LEJOG day 16 - Lairg to John O'Groats

178 km  Elev gain: 1408 m  (110 miles / 4619 ft)
-2 °C (real feel -5 °C)

Today turns out to be one of the most enjoyable and memorable days I've had on a bike. 

I've managed to keep the saddle discomfort under control, which is due more to pressure and bruising than to friction induced sores. Instead, I've got a new complaint - frostbite - which though minor is making my fingers red and itchy. But today's snow capped scenery is so stunning that I barely notice.

Leaving Lairg on NCR 1, I head north through Crask to Altnaharra. There's no snow or ice on the road, and only the occasional car. I see a stag silhouetted on the hillside and it leaps across the road as I approach. I couldn't ask for more.

At Altnaharra route 1 continues north to Tongue. I'd planned to go that way, but to conserve a bit of energy and warmth I turn off for the shorter, flatter route to Bettyhill along Loch Naver for more stunning views.

River Mudale, Altnaharra

Loch Naver

Turning north along the river through Syre, flocks of sheep crowd the road, seeking out the warmth from the tarmac and reluctantly dispersing to let me through.

Rejoining NCR 1, I ride up to Bettyhill as Torrisdale beach and the north coast comes into view. I follow the signs to The Store and have the best burger at the best cafe in Scotland.

Torrisdale beach

I'm now 50 miles from Land's End. I'd planned to stop overnight in Thurso and complete the final 20 miles tomorrow at sunrise, but the morning forecast is rain and I'm in the mood to finish this today. It's a lumpy route heading east, but I make good time on the descents, and clock my fastest daily average speed of the entire trip, a paltry 14 mph (22.55 km/h).

And finally, just after 5:30pm, I'm there! Rolling in to John O'Groats as the sun is setting, I head for the signpost, don my Felix Project beanie, and have my photo taken by a young French couple. They're puzzled by the "m" units on the signpost. Meters? "No... miles" I say. "Ah, oui... miles!".  I'm with them on that - 2000 kilometres sounds so much better.

It's too cold to hang around and the cafe's closed. I make a video call home, then set off on the 15 mile return to my hotel at Castletown. 100 hours of pedalling, £3,000 raised for charity. £30 per hour. Mission accomplished!

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Final statistics

Total: 1949 km  Elev gain: 18,799 m  (1211 miles / 61,677 ft).  100 hrs 3 mins 

Daily average: 122 km  Elev gain: 1175 m  (76 miles / 3855 ft).   19.48 km/hr  (12 mph)

LEJOG day 15 - Inverness to Lairg

128 km  Elev gain: 1191 m  (80 miles / 3907 ft)
-1 °C (real feel -5 °C)

My wife has a minor obsession with the Shipping Forecast so I'd decided to indulge her passion by taking the alternate NCR 1  leg to Cromarty before crossing Cromarty Firth via the small car ferry.

Beauly Firth and Inverness

Leaving Inverness, I cross the Kessock Bridge over the Beauly Firth, and ride the 20 miles to Cromarty along the Black Isle peninsula. It's a beautiful morning and the westerly wind assists me along the gentle gradient. My cycling friends are complaining on the group chat about their cold and wet London commutes this morning, so I send them a photo to rub it in.

Munlochy

All white on the Black Isle

Arriving at the pier in Cromarty, I come crashing back down to earth. I'm not just late for the ferry - I'm six months late!  My meticulous route planning wasn't quite so meticulous after all. 

A lesson in the 5 Ps.
Perfect Planning Prevents Poor Performance

Cromarty Lighthouse

The town is quiet and closed, and there's no sign of anyone with a small boat to barter with for a private crossing. Good job it's only a mere 15 miles back to the Cromarty Bridge. With headwind.

I take a picture of the lighthouse for proof that I was here, and grind out the miles for the next 80 minutes back along the peninsula to the A9 bridge. After my 30 mile detour I finally cross the firth.

I modify my planned route, cutting across on the Struie Road to reconnect with NCR 1 at Easter Fern, and I'm not disappointed. The road is beautiful and quiet, culminating with a view over Domoch Firth.

Struie Road B9176

I carry my bike up and down the stairs on the Shin Railway Viaduct, crossing the Kyle of Sutherland to Invershin and complete the final 10 miles to my destination in Lairg. It's still daylight, but I can feel the temperature really dropping, in contrast to the warm and friendly welcome at the Lairg Highland Hotel.

Running total: 1772 km  Elev gain: 17,391 m  (1101 miles / 57,057 ft).  92 hrs 10 mins 

LEJOG day 14 - Dalwhinnie to Inverness

105 km  Elev gain: 930 m  (65 miles / 3051 ft)
1 °C (real feel -4 °C)

After the relative warmth of yesterday, the temperature has dropped dramatically and I wake up to heavy, persistent snow fall. I watch the online weather radar and hold out for a break that never materialises. I don't want to stay put, as I fear I'll be stuck for days, so I eventually head out at 10am.

I get all my layers on, congratulating myself on bringing waterproof over trousers, but while my feet and body are warm, I know my hands will suffer. I've brought two pairs of gloves, plus some inner liners on this trip, but they're not up to the job today. I regret not bringing my deep winter gloves with me, but who knew about this cold snap two weeks ago?

Grin and bear it

I'm covered in ice after only 5 miles. It's intermittent snow and sleet which seeps through my gloves. After an hour I call in at a Co-op, taking my time choosing yet another double meal deal, one of which is devoured soon after when I take shelter in a forest for 20 minutes.

Gimme shelter

Moving off again I put in a good hour to get to Aviemore, just shy of today's half way point. I walk into The Coffee Pot cafe dripping water all over the floor. The lovely staff take care of me, throwing an extra log in the wood burner and turning a chair into a drying rack. My rain jacket has kept me dry, but I wring the water from my gloves in the bathroom and stuff them with tissue. I order soup and a panini and spend more than an hour here recuperating.

The snow is just stopping when I put my warm but still damp gloves back on and resume the journey through the Cairngorms. It's late afternoon and I should stay on the road at Carrbridge to make progress, but I blindly follow my pre-planned GPS route into the forest. It's incredibly beautiful, but hard going in the deep snow which covers the pitted track. Too steep and slippery to ride in places, I have to push my heavy bike uphill, which is exhausting. On the flat I bounce along, shattering the ice glazed puddles when I can't avoid them, eventually emerging back at the A9 near Slochd Summit.

From here it's downhill to the outskirts of Inverness. I swing by an Asda to buy dinner, then make quite a meal out of finding my hostel. 

1000 miles in the bag, but most definitely a type 2 fun day. 

Running total: 1643 km  Elev gain: 16,200 m  (1021 miles / 53,150 ft).  85 hrs 30 mins

LEJOG day 13 - Dunfermline to Dalwhinnie

144 km  Elev gain: 1481m  (89 miles / 4859 ft)
7 °C (real feel 2 °C)

The second week of this journey has delivered in spades and today's journey into the Scottish highlands is an exceptional ride in the breath-taking snow covered landscape.

I take NCR 1 up to Kinross, stopping at the cosy no. 98 cafe for a coffee and delicious breakfast bun, before a habit forming stop at the Co-op to stock up with emergency sandwiches and chocolate.

No. 98. Great little cafe in Kinross

NCR 1 turns off for Dundee and Aberdeen. I'll see it again at Inverness, but for now I'm heading north on NCR 77 up to Perth. It's warmer here, there's no snow on the ground, and the route cuts efficiently through the city along the River Tay.

River Tay at Perth

I continue on route 77, encountering only the odd snow covered stretch until I arrive at Dunkeld. They call this the gateway to the highlands and you can see why. Shortly after I cross the Tay again at Logierait, now following NCR 7 as it follows the River Tummel to Pitlochry

A9 bike path, Birnam

River Tay, Dunkeld

Route 77, Dunkeld

Old railway bridge, Logierait

After Pitlochry the route hugs the A9 all the way north to my destination. I'd been expecting this to be a drudge, but I'm stunned by the atmospheric ice haze scenes travelling west from Blair Atholl.

 

Shortly afterwards the B road turns south, and the cycle route continues on the old A road that preceded the modern dual carriageway. The Drumochter Pass warning sign is dramatic, but it's several degrees warmer today and what snow remains is soft and ridable.

 

Drumochter Pass

The bike path continues with some purpose built stretches of smooth tarmac. There's no one around but me so I blast along, dropping down into Dalwhinnie as darkness descends.

I get to the Dalwhinnie Old School Hostel for the night, store my bike, and heat up my ready meal that I bought in Pitlochry. It's Sunday night and I chat to a group of friends who are unwinding after their hiking weekend. They tell me that heavy snow is on the way and wish me good luck for tomorrow.

Running total: 1538 km 15,270m  (956 miles / 50,098 ft).  79 hrs 32 mins

LEJOG day 12 - Berwick-upon-Tweed to Dunfermline

138 km  Elev gain: 1359 m  (86 miles / 4459 ft)
2 °C (real feel -1 °C)

My last day in England starts with a visit to the local bike shop. I'm getting increasingly uncomfortable on my saddle earlier into each day and I'm concerned about getting through the next 5. My 6 year old saddle has served me well on week long cycling holidays, but after 65 hours of riding my bony backside is feeling the pressure.

My friend Ian at VeloTherapy has described the type of saddle I'm likely to need. Berwick Cycles are friendly and knowledgeable, but don't stock anything that is much different to my current one. Still, I manage to convince myself that any change must be good, and drop some cash on having a Prologo saddle fitted. I put my old saddle in my pannier for insurance, along with a fresh tube of chamois cream.

Just out of Berwick, I leave NCR 1 and pick up coastal NCR 76, crossing the border into Scotland soon after.

The route continues north west, with some fast empty A roads and fine views on the way to Dunbar.

After Dunbar I turn inland via Haddington before meeting the Firth of Forth at Longniddry before re-joining NCR 1 for the final run in to Edinburgh.

Haddington

Longniddry Bents

After 60 miles I've had enough of the new saddle. Reaching Edinburgh I'm feeling physical and emotional pain so I stop at The Meadows to refit my old saddle. I recover with a haggis sausage roll, chips, and a coffee from a pop up food stall.

I manage to not take any useful photographs of the Scottish capital - a consequence of having been here before, and my mental state over the state of my rear end. I push on through the city and out to the Forth Road Bridge, taking in the view of the world heritage Forth Bridge as I cross over into Fife. 

Forth Road Bridge

Forth (rail) Bridge

My destination for the night is Dunfermline, 15 miles on from Edinburgh. I stop at my 2nd Travelodge of the trip, a no frills place among the retail parks on the edge of town.

Running total: 1395 km 13,789 m  (867 miles / 45,240 ft).  72 hrs 22 mins

LEJOG day 11 - Amble to Berwick-upon-Tweed

89 km  Elev gain: 872 m  (55 miles / 2861 ft)
3 °C (real feel -2 °C)

It's a relatively short and flat ride today, though a fair amount of it off road and muddy, contributing to my slowest average speed of the trip so far. After 60 hours of riding over the past 10 days, my legs feel empty as I continue along the coast with the bitter north easterly wind blowing in from my right. But the wide open sea views and blue skies make it all worthwhile.

Warkworth Castle

Longhoughton Beach

The clouds are moving rapidly, and the sky darkens. I'm caught out in the open when a hailstorm hits, so I put my head down and push through it. 5 minutes later the skies are blue again.

11am - life is good

11:10 - Hail Mary!

I stop for a good lunch at the Copper Kettle Tea Rooms in Bamburgh, before resuming the journey and re-joining the coast path near Holy Island for the final 10 miles into Berwick-upon-Tweed.

Bamburgh Castle over the dunes

Looking east towards Holy Island

The final approach into Berwick, still following NCR 1, takes me over the lumpy and rutted headland with a view of the crashing waves, before I finally cross the bridge into town.

Royal Border Bridge (no it's not the border)

I've got a room for the night, or rather, a whole house for the night at a friend's place in the old town. I let myself in and get organised, riding out and back to the supermarket for food before settling down to my quiet Friday night in. Definitely no Weatherspoons tonight.

Running total: 1257 km 12,430 m  (781 miles / 40,781 ft).  65 hrs 15 mins