Glencoe to Inverness

June 21st 

Day 12 began with the now well established rythm. Up at 7.00 shave, shower, cream up (it was overcast but I have been caught out before) panniers repacked, wallet in left pcket phone in right pocket go for breakfast at 08.00 (first available) The guide to the hills of GB remained unopened in my bar bag, today the plan was to stay on the A82, which I had followed all day yesterday, all the way to Inverness - a distance of around 80 miles.

My trusty steed emerged from its locked overnight lockup into a cloud of midges. It had rained overnight and there was no wind to speak off so no surprise there. What was surprising was that that was the last of the little devils. 

The way points came and went in good time, Corran Ferry, Fort William, Ben Nevis ( I saw the bottom 50 metres the rest was enveloped in Scotch Mist) Spean Bridge ( where I stopped to resupply with bananas and water) Then it was a good run up the length of Loch Lochy to Laggan Locks then  Invergarry gave way to Fort Augustus which I reached at lunchtime and it was heaving with tourists speaking a wide variety of languages. 

It was here that I spied David, a fellow end to ender who was following my route in reverse from John O'Groats to Land's End ( or jogle) He was panning on completing it in 13 days. We compared hills and winds and other common problems and concluded that it was to be enjoyed whatever the journey threw at you. We took photos and he took a copy of this blog address so Goodevening David I hope the rest of your day went well.

It was at this point that I looked at my phone to see that Louise (my niece who works in inverness) had suggested meeting up after she finished work at 5.00 for a drink. I looked at the time - 2.00 and the distance left to go 35 miles and thought that it might just be possible. However my legs already had about 50 miles in them and I always slow down towards the finishing line. I pushed a bit hard too early and when the ground turned upwards I had little left
to give. I was following the road alongside Loch Ness (which doesn't have any hills apart from Nessie's back) so it was hard to understand where the ups kept coming from. The strava trace confirms that I climbed nearly 1000 metres on a basically flat road.

I did eventually meet Louise in the Inverness Cathedral car park which is right beside the river. We went to have a bite to eat in the restaurant of the Eden Court Theatre which handily was next door. I don't think I could have walked too much further. We had a lovely time. It was really nice to see Louise again. She told me she had been following my blog so bang went all of my stories. She is meeting up with Pauline tomorrow evening as well.

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I cycled the mile or so to Wimborne House my B&B accommodation for the night. My steed was stowed in the garage and I had showered and was about to go to get in provisions for tomorrow when ........... I couldn't find my wallet. I looked in the obvious paces and the in the less obvious places the in the just plain daft places but still it eluded me. I repeated the above before concluding that I must have lost it between the Eden court and the B&B which was difficult to believe. After a further increasingly frantic search I cancelled the cards and phoned Pauline who was far from sympathetic.

 "Get back on you bike and go and find it," she told me. So I did all the way back to the theatre where I spoke to the girl who had served me earlier. My wallet had not been found but she would take my number just in case. As I cycled all of the way back ( up hill naturally) I still couldn't work out how I could have lost my f***ing wallet.

When I got back to my room perhaps a bit calmer I found the offending object under a cushion ( which I had moved) on the bed. Much ado about nothing. I feel a complete fool but a lesser fool than one who has actually lost his wallet.

Tomorrow it is another 80 miler to Crask Inn where I am booked in for dinner bed and breakfast. Let's hope I get there in time for dinner.