After breakfast we gazed through our bedroom window at the heavy rain and low cloud – not a day for the big Cairngorm tops. The rain eased so we cycled through a lovely forest path, chained our bikes to a tree and walked along Lairig Ghru, which soon opened out to offer views of the cloud shrouded mountains. We turned back soon after passing below the misty jagged peaks of Lurchers Crag.
The rain had ceased and away from the mountains it was looking brighter, with Aviemore in sunshine which came to meet us. We took a longer route back along a mountain bike track past Loch an Eilein with its ruined castle on a small island, then onto the road and back to the hostel. It had turned into a surprisingly interesting and relaxing day.
A focus group was held in the evening, on aspects of Scottish tourism and youth hostels. One man proclaimed he had a young outlook before proceeding to grumble about every change made by the SYHA over the past thirty years, a dour Scot who came over like Victor Meldrew!