23 July - Loch Insh to Knockando

We reluctantly left Loch Insh, and headed north again.

Our first stop was Aviemore, and on entering the town we found this lovely diner! We didn't stop in - too early yet for them to be open, but it sure looks enticing!

We spent most of the day riding along the Spey, and stopped every so often to rest, take off or put on layers, and take pics. 

Passed through the Boat of Garten and Nethy Bridge.

We stopped at Granton On Spey for lunch. Another delectable display of deep fried goodness, including a "chip buttie," which is an especially starchy combination of chips on a buttered bun. Seems like overkill, but when you're on a bike for a long tour, every calorie counts!

And then we found this!! The Whisky Trail!!! This sign was a harbinger of many good things to come...

We found our way to Blacksboat, which is actually an old railway station. We were on the Speyside Way, an old railway that's been preserved and converted to a cycle and foot path. That's especially nice for loaded cycle tourists because railway grades are never very steep! 

After about four miles we came upon an industrial site that turned out to be the Tamdhu distillery! Not open for tours, but neat to walk around. They have restored and maintain the old railway station in beautiful condition, and it's neat to imagine the history - trails pulling in and discharging people and loading whisky barrels... one can only imagine. Since no tour was available we continued on for another 1/2 mile before coming across ...

The Knockando Distillery! Again, no tours... :-(

Another four miles down we stopped for the night at a wide spot in the trail, under a HUGE tree. We think it was an elm, but we're not sure yet. It was a dry night, and pretty much midge-free so we pulled out our instruments for a bit before collapsing into bed. What a treat!

Total miles for the day ... 43.