Today we ride 60 miles and climb the Drumochter Pass (dun, dun, dun). 18 miles up, transiting from the southern to the northern Highlands. This actually a 2 pass day as we go over the smaller Pass of Killiecrankie just outside Pitlochry - little wake up the legs climb! Steve said this climb was my birthday present, I said no. After Abington, today is the next challenge, but rather than motorway services at the end of the day, we have a rest day at a Scottish holiday destination, Aviemore. Today is the last day of this section.
We left Pitlochry through the town and headed towards Killiecrankie. Lovely small roads. Were supposed to go through a gorge, but maybe that was by the river below. Such quiet roads, nothing on them! A small roadnfor the first 6-7 or so, and then onto what used to be the A9, now decommissioned.. The climb to the Drumchocter Pass was a long slow climb. We rode for 35 miles with an amazing contrast - the new A9 on the right full of noisy traffic and on the left, The Highlands! Tall, majestic, beautiful even in the mist for miles on end. We rode up the old A9, then to a bike path that ran alongside the A9, but never ANY traffic at all over the entire route - it was just us. We had some undulations through a forest for the last 7 miles or so, and then dropped down into Aviemore. Then the start of the birthday party, although the day was already fantastic for any birthday!
The photos are in reverse order, but still give a view of a great day!
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| Selecting the beer |
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| Cairngorm Gold |
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| Birthday Macarons |
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| Autumn leaves |
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| Bracken on the hills. Autumn. |
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The Highlands appear
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| At the top of the pass |
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| The trail up on top |
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| And as far as the eye can see… |
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Drumochter Pass
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| At the top |
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| We lucked out with the sunshine |
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| Looking back down at what we’ve climbed |
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| Beautiful hills all along the route |
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| Farm fields |
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| The trail great even in the grey. |
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| Sun’s out |
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| Today’s castle |
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| Down in the valley |
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| Across a very long valley |
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| And into the hills |
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| Getting ready to go |
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| Scottish breakfast |
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| Todays route |
This was the best day of the trip so far. Good roads, over a pass, good distance and into a town to celebrate - perfect!!
Birthday Girl bloody “smashed it” today. Hooray!! Just as well we rode past the whiskey distillery at Dalwhinnie without going in or we could have been in trouble!! Group of solo cyclists at the top of the pass summed it up. A bloody tandem, up here!! Rest day tomorrow then the last 200 miles 😁
ReplyDeleteI can't believe you went past Dalwhinnie without going in...one of my fav scotches, and that's saying something frome a bourbon drinker. 😎
ReplyDeleteDalwhinnie is a good one, first had it when Steve took me to Dalhousie Castle years ago
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