Thursday 8th May 
Newtonmore to Aviemore 20 miles (all but 300 yds)

Breakfast and a chat with Colin who kindly let us use his garage to do some adjustments to the bikes well mine especially.
Then a morning round Newtonmore a pleasant town we visited the Clan McPherson Museum and discovered we had a Clan through our mother’s maiden name Miller ..the MacFarlane’s of Loch Lomond area.
Popped into the Wildcat centre to meet an eccentric lady who was also a route ranger for the stretch to Kingussie, made Graeme’s morning as me and this lady compared notes, we then went back to the Newtonmore Hostel to get our stamp and we were offered a cup of tea and a chat about the routes and cycling in general we swapped websites.
Around 1pm we cycled quietly out of Newtonmore a very pleasant town, to Kingussie and then to Ruthven Barracks an Imposing shell now but once a large barracks. The Highlanderss after Culloden mustered here waiting for Bonnie Prince Charlie he never showed and they were dismissed from here to their clans. 

Ruthven Barracks

We followed and undulating road through woodlands eventually drifted into Aviemore around 3 30pm a really light day, Aviemore is a winter resort so not a lot was happening. We had an amusing arrival we found the guest house and no one was home but the place was wide open. We peered inside and then all went and sat in the lounge had a drink of Graeme’s bottomless chocolate flask, and a biscuit, I found a note to say they were home around 4pm I presume it was meant for us, a little girl then appeared from school was totally unfazed and proceeded to check the register and then collected the man from the hotel next door to check us in. 
While we were waiting we relaxed and were reading a Bird spotters log book which was left for guests.
I admit it was me who wrote the entry two seagulls spotted 54 Grampian road hovering above the Dustbins.
Anyway checked in we were to share a room tonight. We showered and changed and hit the holiday hotspot of the Highlands?
Mistake Aviemore in the winter may be a good resort but it is very different in summer. Plastic shops and the pubs were dreadful. We ended up eating a fish and chip meal and filling up on a sandwich from Tescos.
The Winking Owl Pub probably the worst of the ride!!
We ended up in Mackenzie’s marginally better we took part in the quiz and came a very credible 1st sorry I mean 2nd I don’t think visitors are allowed to win, even though we were leading up to the last round?
But it was fun and we met some interesting characters the Blonde druggie trying to do the quiz alone and the group of French TV workers who were bemused by a Scottish quiz night.
Anyway to bed.