Along For The Ride

Peter John Meiklem eats humble pie - and many burgers – as he cycles the 340km Badger Divide

- Peter John Meiklem

AT first glance, I thought the Badger Divide trail between Inverness and Glasgow was going to be a relaxing few days on the gravel bike. Seduced by soft-focus YouTube videos, I guessed the 210-mile route would be easier than Scotland's mountainous wild trails.

It was seven hours into my journey, above the banks of Loch Ness, legs aching and shovelling cold chilli into my mouth, that I realised I'd made a mistake. I'd seriously underestimated the Badger and was regretting it already.

Aside from running the daily gauntlet of dodgy drivers on our roads, cyclists and badgers don't have much in common. The route is named in tribute to the famous backpacking Baja Divide route in the US.

The route passes among the shade of Scots pine forests. Leaning on established walking trails such as the Great Glen, Rob Roy and West Highland Ways, it stitches Scotland's two existing National Parks together in a ribbon of forest trails, mountain passes and quiet tarmac roads.

It is, in short, a classic. Social media is packed full of clips of adventurers coming from all over the UK to ride it and enjoy the stunning scenery Scotland has to offer.

It is more accessible than similarly adventurous routes, such as the Cairngorms Loop or the Highland Trail 550.

After a loose plan to ride the West Highland Way with a pal fell through, I decided to have a crack at riding it solo. From the perspective of “Base Camp Sofa”, it seemed straightforward: park the car at Perth, train to Inverness, pack the tent and three days later I'd be in Glasgow.

I'm no stranger to pedalling for hours. I had chalked off the Strathpuffer 24-hour mountain bike race earlier in the year and ridden the Cairngorms Loop before that. So this would be easy, right?

Inverness to Blackburn Bothy

Day one started well enough. My train pulled into Inverness station bang on time. The conductor smiled at me and wished me well on my adventure.