I'm going to honest, I'm getting tired now. Only three more rides to go until I reach John O'Groats and I'll be delighted to reach the end. It will be a major achievement to have completed it, and I'm excited to have got this far, but I'm ready for it to finish. Every ride is hard work now, and my days between rides are often a struggle to keep doing what I need to do. That's not to say that I'm not enjoying it - I am, very much - just that my body is ready for a rest. I'm not about to give up though, no fear.
I couldn't get to Pop-Up Gym on Friday - one of my usual gym days - because I had a hospital appointment, but committed to my epic ride from Land's End to John O'Groats I went on Saturday instead. It was hot, very quiet, I was really tired having not slept well the night before, and there was a lot of uphill to do. I did 45km of the 70km ride from Findhorn Bridge, Inverness, to Fyrish, Alness, at increased resistance. I couldn't manage as much as last time at level 13, so I only did 5km on level 13, then 15km at level 12, 10km at level 10, and 5km at level 8. The rest was done at level 6 - my 'normal'. I actually had to take it a bit easier because I'm diabetic and my blood sugars have been rather on the low side recently and exercise decreases them further. Even with being watchful they dipped into hypo range, but with some glucose tablets and soup on board I was okay. Anyway, blood sugars and tiredness aside, I finished the the 70km cycle in two hours and twenty three minutes, which I was quite happy with.
For all that the gym was quiet, the roads from Findhorn Bridge to Fyrish were relatively busy with supporters. I couldn't keep track of where the main crowds were, but not far outside Inverness there was a dedicated bunch who'd camped out with their children, and on the other side of Inverness the children were desperate to get to the front for a good view as I passed by...
I have to say that I felt a little intimidated by one of the crowds that was adults only...
...but they didn't cause me any trouble so maybe I ought not judge by appearance. Perhaps they'd heard me mutter to myself that I quite fancied having steak for tea, which I accept wasn't the most sensitive thing to think while I was passing by fields of Aberdeen Angus. I didn't have steak for tea.
As seems to have been fairly typical of my whole journey, just when I think I've nearly arrived at my destination, fate has put a final hurdle in the way. This time it came in the form of woodland and a steep path up the hillside. Had I not been desperate to reach the top I might have paused for a few moments to take in the smell of the damp woodland and the variety of birdsong in the branches above me. I was aware enough of my beautiful surroundings to notice the drilling of a woodpecker somewhere a little deeper amongst the trees, but without seeing it I couldn't tell you what kind of woodpecker it was - probably a Great Spotted Woodpecker, as I don't think either the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker or the Green Woodpecker are found this far north.
I have to say that while the uphill mountain biking through the woodland was tough, it was definitely worthwhile. About a kilometre after emerging from the trees was this amazing multi-arched stone structure.
It kind of looks like it was once part of a larger building with a purpose, perhaps some kind of monastery overlooking the valley below, except that it's too well finished to be a ruin, and it isn't. It was purpose built exactly as it is in 1782, authorised by the 8th Laird of Novar, Hector Munro, who'd been a British Soldier serving in India and became the Commander in Chief of India from 1764-1765. Even after that time, Hector Munro returned to India as a General and during this second stint there he 'took' for Britain the Madras port of Negapatam. The monument at Fyrish represents the gate at Negapatam, and stands as a kind of trophy for himself and to himself.
As odd as that is, the story of how it was built is perhaps more unusual. There was a period in 18th century Scottish history called 'The Clearances', in which local Highlanders were being driven off the land by their landlords because the landlords weren't able to make enough of a living from their poor tenants. The Highlands were hostile and the land was too poor for good crop growing, so crofters and farmers weren't able to pay their rents. Some of the lairds burnt down the crofts to force the tenants out and so they could use the land for grazing instead.
This is the point of the story at which Sir Hector Munro is usually mentioned because he showed his tenants compassion. He was the laird of Novar Estate, Fyrish, with many reliant upon his land for their lives. At the time, it was thought that if you gave starving people famine relief then they'd become lazy, so the only way to prevent that was to make them work. Rather than driving his tenants off the land, Sir Hector put them to work building the Fyrish Monument, thus feeding them, letting them remain in their homes, and making sure that they didn't succumb to laziness, whilst also getting the monument he wanted. Sir Hector even extended the time it took for the monument to be built, seemingly to ensure the local destitute he was helping remained fed, housed, and working. It is said that he 'ordered' rocks and boulders to be rolled down the hillside by hand to slow down the building process! Some think this protraction of the building progress was a protest against the horrendous treatment of crofters by other landowners, because most people having something built for them want the work done as quickly as possible to keep costs down.
It's quite something, isn't it? Whatever it is, and why ever he wanted his own Negapatam gate from Madras on his land in Fyrish in the Scottish Highlands, it's certainly a magnificent landmark. All the better if the man who had it built was doing his bit for local charity in a very practical way.
So that's the history lesson, now to the camping, which I had no choice but to do here as there's a distinct lack of any buildings up on the hills above Alness, let alone a hotel or inn. Actually, I'm glad because it's so beautiful up here, and the drama of the monument would be reduced if there were other buildings around it. So yes, I pitched my tent just next to the path leading to the monument so I could see the monument out of the door when I came out in the mornings...
Now you may remember from way back in Leadhills that Donald and Della, the friendly Duck-Billed Haggii, gave me protection by the Haggis Army, for whom I've been very thankful as I've had no trouble from Sabre-Toothed Haggii or any other type of haggis for the rest of my journey so far. However, when I was coming through the woods I did notice this...
...A haggis den. It made me rather wary and a little anxious of what kind of haggis might be lurking in the woods or even up on the hillside. I was sitting having a quiet cuppa, enjoying the view over the Cromarty Firth from the Fyrish Monument...
...when I heard a little snuffle beside me. I'd been nibbling on a cracked black pepper oatcake with some cheese and fruit...
...and the pepper must have attracted this little guy...
Of course I immediately recognised him as a Highland Haggis, and remember Donald saying that Highland Haggii are the most docile of all, so I have nothing to fear. I suspect the Haggis Army let him approach because they know how meek and gentle they are, and they weren't wrong. I think the pepper made him quite soporific too because before long he was rolling on his back and getting his horns stuck in the mud. Don't worry, I rescued him, and when I did he made a long low grunty sound, a bit like a cat's purr, though not quite as endearing. Still, it very much appeared to be a noise of happiness and appreciation, so I gave him a bit of a tummy rub and offered him some oatcake. I have to admit that he reminded me somewhat of the dog from The Magic Roundabout...
...so I called him Dougal. He seemed happy with that, or at least didn't complain and just continued munching my oatcakes and getting more and more drugged by the pepper. Luckily I know that pepper doesn't harm a haggis, and that it works a bit like catnip on cats, though unlikely to send a haggis into a mad half hour like catnip can with some cats. No, it's more the dozy, hypnotic effect that you can expect pepper to have on a haggis, and it certainly did on Dougal. Before I knew it he'd curled up next to me and was snoring loudly. It was quite a racket! Honestly, you wouldn't think that such a little Highland Haggis could make such a loud noise while it sleeps, kind of a cross between the loudest snore you've ever heard combined with a rattle, a whistle, and bagpipe wheeze. I wanted to head off to find some proper food seeing as my oatcakes had all been snaffled, but Dougal seemed rather exposed where he was. I didn't know for certain that the Haggis Den I'd seen in the woods was his so I gently scooped him up and laid him to rest on my four poster camp bed...
Yes, I'm using the Tudor one at the moment because, while it's bulkier than the other and takes a little longer to squeeze into the tent, the green velvet drapes are so good at keeping out the cold Highland wind. It can get very windy indeed up here, and the nights especially can be extremely cold.
In order to get some proper food I knew I was going to have to go down the hill again to Alness, but I had planned for this and for my lethargy, and I'd stowed a hang glider in the last little space in my bike panniers. I hadn't been sure that it would be 'the done thing' at Fyrish to launch oneself off the hillside attached to a hang glider, but I was reassured when I'd been relaxing with Dougal and had seen this...
If the local cats come up from Alness to hang glide off the hills at Fryish then it should be fine for me to do it too. I put my purse in my pocket, donned my hang gliding gear, attached the canvas to the frame, and ran off the hillside...
Once I got up in the air I was a bit more elegant than that...
...and the view of the monument from the air was spectacular...
You can't see my tent because it's hidden behind one of the pillars and further obscured by the shadows. But the monument is beautiful from this angle, don't you think? Almost temple-like.
The flight was brilliant - exciting, exhilarating, beautiful, and peaceful. Well, I say it was peaceful, and mostly it was when I was flying with the birds, but then I got caught in a swarm of Flying Haggis...
They're despicable little creatures with the most incessant whine that's almost enough to drive you mad! Also, whilst they don't do any real harm, they bite like gnats, leaving little tartan welts that take several days to calm down. They're not particularly itchy, but of course they can be the friend of the Blanket-Making Wild Haggis, creating tartan-spotted prey for the Blanket-Making Wild Haggis to feast upon. Luckily, with the Haggis Army still looking after me, I didn't have to worry about that, but it was extremely annoying to be caught in a swarm of Flying Haggis, and they were so distracting that they made me lose my balance. I crash landed in Alness playing field...
I was a bit bumped and bruised, but otherwise uninjured, thank goodness. I wouldn't want to have to call my epic ride to a halt now, not after I've got this far! I'm sorry to say that the hang glider was beyond repair so I ditched it at the local recycle centre, and went in search for food. To be honest, I wasn't feeling up to doing a lot of hunting in shops and heaving the shopping back up the hill to the tent only then to have to spend ages cooking, so I decided I'd treat myself to a rare takeaway. I figured I'd earned it. I opted for the very traditional fish and chips with a can of good old Scottish Irn Bru...
I was going to say that it's the best fish and chips I've had in a long time, which isn't untrue, it's just that I haven't had any fish and chips for a long time so it's not really a fair assessment. Nonetheless, they were good and they mostly filled a hole. Mostly. There was room for something else, but I wasn't sure what. I wandered back to the chip shop, considering getting another portion of chips, or maybe a saveloy or a bridie (a kind of Scottish pasty), but then I saw it, the solution. I bought this...
Yes, it's Scotland's unofficial second national dish - the deep friend Mars Bar! Apparently, the story goes that two Scottish lads walked into Haven Chip Bar (now The Carron) in Stonehaven, Aberdeen, and one of them dared the owner into testing if it were possible to batter and deep fry a Mars Bar. The owner rose to the challenge, and thus was born the first deep fried Mars known in history. They're apparently made all over the world now, even in some posh nosh restaurants! Today, or rather yesterday, I was tasting it for the first time in the streets of Alness, and on my lengthy trek back up the hill to Fyrish Monument. I'd always scoffed the idea of it, but it was surprisingly good, though definitely not something to feast upon if you're watching your weight. Not unless you're watching your weight increase. I'm actually trying to lose weight at the moment, but I figured that I'd earned this treat of all treats after all the cycling I'd done, the hang gliding, and the Flying Haggis ambush. Plus, I still had to get back up the hill, which actually wasn't too bad when I was munching hot battered, melty Mars Bars. I was back almost before I knew it.
Dougal clearly hadn't been awake for long when I reached the tent because he was still very bleary eyed. It was a good job I got back when I did though because he was desperate for the loo and his little legs couldn't jump off the bed without causing himself an injury with those horns. I lifted him onto the floor and, turning to give a nod of thanks and the weirdest little squeaky whistle, he scurried off back into the woods. I enjoyed a quiet few moments alone watching the sky turn to fire around the monument as the sun set...
...then clambered into bed to snooze away the exhaustion. I'll have to summon all my energy again tomorrow for another 71km cycle ride to Lairg. I think I get to stay in a lodge there, which will be lovely, although tonight I've adored the view from my tent.
Please remember that you can still sponsor me at my Just Giving Page for this virtual MotoMed ride from Land's End to John O'Groats (and the blog writing), and that all funds go to Pop-Up Gym. Every penny helps and every penny is very much appreciated, so please give what you can, even if that's just a penny. I'll see you next time when I get to Lairg.
**All photos are from Google Images, except those of the MotoMed and my tent.
