Yesterday’s hike left me itching to get out and ride a bike. Today had biking on the agenda. Yes. I once again woke up the smell of coffee and breakfast being cooked on the main deck. This is a proper way to wake up. After breakfast I went back to my cabin and packed up. We would be leaving the Elizabeth G today. As we made our way back to the dock we started our boat journey at, we saw a sea eagle soaring over the water and were able to view it quite well with binoculars. We moved our bags from the boat into the van as Euan and Kevin set up our bikes. Euan explained the route for the day and we set off. We would be riding our bikes back to Glenfinnan, which was a prime film location for Harry Potter. For the first several miles we biked on undulating paved backcountry roads. Once again, we passed waterfalls as if they were red lights on a busy downtown Atlanta road. There were just so many. Euan told us that he decided to take the route over a “hill” (or mountain, to us) since everyone in our group was fit and up for the challenge. We made a left-hand turn and began to climb. The climb was about 5 miles and kept 5-6% grade for the majority of the time. At times it picked up to 10 or 12%. It was challenging but not excessive. 
The landscape on the way up was incredible. The road followed a river flowing down the mountain. The river rolled over rocks and had a fair amount of white water. It looked to me like a kayakers dream. As I looked up the mountain, I could see both the road and the river winding in front of me like white and black lines that had been etched into the hillside. We took a break at the top to snap some photos and eat some snacks when it started to rain. It started out as a sprinkle but quickly picked up to a good shower. We packed up, and started our way down the backside of the mountain.
Euan rode in front and I followed. The rain made things quite cold but it didn't last long. There is a saying in Scotland that if you don’t like the weather at the moment, to wait for 15 minutes. We reached the tree line and entered a wooded area. Once we came out of the other side, a half-mile down the road, we found ourselves in sunshine and much warmer weather again. We stopped at this point to take more photos, though at first I didn't want to stop. I enjoy a good descent on a bike. But after stopping and taking in the view, I understood the necessity to stop at this place. The view was simply breathtaking. You could see the road wind all the way around the loch below. We were able to see the next several miles of road we'd be traveling. It was stunning. We finished our descent and turned onto a gravel forest road. We rode the undulating road for several miles following a loch, taking breaks here and there to look at waterfalls, eat snacks and enjoy the moment. We all had huge smiles on our faces. Kevin and I decided to pick up our pace and pulled away from the group for a bit. We didn't talk much - we just rode. We were both smiling and enjoying the moment. I broke the silence after several miles and said, “This is incredible.” Kevin responded, “Sometimes there are no words that can be said.” Here we were - a poet, and a guy who is renowned for talking way too much - both put into complete silence by the awesomeness of the moment. It wasn’t just the trail we were on, or just the miles of breathtaking scenery, or the dozens of crashing waterfalls we passed that left us speechless. It was the all of us, and, at that moment, the two of us, passing through this remote untouched landscape by turning our pedals. It was the bond we shared for riding and experiencing the brilliance of nature. It was something that rode with us, that you can’t quite put a finger on, but is more real than the wind in your face. The ride wasn’t overly challenging, but the experience was beyond words. We arrived in Glenfinnan, where Stewart was waiting with the van. After lunch at the local café, we rode to Balmacara, just outside of Plockton, where we would be staying for the night. We checked into the hotel, washed up, and headed into Plockton for dinner. We met Alex, another H&I guide. I ordered monkfish cooked in a Talisker whiskey sauce with asparagus. It was excellent. Whoever said that the U.K. does not have good food has not had that dish and has probably not had much to eat in Scotland. 
At the beginning of the meal we all made a deal. Everyone placed their cell phones in a pile in the middle of the table. The first person to take their phone out of the pile would be buying the whole group a round of drinks. We made it through dinner without anyone reaching for a phone. After dinner, we walked down the street to a tavern. We ordered a round, sat down and relaxed. The tavern was full of local people talking and enjoying themselves. I was starting to get a little tired when a group in their early twenties walked in and sat down at a table. They were all carrying boxes and, intrigued, I watched them to see what they had. They unpacked various instruments - a guitar, a flute, an accordion, a fiddle. Then, without saying anything at all to one another, they just started playing. It felt like a scene from the Lord of the Rings. I looked in several corners looking to see if Arigorn was in a corner wearing a hooded coat and smoking a pipe. It was as if they had done this a thousand times before. And it didn’t bother anyone at all. Everyone stayed in conversation, but yet it was also very apparent that the energy in the room was raised and that the music was welcomed. We all clapped after each song and then as the next song started, we resumed our conversations. The tavern had a flow and rhythm that seemed to have taken hundreds of years to perfect, and in fact, that may very well have been the case. The culture of and vibe of this tavern was incredible. It was the perfect way to end an amazing day. See all of H&I Adventures tours here >