The final day of our North Coast 500 cycle tour had arrived. At the end of North Coast 500 Day 11 we arrived in Alness tired following the strong headwinds we had experienced in sections. North Coast 500 Day 12 would prove to be a microcosm of the whole tour – we would experience wind, rain, and of course, those wonderful views!

Upon leaving our overnight accommodation at Westmore Bed and Breakfast we cycled through Alness in the direction of Evanton.

We were following NCN Route 1 and would continue to do so for the next 13 miles.

As we were cycling through Evanton the rain started to fall.

We continued following the B817 along the northern side of the Cromarty Firth until we reached Dingwall.

In Dingwall, we met Nicholl and took shelter from the rain in Deas Tearoom.

It was still raining when we left Dingwall alongside the A862, though thankfully it began to ease off. We then briefly joined the A835 and crossed the River Conon.

Leaving the A835 we turned into the B9163 and cycled out on to the headland towards Cromarty.

Now we were cycling along the southern side of the Cromarty Firth.

A little further along, we joined the B9169. With a strong wind firmly behind us, we were comfortably cycling at speeds up to 20 mph (quick for us!)

At Resolis, we turned inland for a short while.

At times the sea was merely feet from our cycles. It was a lovely cycle ride and there were some fine views out over the Firth.

At the end of the B9169 is Cromarty.

In Cromarty, we popped into Cromarty Cafe for our lunch.

Of course, when the wind is behind you on the way out, it is going to be against you on the way back!

And so it proved as we toiled and followed NCN Route EV12 along the A832 back up the headland.

Soon, however, we left the A832 and followed a quieter country lane.

This time we were following the Moray Firth.

Further down, we returned to the A832 and cycled through the villages of Rosemarkie, Fortrose, and Avoch.

The section to Munlochy was particularly gruelling. The open landscape provided no respite from the constant headwind.

Thankfully, in Munlochy we found The Allengrage. We took this opportunity to take a short break and recover some of our energy.

It was a quirky place!

We weren’t far from Inverness now. Neil wanted to make sure we cycled 500 miles and since we had lost 20 miles on an earlier day, the direct route back would leave us a few miles short.

So we took a slightly circuitous route back to add a few extra miles. It allowed us to cycle past the entrance of Black Sheep Brewery – always a bonus!

The final section of our route briefly took us alongside the A9.

We then dropped down to the Beauly Firth and cycled through Charlestown and North Kessock.

Finally, we crossed the Kessock Bridge, returned to Inverness, and completed North Coast 500 Day 12.

Our finish line was the same accommodation where we had started!

In the evening we visited Little Italy in the centre of Inverness and celebrated our achievement.

Today, we completed 57 miles meaning we had cycled a total of 501 miles in completing our North Coast 500 tour. We were all very pleased with ourselves.

This tour had been both an endurance test and enjoyable too, certainly one of the toughest I have ever completed. The weather had clearly shaped the character of the tour in a major way. To add to this, I had been hindered by a low-level bug. I also feel my fitness level wasn’t high enough which added to my struggles. Would I tackle this tour again? Possibly. However, I would need to ensure I was a lot fitter and would try and choose a time of year when the wind and rain are usually a little less of a factor.

You can view our North Coast 500 Day 12 route from Alness to Cromarty and then Inverness below: