A run on the wee ZSB 125 to meig Dam (59 miles).
The year is moving on. The days are shorter. The clocks have been put back which I hate as the night comes in earlier. It is getting colder. There has been a lot of rain but there was a dry spell forecast till mid-afternoon.
The day was bitterly cold, only 5°C when I left the house reaching a balmy 6°C when I got back home. The cars were covered in frost when we got up and Anne had to defrost her Fusion before she headed down to Blythswood. I wore a mass of clothes and for the first time used my USB heated gloves on the ZSB.
I took the Old Evanton Road to Dingwall and then turned up to the Heights of Docharty and went on to the Neil Gunn Memorial. I stopped for a couple of photos and then headed to Strathpeffer. However just two miles further on a young chap manning a start/stop sign said a digger excavating on the road ahead would take at least 15 minutes to complete its work. I did a 360° about turn and headed back to Dingwall.
I took the main road to Strathpeffer, then Contin and turned off onto the Loch Achilty road. These pictures are of Loch Achilty – it is difficult to get a clear view of the loch. This is it’s eastern side.
The western side of Loch Achilty
I love this road and went on past Luichart Power Station and onto Meig Dam.
I had my lunch sitting on the dam wall and then took a wee stroll across it. You can see my gloves and picnic bag. I sat on the gloves for insulation!
I didn’t go up Strath Conon but headed down the valley past Loch Achonachie.
The River Conon – it was very full (well we have had quite a bit of rain recently after a super, dry summer).
Not long after Loch Achonachie is the the turn off to Fairburn. This is Fairburn House.
A wee bit beyond Fairburn House are super views out over Easter Ross. This is looking back to Loch Achonachie.
This is looking over towards Knockfarrel.
At the bottom of the road I went right by Black Dyke and then onto Muir of Ord. This is crossing the River Orrin not long after Black Dyke..
From Muir of Ord it was then Conon Bridge, Maryburgh, Dingwall, back onto the Old Evanton Road and home. It was lovely to be back out for a longer run on two wheels but I was frozen. I had to wash the bike when I got home. I think the road from Contin to Garve was salted. That has to be washed off. Winter is round the corner and then no more two wheel trips.