Day 17 - Fortingall

The cycle from Caputh to Fortingall was simply stunning. The A822 took us through the Small Glen with babbling brooks on one side of the road and miles upon miles of magnificent tundra on the other. We passed through the picturesque village of Aberfeldy where there was a putting green to die for. Now, i'm no golfer, but this lawn was impeccably maintained and even had me wanting to try and sink that little white ball!

Despite a puncture on Stanley's front tyre with only 5 miles to go until our destination (and actually Alice and I were quite happy to put our puncture repair kit to good use - we didn't buy it for nothing!), we made it to Banald Farmhouse with plenty of time to relax before our concert.

Kate and John Coaton were our hosts for the evening and 'host with the most' they certainly were. We had tea, cake and sandwiches on arrival and the hospitality continued in this generous way all the way through our stay. Again (and apologies if I begin to sound like a broken record), the kindness of everyone we have encountered on this trip is staggering to us.

We performed in The Coaton's beautiful living room in the evening. I was blessed with a fantastic Yamaha Grand to play on and the salon feel was perfect for this, our 9th Song-Cycling recital of the tour. The room was packed with 60 generous and warm locals (including the lovely Mike and Fiona from our stay in Caputh) who seemed to relish what we had on offer and Alice and I were thrilled that this special event raised another £1000. Heartfelt thanks must go to Kate and John for engineering such a successful evening.

Now, onwards to the Bridge of Orchy. It's difficult to believe that this trip is fast coming to an end...