Killin to Blanefield

The wild camping went well, with the watch giving my sleep a score of 100%! With the tent being on long wet grass and the dismantling of the tent and packing the panniers in the morning rain, there is some wet and damp kit to hang inside the tent to dry.

After a wet night, today had longish periods of both heavy rain and dryness. Some potholes were filled with water and the going was heavy on some wet paths and slippery on patches of mud. There were some long stretches of good surfaces but others had deteriorated to an unacceptable level, needing a mountain bike for enjoyable riding. My decision to stick to the roads from Callender was a result of my frustration with some of the off-the-road route.

The A821 from near Callender to the A81 near Aberfeldy was not busy but included tough hills. The A81 to Glasgow had a good surface on the whole but there were sections that had deteriorated to become very rough, with potholes in the making. The amount of traffic was OK, at least on a Saturday.

A positive from today was a breakfast at the Forest Holidays cafe four miles before Callender. Although scrambled egg on toast was not on the menu it was what I felt I wanted and was provided, very much to my satisfaction.

Here at the West Highland Way campsite near Blanefield, breakfast is included in the £20 fee for a small tent. This is a first for me and there will be no cycling before breakfast tomorrow.

Today’s stats include a distance of 53 miles with an ascent of more than 3000 feet. For a while the Garmin was recording a heart rate very much too high so active calories are not recorded here.