Wednesday, 4 September 2013

Day 5 Brora to Cromaty



Start of the Day

 The day dawned sunny and bright with no wind in Brora. breakfast at The Sutherland was good. One of the interesting things about staying in small hotels and B&B's is the variety of people you strike up conversations with.This morning we chatted to a couple from Oz on the search for ancestors, they apparently found one, from New Zealand! Doing the same search! Are there no Scots left in Scotland?


 Looking for His Ancestors

Good day's riding with some wind but nowhere near as bad as yesterday. A few long hills some headwinds and outstanding scenery made the ride hard but enjoyable at times.Most was on the A9 which is a  nightmare,  huge lorries leaving inches between you and little cars speeding by without bothering to mind the gap make you want to join a militant cycle group, I'm thinking on that one! So happy to get off the A9 and onto a big number B road to Nigg and the Nigg Ferry to the Black Isle. What a joy, quiet, little traffic and not a sign to tell you where you were! Actually there were signs but they seem far apart for bikes


 Didn't Walk All the Hills

Took the Ferry to Cromaty (Forties, Dogga Humber German Bite , I always loved the rhythm of the shipping forecast the places sounded so strange and unreal) to the Tradewinds B&B. What a delightful Town,  charming  cottages With some large Georgian merchant houses beautifully maintained Here we found the house where Hugh Miller was born in 1802, a self educated stonemason who became a brilliant natural scientist one one of the foremost pioneering geologists as well as the founder of the Free Church of Scotland Miller was a gifted writer whose work showed that the earth had been created over enormous time with different species dwelling on it as life progressed through the ages. In mid nineteenth century before Darwins Origin of the Species was published, this was revolutionary thinking. Enough history it is also home to a funky litte cafe called Sutor Creek and the best pizza since Milan!


  Lunch Stop in Their Grounds; Didn't Sample....

1 comment:

  1. Jonesy mentioned he wans't abe to post comments so here is his 2 cents worth by proxy.

    wish them all the best and let them know that I have noticed that there seem to be a lot of pubs, drinks and distilleries on their route;-)

    ReplyDelete