the day I decided to camp at the hostel, and pitched my tent on the edge of the loch with an amazing view. 

A tough day, but at the same time a very rewarding one. Oh, and a bonus – Jim had found my glasses I’d lost, and brought them back to me at the hostel!