Dan's blog.

My journey from Lands End to John O Groats by the scenic route

Day 11 – Beautiful Lochs and mountains with a bit of Highlands damp thrown in

Hello Everyone. Quick update on todays progress and then lots of images. It’s one of those days were there were so many moments of beauty – images work better than words. I’ve also recorded a couple of short videos about bike packing.

Today was a pure Highlands of Scotland day. The route used a mix of quiet roads and quite gnarly (on a touring bike) off road tracks which weaved around and led to stunning views and wonderful scenery. From just north of Loch Lomond – the 149km / 93 miles route ended in the Cairngorm mountains, just North of Blair Athol. It was just over 9 hours in the saddle today that has bought Inverness within striking distance tomorrow which means I should reach John O Groats in 2.5 days time – hopefully in time to catch my sleeper train home.

Still lochs, winding tracks through pine trees, red squirrels, eagles, the Omni-present mountainous back drop. Todays ride was beautiful. Ive tried to capture this in the photos below – and sorry if the image don’t quite communicate the beauty and feeling of the place. The way to really see this part of the world – is to come visit!

Look forward to your thoughts on the amateur bike packing videos too.

A collection of book from tonight’s hotel. Have they been reading the blog?
Another beautiful river scene.
A picture taken by a kind Austrian tourist on a bridge outside Pitlochry
Pretty in Pink foxgloves – I tried to capture the bees feeding.
Menzies castle
Brilliant!
A gentle waterfall outside the pub where I had lunch
Notice the surface here- today was a mix of surfaces
A pretty view of the bike path down a valley
Are you feeling it?
The rain kept it honest for most of the day
Just breathe. One of the many loch views from todays ride.
A mountain decent on an unmade track.
A panorama to try and capture the beauty
Another Loch (this one Loch Drunkie – really) peeps through the trees
Back into the open and pine trees at the top of the mountain above Aberfoyle.
A waterfall above Aberfoyle – a stunning bike path rises up from the town.
The same bike path above Aberfoyle – there are also some steep parts
Glamorous moments of clothes washing following a days bike packing ride.

Dan Munro

2 responses to “Day 11 – Beautiful Lochs and mountains with a bit of Highlands damp thrown in”

  1. pmunro1830da6278 avatar
    pmunro1830da6278

    Dan, Great photos, they really confirm the stunning beauty of the Highlands. I am not sure of your route but North of Inverness between Dingwall and Drummond is Foulis castle which has been ancestral home of the Clan Munro since the 14th century. Unfortunately it is only open on a Tuesday however cycling through the general area where the left handed Munro’s live and lived is yet another experience to add to this amazing adventure. Good luck tomorrow. love Dad

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    1. Dan Munro avatar
      Dan Munro

      Thanks Dad. Just looked up foulis and I’ll be passing very close to it and will pay my respects.

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