I'd previously arranged to leave my car on a small car park in Strathpeffer, Scotland. The drive there was uneventful except for when I stopped at Broxton, Perth to get fuel. There was no diesel so I continued north on the A9 to Inverness where I was able to top up. I continued to Strathpeffer where I arrived just after 13:00 and parked near the Square Wheels bike shop. I unloaded the bike, assembled it, fitted the panniers, and then set off. The quiet of the road was soon shattered when I reached the A835.

Glascarnoch River and the old bridge

I expected it to be busy as it is the main road to Ullapool. I reached Garve where the railway crosses by a diagonal crossing. The tracks cross at a sharp angle with slippery surfaces either side. I needed to swerve to cross the rails as direct as I could else the wheels could have dropped in the gap. I was glad when the road left the confines of pine trees and into the open Glascarnoch. The Altguish Inn had an amusing sign about its Dam good Food. It’s not a spelling mistake as the inn is by the Loch Glascarnoch Dam. A steady climb followed and above the loch the road undulated. The skies were overcast and in the distance I could see rain over the high hills. A long straight road was ahead but time was getting on so I began to look for a pitch. Above the Droma river was a lay bye and some level ground below it. A steady wind kept the midges away while I put the tent up but they returned with a vengeance later in the evening.

Altguish Inn and 'Dam good Food'