Cycling through Scotland's remote landscapes is an adventure like no other. The author takes us on a journey through Sutherland, a region that tests life to its limits with its bare mountains, impassable peat bogs, and one of Britain's wildest coastlines. The North Coast 500, a route regularly ranked among the world's greatest road trips, has become so popular that it has doubled the traffic on its roads. However, the author and their friend Ben are not interested in the crowds; they seek the lost highways and byways that offer a unique experience. They begin their journey in Lairg, the traditional "crossroads of the north", and head west into Glen Cassley, a dead-end lane that turns into a service road leading to Loch Shin. From there, they ride an old drovers' road over the Bealach nam Meirleach, or Thief's Pass, a thrilling 8-mile ride over genuinely remote hill country. They camp by the river in Strathmore, but are soon disturbed by midges, forcing them to don absurd nylon head nets. The next day, they continue on a narrow road to the tiny hamlet of Altnaharra, where they encounter the harsh winters and the long, dark nights. They then set off on a road to the coast, crossing the western edge of the Flow Country, a seemingly infinite expanse of mountain and blanket bog. They reach the village of Tongue, where they stop for lunch in a former hunting lodge furnished in the Highland style. They then ride along the shore of Loch Hope, where they spot two campers rewilding themselves for free. The author reflects on the emptiness of places like Strathmore, a legacy of the notorious early 18th-century Sutherland clearances, and returns to the crossroads at Altnaharra, where they turn south and head towards Lairg. They end their journey at the Crask Inn, a historic drovers' haunt that offers free camping to cyclists. The author concludes by recommending Jack Thurston's new book, 'Lost Lanes Scotland', which combines two rides from the book and offers a unique perspective on the lost highways and byways of Scotland.
