Our first I stop off was at the village of Beauly and the Corner Coffee and deli shop. Suitably defrosted and refreshed we headed north east to Dingwall where we briefly spied two other end to end cyclists. The pedestrianised Dingwall High Street was near deserted so we turned round and attacked our second big ascent of the day climbing due north leaving the Cromerty Firth to High Moors with gale force artic winds laden with squally hail showers. Neighbouring fields had just been ridge and furrowed for tatties, the soil look very fertile on the south slopes to the Cromerty Firth. The going was tough and relentless as the wind did not abate and the hail felt like needles and pins on your face and legs.
We were however blessed with views of the Dornoch Firth and Ben More Assynt covered in fresh snow.
A steep decent into the valley lay ahead but we still needed to pedal hard as the ferocious winds were not for giving up so easily.
We stopped for a late lunch in Bonar Bridge before our last ascent to the Crask Inn. Refuelled we attacked that last 25 miles head on into the gusting winds and winter showers. It was tough going on the single track road but morale was high and the legs strong as we knew our final goal of an evening meal was just round the next corner.
As we approached our final destination the sleet turned to snow and we entered the old inn to see a peat burning fire and welcoming faces.
After a hot pot of tea and ginger bread we began we were shown to our bunk house and set the fire. Hot showers we a very welcomed treat from the days cycling and we heEd back across the road to he Crask Inn to join fellow travellers. Dinner was haddock and scrambled egg on toast and haggis and seasonal veg , followed by desert of Oakes and Scottish cheeses
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