OK, so this certainly isn’t Midlothian, but it is definitely the highlight of our cycling outings so far. We were looking for a challenge to stretch ourselves and liked the idea of a coast to coast route. The road from Torridon to Beauly is “only” 50-odd miles, further than we’ve ever cycled before, but certainly doable in a day, even at a fairly sedate pace. We mentioned the challenge to Colette’s brother Damian, who was keen to join us, and so a plan was hatched to arrive at the Torridon Inn on the 25th July and do the deed the next day.
As time rolled on, the seemingly endless summer weather broke and the weather forecast began to look very gloomy. Our drive up to Torridon the day before the ride was in heavy rain, and with lorries on the busy section of the road kicking up huge amounts of spray, I began to wonder whether I shouldn’t have packed a snorkel and mask!
Arriving at the Torridon Inn, we found Damian in the car park astride his trusty road bike, reeling from just having climbed a local Munro on his way there. He went off for a bath while we, since the rain had stopped, went for a quick hour’s cycle round the local roads. We caught a heavy shower on the way back and after we got changed, joined Damian in the bar to discuss the job ahead of us and try not to think about the weather forecast. We were just going to do it regardless.
When the day dawned we headed for a full breakfast to stoke the boilers. Another couple of cyclists were there bright and early too; they were tackling a much more adventurous route than us, including the legendary Bealach na ba crossing to Applecross. We wished each other well, made final preparations and then off we went.
Ready for the off!
Our start point from the inn was actually in the village of Annat, just outside Torridon at the head of Upper Loch Torridon. The tide was full as we left, with the Torridon Hills looming large around us and the sun mercifully shining. It was a magical start to the ride.
Upper Loch Torridon
We made our way up Glen Torridon along the gently sloping single track road. It was moderately busy so it was a good thing that there were ample passing places, but with scenery as magificent as this most people were in no hurry. Damian was able to tell us the names of the peaks and explain some of the geological features. Many photos were taken!
The mountains were rocky and impressive
Glen Torridon
Damian was our guide
From the head of Glen Torridon, the road sloped downwards towards Kinlochewe where we turned right onto the A832. We paused there for Damian to get some supplies from the local store, and thought about the climb that lay ahead: Glen Docherty. As we left Kinlochewe, the road began to climb very gently, but as we headed further into Glen Docherty, it gradually got steeper bit by bit. On the positive side, the road was double track and very well surfaced, so it wasn’t too tricky to keep up a steady pace and we didn’t have to stop to let cars past. On the negative side, this is where Damian began to run into trouble. His bike, a sleek vintage Raleigh racer, had been pared down and modified for London cycling by removing the smaller chainring, leaving him no easy gears to call on when the going got tough. With some effort, Colette and I reached the viewpoint car park and took a rest while we waited for Damian to catch us up. After the car park, there was another steep stretch to complete before we topped out and could enjoy the free ride on the other side.
Glen Docherty – it was a long way up!
Soon we were cruising along the side of Loch a Croisg on a fairly straight and gently undulating road. We made up a good bit of time here and quickly arrived at Achnasheen. Here, we headed straight for the Studio tea room, to enjoy the most delicious and refreshing cup of tea ever. What’s more, we were over a third of the way there and the sun was still shining!
Our first pitstop – the Studio tea room in Achnasheen
Suitably invigorated, we continued our journey on the A832 through the wide green Strath Bran. From Achnasheen onwards, we started running more or less alongside the train line, which goes from the Kyle of Lochalsh at one end, all the way to Beauly and beyond to Inverness. The road continued to undulate, but the undulations were somewhat steeper than before and caused Damian some difficulty. We made a plan that we would stop for a rest and bite to eat once we reached the Tarvie tea room, which I had noticed the day before on the way out, so we carried on.
The A832 then joined up with the A835 at Gorstan, where we turned right. This is the stretch of road I was looking forward to least. The road runs through mostly wooded country, so there wasn’t much by way of a view to see, plus it was much busier than the A832, with frequent heavy lorries and not many straight stretches for them to overtake easily. We soon arrived at Garve, where the train tracks crossed our path to run along the left hand side. At one stretch, the tracks were practically within toucing distance. It would have been fun if the train had gone by just then.
What wasn’t so much fun was a sudden increase in hilliness. This would have been OK on most of the roads we ride, but here, with a heavy lorry hissing and spitting behind as you try your best to power up a steep incline, it was something that just had to be endured. Eventually we hit a downhill section that took us to Tarvie, heralded by a clap of thunder and some spots of rain. Colette and I waited for Damian to catch up and eventually I headed back to see if he was OK, when I met him coming the other way. He had had some pain in the hips and needed to take a bit of a rest before continuing. Luckily, the Tarvie tea room gave us all a good opportunity to regain our strength. The tea was fine, although the tea pots and milk jug had an uncanny ability to dispense their liquid contents in unexpected directions, requiring the use of copious napkins to mop up the consequences. The food was average at best, but was eagerly devoured nonetheless.
After a good rest, Damian felt able to get back in the saddle. Also, the threatened rain had failed to materialise so we packed our rain gear away unused before continuing. We rode on along the undulating road till we reached Contin, then shortly after took the right turn signposted for Muir of Ord, where the A832 reappeared from “underneath” the A835. It’s what they call multiplexing (look it up!).
Moy Bridge
Colette and I waited for Damian here, then all three of us crossed the Moy Bridge heading towards Marybank, where another hill, which felt way steeper than it looked, separated us from Damian again. The road from there to Muir of Ord was very wet, indicating that we had just missed some significant rain. Instead, we were treated to some warm sunshine as we cycled ever closer to our destination.
We paused again in Muir of Ord for Damian to arrive, then we continued at Damian’s pace for the remainder of the journey. A couple of flat miles later, we arrived in Beauly, then rode in formation the last 50 yards to Colette’s mum’s house. There, we grabbed a beer and flopped on the sofa. We had just ridden our bikes right the way across Scotland: 53.5 miles in 6 and a half hours. What is even more incredible is that we managed to miss the rain entirely!