(I would drive) 500 miles

Nethy Bridge, United Kingdom

Whoo, that’s been a heck of a long drive today – 372 miles door-to-door with just over 100 to go tomorrow. Stornoway really is 500 miles away. It wasn’t such a bad drive though, despite the doom-mongers who said it would take forever. Scotland seems to have built a lot of fast road since they last traveled because it was motorway all the way to from Cheshire to Stirling, dual-carriageway from there to Perth, and then fast, straight A-road to on Inverness. Not that I have quite reached Inverness today – stopped on Speyside just north of Aviemore at a wee little place called Nethy Bridge, I chose it because it’s where the local coach tour company call on their way to the Western Isles, and I thought if a coach can do it, I can as well only quicker (maybe).

The weather for the trip can only be described as unseasonable and we were grateful for the air con keeping the inside of the car cool. Our day comprised almost entirely of a slog north with stops for refreshment every couple of hours. When we finally reached it, Aviemore has that slightly startled look that only a ski resort basking in 25 degree sunshine can have. We had tea in “The Winking Owl” which was modelled on a ski chalet and took ages to cook our meal. Nethy Bridge itself consists mostly of a hotel, a pub, a Spar shop and a handful of houses. Oh and the eponymous bridge over the river Nethy of course. It’s not a grand bridge or even large bridge, but it is and old bridge and was designed by Thomas Telford and they seem proud enough of it to floodlight it at night. The Nethybridge Hotel is a grand old-fashioned motor lodge with a slightly run-down air and is at least an order of magnitude larger than any other building in the village. It’s comfortable enough though.

Anyway, that’s the first major travel hurdle overcome. Just a ‘short’ 100-mile trip to Ullapool tomorrow and then a ferry ride across to the island of Harris. Can’t wait!