Day 17 – 21st April 2007
We enjoyed another excellent breakfast and said our farewells to the Ryce-Garwoods. As we left, our hostess pressed two £10 notes into my hand as their contribution to the National Kidney Foundation. We are always very grateful for touching gestures like that.
We made very good progress this morning and reached Fort William in time for coffee – but we had to take care not to drench other customers as we had cycled through constant rain. We were due some, of course, so we can’t complain. In fact, the weather was quite mild and there was little wind so cycling in the rain was not that unpleasant.
We saw some eider ducks on the sea lock (Loch Linnhe). We had seen some previously but could not make out what they were.
On leaving Fort WIlliam we made for the Great Glen Cycle Way and once on it, we ate the lunch we had just bought at Tesco’s. The route was a bit stony but reasonably flat, so we made quite good progress. On reaching Clunes me net a lovely pair of English setters in a garden and made friends with them whilst chatting to their owner. Then we returned to the Great Glen Cycle Way.
It was pretty unpleasant, being quite rough, hilly and hard going. On another day, the views of the mountains would have made for a wonderful ride, but but by this time we were all thoroughly damp and simply looking forward to a shower and some food.
We returned to the A82 as soon as we c ould and it was quite a good ride. Some of it had just been resurfaced and it was very smooth going.
We arrived at our digs, The Bank House in Fort Augustus, around 6.45, so after showering and finding the driest clothes we possessed, we set off for the Lock Inn, where Chris and I consumed venison, whereas Janet had chicken.
