After breakfast at the Premier Inn we called in at the M&S Simply Food for wraps and left at 08:50. We were right by the 1964 road bridge which is now restricted to pedestrians, cyclists, mopeds and public transport. While riding across, we had a good view of the 2017 road bridge which now takes the bulk of the traffic and was built because of deterioration of the 1964 structure. To our right, the Victorian rail bridge looks imperiously at the interlopers.
After passing through the built up areas north of the bridges, we entered open country, undulating farmland making for fairly easy but unremarkable cycling. We ate our wraps about four miles from our destination. The final section, on cycle paths alongside busy roads and then an industrial area leading to the city centre, was undistinguished.
The cloudless sky of early morning was gradually lost, darker clouds formed and the first drops fell as we reached the Travelodge at 14:00. We stored our bikes in their meeting room and by the time we entered our room, the rain was bouncing off the window.
Perth was a disappointment, I was expecting more from one of Scotland’s major cities, pretty dead and no notable buildings. We eventually found a restaurant offering more than burgers and pizzas and booked a table.
Today’s distance: 35.2 miles (56.6 km)
Today’s ascent: 708 metres
Cumulative: 783 miles (1260.4 km), 14801 metres