North of the Gaick Lodge close to a barrier
Today I enjoyed the longest cycle ride for a number of years riding the Gaick Pass through remote parts of the Scottish Highlands. I set off from Newtonmore just before 10.30am and returned to the village about 15.40. I headed north to Glen Tromie and then travelled the whole length – some of it metalled, a lot a passable farm track with several small rivers to ford. Eventually well to the south of Gaick Lodge the farm track comes to an end leaving just a narrow footpath perched up a little above a loch. At the end of the loch you pick up another farm track that eventually leads to the A9 at the turn off to Trinafour, From there I picked up the Route 7 Sustrans track that heads through the Highlands taking me up the Drumochter Pass onto Dalwhinnie and to Newtonmore.
I wasn't able to be in London last weekend for the 100-mile cycle so this ride will just have to make up for it.
A little further on: the Loch heading towards Gaick Lodge
The track to the south of the Gaick Lodge
The track to the south of the Gaick Lodge (vehicle in view)
The loch where it is down just to a narrow footpath, I preferred to walk it
but doubtless some fearless bikers would ride it (above and below)
Hills in the background are beyond the A9
1 comment:
Lovely pictures once more, Jim. Thank you for sharing these dramatic sceneries with us.
I, for one, set off from Vierzon the day before yesterday just before 1.00 pm and returned to the road crossing leading to the A 20 motorway about 13.40. I headed south to Brinay on the D 27 and then travelled the whole length – some of it with “holes in the making” and a lot of passable asphalt track with several small hamlets to go through. Eventually well to the south of Brinay but still not quite in Quincy the départementale comes to a sign-post indicating where to find a plot of sauvignon blanc yielding almost a loch of delicately acidic wine. At the end of the loch you can pick up a few cardboard boxes – after payment of a reasonable contribution to the farmer’s earnings - and then drive back the same way to Vierzon, albeit in the opposite direction. From there I picked up the A 20, southbound, and made it the same day to the area of Monclar de Quercy, where we had excellent goat cheese – made in Tarn & Garonne but by the very Scottish hands of my friend Alison – and Monica de Sardegna plus Quercian Malbec to go with it.
Quizz: which wine did I collect on my way?
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