East Daviot to Invernahaven

Beginning with the story of the end of the day’s cycling, a stop at the Co-op in Newtonmore for food for the evening meal left only 4 km to take it to the campsite. My debit card in my money belt was wanted to pay for the stay and could not be found after several searches e.g. to make sure it was not sticking to another card or hidden within receipts. My phone could not contact my bank even when at the best points of reception. A member of staff was very helpful, letting me phone the Co-op on the office landline, but there was no answer. I cycled back to the shop and checked I had not thrown it away in their bin in discarded rubbish then was told that it had been found in the car park and handed in! What a relief to get it back!

For the first part of the cycling the temperature was not too warm and when up at 400 metres above sea level at the Slochd Summit it felt slightly cool. Later the sun shone brightly and the forecast of 25 C in the shade seemed about right. Trees provided shady stretches such as between Boat of Garten and Aviemore, in the forests of Rothiemurchus and Feshiebridge and approaching Kingussie on the Speyside Way. It was a good day for seeing mountains but it was easier to appreciate the views when not sweltering.

Here at the campsite a touring cyclist is doing Lands End to John O’ Groats and managed 3000 feet of ascent one day!

Statistics for the day including the debit card retrieval were a distance of 56 miles with 2500 feet of ascent and 1200 active calories.