The day in numbers

• 52 miles
• 3hr 44min in saddle
• 13.9 mph average speed
• 42.5 mph maximum speed
• 2,707 feet of climbing
• 3,467 calories burned

We had a very good evening last night with Mahesh, even if the hotel does seem to struggle with the concept of a “vegetarian”.  We should have guessed this beforehand, as there can’t be a hotel anywhere in Scotland with more dead animals per square foot of wall!  That said, it’s a great hotel with lovely food and staff.

The final day started bright, but cold.  It also started with about 20 miles of mainly uphill riding.  For every 13% descent there was its evil twin waiting at the bottom for the long, slow climb to the top of the next peak.  It was slow, slow going but nice to have the ocean views on my right hand side to complement the gorse, heather and hills on my left.

We stopped for a quick snack at Wick, before heading off for the final 15 miles to JoG.  Lots of cyclists were heading in the other direction, at the start of their journeys. I hope they have as much luck with the weather as we’ve had.

The last few miles sped by, and I reached JoG at around 3pm.  After hugs and high-fives with Joan it was off for the obligatory photos by the first/last signpost.  Not sure the photographer was cut out for a customer-facing job, but we eventually got the souvenir pics to bookend our collection from Lands End. 

So it’s done!  Far more enjoyable than I expected, and a lot easier on the body than I had feared.  It also reminded me that we have truly varied and spectacular countryside in England and (especially) Scotland.  Would I do it again?  You bet I would!!

Joan’s bit

I was pleased to see the weather was good for Stephen’s last day.  I stopped at a little harbour at Latheronwheel to take some pictures, which nearly ended in disaster. I’d climbed up some rocks and slipped (the signs were right, it really was slippy !), smashing my camera on the rock. Although covered in slime my only concern was the camera, which thankfully was just fine.

After stopping for a snack in Wick, it was off to follow Stephen for the final stretch. It was very different scenery to recent days and lovely to see the sea again. The last few miles seemed to go really quickly and I was over the moon that Stephen had made it in one piece. 

We had pictures taken, a quick snack and then set off to look for Puffins. They were difficult to find (we could only see a couple), and to make things worse I’d taken the camera bag with the dead batteries and ran out of juice !!

We then drove back to the hotel for a lovely meal, our last of the trip.

Postscript – The journey in numbers

•  916 miles
•  66hr 16min in saddle
•  13.8 mph average speed
•  44.1 mph maximum speed
•  39,657 feet of climbing
•  60,143 calories burned
• 1 broken spoke

 

 

The day in numbers

• 58 miles
• 3hr 59min in saddle
• 14.5 mph average speed
• 34.8 mph maximum speed
• 1,329 feet of climbing
• 3,565 calories burned

The weather forecast for today didn’t sound very promising – showers, and lots of them.  And sure enough, the sky was heavy and overcast when I set off. 

For the first hour the rain held off, then it tipped it down.  Now I’d prepared for this eventuality and invested in some waterproof socks, as cold wet feet are a sure-fire way of making a day miserable.  The socks have a waterproof layer to stop the water rising up through your shoes.  Unfortunately, I didn’t spot the flaw in their design, which is when water seeps down the top of the cuff and pools around your foot.  By the time the rain let up I felt like I was wearing a pair of wellies full of water.

Sopping wet, I met up with Joan for some soup and warmth at Tain.  Knowing I was out of wet weather gear for tomorrow, Joan set off to find a launderette for the final wash of the tour (bless, she knows how to have fun!).

Miraculously, that was the worst of the rain over.  Nothing but spits and spots for the rest of the journey.  And very enjoyable it was too – relatively fast paced, as there weren’t any serious hills to overcome.  Also relatively short, so arrived at the hotel well before Joan feeling as if I could have done another ten or so miles (easy to think that when I’m soaking in the bath).

Looking forward to seeing my work colleague Mahesh tonight.  He was up in Scotland for a wedding and rashly said he’d join us at the hotel for dinner before my final day.  I don’t think he realized just how far he had to travel to keep that promise!

Joan’s bit

As I drove out of Dingwall this morning I was quite worried when I saw a very long narrow bridge, but thankfully didn’t have to cross it.

I met up with Stephen in Tain for my daily cheese and onion toastie and latte, then went back to Invergordon, as the launderette next to the coffee shop in Tain said my one wash would take 2 days !!.  This was a blessing in disguise, as Kath & Monica in the Invergordon laundry couldn’t have been more friendly and helpful. They made me a lovely cup of tea (in a china cup), and even donated £20 to our charity fund.

Invergordon is a lovely little town, with a pretty church and many beautiful wall murals. There was a very striking cruise ship visiting too.

After my earlier relief over the bridge I found I had to drive over Dornoch Bridge on the way to Helmsdale, (you may have guessed I don’t like heights).  I then drove around Loch Fleet, which reminded me of home.

We’re now both at the hotel for the last 2 nights of our trip and thankfully it’s very nice, large room, comfy bed and big bathroom.

 

 

The day in numbers

• 64 miles
• 4hr 44min in saddle
• 13.6 mph average speed
• 38.9 mph maximum speed
• 2,680 feet of climbing
• 4,226 calories burned

A day of sunshine, showers and hail, which I can tell you is very painful to ride in (a bit like riding with someone throwing gravel in your face).

After the beautiful scenery of the past two days, this was a day to “just get the miles done”.  Although there were plenty of pretty views today too.  How could there not be, when my journey took me along the Great Glen past Loch Lochy, Loch Oich and (best of all) Loch Ness.  I didn’t see any monsters, apart from a 15% hill that went on for ¾ of a mile!  I hadn’t appreciated how far ¾ of a mile was, but when you’re busting your lungs on a steep hill you count every inch!

Saw plenty of other cyclists out battling the elements, but didn’t have the chance to exchange many words with them.  I guess the route options narrow the closer you get to JoG, so you see more folks on bikes doing what I’m doing.  I will be looking with interest at the weather forecast for tomorrow, as a day of full-on rain would not be pleasant.

Joan’s bit

The day started well with a donation from Imogen at the Old Pines hotel.  

After sorting through the pictures from the previous few days I set off to catch Stephen and found the monster at Fort Augustus, Nessie, not Stephen !!

No laundry or bike repairs for me today, so I had a leisurely drive along the shores of Loch Ness before arriving at our lovely Castle in Dingwall. It’s a lovely place, the room is very large with two king size beds !!  We’ve just had dinner and it was excellent, especially chocolate parfait. It’s off to sleep now, having caught up with missing pictures from the earlier blogs.

The day in numbers

• 70 miles
• 5hr 19min in saddle
• 12.1 mph average speed
• 28.9 mph maximum speed
• 2,926 feet of climbing
• 4,376 calories burned

If I thought yesterday’s trip by Loch Lomond was pretty, today’s leg was beyond spectacular. 

My route started with a long, slow climb out of Ardlui towards Inverlochy.  The weather was bright and sunny, with no haze to spoil the views.  Unfortunately, I underestimated how cold it was in the mountains, particularly on the downhill bits.  So my first stop was somewhat sooner than usual, with a quick change of clothing to keep the chill at bay.

From there it was up, up and up towards the bleak windswept wilderness that is Rannoch Moor.  I can imagine that riding across the Moor on a bad day would be hellish, but today there were photo opportunities at every turn.  With Bridget and Eleanor joining Joan for the day, this meant I had a regular fan club cheering me on and recording my progress.

From Rannoch Moor the road led to Glencoe. This is one of THE sights in the Highlands, with yet more photo opportunities at every turn.  While the climb to get to the top of the pass was a bit of a slog, it was worth it for the thrill of the descent on the other side.

A quick stop for tea and sandwiches at the bottom of the pass, and farewells to Bridget and Eleanor, then it was off around Loch Linnhe to Fort William and the shadow of Ben Nevis.  It was at this point that the weather reminded me how fickle it can be in this part of the world, as it started to rain – a heavy, cold burst.  Fortunately I only had a few miles left to go, so could live with the minor discomfort.  I hope this isn’t a taste of what’s in store for tomorrow.

Joan’s bit

It was an early start for me catching up with the laundry, at what has to be the most spectacularly located launderette, right on Loch Lomond.  After saying goodbye to Laura who sadly had to return to Glasgow to work, Eleanor and  I explored an island off Loch Lomond (well Eleanor did, I just took pictures).  Then, Bridget, Eleanor and I then set off to follow Stephen, stopping along the way to take pictures of Rannoch Moor, Glencoe and everything else in between. Eleanor has now mastered the art of ‘Zoom Bursting’ and created some interesting pictures of Stephen !! 

We had a lovely day, wonderful sunshine, great views and a few snacks along the way.  As it was getting late, Bridget and Eleanor left us for the long journey back to Aberdeen and I carried on snapping pictures of the lochs and Ben Nevis, on the way to our hotel.

We are staying at the Old Pines hotel in Spean Bridge, it is a very special place, very peaceful, great room, delicious food, huge comfortable bed and nice people – just what we needed. If you’re ever up this way I’d highly recommend it –  http://www.oldpines.co.uk/

The day in numbers

• 86 miles
• 5hr 18min in saddle
• 12.6 mph average speed
• 32.1 mph maximum speed
• 2,333 feet of climbing
• 5,159 calories burned
• 1 spoke broken

What an eventful day!!  I had been looking forward to this leg of the journey with a mixture of trepidation and excitement.  Trepidation because it is the longest leg of the journey, and more miles than I have ever cycled before.  Excitement because I would be traveling up the side of Loch Lomond, so expected some spectacular scenery.

The day started on a fantastic note when Moira, the lady who served us breakfast at the hotel slipped me ten pounds for our sponsorship fund.  She then came back a few minutes later with another two pounds from the kitchen staff.  So a big “THANK YOU” to the Lochside Hotel in New Cumnock.  Not only was it a great hotel, but the staff are special too.

The day was a good 10C colder than the day before, so cold weather clothing was the order of the day.  The first 15 miles were mainly downhill on fast roads, so I made good time before heading across country on slower (but quieter) roads to join the A77 and on towards Glasgow.  When I got to this road I found a veritable dual carriageway of a bike lane running alongside it, so I hopped on that and continued my journey without having to worry about the cars and lorries any more.

A couple of miles down the bike lane disaster struck.  I heard a loud POP, and realized one of my back spokes had snapped.  It must have been due to the rubbish roads I’d been travelling on earlier in the day.  Now if I’d been traveling solo this could have been a near terminal event.  Fortunately, a quick call to Joan had her alongside me in 15 minutes and I was able to swap my back wheel for a spare we were carrying.  Joan then headed off to the nearest bike shop to do a repair, while I continued on towards Glasgow.

Navigating Glasgow wasn’t much fun, particularly when I realized my chosen route would take me through the Clyde Tunnel.  Not a good idea for a bike rider, so I bailed out near the entrance to the tunnel and meandered along the riverside to find an alternative crossing point.  This added a couple of miles to my journey, but was definitely a safer option.

My route out of Glasgow had me heading up the A82 towards Loch Lomond.  What a scary road that is!  Dual carriageway, with everyone bombing along at 90 miles an hour.  This is a route I’d do once, but no more.  As I approached the Loch I was thinking I’d have to live with the A82 all the way to my destination, but was delighted to see the West Loch Lomond Cycle Path running alongside the main road.  Now this is a gem of a path, which takes you along the banks of the Loch and skirts around the Loch Lomond Golf Club.  I have to say this is the closest I’ll ever get to playing at that this famous golf club!  This part of the journey was definitely one of the highlights of the trip for me – magnificent scenery at every turn, and a path which no one else was using.

Arriving at Tarbet, 6 miles from my eventual destination, I met up with Joan, her sister Bridget and two of her nieces (Laura and Eleanor).  They were joining us for the night to give us some moral support (and some good company!).  Pictures taken, it was then off for the final push to Ardlui and the end of a long, action packed day.

Joan’s bit

I was pleased to see that there was a ‘cycle route’ alongside the A77 to Glasgow, as this would keep Stephen safe.  Then came the call re the broken spoke !!  I popped back to swap the wheels and set off to a cycle shop in Glasgow for the repair. Ah, but it wasn’t quite as easy as they’d led us to believe as Stephen has flat spokes, not round spokes. Over an hour later I set off from the shop to catch Stephen with a temporary repair in place, (or botch job according to Stephen).

We met up at a Little Chef in Dumbarton for a quick snack, I was quite fed up as the traffic was awful and it was getting late.  As we approached Loch Lomond it all changed, the scenery was beautiful and I got a call from Bridget to say they were not far away.  Shortly after, they called from Luss to say they may be a while as they were following a very slow car. (That was me !!!).

We all tracked Stephen from Tarbet to our hotel in Ardlui and enjoyed a lovely evening, with fine wine and good food, (courtesy of Bridget).  We also belatedly celebrated her recent birthday.