Day 11 of GWC S3 Projects 2009
It was a wet day, it was a long day, but it was the last day of cycling. We packed up the tents early in the drizzle and shoved some food into us. The kid's spirits were quite low but the talk of the end was enough to motivate them again. We set off in a southerly direction along the A836, which meant we would be on the main road for a while and without much interesting scenery. It was simply a case of heads down and get on with it. Lewis and I decided to bring up the rear of the pack for the first stretch and have a bit of a chat. I was keen to get his thoughts about how he thought the trip had gone. I knew it was quite a significant moment, as it was his final trip as a Project Leader at GWC. He was very pleased with how smoothly things had gone and how good the kids had been. It was nice to hear, as we all wanted it to be a success for Lewis.
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| Just a bit to go! |
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| Up the hill we go... |
We were soon at Bonar Bridge, then Ardgay and it was still raining hard on us. We stopped at the roadside near Fearn Lodge for a breather. The rain had just eased, and Lewis and Pete informed us that we were about to climb up Struie and onto the B9176. We started climbing almost immediately; as we entered Struie Wood. The group was quickly stretched on the steep incline, as some where more tired than others. As was the norm on this trip, the lads were first to the viewpoint where we regrouped. The rain had now stopped but unfortunately visibility was still poor; so nae view on this occasion.
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| At the viewpoint - but not much of a view today |
We pressed on, as we still had a fair few miles of road to cover before the finish line. The plan was to continue without any stops until we reached Dingwall. The group spread out again for the pleasant run through Strath Rory and then skirting past Alness. Here, we were treated to a great view down the Cromarty Firth on the run into Dingwall. I had heard of the randomly abondoned oil platforms in the Cromarty Firth, but it was only now that I was seeing them with my own eyes - and a sore sight it was... very strange indeed.
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| Abandonment in the Cromarty Firth |
We took a lunch stop in Dingwall and headed for the Tescos while the kids amused themselves in the park and tried to keep out of trouble. After a good break and a bit of a re-charge, we set off down the main road out of Dingwall; towards Maryburgh. Somewhere on the road between Conon Bridge and Muir of Ord, JD drove past in the support van... with the side door wide open! A few bits of rubbish and an airborne camping mat later, we had managed to get his attention and persude him to pull over; much to the kids' amusement, of course! With that drama over, we stopped briefly in Muir of Ord. But we didn't stop for long; as the heavens decided to empty right above our heads (again). We headed off and, for the second time on our journey, joined the minor road along the north shore of the Beauly Firth towards Charleston and the Kessock Bridge.
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| Lunch in Dingwall |
We had briefed the kids to engage in frantic bell-ringing on first sight of the bridge - and they humbly obliged with lots of frantic ringing. We stopped at the picnic spot just opposite the hotel for a few photo opportunities. By now the clouds had past and the sun was well and truly out in the sky - typical Scottish weather.
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| The Team |
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| The Crew |
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| Shattered! |
All that was left of our journey was a short ride over the Kessock Bridge (into the wind!) and through the town to
Inverness Hostel. The kids were in great spirits and they were all chatting about what a journey it had been and how much they had enjoyed Projects. It was great to hear and I think Lewis really appreciated hearing that kind of chat from the group. We had a quick shower and then headed out for a very well deserved pizza. Lewis gave an emotional speech that was very moving and one of the girls thanked him on behalf of us all and said some great things about the trip. It was a great way to end a fantastic journey. This brought to an end my second GWC S3 Projects. A very different type of trip and activity compared to last year - but the same values, goals, ethics and teachings were there and my time away with Lewis had taught me a great deal. I was very keen to lead a Project of my own next year and I felt ready to do this thanks to the example that had been set on this excellent trip.
The next morning we took the train back to Edinburgh in the sunshine - shattered!
Distance for the day: 50 miles
Total Distance: 334 miles
Route for the day:
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