Clock2Rock - London to Gibraltar by bike 2011: Day 11

Well here we are in the centre of Scotland's single malt Whisky country, Grantown-on-Spey. We rode across the Cairngorm national park today and as you'd probably expect in this area it started just as we waved goodbye to Joyce and the Wing Commander and stopped as we rode into town here. The rain that is. Oh the hills were there too but the rain was more prominent today (Gary would suggest otherwise). We were soaked to the skin and I was actually glad of the hills to keep me warm pedalling up them.

First we rode up past the Glenshee ski centre at 2150ft then a long descent down to Braemar which was long, fast and cold. Gary has the equivalent of several copies of L'Equipe up his jumper and didn't feel it quite like I do. He wasn't as keen then as i was to stop for the hot chocolate I was longing for to warm up. So we pressed on past Balmoral castle and turning left on the road to Tomintull where we almost ran over a red squirrel. My first sighting ever as far as I can recall.

Before Tomintull the wet road rose up steeply through forests before we passed the tree line to more exposed valleys which looked as though the glaciers had only just melted away. The roads seemed to just disappear vertically into the cloud. They were reminiscent of that scene in 'Inception' where the street folds in half and half of it points straight upwards.

It was quite stunning and the enormity of it was somehow more impressive as we moved more slowly through it feeling in our legs the size of the slopes and the length of them.

With few landmarks In the barren landscape there was still no doubting that we were in Scotland. The Heather and Thistles were everywhere.

A few miles from Grantown on Spey we had to stop to let the Locals pass. Then headed down into the noticeably warmer valley to the Dunallan Guest house where we have the Honeymoon suite!