June 28 - Brora to Melvich

OK, so where is this so called Bike Bothy? Of course it involved backtracking, going back into town and following the River Brora for a few miles. But it was a pleasant ride, and the gentleman at the Bothy was really nice. I contemplated asking him if he could replace my spoke, but he looked like he was heading somewhere, so I just bought a spoke wrench from him andheaded back out onto the route.

My first destination for the day was Glen Loth, a small valley that ran inland from the hamlet of Lothbeg, rising fast up into the coastal range, then dropping down into the Strath of Kildonan. It cut about 10 miles off the length of the day's ride, but at a price: it was quite a climb over this coastal range. It wasn't a terribly steep climb, but it was relentless. I stopped several times to catch my breath and admire the stark beauty.

Glen Loth ("One of the best-kept secrets of Scotland")

The reward for all my work was a spectacular view into the Strath of Kildonan. Something was bugging me about this view, and the scenery in general for the next hour or so. I had beenhere before!

A quick drop down into the valley, and then I was spinning along the streamside. Then it occurred to me why I felt like I had been here before. This area is strikingly similar to eastern Montana and western North Dakota. No, really! The few times that I have been there, it has been in the early summer, and they had received lots of rain, so the landscape was very green. So, here in northeastern Scotland, with the rolling hills and open landscapes, and marvelous trout streams, it looked very much like Montana. Interesting...

At any rate, this was a beautiful valley. I understand that the Royal Family enjoys coming up here for holidays, and I can certainly see why.

An immediate problem for me, however, was water. I had run dry on the ride up Glen Loth. With no obvious source of water going up the valley, I asked a fisherman who was walking up the road if he had any water. He mentioned a cabin used by the fishermen just up the road, but I
was leery about walking into someone else's place without knowing anyone. So, as I rode up the valley, I saw a group of folks having a picnic and birdwatching, and I asked them if they had any water. They only had hot water for tea. I figured it would cool off soon enough, so I gratefully accepted some. And sure enough, within a half hour or so, it had cooled enough so I could drink it.

Bannock Burn

Getting hungry, I found a hotel in the crossroads of Forsinard, so I stopped for a bite to eat. Since I was the only customer, I got to chat with the proprietor. His main customers were the stalkers (hunters) who came to this valley to hunt the large stags that are abundant hereabouts (see previous picture). He told me to watch the character of the farms change once I was past the cemetery up ahead. Sure enough, the farms changed from large estates with lots of sheep, into smaller farms that varied in what they were raising. This was the boundary where the Landowners stopped evicting the crofters during the Clearings. (For a discussion of the Clearances and what they meant to the inhabitants of this area, see this Helmsdale Community web page. I stopped at a monument to the World Wars, and noticed many names with the MacKay surname. This interested me, since one of my ancestors was named Scobie, which is one of the names associated with Clan MacKay. So some of these locals may be distant relatives.

Strath Halladale

It was a beautiful day, but it didn't last. As I neared Melvich, the clouds began to thicken, and by the time I reached my B&B, it had started to drizzle. It didn't matter, since I was done for the day. It did stop later, so I went out for a walk to check out the town.