September 2, 2018
Speyside Way
by bike and steam train
We're back to the Cairngorms national park this morning, about 40 minutes' drive from our Inverness base. Picturesque Aviemore is the end (or start) of the Speyside Way, a shared cycling/walking path that stretches north-east all the way to the coast 100-odd kilometers away. The plan is to get to Aviemore by mid-morning, with time for a quick coffee, before boarding the 10.30am Strathspey Railway steam train to Broomhill up the line, then ride back to Aviemore.
We execute the plan to perfection, though the coffee is a real disappointment. Never mind, though. The scenery is gorgeous!
At Broomhill, we roll our bikes off the train and prepare to ride the return leg. A brisk head wind greets us as we cross the River Spey and head south-east away from the train line along the Nethy River valley. By now, it's midday and the Nethy Bridge hotel looms into sight. We bag a seat at the window where we are in sight of the bikes and enjoy an excellent and leisurely pub lunch. We almost feel like proper bike tourists!
The rest of the ride is mainly on forest trails. We swing back to the Spey Valley, crossing the river at Boat of Garten, then meander with our friend the head wind back to Aviemore. A wander through the tourist resort draws us to a busy looking café and it's wildly exciting (for me, anyway) to discover that this one is owned and run by a Kiwi. Chef Kirsten came to Aviemore one weekend to ski and fell in love with the town and the guy she met at the ski hire store.
By now, all thoughts of investigating a nearby mountain bike park have been sent packing. We are enjoying the ambience of The Mountain Café too much. The food is great and Kiwiana adorns the walls.
I'm a sucker for a happy ending.
Today's ride: 19 km (12 miles)
Total: 338 km (210 miles)
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