Day 4, 70 miles from Evanton to Newtonmore

September 4, 2006. We left on schedule from Evanton and our SE direction took some advantage of the SW wind. It was our first experience on a "real" A road (as opposed to the upper Highland A routes that often have room for only one vehicle and so have a "Passing Place" every 50 yards or so). The weather turned out to be good all day, rising from 14 to 21 with only occassional showers, but with persistant 5-25 mph winds from the SW. The bridge over Cromarty Firth was particularly challenging followed by some 13 pecent hills over the Black Isle (which were well rewarded with a long run down from 600 feet on the approach to the bridge over the Moray Firth at Inverness). We continued east to the 18th century battlefield of Culloden (where the romantic but impractical Bonny Prince Charlie led a doomed confrontation with well organized and ruthless British Army). The route south through Cairngorms National Park included the highest elevation to date - the 1324 foot pass at Slochd - and many lesser hills. At our hotel, the Highland Inn, we joined a tour coach-load of guests to witness the bagpiper pipe in and stab the haggis, which, served with potato and turnip, was a treat.