Well one thing we didn’t do much of on the 7th day was rest! This was the second 100k plus day on the trot, the first half of which was spent following the NCR 7, on a circuitous route around the Ayrshire industrial coast line, passing a number of local nature reserves on the way. As a consequence of which we added three new warbler species in the first hour. The second ‘half’, which should have taken us to Girvan but, because of a local folk festival in the town, we had to ride a further 20k to Ballantrae, to secure a bed for the night. A notable feature of the landscape during the mornings ride was the succession of  renowned links golf courses, Royal Troon, Ayr, Preswick and Turnberry. The other aspect of the morning which was strongly evident was the cold, hence the goosebumps, until I succumbed and put on a second wind-proof top. Our coffee break was taken in a ‘quiant’ tea room in Troon, run by a rather ‘theatrical’ couple, with piped seventies show tunes as a fitting accompaniment. A long stint of 40ks, through the historic town of Ayr took us to the lunch stop at Maidens and then another stint of a similar length along the scenic coast road, with the off-shore island of Ailsa Craig being our constant companion. We arrived at the hospitable Kings Arms Hotel by 4.40, showered and eat an enormous evening meal, washed down with Caledonia Best…umh!

Assuming this blog loads smoothly, I feel an early night coming on….

Stats for todays route were as follows:

Starting the NCR 73/7 at Saltcoats, with Arran in the background

The Ayr coastline, looking towards the town of the same name!

A less scenic aspect of the N7!

Me looking posey on the old town bridge in Ayr.

Bryan being even more posey on some sort of thone thing!

Ailsa Craig – it seemed to follow us around…

The ‘club hut’ at Turnberry.

And to finish with, some Bluebells on the beach…aahh!

In case you were wondering, the three warblers were Whitethroat, Sedge and Garden. These plus a few others along the way bring the trip total to 97!

It seems difficult to believe that we’ve been at this malarky for a whole week! During which time we’ve covered 580ks and ridden from the north east tip to half way down the west coast of Scotland. Today sees us cover the majority of the remaining distance to the ferry terminal at Cairnryan, details below. Perhaps the most surprising thing however  is the weather – touch wood (Bryan, stop reaching for your leg!) we haven’t seen a drop of rain, we’ve had plenty of sunshine and the wind has been on our backs most of the way – so thank you Sue Titman for your good luck charm!. We’ve had close on a thousand hits on the blog and our sponsorship has risen to over £1900 – so thank you all. Keep reading, keep giving and spread the word – mention our ride to three new people this weekend!

Better go now, breakfast and another 100k is calling…

Visit: http://www.justgiving.com/teams/justice

Today has been a day of transition – of weather, scenery and ride fitness. Got up early, packed and had breakfast, ready for the ‘off’. With a longish day in prospect, including a ferry crossing, we were on the road by 08.30. For the first seven miles we didn’t really turn a pedal, descending from Crianlarich to the shores of Loch Lomond, followed by a stretch along the loch side to Tarbert for coffee. Took the old military road to Arrochar on the shores of Loch Long, at the base of the Cobbler, one of the ‘Arrochar Alps’ peaks. A steep descent into Garelochhead, saw us reach a top speed of 56kph and on past the nuclear submarine base – all very exciting! By this time the prospect of catching the earlier ferry appeared a real possibility, so it was flat-out down the Rosneath penisular. Seeing a ferry boat moored up in the distance ahead of us we thought we were approaching journeys end – no such luck! The road took a sharp turn inland and up an equally sharp incline – the second nasty surprise of the morning! Struggling to the summit, we regained our composition and cruised into Kilcreggan an hour ahead of schedule. Clearly the aches and pains that have been a feature of the previous few days are beginning to subside . A short ferry ride across the Clyde took us from a world of Highland hills, lochs and woods to a urban landscape in post-industrial decline. A welcome lunch stop at a garden centre cafe (I never thought I’d hear myself say it..!) and the unconscious bond between us said, ‘let’s finish this’! So it was another 20 miles, at time-trialling speed, to reach Ardrossan by mid afternoon. A cup of tea in Asda (these boys really do know how to live!) before locating the only reasonable hotel along the Ardrossan sea-front, courtesy of Jane, back at ‘Mission Control’. The Lauriston has seen better days but the bike shed is to die for – see photo below. A pint of Deuchars IPA and the sun setting behind the peaks of Arran rounded off a day of change and transition – of looking back to the Highlands, forward to the conclusion of our Scottish sojourn and a new country on Sunday.

Bry ‘spinning’ along the shores of Loch Lomond

The pedestrian ferry at Kilcreggan, with the Clyde in the background

The ‘terminal’ on the Kilcreggan side

The ‘bike shed’ at the Lauriston – aka the Arran Ballroom!

An amazing window on the stairs – Arts & Crafts? (comments from experts welcome!)

A well deserved pint of Deuchars at the end of the day.

The stats from todays ride, in two sections:

Another quiet day on the birding front, the high-lights being three Gannets going up the Clyde having taken a wrong turning, several Manx Shearwaters off shore at Androssan and a Ringed Plover on the beach. Total for the trip so far, 89.

Just realised that we need an early start tomorrow – ferry to catch and all that, so here’s the route. It’s in two sections, before and after the ferry crossing:

In summary, the route is approx. 61 miles with close on 600m of climbing. Lets hope that todays form lasts – because it doesn’t look like the weather’s going to!

Follow @bryanwillams66 to see how we get on….

Not the one where the Campbells abused the McDonalds hospitality by kicking ‘ten bells’ out of them – no this was the massacre of the climb through the pass of Glencoe by yours truly! What a difference a whinge and a few ibuprofen make! The first dozen or so miles along the loch were pretty flat and we whizzed along at 20-25ks. A brief stop at Corran to look at the ferry and check for sea duck  (none were found), and then on to the Glencoe cafe for coffee and cake. Although the climb begins at this point , we made things harder by going on the old road to the Clachaig Inn, where it joins the main road – several steep sections, but very scenic all the same. Once on the main road it’s a relentless drag for around 10ks to the summit on Rannoch Moor at 1142ft, in the shadow of Buchaille Etive Mor. By this time we were on fire – and not just because of the sunshine! We surged on, declining a lunch stop at the Kings House, until we reached the view point above LochTulla and a strategically located burger van. By this time we were ahead of schedule which allowed for a spot of sun bathing – Twitter followers, you can still cast your vote! A fast down hill section to the Bridge of Orchy , followed by another relentless climb – this time with a moderate head wind, to Tyndrum and a much deserved cuppa. Suitably refreshed it was then a matter of only a few miles to tonights destination of Crianlarich and the delightfully quaint Glenbruar House B&B. Just washed out our ‘smalls’ and are settling down to a post-ride analysis with a glass of William Wallace in our hand. A fitting motif for our day of the massacre of Glencoe.

Todays route:

Bry approaching the Ballachulish bridge, heading for Glencoe

View from the hotel at Ballachulish, looking across Loch Linnhe towards Ardgour

Coffee stop at the very excellent Glencoe cafe – don’t be fooled by the ‘pre-cast garage’ appearance or the ancient sign

…the Massacre of Glencoe.  Bry approaching the two-thirds point

For those of you who haven’t spotted it, Bryan is carrying a portable solar panel to charge our various electrical appliances and thereby reducing our carbon footprint. Well that’s what he says – personally I think he’s got it rigged up to some sort of motor!

The summit of Glencoe – the massacre complete!

On the birding front – complete pants! Only one species added, a Wood Warbler, singing in ‘hanging’ birch woods alongside Loch Linnhe.

Just off to the pub for a well-earned ‘barbarian brunch’…….

Don’t forget, all the day-time action is Tweeted on @bryanwilliams66

I realise that two old men banging on about their ailing body parts isn’t what you want to be reading over your cereals and toast, but just because I didn’t mention them in my last couple of blogs, doesn’t mean they’re not hurting!! Every muscle in my thighs, back, shoulders and arms remain as stiff and sore as they did after the ‘prologue’ on Day Zero. I’m beginning to seriously doubt this ‘ride yourself to fitness’ strategy – if only I’d have done more training! I should say in contrast that Bryan remains a relative specimen of health and fitness – apart from the rather nasty black big toe which he sustained in his ‘slip in the shower’ incident. However, thinking that I was the only one of this ‘pantomime horse’ that was suffering, it was greatly encouraging to hear Bry say this morning that he was feeling ‘rather sluggish’! Could this be the first chink in the armour, we shall see today! Speaking of which, todays  route is again, over the 50 mile mark. The first 20ks being a flat ride down the side of Loch Linnhe and  over the Ballachulish Bridge into Glen Coe. A steady climb up through the spectacular pass, up onto Rannoch Moor and the Black Mount, where I’m hoping for some pretty interesting bird life. Then down to the Bridge of Orchy, a long pull up to Tyndrum  and finish at Crianlarich. Sounds easy to me!

Arrived at our destination of Fort William by 4.30, following a day of sunshine and superb scenery along the route of the Great Glen. For the last hour and a half we were spoilt with outstanding views of a snow capped Ben Nevis, in a cloudless sky. The stats for our ride are given below, but we clocked up just short of 60 miles – further than planned because of some impromptu off-roading, did an average of 12 mph and climbed 850m.

For the first hour and a half our route was on the main A road, avoiding the logging trucks and passing the iconic Urquart Castle, on the shores of Loch Ness. Coffee was taken at Fort Augutus where we became distracted by the Caledonian Canal and Bry’s stories of taking a boat along it. On a whim we decided to cycle down the tow-path in the vague hope that we’d get to Fort William. In the event, we did get as far as Bridge of Oich, where we rejoined the route as far as Invergarry.  Following signs for the public loo’s led us to our lunch stop in the superdooper Community Centre – soup and a cheese scone! After lunch, buoyed up by our earlier success, we again attempted to navigate our way ‘off-road’ – this time, however, the farm track became un-cycleable and we had to double back to rejoin the main road. It was then a slog from there to the Commando monument at Spean Bridge, where our route took us on a back road, with the aforementioned views, all the way into Fort William and our lodgings for the night. For the curious amongst you, supper was a couple of lesser known Bengali dishes, taken at a rather good Indian restaurant, preceded by  a couple of thirst quenching pints of Orkney Raven ale.

A quiet day on the birding front with only a handful of new species added, including Treecreeper, Canada Goose, Great Spotted Woodpecker and House Martin.

Stats from todays ride – slight under recording I’m afraid because I forgot to restart it  after a number of stops!

The iconic Scottish castle Urquart, by the shores of Loch Ness (no sign of Nessie though…!)

Bryan by the lock gates on the Caledonian Canal at Fort Augustus

Mid-afternoon and Ben Nevis hoves into view…

The Commando Monument, in the shadow of Ben Nevis, was a fitting reminder to us of the purpose behind one of our chosen charities, with personal memorials to a number of brave soldiers lost in conflicts across the globe.

The ‘Ben’ in all it’s splendour, bringing back memories of my first assent at the tender age of sixteen.

To close this evenings blog we’d like to say a big thank you to those of you who are following the progress of our cycling odyssey. Please remember to show your support for our chosen charities and perhaps as important, help spread the word.

Visit: http://www.justgiving.com/teams/justice

Good night, blog you tomorrow. Bryan & Trevor

Good morning readers. Woke up  this morning with body and soul still intact – which is a bonus! Today’s route takes us along the Great Glen – virtually from  coast to coast, in a matter of only fifty miles. What a small country Scotland is! The scenery should be spectacular but,unfortunately we’re on the busy A road, so little time to take it in. Our plan is to do several short, concentrated bursts with ‘touristy’ gaps in between. We’ll see if the plan works out AND the legs hold up!

Our route for the day is shown below:

It’s amazing to me how a route of only 50 miles, from sea level to sea level, following the course of Loch Ness can climb so much! A question I’ve raised with the Course Director, with very little by way of a sympathetic response. I’m beginning to be concerned…..I may blog later – much later!

Only about five miles after leaving Bonar Bridge, our over night stop, we were facing our most formidable climb yet – the infamous Struie Hill! After a steady incline away from the shores of  Dornoch Firth, the road does a slight decent into a ‘clough’ before rising steeply to the summit, a total climb of over 800ft.  Doesn’t sound much does it, but for two old men on a full breakfast it was quite enough! In fact the after-effects of it were to live with us for the rest of the day – my legs are still aching as I blog. On the plus side, we didn’t have to get off and push AND in the scrubby  hillside, beyond the view point, a ‘reeling’ Grasshopper Warbler – a most surprising addition to the bird list! The decent down to Alness was tougher than it should have been due to a moderate and very cold south-easterly wind. Coffee and cake was taken at the Evanton Community Cafe, before we  weaved our way through Dingwall and on to Muir of Ord  our lunch stop – which turned out to be a roll and crisp from the mini-market, eaten in the town square. Birding interest on route included Red Kite (from the release site on the Black Isle presumably) and our first Chiffchaff. The afternoon session should have been a breeze – 30ks  of gentle uphill and then a steep decent into the Great Glen and Drumnadrochit. As it turned, out the climb was a ‘lung-buster’ – long, relentless with a steep finish! The cumulative effect of Struie in the morning  and this climb to finish, left us both feeling it! Our accommodation was in the superb Greenlea B&B, run by Carol and John. A hobble to the pub for supper, washed down with a couple of pints, courtesy of Lochness Brewery and a happy hour reminiscing about ‘bikes we have owned and loved”.

Day three should have been easier than it turned out to be. In bed now with liberal quantities of Ibuprofen gel strategically applied, hoping for a less demanding day tomorrow!

See todays stats below:

Bry doing final ‘flight checks’ before todays stage. The hotel was rather better inside than the outside decor would suggest!

The sign that puts fear in to the hearts of men (well cyclists really!)

And here comes Bry the ‘conquering hero’, approaching the summit.

This much deserved break came after the final climb of the day – a chance to recover and dry out our sweat drench kit!

It wasn’t all graft…there was some superb scenery along the way

Journeys end – our B&B for the night. Tea on arrival and a washing line for the laundry.

Total bird species for the trip – 70

Details of tomorrows route on the breakfast blog.

After a traditional evening meal  of leak and potato soup and Scottish Spicy Steak pie – don’t knock it till you try it, washed down with a couple of pints of Cairngorm Trade Winds at hotel Dunroamin we retired to bed. Me nursing a sore elbow and a bad back, Bry with a bruised toe from having slipped in the shower – a likely story!

Up early for a spot of birdwatching, well I was at least – six new species added, but dipped on the local nesting Osprey!

Todays route of  50 miles to Drumnadrochit, takes us up the infamous Struie Hill. Check it out below:

Better get packed and on the road. Tweetie bye.