Day 20, to Crianlarich

Goodbye to Frank and Lorraine Smith of Sunnyside Bed & Breakfast, after enjoying a sumptuous breakfast of porridge, kippers and scrambled eggs with lots of extra bits (fruit, cinnamon, juices etc). Thank you also for your kind donation of £20 to Refuge. Next time I’m in the area I’ll make a bee-line for their B&B.

Leaving the B&B I set off onto the River Leven cycle path again. It was all dead easy, and the sun was shining warmly. It felt like a really marvellous holiday today, and I loafed around for a bit looking at the nearby marina on Loch Lomond.

Once in Balloch there was just a last bit of cycle path to enjoy before I got onto the fearsome A82 – but there was, in fact, a cycle path at the side of it. Although a bit bumpy and rough it got me safely past the busiest parts before it eventually felt like nothing more than a nice tame B road.

The stunning mountain scenery that we always associate with Scotland was beginning to emerge with every mile. The road surface was still quite variable – and this matters a lot on a bicycle. Sometimes I jiggled and bumped my way along, and other times a heavenly stretch of smooth tarmac would appear. I soon gave up the cycle path once the traffic became lighter. Eventually, and near Crianlarich, I met up with Paul again.

We entered Crianlarich together and headed for the station to see if the famous tea room was still there. It was. As we were far too early for the hostel we passed a happy hour eating cakes and I indulged my feelings of nostalgia for a village that I’ve always loved (I always visit Crianlarich when I come to Scotland.)

There aren’t many photos today because I was on my own.

Stats

34.6 miles (673.71 miles total), 1,275ft ascent, 775ft descent