We would be meeting our friends Tommy and Rhona after a few hours, as Tommy had booked our train tickets and bike reservations on different trains, due to space limitations. Here are our bikes on the train.
Day 0: Strathcarron to Lochcarron, 7 km, 56 m of climbing
It was a super short day of riding. This is Rhona arriving at her friends' Wang and Kay's house where we would spend the night.
After a cup of tea, Wang offered to give us a tour of their property. He and Kay are avid gardeners and have planted thousands of trees and plants around their home named Tullich House.
The midges were out, so we wore torso and head nets to keep from getting bit. Tommy is behind Pete and both are modeling their midge-proof attire.
Wang and Kay are rhododendron enthusiasts and while many of the flowers had previously peaked, we were fortunate to see some beautiful blooms.
Did you know that azaleas are actually rhododendrons that have only five stamens? Neither did we.
This photo was taken from their fruit orchard looking back towards the house. They also have several bee hives there.
Wang was looking for volunteers to help him repair his green house, but we had plans to cycle the next day so we couldn't stay and help.
Wang and Kay had a feeder on their front stoop filled with peanuts. This great tit had managed to grab ahold of some peanut.
This female pheasant had been adopted by Kay and she'll eat food from her hand. The pheasant narrowly escaped death at a nearby hunting club where members practice their shooting on live pheasants.
For dinner Kay made us a delicious vegan lasagna and we had a lovely time hanging out with them. The next morning after a hearty breakfast we were ready to ride. Here's Kay next to Tommy and Pete.
Wang and Kay had moved from Edinburgh to Strathcarron about 13 years ago, when Wang retired from being a medical doctor. He was Rhona's mentor and they had worked together as obstetricians for many years.
We can't remember what Wang said this time to make us all crack up. Kay and Wang are a lovely couple and we hope to see them again.
Day 1: Lochcarron to Torridon, 81 km, 1,687 m of climbing
The four of us rode down the long gravel driveway under clear skies to start our day's adventure.
Within half an hour it started raining, so we stopped and put on our rain gear.
Day 2: Torridon to Ullapool, 140 km, 1,891 m of climbing
This day was our longest on the tour so we had breakfast early and started rolling around 9:30. We picked up Charlie (right) at his hotel and the five of us set off in a light drizzle.
It was a beautiful morning as we rolled along the Kinlochewe River towards Loch Maree.
Most of the old buildings we saw as we rode were made of stone, not a surprise given how rocky Scotland is. This body of water is Loch Maree, a freshwater loch that is 28 square kilometers in area and 103 meters deep.
There are more than 31,000 lochs in Scotland and many are freshwater lakes.
When it wasn't raining we would heat up as we climbed the steep Scottish hills, so rain jackets and jerseys would be opened up to let in a cooling breeze.
We had met Tommy and Rhona in 2015 on a Laos cycling tour and had stayed in touch. Here's a photo from that tour where Rhona is on the left and Tommy is on the right. Obviously it was much warmer in Laos than in Scotland.
Scotland plants Douglas fir trees for lumber and then harvests them by clear cutting, as you can see to the left of Kristina.
With all the rain, the waterfalls looked more like weak coffee than water. In the foreground are bracken ferns, which are a beautiful green in the summer but die back in the winter.
We didn't arrive at our hotel Ceilidh Place until 7:40 and we were exhausted. Luckily in summer the sun doesn't set until after 10 pm. The hotel had a lovely garden behind it.
After all the exertion of the ride, we ate a huge dinner then went to bed and slept for 8.5 hours. In the morning we had tea in the upstairs lounge and checked out some Scottish poetry.
Day 3: Ullapool to Stoer, 60 km, 1,095 meters of climbing
Tommy had been a runner for most of his adult life, but knee pain forced him to switch to cycling about four years ago. Now he's an avid cyclist and an incredibly strong rider.
We stopped to enjoy the views. Charlie is a retired lawyer, and he was great company on the tour.
The foxglove was also blooming everywhere in the Scottish Highlands.
We stopped for lunch at the Lochinver Pie Shop, which was packed because the food was excellent. Since this is our first time in Scotland we are learning a lot about the culture. We had thought kiwi pies were local to New Zealand, but it turns out that they came from Scotland, along with many Scottish phrases, as Scots immigrated to New Zealand.
This was Rhona's favorite day to ride. The patches of blue sky and pleasant temperatures made for fun riding.
We even needed sunscreen for the first time on the tour.
It was nice to ride in just a light windbreaker rather than needing all our rain gear. Kristina stopped by a passing place, a pullout that is used to let cars pass on the single track road.
We were surprised to learn that water lilies grow on the ponds here.
Kristina is riding by farmland of either hay or wheat.
Here's a typical, beautiful view in the Scottish Highlands.
We saw a number of hand painted signs like this one.
Invariably we would see sheep shortly afterwards.
But where were the Highland cattle? We certainly saw lots of cow art.
Our tour included riding on part of the North Coast 500 (NC500), a scenic loop from Inverness around the north coast.
We liked spotting this boat labeled with the NC500 route as we cruised into small town of Stoer. Note the red post box for dropping off letters.
We found a sticker for the NC500 that we bought.
All that was left of this old church was the exterior stone walls, with an old graveyard below. The sheep were grazing everywhere in Stoer.
Kristina turned onto the road to the Jack House, and rolled to the end of the ride for the day.
Tommy and Rhona's friends Sue and Willie had graciously lent us their home for the evening.
This was the view from their living room.
Their garden was off the master bedroom.
The Jack House was designed Helen Lucas Architects and it was a lovely place to stay.
Our hosts Sue and Willie are cyclists who like to tour too. Here they are with Charlie (left) from another cycling trip.
We would meet Sue and Willie a few days later and experience for ourselves what fun and interesting people they are.
Day 4: Stoer to Kylesku, 44 km, 889 meters of climbing
It was the shortest day of the tour, so we opted to ride out to the Stoer Head Lighthouse first.
Established in 1870, the lighthouse is situated atop a 54 meter cliff so the lighthouse tower is only 14 meters tall.
This is Clashnessie Bay, with its beautiful crescent beach.
Day 4 was Kristina's favorite day of the tour because visibility was pretty good and we were riding through some of Scotland's best scenery.
We stopped atop the Drumbeg Viewpoint to take a selfie. We were looking across Eddrachillis Bay to Handa Island and mainland Sutherland.
We stopped to warm up and have lunch at the Drumbeg Store.
Their collection of moss and succulents were beautiful.
There was virtually no traffic on this single lane road, luckily because the passing place became a potty place for Kristina.
The hills were so crazy steep at times that walking was the only way to proceed.
But it sure made for some fun descents!
With all the lochs in the Highlands, unless Tommy was around to tell us the name we weren't quite sure. We think this was Loch a Chairn Bhain but we couldn't swear to it.
We arrived in Kylesku just before 4 pm and took hot baths before dinner. Tommy and Rhona had planned our tour in February, knowing we would be cycling during the peak summer season. They had stayed at the Kylesku Hotel before and loved it, so they were excited to return. You can see the hotel in the bottom right of the postcard, an incredible location.
Here's what the hotel had originally looked like. Nowadays it has an expanded, modern dining room designed by Helen Lucas Architects.
Day 5: Kylesku to Tongue, 108 km, 1,625 meters of climbing
Although it wasn't our longest day, the weather was really intense and this made it our hardest day on the tour. The 35-40 mph winds really took a toll on us, with gusts that made us feel we might be blown off the road. Because it rained all day we didn't take any photos except at our lunch stop where we had the world's best hot chocolate.
Cocoa Mountain did not disappoint, and we even picked up an extra bar of chocolate for later. Fueled by sugar, we set off into the rain with 50 km to go. This time we had to battle a ten mile section riding into a 40 mph headwind along the Kyle of Durness that felt as if it would never end.
Day 6: Tongue to Invershin, 97 km, 941 meters of climbing
Willie cycled with us for the next two days. The four men opted to take a 16 km longer route and the women enjoyed a leisurely pace.
Pete rides with an inexpensive, water-resistant camera so he can take action shots while riding. Looking good, Tommy!
Charlie quipped that he would never again fear riding in the rain after yesterday's slog. But of course we all preferred less rain while riding.
And here's Willie in action. He was filled with interesting knowledge of Scotland and we were happy he was able to ride with us for two days.
We stopped for a delicious lunch at the Pier in Lairg. Then with only 12 km to go, we set off towards the Falls of Shin.
The River Shin was pretty to ride along for several kilometers.
This was a calm section of the river.
We liked seeing the mixed forest along the river.
We walked down a few flights of steps to the falls and saw this fish mosaic
The Falls of Shin were filled with so much water. We could see salmon jumping to try to get up the waterfall to spawn. We hoped they could hang out until the water level went down because it seemed impossible to get up while we watched.
What a fun group and an amazing tour! Without a doubt this will be a highlight for 2019.
At our hotel in Invershin, we had this Highland cow artwork on our wall. Would we see a real Highland cow? There was only one more day on the tour...
Day 7: Invershin to Dingwall, 52 km, 598 meters of climbing
We were rolling by 7 am as we had a train to catch. Just 10 kilometers out of Invershin we finally saw these wooly beauties! Their hair helps protect their eyes from biting bugs.
Kristina called to the handsome cows and they came right up to the fence, probably hoping for a treat. The Highland cattle originated here in the Highlands and in the Outer Hebrides, dating back to the 6th century.
We cut off the NC500 route and rode directly south.
Tommy and Rhona were right behind us as we crossed over the River Averon.
We feel so appreciative to Tommy and Rhona for leading us on this fantastic tour!
Pete couldn't resist getting another photo of the blooming foxgloves. This time there was Scottish broom with its yellow flowers behind.
The fields were planted with oats here. We also saw lots of potato plants.
We rode quite a while along the Cromarty Firth, the tidal mouth of the river Cromarty. We were there at low tide.
Of course we saw more sheep, hard at work 'mowing the lawn'. These Kerry Hill sheep were our favorites, with their black and white faces.
We finished the tour on National Cycle Route 1 (NCR1), a route from London all the way to the Shetland Islands.
Overall we rode 581 kilometers and climbed a total of 8,775 meters. Rhona and Kristina posed next to an NCR1 mile marker at the Dingwall train station.
We had time to change out of our cycling clothes at the train station.
Then we hopped on the train and headed back to Edinburgh.
Next we'll spend time in Edinburgh and Glasgow.
After a cup of tea, Wang offered to give us a tour of their property. He and Kay are avid gardeners and have planted thousands of trees and plants around their home named Tullich House.
The midges were out, so we wore torso and head nets to keep from getting bit. Tommy is behind Pete and both are modeling their midge-proof attire.
Wang and Kay are rhododendron enthusiasts and while many of the flowers had previously peaked, we were fortunate to see some beautiful blooms.
Did you know that azaleas are actually rhododendrons that have only five stamens? Neither did we.
This photo was taken from their fruit orchard looking back towards the house. They also have several bee hives there.
Wang was looking for volunteers to help him repair his green house, but we had plans to cycle the next day so we couldn't stay and help.
Wang and Kay had a feeder on their front stoop filled with peanuts. This great tit had managed to grab ahold of some peanut.
This female pheasant had been adopted by Kay and she'll eat food from her hand. The pheasant narrowly escaped death at a nearby hunting club where members practice their shooting on live pheasants.
For dinner Kay made us a delicious vegan lasagna and we had a lovely time hanging out with them. The next morning after a hearty breakfast we were ready to ride. Here's Kay next to Tommy and Pete.
Wang and Kay had moved from Edinburgh to Strathcarron about 13 years ago, when Wang retired from being a medical doctor. He was Rhona's mentor and they had worked together as obstetricians for many years.
We can't remember what Wang said this time to make us all crack up. Kay and Wang are a lovely couple and we hope to see them again.
Day 1: Lochcarron to Torridon, 81 km, 1,687 m of climbing
The four of us rode down the long gravel driveway under clear skies to start our day's adventure.
Within half an hour it started raining, so we stopped and put on our rain gear.
Rhona and Kristina opted to ride a shorter route, so they rode leisurely to Shieldaig where they stopped to take photos and have coffee.
Luckily before we left the US we knew it could rain and be cold in the Scottish Highlands, so we were prepared with helmet covers, rain jackets, wool glove liners, long fingered gloves and booties. We would soon experience first hand how wet it was, learning that this area can get up to 3.3 meters of rain each year. But as long as we could see the beautiful scenery we were prepared to ride in the rain.
The day was foggy and drizzly, which made red branches of the Scots pines even more beautiful.
Kristina stopped to take a photo of this 'bed of flowers' on the road towards Applecross. The iron headboard and footboard had been 'planted' in front of a country home.
The geography and roads of the Highlands enabled us to ride along the northern coast of Scotland, sometimes very close to the sea. In the last Ice Age, sea lochs like this one were formed by retreating glaciers. We rode past this beach at low tide.
Meanwhile, Tommy and Pete were challenging themselves by riding up Bealach na Ba to the summit and down the other side. It was extremely windy, rainy and cold, but the guys made it.
The view from the top was totally socked in with clouds so no photos. After warming up with soup and coffee, they continued riding along the coast from Applecross.
Pete spotted a house with a living roof and stopped to take a photo.
They arrived at the Torridon Inn three hours later than the women. After they took hot showers and short naps, we all went to the lodge for dinner. We liked Lisa Fenton's painting of Highland cows like this one.
The inn was selling stuffed Highland cows too.
For dinner we started with a Scottish dish called stovies. Made primarily of leftover potatoes, this one also had vegetables and was topped with pickled beets and crumbled oat crackers. We learned that almost any leftovers can be included in stovies. It tasted like comfort food: warm and satisfying.
Luckily before we left the US we knew it could rain and be cold in the Scottish Highlands, so we were prepared with helmet covers, rain jackets, wool glove liners, long fingered gloves and booties. We would soon experience first hand how wet it was, learning that this area can get up to 3.3 meters of rain each year. But as long as we could see the beautiful scenery we were prepared to ride in the rain.
The day was foggy and drizzly, which made red branches of the Scots pines even more beautiful.
Kristina stopped to take a photo of this 'bed of flowers' on the road towards Applecross. The iron headboard and footboard had been 'planted' in front of a country home.
The geography and roads of the Highlands enabled us to ride along the northern coast of Scotland, sometimes very close to the sea. In the last Ice Age, sea lochs like this one were formed by retreating glaciers. We rode past this beach at low tide.
Meanwhile, Tommy and Pete were challenging themselves by riding up Bealach na Ba to the summit and down the other side. It was extremely windy, rainy and cold, but the guys made it.
The view from the top was totally socked in with clouds so no photos. After warming up with soup and coffee, they continued riding along the coast from Applecross.
Pete spotted a house with a living roof and stopped to take a photo.
They arrived at the Torridon Inn three hours later than the women. After they took hot showers and short naps, we all went to the lodge for dinner. We liked Lisa Fenton's painting of Highland cows like this one.
The inn was selling stuffed Highland cows too.
For dinner we started with a Scottish dish called stovies. Made primarily of leftover potatoes, this one also had vegetables and was topped with pickled beets and crumbled oat crackers. We learned that almost any leftovers can be included in stovies. It tasted like comfort food: warm and satisfying.
Day 2: Torridon to Ullapool, 140 km, 1,891 m of climbing
This day was our longest on the tour so we had breakfast early and started rolling around 9:30. We picked up Charlie (right) at his hotel and the five of us set off in a light drizzle.
It was a beautiful morning as we rolled along the Kinlochewe River towards Loch Maree.
Most of the old buildings we saw as we rode were made of stone, not a surprise given how rocky Scotland is. This body of water is Loch Maree, a freshwater loch that is 28 square kilometers in area and 103 meters deep.
There are more than 31,000 lochs in Scotland and many are freshwater lakes.
When it wasn't raining we would heat up as we climbed the steep Scottish hills, so rain jackets and jerseys would be opened up to let in a cooling breeze.
We had met Tommy and Rhona in 2015 on a Laos cycling tour and had stayed in touch. Here's a photo from that tour where Rhona is on the left and Tommy is on the right. Obviously it was much warmer in Laos than in Scotland.
We arrived in the town of Gairloch around noon where we had minestrone soup and tea for lunch. We had brought Tommy and Rhona San Francisco Biciamo cycling jerseys to thank them for organizing this tour.
The cafe had this Highland cow painting. We felt curious to see some real Highland cows as we rode.
Instead we saw lots of sheep and a few deer.
It was nice when there was a break in the rain and parts of the sky would lighten. Behind Pete is Loch Ewe.
Often Tommy preferred to ride without gloves, but Kristina was glad to be wearing two pairs. Like Rhona, Tommy is also a retired medical doctor.
The roads were, for the most part, in excellent shape. This photo shows the prevalent granite rock formations and even some waterfalls.
The cafe had this Highland cow painting. We felt curious to see some real Highland cows as we rode.
Instead we saw lots of sheep and a few deer.
It was nice when there was a break in the rain and parts of the sky would lighten. Behind Pete is Loch Ewe.
Often Tommy preferred to ride without gloves, but Kristina was glad to be wearing two pairs. Like Rhona, Tommy is also a retired medical doctor.
The roads were, for the most part, in excellent shape. This photo shows the prevalent granite rock formations and even some waterfalls.
Scotland plants Douglas fir trees for lumber and then harvests them by clear cutting, as you can see to the left of Kristina.
With all the rain, the waterfalls looked more like weak coffee than water. In the foreground are bracken ferns, which are a beautiful green in the summer but die back in the winter.
We didn't arrive at our hotel Ceilidh Place until 7:40 and we were exhausted. Luckily in summer the sun doesn't set until after 10 pm. The hotel had a lovely garden behind it.
After all the exertion of the ride, we ate a huge dinner then went to bed and slept for 8.5 hours. In the morning we had tea in the upstairs lounge and checked out some Scottish poetry.
Day 3: Ullapool to Stoer, 60 km, 1,095 meters of climbing
More rain greeted us in the morning but we were in good spirits as we set off from our hotel.
This is Loch Canaird, a sea loch.
Pete had to stop to capture the bits of blue sky appearing behind the clouds. Notice how the loch water starts to look more blue when it reflects blue sky.
The route was shorter today, but the climbs were steeper.
The heather was blooming all throughout the Highlands.
The mountain in the distance is named Stac Pollaidh (pronounced polly). It was fun to see it getting closer as we rode.
Behind us is Lock Lurgainn and Stac Pollaidh. Made of Torridonian sandstone, Stac Pollaidh is popular to hike as it's only 600 meters tall and can be climbed in about three hours.
This is Loch Canaird, a sea loch.
Pete had to stop to capture the bits of blue sky appearing behind the clouds. Notice how the loch water starts to look more blue when it reflects blue sky.
The route was shorter today, but the climbs were steeper.
The heather was blooming all throughout the Highlands.
The mountain in the distance is named Stac Pollaidh (pronounced polly). It was fun to see it getting closer as we rode.
Behind us is Lock Lurgainn and Stac Pollaidh. Made of Torridonian sandstone, Stac Pollaidh is popular to hike as it's only 600 meters tall and can be climbed in about three hours.
Tommy had been a runner for most of his adult life, but knee pain forced him to switch to cycling about four years ago. Now he's an avid cyclist and an incredibly strong rider.
We stopped to enjoy the views. Charlie is a retired lawyer, and he was great company on the tour.
The foxglove was also blooming everywhere in the Scottish Highlands.
We noticed many old, stone walls. Tommy and Rhona explained that in the late 18th century the landowners forced the of subsistence farming clans off the land so that sheep grazing could be expanded. This started a 75 year period of rural depopulation and emigration from Scotland. Tommy thought these walls could have been from the old rural farms.
We stopped for lunch at the Lochinver Pie Shop, which was packed because the food was excellent. Since this is our first time in Scotland we are learning a lot about the culture. We had thought kiwi pies were local to New Zealand, but it turns out that they came from Scotland, along with many Scottish phrases, as Scots immigrated to New Zealand.
This was Rhona's favorite day to ride. The patches of blue sky and pleasant temperatures made for fun riding.
We even needed sunscreen for the first time on the tour.
It was nice to ride in just a light windbreaker rather than needing all our rain gear. Kristina stopped by a passing place, a pullout that is used to let cars pass on the single track road.
We were surprised to learn that water lilies grow on the ponds here.
Kristina is riding by farmland of either hay or wheat.
Here's a typical, beautiful view in the Scottish Highlands.
We saw a number of hand painted signs like this one.
Invariably we would see sheep shortly afterwards.
But where were the Highland cattle? We certainly saw lots of cow art.
Our tour included riding on part of the North Coast 500 (NC500), a scenic loop from Inverness around the north coast.
We liked spotting this boat labeled with the NC500 route as we cruised into small town of Stoer. Note the red post box for dropping off letters.
We found a sticker for the NC500 that we bought.
All that was left of this old church was the exterior stone walls, with an old graveyard below. The sheep were grazing everywhere in Stoer.
Kristina turned onto the road to the Jack House, and rolled to the end of the ride for the day.
Tommy and Rhona's friends Sue and Willie had graciously lent us their home for the evening.
This was the view from their living room.
Their garden was off the master bedroom.
The Jack House was designed Helen Lucas Architects and it was a lovely place to stay.
Our hosts Sue and Willie are cyclists who like to tour too. Here they are with Charlie (left) from another cycling trip.
We would meet Sue and Willie a few days later and experience for ourselves what fun and interesting people they are.
Day 4: Stoer to Kylesku, 44 km, 889 meters of climbing
It was the shortest day of the tour, so we opted to ride out to the Stoer Head Lighthouse first.
Established in 1870, the lighthouse is situated atop a 54 meter cliff so the lighthouse tower is only 14 meters tall.
This is Clashnessie Bay, with its beautiful crescent beach.
Day 4 was Kristina's favorite day of the tour because visibility was pretty good and we were riding through some of Scotland's best scenery.
We stopped atop the Drumbeg Viewpoint to take a selfie. We were looking across Eddrachillis Bay to Handa Island and mainland Sutherland.
We stopped to warm up and have lunch at the Drumbeg Store.
Their collection of moss and succulents were beautiful.
There was virtually no traffic on this single lane road, luckily because the passing place became a potty place for Kristina.
The hills were so crazy steep at times that walking was the only way to proceed.
But it sure made for some fun descents!
With all the lochs in the Highlands, unless Tommy was around to tell us the name we weren't quite sure. We think this was Loch a Chairn Bhain but we couldn't swear to it.
We arrived in Kylesku just before 4 pm and took hot baths before dinner. Tommy and Rhona had planned our tour in February, knowing we would be cycling during the peak summer season. They had stayed at the Kylesku Hotel before and loved it, so they were excited to return. You can see the hotel in the bottom right of the postcard, an incredible location.
Here's what the hotel had originally looked like. Nowadays it has an expanded, modern dining room designed by Helen Lucas Architects.
Day 5: Kylesku to Tongue, 108 km, 1,625 meters of climbing
Although it wasn't our longest day, the weather was really intense and this made it our hardest day on the tour. The 35-40 mph winds really took a toll on us, with gusts that made us feel we might be blown off the road. Because it rained all day we didn't take any photos except at our lunch stop where we had the world's best hot chocolate.
Cocoa Mountain did not disappoint, and we even picked up an extra bar of chocolate for later. Fueled by sugar, we set off into the rain with 50 km to go. This time we had to battle a ten mile section riding into a 40 mph headwind along the Kyle of Durness that felt as if it would never end.
Day 6: Tongue to Invershin, 97 km, 941 meters of climbing
Willie cycled with us for the next two days. The four men opted to take a 16 km longer route and the women enjoyed a leisurely pace.
Pete rides with an inexpensive, water-resistant camera so he can take action shots while riding. Looking good, Tommy!
Charlie quipped that he would never again fear riding in the rain after yesterday's slog. But of course we all preferred less rain while riding.
And here's Willie in action. He was filled with interesting knowledge of Scotland and we were happy he was able to ride with us for two days.
We stopped for a delicious lunch at the Pier in Lairg. Then with only 12 km to go, we set off towards the Falls of Shin.
The River Shin was pretty to ride along for several kilometers.
This was a calm section of the river.
We liked seeing the mixed forest along the river.
We walked down a few flights of steps to the falls and saw this fish mosaic
The Falls of Shin were filled with so much water. We could see salmon jumping to try to get up the waterfall to spawn. We hoped they could hang out until the water level went down because it seemed impossible to get up while we watched.
What a fun group and an amazing tour! Without a doubt this will be a highlight for 2019.
At our hotel in Invershin, we had this Highland cow artwork on our wall. Would we see a real Highland cow? There was only one more day on the tour...
Day 7: Invershin to Dingwall, 52 km, 598 meters of climbing
We were rolling by 7 am as we had a train to catch. Just 10 kilometers out of Invershin we finally saw these wooly beauties! Their hair helps protect their eyes from biting bugs.
Kristina called to the handsome cows and they came right up to the fence, probably hoping for a treat. The Highland cattle originated here in the Highlands and in the Outer Hebrides, dating back to the 6th century.
We cut off the NC500 route and rode directly south.
Tommy and Rhona were right behind us as we crossed over the River Averon.
We feel so appreciative to Tommy and Rhona for leading us on this fantastic tour!
Pete couldn't resist getting another photo of the blooming foxgloves. This time there was Scottish broom with its yellow flowers behind.
The fields were planted with oats here. We also saw lots of potato plants.
We rode quite a while along the Cromarty Firth, the tidal mouth of the river Cromarty. We were there at low tide.
Of course we saw more sheep, hard at work 'mowing the lawn'. These Kerry Hill sheep were our favorites, with their black and white faces.
We finished the tour on National Cycle Route 1 (NCR1), a route from London all the way to the Shetland Islands.
Overall we rode 581 kilometers and climbed a total of 8,775 meters. Rhona and Kristina posed next to an NCR1 mile marker at the Dingwall train station.
We had time to change out of our cycling clothes at the train station.
Then we hopped on the train and headed back to Edinburgh.
Next we'll spend time in Edinburgh and Glasgow.
