Wednesday 27th July 2022, 130.53km, 962m

The morning started bright but cold. Cold enough for leg warmers for the first time on the trip.

We were climbing from the off but the views were stunning so it didn’t seem to matter as much.

As we rolled through stunning landscape after stunning landscape we began the climb up towards Glen Coe.

After the morning brew stop the descent of Glen Coe began. It was busy with traffic but we still a fast descent and I was flying along.

As a group we were going so quickly that we arrived at the hotel lunch stop too early!

A slightly surreal moment was when I stopped to check where the lunch stop was and I had a string of drivers waving and giving me thumbs up. It took me a while to realise that they were thanking me for letting them through!

The afternoon started with us riding along the A82 to Fort William before turning off onto quieter roads and onto the Commando Memorial just outside Spean Bridge.

From here it was back on the A82 to Fort Augustus (rather than taking the canal path as we’d been warned that it was a recipe for multiple punctures) and our different B&B accommodations.

Staff shortages meant that the restaurant that was booked for dinner was closed but we had great fish and chips sitting alongside the Caledonia Canal to round off a really great day’s cycling.

The owner of the fish and chips shop was very trusting. As they were 8 of us ordering he told us to go ahead and eat them while they were hot and then go back to pay him. I can’t see that ever happening in Surrey!