Day 13 - Perth

Martin called at midday, to tell me that he was standing in the middle of the Forth Road Bridge. He was very enthusiastic about the experience, saying that the view was spectacular and that every time a lorry thundered past, the bridge bounced and swayed. That was probably the biggest highlight of today, although he really enjoyed visiting Edinburgh.

He progressed a further 79.47 miles northwards, camping at 7.45pm in a field belonging to Money Die Farm, 6 – 7 miles north of Perth. He said this evening that he feels he may finish at least a couple of days sooner than anticipated.

Martin has had a good day; with tarmac melting again the weather has been very hot – a little too hot for cycling, but preferable to that horrible stuff they had in the south. It has been tiring, but after a couple of days with a little extra sleep, and concentrating on achieving more mileage during the earlier part of the day, he is feeling less tired. I wish I could say the same! The knee is OK, and the bruising elsewhere is gradually going. The tops of his arms are sunburnt, and I nagged him yet again to buy some sunscreen! He seems to have gained an almost pregnancy-like craving for Rich Tea biscuits. Strange when he was trying to cut down on biscuits before he left, although I found I still had to hide the chocolate ones.

Martin stopped for an early rest in a park in Edinburgh, watching people walking to work which he found quite amusing. I guess that’s what happens when you’ve had only yourself for company for nearly two weeks. A young lady stopped to ask him “Where have you come from?” and stopped to chat for a while. He saw Edinburgh Castle and the Royal Yacht Britannia. He said it was ‘vibrant’ city with a friendly feel to it. The signposting for cyclists is excellent; many routes in an around the city, but all posted so that you ‘can’t go wrong.’ If Scotland can be so geared up for cyclists, why can’t England?

He has followed four maps today – the Coast and Castles route, the Edinburgh to Aberdeen Cycle Way to Kinross, his own route to Perth, and the Salmon Run beyond that. He is now in the Kingdom of Fyfe, whose scenery is one of plush meadows, fields of rape and other farmland. Very picturesque and fairly flat.