Enjoying family time – and pies – on the North Coast 500
Bob Cherry is a partner with Scotland’s leading independent property consultancy, Galbraith. Based in the firm’s Ayr office, Bob handles sales, lettings, purchases and valuations for a wide range of residential properties, farms, land and estates, with a value in excess of a million pounds every quarter. His frenetic workload means he grabs the opportunity to enjoy time with his family whenever he can. Last September he cycled the entire route of the North Coast 500 with his two sons. He tells Gabbi Armstrong, Business Relationship Manager for the NC500, how much he enjoyed the experience.
Gabbi Armstrong: I imagine you must be quite a fit family if you managed to cycle the whole route in seven days?
Bob Cherry: We are all active but my sons obviously have age on their side! Alan is 27 and Joe is 22 and they usually run rather than cycle but they have a good level of overall fitness. We decided to complete it in seven days without any rest days as it fitted in with all our schedules. We try to do an active break once a year together if we can.
Gabbi Armstrong: How many miles did you cycle each day?
Bob Cherry: We averaged about 70 miles per day. The first few days were certainly easier than the final two! Our total mileage was 509 miles. The last day was really hard – we had wanted to go on the Cromarty ferry but it was closed that day so we had a detour of nearly fifteen miles which was an added challenge!
Gabbi Armstrong: What was your favourite scenic view on the trip?
Bob Cherry: So much of the route is absolutely stunning and spectacular – from Lochcarron on wards it was amazing. My favourite parts were around Torridon, the route from Dundonnell to Ullapool and the area around Assynt.
Gabbi Armstrong: Did you manage to cycle the notorious Bealach na Ba?
Bob Cherry: Yes we did and it is an unrelenting climb but absolutely worth it. The views are so beautiful it’s well worth the effort. The entire route of the NC500 is hilly – there aren’t very many flat parts – but that’s what makes it so enjoyable.
Gabbi Armstrong: Was the route busy with other cyclists and cars?
Bob Cherry: No it was very quiet. We chose the last week in September and we only saw about 12 other cyclists that week. There wasn’t much traffic either – I think we picked a great time to visit. We saw lots of classic cars – MGs and Porsches from the UK and Europe. The route for vehicles differs slightly from the cycle route in some parts but drivers were very courteous and friendly throughout, there is a nice atmosphere of camaraderie on the route which isn’t necessarily the case in other parts of the UK.
Gabbi Armstrong: Were there any hairy moments during the week?
Bob Cherry: We had one mechanical malfunction. My son had to do an emergency temporary repair and then get some help from the bike shop in Muir of Ord – they were really helpful and came and picked him up with the bike so it could be fixed as soon as possible. Apart from that we didn’t have any other bike problems or any punctures during the whole week!
Gabbi Armstrong: Did you have good weather?
Bob Cherry: Yes, most days were dry and calm. We had a couple of windy days but mostly we had the wind behind us – that’s why we decided to go in a clockwise direction to make the most of the prevailing winds.
Gabbi Armstrong: Did you see any wildlife?
Bob Cherry: We saw lots of red deer, some hen harriers, red squirrels and salmon jumping – all very Scottish which is exactly what you would hope for.
Gabbi Armstrong: Which places would you like to visit again?
Bob Cherry: The north coast around Durness is really scenic and I plan to go there again, preferably on a bike. Both Joe and Alan said their favourite place to cycle was the Applecross peninsula.
Gabbi Armstrong: Did the long hot summer inspire you to visit the NC500 route?
Bob Cherry: No we had been planning to do the route before the summer started. Many of the hoteliers and restaurateurs were saying they had been busy all year – 2018 was a great year for them! There are lots of craft shops, activity centres and hotels all along the route now – the success of the route has been transformative and has completely fired people’s imagination.
Gabbi Armstrong: Do you have any tips for other cyclists?
Bob Cherry: We decided to go clockwise and I would recommend it because most of the time we had the wind behind us which is a considerable bonus. If you’re cycling into the wind it would be far more tiring. We were incredibly lucky with the weather because Scotland is quite a windy place!
Gabbi Armstrong: Will you visit the NorthCoast 500 again?
Bob Cherry: It was a fantastic experience and we would definitely do it again. I think we would all prefer to return by bike again rather than in a car. You are constantly going up hill and down dale – but that’s what makes it exciting and rewarding to cycle.Let’s hope the pie shop in Lochinver is still open!
