The 7 Loch view

Day 11 Invergarry to Invershin (near Bonar Bridge)

Miles - 98.5, metres climbed - 1424, calories burned 4668.

Today was the kind of day road biking was invented for. The sun was shining as we left the hotel, and our first  6 miles were along a rolling road before turning off and heading uphill along General Wade's military road past Loch Tarff. The river to our right was shimmering in the sunshine, and the sun was shining through the trees, creating stripes of shade on the road. The hills were purple with heather, and green and tawny brown, and the loch was blue under the clear sky.

We arrived at the viewpoint at the top of the climb at the same time as a couple of bikers (motor bikes) from Bradford, who were ultra chatty, and took lots of group photos for us. We all agreed that a glorious day like this was extra wonderful in the knowledge that it was filthy, wet and stormy back at home in London.

The sign at the viewpoint said we could see seven lochs from where we were standing. I'm not sure I could spot all 7, but I could certainly see 3. Having said our farewells to the biker, we had a long and swoopy descent, only stopping when we arrived at a view of Loch Ness that was so perfect, it looked as if it had been photo shopped.

We rolled into Inverness for lunch sitting outside by the river - who'd have thought it, in late September? Then on over the Kessock Bridge across the Beauly Firth, and along the coast, before heading inland past Cromarty. Last week in the Community Cafe and when we passed a ploughing competition, we felt as if we were in an episode of The Archers. Today we were in the shipping forecast. Which Radio 4 programme will be next?

Lunch no 2 was in Alness, a former Britain in Bloom winner, with hanging baskets as far as the eye could see. At this point, we felt as if we'd gone back to the Midlands - the landscape was back to being rolling farmland, with pretty cottages by the road, and tractors grinding past us, and huge bales of golden straw lined up in the fields. But before long we were in Scottish heather and bracken again, with a blue and brown loch below us.

Our last 20 miles were pretty hard going, but we kept up our pace by riding nose to tail, and finally got to our hotel at 7.15 to find Ann and Jill waiting for us. There was a fire going in the bar, and we ate a very welcome dinner. Tomorrow another big day awaits us. Unbelievably, our last big ride, just as I'm really beginning to enjoy it, and it looks as if our luck on the weather is about to come to an end....