Rebecca had decided to join me for a second day of the journey so having gathered our goods at Ardenbeg and said farewell to my host Nick, we headed off for Dalwhinnie , 72 km away. We retraced yesterdays route to Boat of Garten where we refuelled on bacon & cheese croissants
From the Boat of Garten we followed the Speyside Way cycle route through young saplings and heather to Aviemore with great views of the northern corries of the Cairngorms still spotted with their snow fields.
Dalwhinnie was where Rebecca was to catch her train back to Inverness.So after posing for photos outside the Dalwhinnie Distillery and a quick cup of tea and a cake in the cafe, we parted ways! It was great to have her alongside and we shared many great memories from our days working together!
The Old School hostel in Dalwhiinie is a stones throw from the station and was my base for the night. A single room but no en suite facilities meant a trip & a half to the loo. And that was passing the Stars War Bar downstairs! Interesting to say the least!!!
Dalwhinnie to Pitlochry Sunday 
The day started well! A tour of the Dalwhinnie whisky distillery. Whisky & chocolate apparently go well together and it turns out that the Highland Chocolatier that supplies the distillery and many others with their chocolates is non other than a former Atlantic college student, Iain Burnett.
A leisurely climb to the highest point at Drumuachtar Pass meant an equally leisurely descent to Blair Atholl and a glimpse of the Duke’s castle. Apparently he can have his own private army!
Pitlochry is a bustling hub filled with tourists but en route I encountered fellow cyclists, non going my way, including an elderly Frenchman towing a trailer. He spoke very little English but was heading for the north of Scotland!
So now I’m just about out of the Highlands and into Southern Scotland , so we’ll see what that brings!
Pitlochry to Perth Monday
I knew I was never going to get away with it! The rain started fall about 4am, I looked out from the hostel window to be faced with low cloud and mist and the prospect of a very wet day. Could it get any worse? The route was very enjoyable, following the Tay valley through Dunkeld.
My bike computer decided to have a hissy fit and is now stuck in TURBO mode! I suppose it could be worse… it could be stuck in OFF, which would mean I would get no assistance pedalling at all! On arrival in Perth, wet and cold , I located a friendly bike shop who had a look at my problem but was unable to supply the necessary part.. so a big shout out for JM Richards in Perth, a family run bike shop in Perth since 1906.
A quick clean of the chain, a trip to the M&S food hall and a retreat to the warmth of the Premier Inn meant that I could unpack & repack my panniers in the comfort of my room ready for Tuesday’s exertions to Edinburgh… all helped with my Dalwhinnie whisky samples!
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