Where are we? Alness, back on the east coast after going round the very top of Scotland
Where should we be? No idea, probably somewhere in Kansas
Miles today: a mere 183
Miles total: 1172
Nowhere to sit in my hotel room in Alness so will have to be a quick blog tonight...
This morning greeted by blue skies and a full Scottish breakfast, what could possibly go wrong! Filled our tanks to the brim, in case petrol was hard to find in the wild north west, and we were off towards Cape Wrath (named for all the reasons you can imagine). But today's weather was relatively benign - and probably positively calm for this part of Scotland. Well it was to begin with - howling gales and some tempest like showers did follow but nothing that would put us off. And we got to see some spectacular rainbows.
Many of the roads we travelled on today were one lane tracks with passing places, and it would have been biker paradise, were it not for all the bikers! Actually it was all the cars that make progress rather slow around the north west section. Queueing for passing places did get a bit annoying at times. So we stopped lots, took lots of pictures and just tried to enjoy the stunning scenery, even if the riding was a bit slow at times. And managed a stop at Smoo Cave, which I think is the largest sea cave in the country (I haven't googled it so probably wrong!)
Eventually we diverted, found our own route (when it was possible) and then we didn't see too many other bikes or indeed any forms of life for mile after mile. If you are that way inclined, just take a look at a map of this region and see how few people live here, how few settlements there are and the paucity of roads. We loved it.
We did eventually rock up into Alness, having pretty much circumnavigated the north, and probably covered about two thirds of the NC 500. Tomorrow the Cairngorms, beckon again!
And so to bed. Some more pics...
Near Smoo Cave
Another bloody castle
Nice bridge
Nice bike
It just gets wilder and wilder
We are going up there
In Smoo Cave
Just spectacular!
And finally two idiots!
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