This route will take you from Cawdor Castle to Ardersier and Fort George. It's a straightforward 7 mile ride.
Highlights include:
White Bridge
This hump-backed bridge is a 10 minute ride from Cawdor Castle. The B9090 road used to cross it, but there's a new bridge now. You can make a short diversion off the B9090 to get to the old bridge. It's called White Bridge and was built around 1754.
There are plenty of old bridges like this in Scotland, but I never tire of discovering them. I went down to the river bank and stepped on stones to reach the island of pebbles. From here I had a close up view of the bridge and enjoyed the sound of flowing water. Loch Flemington
A 10 minute cycle from the bridge is this small loch. I had never heard of it until I cycled its shores. I was lucky to encounter a swan with cygnets and a rainbow at the same time.
To cycle along the shore you should leave the B9090 as soon as you reach the loch. There's a minor road on the right. This road gives the best views of the loch and the chance to get a closer look at the swans. Brachlich Gollanfield Cemetery
The views of distant hills from this cemetery are spectacular. Throw in some storm clouds with shafts of sunlight and a rainbow and this place is even more special.
This is a small cemetery, contained within a rectangular stone wall. There is some nice stone carving on display. For example, the pretty flowers on the headstone of a boot and shoemaker who died in 1853.
It is very close to Inverness airport so you'll see planes taking off and landing. Great roads for cycling
Quiet roads with great views. What more could you ask for?
It's not the most famous area of Scotland. It does not have mountains. It does not get a lot of tourists. That means you will get to enjoy it pretty much by yourself. To reach Ardersier you must cross the busy A96. I found the easiest way to do this was to get off my bike and wheel it across when there was a gap in the traffic. Ardersier thatched cottage
There's a very pretty thatched cottage in Ardersier. At one point there had been 365 thatched cottages- one for every day of the year. This is the only one that survives.
Ardersier shoreline
Ardersier faces the Moray Firth. It means there is always a view of the water when you are exploring the village. Look out for the sculpture of a pair of jumping dolphins. This area is one of the best places in Scotland to go dolphin watching.
Visit Fort George
​From Ardersier it's 2 more miles to reach Fort George.
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