Day 1....Inverness to Lochcarron, 71 miles

After our various journeys to get ourselves to our Inverness rendezvous (Mike and Dave by car, Ged and Simon by train), we prepared ourselves for a daunting start as the various weather forecasts that we were all checking seemed to be in full agreement that it was not going to be good.

So, day one began on an up-beat note as blue skies and sun came out for our Grand Depart - not quite so welcome was the gale force westerly wind that we would be riding into for most of the day. 

We diverged from the official NC500 route right from the off, as Simon had come up with a cycle path that took us north of the Beulay Firth as our route out of Inverness rather than the official route south. This was an inspired choice as it took us along virtually deserted lanes in beautiful sunny weather until we re-joined the main route in Muir of Ord.

Fortuitously, this was just about time for 11's and a stop at the fantastic, and fantastically named Bad Girl Bakery...gin and tonic cup-cake anyone?.....maybe not at 11am!!

On past the Glen Ord distillery (and no we didn't  stop!), a diversion to the Victorian spa town of Strathpeffer, the Rogie Falls and a lunch stop in Tarvie, all the while, the weather gradually deteriorating, and the forecasters were eventually proved right. 

The afternoon riding proved to very tough.....riding headlong into a 30mph wind is probably not anyone's idea of a fun day out, and coupled with temperatures down to 10C and pouring rain just about completes the full set of adverse conditions.

The final 20 miles or so from our tea stop in Achnasheen were just heads-down, and needless to say all were grateful when the road ran into our days final destination of Lochcarron.