up date days 3 to 5

Day 3:    Before leaving Lairg we met a couple who were cycling the end to end, from the south;  they had cycled over Kirkstone and called in at the Spit at Glenridding;  John had been taught sailing by Tony, my brother.  Their project was a 3 week trip, with loaded bikes;  this seems a common plan and leaves me, cycling very light, in awe.  I was even more in awe of a man we met at Bettyhill who was cycling as part of a group;  he had a bad knee and damaged leg;  he had managed one day of 98 miles, with a fully loaded bike.
The route from Lairg to Inverness was not at all bad;  aided by a following wind I made good progress to Bonar Bridge and then turned right to join the B9176;  a bit of a climb;  I stopped just before the top, there was a viewpoint and a man waiting there;  he had joined a group travelling up from Lands End half way through the trip;  he lives (stays) in Temple Sowerby.
I got in over 30 miles before my cofee stop at a services just off the A9;  I had ordered and was making myself comfortable when Alison appeared.  She gave me the excellent news that she had made a wrong turn;  I know she only says she did this to make me feel comfortable;  probably she did not do it all.
It was then on to Inverness, or the campsite at Dochgarroch;  Alison texted me later to say that it was no longer there;  well it was when we were last there 10 years ago;  we stayed instead on the Inverness site by the Sports Centre;  all fenced in but very convenient.  Arrived at 1515, just over 63 miles.
Day 4:   wet and windy was forecast;  Alison came with me walking across the river before setting off on the south side of the loch;  my 'plan' was to stay on the lochside, there would not be any hills on this route then.  As the day progressed I learned why this is not the most cycled route;  it was a bit wet and there were hills, magnificent ones you might say;  I enhanced my enjoyment by retarding my progress by dislodging the back wheel a little on a cattle grid till I came to a halt on a hill with the gear slipping;  inverting the bike lost me the mileage for the day but lead to the cure and much faster progress.  I had my first stop at 19 miles and the 2nd at the bottom of Loch Oich where Alison joined me having had coffee with friends in Inverness.  After this the day greatly improved with a strong wind behind me I 'flew' along Loch Lochy and through to Fort William;  I think I might have seen George and David driving up the hill towards the monument but as I was going down and they up I decided not to try and chase them to check.  Wonderful road to cycle (down) to Gairlochy, not good to go up judging from the lack of expression from the cyclist I met coming up.
Arrived at the campsite just out of Corpach  at 1615 from a start at a little after 0930. We reckon the day was about 63 miles.
Day 5:   very cold night, or it would have been had we not been in the van;  I had thoughts of how cold it would have been if I had been travelling light.  Ben Nevis was so clear in the early morning light.  Alison was doing some washing and we had to top up with water;  did not get away until 1010;  Alison caught me up just before Ballachulish bridge;  I stopped for the banana I had been carrying round for days and a sip and then set out again for Stalker Castle for the first proper stop;  Alison got there ahead of me and cycled back meeting when I had done 25 miles of sunny, still cycling (average to that point 15.6 mph).  28 miles, Stalker Castle Cafe a good point for a lengthy stop;  I am finding that if I go over 20 miles before the first stop it becomes a 1 stop day;  on with the lovely day, sun and flat roads at least until Oban whereafter (cannot leave all my language behind) there were a few 'inclinations'. 66.4 miles average speed 14.4 (as for the day before).
It being Alison's birthday (along with several others' we know of) we have spent the night at the Loch Melfort Hotel; on arriving met Anne and Robin who were having a birthday family gathering;  we did not know they were going to be here and I guess they did not know any better than us that we were (we having only decided to come the night before). Going to mean a late start (already 1030) but only intending to get to Claonaig for the ferry to Arran by the end of the day.