East Daviot to Beauly

When shown round Beauly Holiday Park at Lovat Bridge hours ago the large covered area with many picnic tables was a nice surprise for me. The weather was fine then but now the rainfall is heavy.

Contacting cousins in the area has been problematic but all seems well now. A cousin in Inverness told me useful tips for talking to people with dementia. She also recalled events at the Moy Country Fair when she used to attend regularly. Her soup was as good as ever. She gave me updated contact details for a mutual cousin in Drumnadrochit, who fortunately will be at home tomorrow.

Beauly is a pleasant town with character. Staff at The Priory Hotel have a stake in the business. It serves excellent coffee and looks a fine place to eat tomorrow, with plenty of choice. Unknown to me until today, Thai at Beauly are usually to be found in Beauly on a Sunday only before September, so my luck was in today to spot them next to the Jet filling station. We chatted about the closure of the Moy Country Fair and I was given an extra of prawn crackers "as a friend". They were doing a good trade from the locals. This Facebook page will give their next whereabouts.

The cycling in several stages today was not difficult and there was a variety of scenery. The main road from Inverness to Beauly was surprisingly busy for a Sunday so the very quiet and pleasant minor road through Kirkhill was a welcome diversion. Including the visit and shopping trips the total distance was 33 miles with 1200 feet of ascent and 860 active calories.