Westering Home

Posted bynickletjogPosted inPreparation

Ride & Stride – Day 1: Wednesday 7 September – INVERNESS to LOCHCARRON (64 miles)

We said our goodbyes to the Aye Stay guesthouse this morning before setting out on our monster challenge around the NC500

All is going to plan, at least as far as the Scottish weather is concerned! We had thunder and lighting last night, and a grey drizzle had settled over Inverness by the time we finished breakfast. This did nothing to dampen our spirits of course, as the cyclists led the Ride & Stride team out of Inverness.

The runners and riders, under starter’s orders!
And good to see that our Support Team of Tina and Moira have their waterproofs in order too!
Talking of support, I have a foot in their camp too, and I started today getting acquainted with Daisy over the 50-odd miles from Inverness to Craig . . .
. . . as back-up to our three incredible cyclists James, Peter & Phil

Swapping steering wheel for poles, I got to walk in the sunshine this afternoon – ten glorious miles from Craig through Achnashellach, Balnacra and Coulags into Lochcarron.

Looking down the verdant valley of the River Carron
And what a setting for a round of golf!
Finally arriving late afternoon on the bonnie bonnie banks of Loch Carron, just before the moody skies unleashed another shower

The stats today read 53 miles and 732 metres of ascent for the cyclists and 10 miles plus 135 metres climb for the runners and myself with the poles. After ‘re-hydrating’ overlooking the Loch we nursed our aching muscles this evening over a dinner of haggis bon-bons, mince and tatties at our overnight stop, the Lochcarron Hotel. So Day One has been accomplished in some style, and nine happy Riders & Striders retired early for our big day tomorrow over to Applecross.

But not before trying the local brew . . .
. . . and a wee dram or two (including one from the Glen Ord distillery that we passed this morning)

The above heading, Westering Home, is taken from a 1920’s composition by Hugh S Robertson with a tune appropriated from an earlier Gaelic ballad. There have been many renditions of this song, and on my playlist I am favouring the melodic cover by The Corries. I mentioned this band in an earlier Blog (‘Scotland The Brave’ on 24 August), and they were a big part of the Scottish folk revival of the 1960’s and continued to perform until 1990. If you get around to looking this song up I hope you enjoy listening – it certainly matches the mood of the landscape as we travel westwards in the Highlands on our NC500 journey.

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