After yesterday’s debacle, a new front tyre was needed, the spare we have being a bit aged itself. So it was back across the road to Escape Route Cycles, where we bought a 32mm folding tyre.
When fitting the new tyre, it was pretty clear how lucky we were to make it back OK – the inner tube was badly worn by the choco-milk bottle tyre boot, and was on the point of puncturing. At least the choco-milk bottle tyre boot had stopped the tube pushing out between the tyre bead and the sidewalk!
It wasn’t until the afternoon that we set off in the car to Kinloch Rannoch, from where we rode round the loch. Weatherise, this was quite a change from the blazing conditions we’d had yesterday – we’d woken to rather cooler temperatures, and during the morning it had not only got cooler still, but the overcast skies had started to drizzle at times.
Anyway, we left the car in what appeared to be a parking place for canoeists. We chose the unclassified south road to start. This was delightfully quiet, with only occasional cars, and we mostly saw fishermen in the Loch, with occasional tents by the Lochside. On this section, we saw another red squirrel, but once again could’t take a photo.
Once round the west tip of the loch, we returned to Kinlochrannoch, passing even more fishermen. We also stopped to photograph an exotic four horned ram in a field.
When we returned to the car, we chatted briefly to a fisherman (I asked if there had been a fishing competition), then loaded the bike on the car and set off back to Pitlochry.
We had dinner at the Auld Smiddy in Pitlochry, which turned out to be pretty good pub grub (onion and manchego tart, venison sausages on roast veg and mash, creme brûlée). I also had my first pint of Belhaven Best in a few years.
One more night in Pitlochry before heading a bit further south.