08:00 Raining here. Just going for breakfast. Feeling sooo tired and shaky. Just watching weather. Looks like I’m going through the wettest part of the country today and possibly tomorrow.
08:06 Going to try and get some breakfast down. Might help settle me.
08:12 Going to try and take things as easily as possible today. Plod, plod. Haggis has arrived.
08:38 Off in 10. Rain getting steadily heavier
09:12 Only 3 miles. V slow. Been off road! Red squirrels sign. Must be gloomy the camera is auto flashing
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| Arrgh! Tis the Wee Beasties with the Pointy Teeth!! |
09:46 My sat nav doing well. Hard to text in rain. Hope key board waterproof.
10:05 Slight easing in rain. Forecast at least only for “blue” rain not “yellow” rain that they use for thunder. So not pissing it down. Reroute to Pitlochry. Having a meat pastry and crisps
10:25 Pitlochry. 14 miles. Outside Christmas Emporium. Closed! Guess trade not too hot in June. However, they have a sign saying 196 days to Christmas. But that could have been from yesterday.
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| It was Actually 195 – I Worked it Out Riding Out of Town |
11:42 At the warning sign. Bitchin Pass. V muggy. Wet weather gear off for climb. Better wetty than sweaty. 26 miles10:53 TA. Another stupid sign – blind people drive slowly. Is that just a comment or a warning? If the latter, waste of time – blind people couldn’t read it.
13:10 Top of the Drumochter summit. Sign still not been corrected says 462 m whilst sat nav insisting only 461. And warning sign at the bottom reckons 457! What happened to accuracy hey. Climb much better than remembered. Lots of bright yellow broom and gorse. Also patches of wild lupin (flowers not wolves)
13:26 Still snow a bit higher up in clefts and hollows
14:31 Newtonmore. 56 miles. Rain stopped for some time now. Not as bad as expected. Bought mini French stick and pate and chocolate milk. Going to find somewhere to sit. Maybe Ruthven barracks a few miles up the road. Taking it very easy today and enjoying it.
14:58 Ruthven Barracks. 59 miles. About to eat
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| Ruthven Barracks |
15:11 Stopped too long. Getting cold
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| Random Nice View in Highlands |
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| Storm Brewing in Aviemore – Can’t Go Under it, Can’t Go Over it…Have to Go Through it! |
17:11 81 miles. Carbridge. About to climb schlod pass. Much steeper than the other one. Much shorter though.
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| Ancient Bridge |
17:46 Nearly at the top. Passed a sign half a mile back saying tomatin (where I stayed last time) 5 inverness 25. Now at sign saying tomatin 6 inverness 23?
17:58 At summit. They are still a metre out. Sat nav 400 sign 401. 87 miles. Quite a lot of downhill to come. Lots of stored climbing energy. Didn’t text for a while coz raining hard.
19:18 I’m here.
