Day 17 Bettyhill to John o'Groats - sting in the tail

Chris the Bettyhill proprietor served me breakfast at sharp as a favour . Only others staying in hotel were 3 surfers from Newcastle - yes surfers! - and as I heard them returning to their rooms in the wee hours - I was on my own. Chris quite delightful and just done a major refurbishment of the fabulously situated hotel.

Sting in the tail . The strong to gale force east wind that I had to battle into all day . Only50 miles but it felt like 100. On the firsr 30 miles to Thurso I lost count of the number of energy sapping descents and steep re- ascents from sea level. Quick soup and salad in the cheerful and very good Le Bistro . A check at the tourist off on ferry times to Orkney and back to fight the east wind. Pretty bleak landscape , constant heavy rain squalls and it was simply a slog to make it. But the wildness and the views over to Orkney made it at times even enjoyable - easy to say in hindsight. And of course hugely satisfying,

A memorable trip with the usual combination of all the ingredients of  cycle touring that we've expounded on before . Nothing like it. For the stats my odometer shows 1,132 miles since leaving Keith &Fiona's house in Edinburgh ( for the first time ! ) , so that included the trips to Waverley and the Kings X to Paddington ride and then getting down to Lands End. Charlie's route i.e. the Pewsey route shows 1066 miles and just under 72,000 feet of climbing. I can believe the latter!  For the former the diff in addition to the extra mileage noted above must be accounted for by my failure to follow Charlie and getting lost i.e additional and quite unnecessary slog! Hospitality everywhere has been superb and v good value . Youth hostels - I'd recommend them to anyone. People I met along the way - delightful . Weather apart from last 2 days - very good. Accom - hotels 8 nights , B&B's 2 nights , YH's 4 nights , camping 3 nights. Wind - predominamtly favorable . Last day a conspicuous exception. Rain - hardly any, with again the notabe exception of last 2 days particularly the penultimate day. Bike - worked like a dream . Well worth getting new wheels ( and Schwalbe Marathon plus tyres ) as I was able , safely , to maintain tyre pressure at close to 80si. I kept the chain well lubed esp after rain and that makes a big difference. Gear - inevitably one thinks one is carrying far too much weight . But I used everything I carried. The tent , sleeping mat and sleeping bag were vital not just on the 3 occasions I used them, but on pretty much everyday when I rode on in the late afternoon knowing I always had that option even on the side of the road. Alness a perfect example of this.  Stove and Tiso bags were again vital for the occasions I needed them - 7 in all , heavy , but I used them all. A heavy bag of Oatmeal of Alford I only used once with Keith at Lochranza and that prob was excess baggage . Maybe I'll use in Orkney. I WILL use in Orkney !

Taking the v convenient ferry tomorrow morning  from Gills Bay ( a couple of miles from JoG ) to St Margaret's Hope , Orkney , having a couple of days there and getting the midnight ferry to Aberdeen arr there at 7.30 on Tues morning.

Leaving Bettyhill - reluctantly! Beige's jacket - 2nd waterproof layer - a lifesaver

Could hardly believe it

Phew !

A fine welcome - typical day I guess

Day 16 Alness to Bettyhill

Wow - what a day. I had forgotten Scotland- or anywhere - could have days like this.   Mary's memory on such matters is better than mine I suspect.        

On leaving the library in Alness last night at 7 ish having 'rough ' pitched my tent in a wooded area  of the local play park by the river , it started bucketing and at 7pm and 80 miles further on , it hasn't stopped bucketing since. I did get a decent meal in the only cafe there and that helped to put off the evil moment of discovering what might have happened to my tent in the meantime. All well though and everything as I'd left it with no appreciable water ingress - at that stage anyway.

Roughish might in a tent that did well to hold up to the deluge and a rising river right beside me , but it does make getting up easy. All packed up and ready to go on daylight at 7.30 . Expected to get breakfast in Bonar Bridge 18 miles away. Got there just after 9 to find neither of the 2 hotels open, but one of them with a hopeful sign that they would open for 'all day breakfast' at 10. Changed out of soaking kit in porch of closed hotel and waited.  Worth waiting for though . Open fire , only customer , an enormous breakfast and dried some clothes .

Away from there with some reluctance at 11.30 . Sign said Tongue 38 miles with pretty much nothing in between other than than the small village of Lairg after 10. Wind easterly with a touch of south which made it do-able . Without that I prob wouldn't have set off. Horrific conditions for whole of it. Very wild with nothing but bare moor . Virtually no traffic.

Got to Tongue ( a mile downhill off route ) about 4 only to find Tongue Hotel with no vacancies. Couldn't believe it . Asked the owner to telephone Bettyhill Hotel 13 miles in the direction of John o'Groats to check on vacancy and  a room available . So after quick bite in rain outside Tongue Hotel of oatcakes, cheese and apple - too wet to step inside- set off for the 13 miles into an easterly wind for Bettyhill. Made it just after 6 and got a great reception. Ros and I with M & D had a family holiday there 50 years ago. I remember getting wet then too.

A day to remember.

50 odd miles to go to JoG.

wet, wet, wet

Bettyhill - what a haven

Day15 - Spean Bridge to Alness

Invergarry Hotel and what a breakfast

Caledonian Canal

Castle Urquhart and about to leave the Great Glen

My attempt to depict a wet and cold night in tent in Alness

Not difficult to rise from sleeping bag in a cold tent. It was a long night and all available garments were donned.Did get some reasonabel sleep though and certainly a decent rest. Started raining just AFTER I took tent down this time . On road the moment it was light enough to do so safely - 7.30. Back on the busy A75 but 15 odd miles took me to Invergarry Hotel where I had a superb breakfast with gallons of hot tea and coffee. Oh the joys of cycle touring. Then on to the canal towpath for last 5 miles into fort Augustus. Dry most of time but quite busty road. Quick purchase of provisions at Co-op and on to Drumnadrochit. Equally quick stop for cheese , biscuits and fruit to gain strength for the horrifically steep , but thankfully short pull up to summit of hill between D and Beauly. Raining intermittently at this satge. Straight on to Dingwall and on further to Alness getting there at 5.30. ). Looks pretty quiet , so here's hoping . Now to find a pub for a beer or two and with luck a good meal. Early start tomorrow may see me somehere up towards Tongue.

Day 14 - Oban to Spean Bridge

Another gorgeous day . Sunny all day . Wind negligible . Wonderful views of hills for the whole of my 73 mile trip.

Got away from YH at 8 ish after cooking the usual huge plate of porridge. Didn't stop then till after Ballahullish and then for tuna sandwich , fruit and nuts. Charlie then directed me over the Corran ferry at which point I realized I needed the ferry back again to Fort William at Treslaig to avoid a 20 mile detour.  Decision required . Treslaig ferry runs only every 4 hours! Could have continued on busy A82 to and through FW or take Corran ferry and either wait 3 hours 11 miles up the road or cycle round the top end of Loc Eil. Decided to,take last option  , and if ever there was a day to,take a 20 mile detour this was was the one. Quite magnificent views of Ben Nevis on near cloudless day for most of the detour , and hardly a car passed me for,best part of 2 hours.

Rejoined Charlie's route ( which took in both ferries ) at Corpach , turned right to,take the quiet road heading for Loch Arkaig, followed that up to the cut off point where I crossed the Caledonian canal and eventually ( a steep,climb this one ) joined the FW - Imvergarry road at the V impressive Commando 2nd World War statue. Getting dark at this stage - but still the most divinely beautiful evening with views of the high tops in the Nevis area I've rarely seen- and found little private campsite ( just about to close for season ) a mile or two up the road. Only person  there  and a t a charge of £5  gave me everything I needed incl warm - not hot - shower . Benefit of having tent and stove paid handsome dividend . But long coldish night .  May splash out on more comfortable accom tomorrow in absence of any more YH's as I head north

The Corran ferry and start of a 17 mile detour

...but these views of Ben Nevis made it worthwhile

The hugely impressive Commando statue at Spean Bridge

Mary has been rude about the lack of care here in tent construction. Did the trick though and too tired to do better.

Day13 - Lochranza to Oban

Looking back to Arran from boat to mull of Kintyre

Tarbett

Lochgilphead

That hurt !

Arriving in Oban

Normally one can only dream of cycling on Scotland's west coast on days like this. To say it was perfect would be an understatement. Keith would support me in claiming this was a day to beat all. And we thought yesterday could not be much better. After cooking good rolled oats in YH , we caught the 8.15 ferry 600 yards down the road. Virtually the only passengers for the 4o min ride across to the mainland. Views quite staggering. A good ( 2nd ) breakfast in Tarbert and completed the 64 miles to Oban with only a brief stop at Loch Melford Hotel right beside NTS's Arduanie Gardens. Keith caught train just after 6 from Oban back to Edinburgh after a refreshing pint and I found yet another top class YH on the shore front here in Oban. Fort William tomorrow and I hope the YH up Glen Nevis if not too far off Charlie's route. Mary to note please weather conditions on each of last 3 days! Well done Keith for powering up some really testing hills partic in last hour. And it wasn't just the train to catch. Very much the pattern for all 3 glorious days you had with me . I'm so grateful for your making the effort to join me and for the planning that that involved. Well done indeed.

Day 12 - Casphairn to Lochranza , Arran

Looking over to Arran

An Autumn chill - boat to Arran

Leaving Brodick , Arran on way to Lochranza

A testing one a the end of a long day - well done Keith!

A truly magnificent day and terrific to have someone to share it with. After the exertions of yesterday Keith seemed to have little difficulty starting where he finished last night and completing the 66 miles to the north end of Arran via the Ardrossan - Brodick ferry. And he's had none of the 8,000 feet plus training that I have had not to mention the 'warm up' in Cornwall and Devon. Cycling down the Doon valley to Ayr was a joy . We had a J & J style coffee and muffin sitting outside a little Ayr cafe in the sun, and then followed pretty much the Sustrans cycle route ( abandoning Charlie much to his disappointment ) all the way down the coast till we got close to Ardrossan. Caught the 3.15 ferry with 25 mins to spare and then had a hardish 17 miles from Brodick to Lochranza including a 600 feet climb in the middle. Superb views of the high tops of Arran and over to Bute and the mainland. YH as ever right up to scratch. Ate more of the Tiso bags and then off to the pub to sample an Arran blend . Oban tomorrow where Keith will catch the 6.25 train back to Edinburgh Hopefully another YH for me and on then to the Great Glen.

Day 11 - Carlisle to Casphairn

The Pinegrove Hotel did us proud in producing a cooked breakfast at 7.15 prompt. Keith and I met Jane in the middle of Carlisle at 8 and had an incredibly cold hour's ride in the early morning mist up the A7 and then due west to Gretna.  Mist cleared and from then right to the B&B we had provisionally booked at Casphairn , it was as good an Autumn day in Scotland as you're likely to see.

Jane left us in Dumfries to get the train back to Carlisle and another week's work. Keith and I took the  relatively busy A75 due west to Crocketford and then over the hill to New Galloway. With my Galloway heritage I felt a little like these hefted hill sheep we passed all along the way. Wonderful nostalgic smells of dairy farms per Walbutt and Balgairn Farm brought it all back. A quite delightful late afternoon ride in the setting sun further up the valley to Casphairn and this little cottage B&B who also provided a good dinner of the sort that's appreciated after 77 miles. Basic but very functional .

Day 10 - Rest day

Jane's house in Carlisle

The Knight family

Jane's new car courtesy of Cumbria Health Board

Jane and I drove a few miles out of Carlisle to visit Michael and Jame Knight at  The Parsonage, Talkin whom  hadn't seen for over 6 years. They had 2 of their grand daughters staying with them Georgina and Emily - the latter the current Scottish lacrosse team captain.  A quick ecup of coffee , a catch up on news , and Jane and I headed up to Hadrian's Wall , a light lunch and a walk on the Wall.

Keith's train I arrived from Edin at 4 and Jane produced another meal for us at Warwick Road. Good of Keith to make the journey to support me for 3 days.

Legs and backside getting a well earned break - no ill effects though and eager to progress.

Day 9 Shap to Carlisle

A nice short day this one, but if you were to think the 32 miles from close to the Shap summit to Penrith and then Carlisle is all downhill you'd be sorely disappointed. Stopped for my usual apple, orange and chocolate break just out of Penrith after a particularly heavy shower and got to Carlisle at 11.30. Happened to pass on the way in , the hotel Jane had booked me into and unloaded before continuing straight into town and towards A&E to get leg stitches out. And here's a remarkable story !

Having spoken to Jane and John on tel the night before I got word that my old squash playing buddy of 40 years ago - Pete Bath and his wife Jennifer were back in UK and thought to be in the Penrith area this v morning ! I had immediately emailed Pete to suggest breakfast in Penrith but when he phoned me just after I had passed through Penrrith he said they were about to leave Edin for the Lake district and could.be passing through Carlisle at around lunchtime . He said he'd phone if timings were likely to work.  Pete was an orthopedic surgeon in Perth WA , but spent years at the Western in early days - and subsequently Seattle where memorably he came down to Alta Utah when M and I worked there in 1974. Thus the nickname he acquired then of powder Pete - not for his mastery of it but for his valiant attempts!

So call came through from Jennifer just as I was approaching A&E ( anticipating the usual 2 hour plus wait ) saying they were just coming off M6 and heading towards downtown Carlisle . Result - we had a fabulous 2 hour lunch catching up on so much and he made a quick visit to Boots on.my behalf and removed my stitches in the station carpark! Brilliant Pete . Thank you so much. Another great meet up in the most unlikely of places .

Then back to hotel , got my bike to a bike shop where they'll give it a quick service , and Jane arrived from work having just picked up her v smart new work car and collected me from my hotel . And what a lovely evening we had . Very special.

 Tomorrow a day OFF the bike and hoping to walk along a stretch of Hadrian's Wall. Keith's train arrives at 4.

Day 8 - Belmont to Shap

Any thoughts I had of reaching Carlisle by tonight were quickly dispelled. Whoever at the Red Dog it was that suggested it was 103 miles to Carlisle clearly had not  looked at Pewsey's route. With 80 miles on the odometer I've only reached the top of Shap Hill. The strong SW wind deserted me today.  Even slightly north of west such wind as there was, and the climb up from Sedburgh and crossing the M6 on a narrow twisting farm road was as steep as anything encountered to date. Grueling.

Also slowed down by frequent heavy rain showers and a LOT of traffic for first 3 hours.

I promised Mary I wouldn't bike after dark . And true to my word , when a welcome sign pointing to a Best Western hotel right at the summit of Shap at 6.30 came into view I had no hesitation. Such is the price of  remaining truthful to your wife. And very comfortable it is too. Tent was an unattractive alternative. But with that and a  stove and Tiso bag , it's a great insurance policy.

A very welcome sight

Carlisle now within easy reach.

Day 7 Ellesmere to Belmont

Music to my ears. Breakfast TV forecast at the quite delightful B & B ( dogs lying by the log fire in the breakfast room ) announced blustery conditions with winds from SW . So it proved but with regular sunshine thrown in . Helped me to do 84 miles ending up at 7pm in the Red Dog Hotel in Belmont - north Midlands . Another superb find by pure fluke - or are these places everywhere? And prices seem  so reasonable . £56 for B & B and enormous 3 course dinner and coffee with one drink thrown in. So different from our experience of previous years . And v comfortable big room. Good storage for bike. Lashing with rain right now.  

Day can be divvied into 4 categories. The 30 odd miles to Chester were more of what I've enjoyed in last 2 days in Wales. Part 2 was the ride through Chester and out to East side via the path beside the heavily used canal connecting Liverpool , Manchester and London for starters . Duncan , didn't you spend a week on one of these barges with the Johnstons years ago? Part 3 was the tricky and heavily trafficked route through the Midlands .  Charlie really coming into his element here. A mass of turns , minor roads , major roads , commenting roads , etc , etc. could never have done this with maps without taking at least double the time. A following wind here helped enormously too to get through this trying section. Part 4 once beyond the turn offs for Bolton and Wigan and over the Manchester ship canal led to moor land again with the inevitable climb up to higher elevation. Started to rain now and very dark clouds threatening a thunder storm. Refuge in form of the Red Dog came my way  when it looked increasingly likely I was going to have to find a tent site on moor. Phew !

Forecast tomorrow is good , but Friday's is terrible.  102 miles to Carlisle and with same wind if it happens , I'll make a go for it . Then , with luck 2 rest days , Friday on my own while Jane works and Sat with her . Keith arrives Sat evening to join me for 3 days with early start Sun morning.

Day 6 - Kington to Ellesmere

Left the YH in Kington and had a good breakfast at Presteigne, an attractive little town just on the Welsh side of the border . Big excitement at The Coffee Shop. Locals flocked in while I was having breakfast to bid farewell to the owner - a delightful Columbian born lady - who was clearly a highly esteemed member of the community - who was departing this very day back to South America. Big day in the village I was told .  Sorry I can't yet load pIcs . But they would paint the scene well. Will do in time.

Columbian lady 2nd from left

More hills - surprise , surprise .  When in Tennessee or Kentucky and going down a steepish hill I would keep having to remind myself about the hazards that could cause catastrophe in a split second.  As an aid to increased cautiom I would keep repeating to myself out loud - snake, dog , etc to keep me at a high level of alertness as to what might be round the next bend . I now hear myself saying instead - white van , white van . On these little mud splattered country roads they should be banned. I've learnt to expect them round every bend. In fact there is only the odd one , but it takes just one.....

In fact a man and leashed dog started crossing the road right  in front of me as I came downhill round a sharp bend. I had to brake hard  to stop and all he said was - I didn't hear you !!!

68 miles - the last 3 in the rain saw me into the little town of Ellesmere where I've found a charming B & B at Mereside Farm .  3rd night running for a Tiso bag .

Now 30 miles or so South of Chester.

Breakfast the following morning at B & B - Ellesmere farm

Day 5 - Chstow to Kington

Hills and more hills. I remember some trans am blogger in describing a particularly brutal climb puttting it this way  - " that hill wouldn't kill you but it could mortally wound". Well the hills of eastern Wales are killers! I survived though and helped by the earlier days in Cornwall and Devon. Time is of course the problem and with only15 - 16 at most - days to complete I've  therefore have to move fastish whatever the terrain.

I did have time though to stop in the historic town of Monmouth and had a John & Jane Butters style 11am coffee break. Delightful.

It was a perfect cycIng day though - dry and 73 miles through lush and pretty

Welsh farmland. Charlie performed to standard , the champ that he is. He doesn't speak thank goodness and he does leave you to turn him on when required. To save battery I have him going off automatically after 30 secs. Of course you can turn him straight back on , but you have to take one hand off the handle bars to use him and it is tempting to believe your memory of the last glimpse.  That's where things can go wrong - and did today - twice. First I had to retrace a couple of miles , and second having taken a wrong turn , I thought better to carry on and join up 4or 5 miles further on . Mistake!  It involved a 1 in 25 cilimb for over a mile and then I got caught behind a crawling tractor with cartloads of tatties all the way back down.

Result - it was close to 7 before I made a 3 mile intentional detour to Kington where I saw on Charlie there was supposed to be a campsite. Even better though a YH which I just happened to pass and another v comfortable one. Very satisfying. 

An interested specatator

A steep one and only because I missed a vital road junction

Day 4 Glastonbury to Chepstow

Made it into Wales !  Leaving the English west country with some nostalgia but not a little relief . Everyone told me the first 3 or 4 days would be tough , and I feel the training at 8,000 ft and the odd Rim Trail or Tom Blake Trail ( 2 favourite mountain bike rides of ours  in , not to mention a grueling climb up Mt Mitchell outside  Asheville , NC ) have made it possible. Never though have I seen such steep hills on narrow country roads ( and I mean straight up - no  U bends ) keep coming at you so consistently as you see for the length of  Devon.

Wells Cathedral

Severn bridge

The George , Chepstow

Left the George & Pilgrim in Glastonbury and relied on Satmap ( he's become such a good friend I have to christen him -" Charlie " I've decided in honour of my dear father who was a pioneer in the early days of pocket chess computers and named his formidable adversary Charlie ) to get back on mapped route . Through Cheddar bu not so sign of cheese factories. 

Then skirted Bristol on the SW side , found a series of good bike tracks first over the Avon bridge and 8 miles or so further on the newer of the 2 suspension bridges over the Severn. The lovely town of Chepstow beckoned a couple of miles or so on the north side and 6.30 ( half an hour or so before dark ) I checked in very happily to the George Hotel .  63 miles and lovely prospect of Offa's Dyke separating Welsh and English border tomorrow.

Day 3 Okehampton to Glastonbury

3rd attempt at new post . Tried twice before going to sleep last night , and by some quirk of IPad ( never my fault mind! ) whole text suddenly disappeared from screen. V frustrating.  So now early morning and will try again - briefly .

Highlight of day was meeting Ken and Janet for 1st time for dinner. They drove out - an hour each way - to Glastonbury which at 83 miles was the furthest I could get towards Bristol from Okehampton. Thank you Ken and Janet not just for doing that - at an incredibly busy time for you with your son's wedding a few days away - but for the great dinner and doing research for me on accommodation. The George and Pilgrim ( built in the 1400s ) offered possibly the last room available inG'bury!  Mike and Joan , you have a dinner on us coming to you wherever we next meet!

Superb day cycling . Big relief to get everything dried at YH . After big breakfast in Okehampton, didn't get away till 10 , but went at it hard after that to make the rendezvous. Sailed through Exeter and Taunton - sadly with no time to stop - and Satmap worked a treat in leading me to bike paths through the cities - well done J&J! Roads relatively ( in comparison with last 2 days anyway ) flat and wind from WNW .  Dry and sunny , but beautifully cool - Mary please note !

Forecast good for today but rain after that , so must make the most of it . Hope to get across the Severn - unless I decide to take a rest day in Bristol . Need to recalculate on time available , when to reach Carlisle etc , etc

LEJOG - Days 1 & 2

Lands End - long way to go

No pics available as I can't download them as I was able to do on trans am.

This diary account is primarily for my own record purposes.

Left the Penzance B & B at 9 and got to LE at 11. Took the straightforward but quite busy route, spent an hour there took the obligatory photos, put the odometer back to zero and took off .

Switched on the brilliant Satmap device which Johannes found for me and which Jane had pre mapped  and loaded my route to JoG. Worked a treat. Set off with some considerable alarm a mile out of LE on the quietest most unlikely looking country single track road. I needn't have worried . The device did it all for me then and continued to do so until near the end of the day ; I was tired and prob  pressed the wrong button. Mini disaster I prob did an extra 5 miles and a huge down and up again quite needlessly.

A lovely, but v hilly route and on back roads almost the whole 65 miles. Weather good - much sun , good wind from NW and no rain. Found a good campsite to SW of St Austell  Sun Valley , got there just before dark at 6.45 , pitched Johannes's tent , lit the stove and had a Tiso "bag". One of my caravan neighbors came over and offered my a large and quite delicious hot dog. What lovely people you meet.


Day 2 didn't begin well. As I was packing up at 7.30ish , the heavens opened. And sadly just before I got the tent down . So set off with a saturated and v heavy tent and a variety of wet clothes. Found comfort in a good bakery to E of St Austell and had a substantial carb and cholesterol loaded breakfast and gallons of tea. Set me up well for one of the hardest days cycling I've ever had. See  Day 2 of the following website if you want to follow route  -  http://www.pewseys.co.uk/lejog_GPS.htm

Sat map battery gave out on me within an hour  ( have noted to make sure charged every night ) and made a navigational error early on doing about  400 feet of climbing  and 5 miles that I needn't have done.  Rolling hills and some very substantial hills all day . Limped in to Okehampton at  7 ( the last 5 miles on a brilliant dedicated cycle path )  and found by chance this fabulous YH  in one of the converted railway station buildings. 58 miles . Room to myself , locked bike shed , superb drying room , good kitchen facilities ( a Tiso bag again - I might get tired of these ) , luxurious shower , hired towel for a quid ,  and washing machine ( the delightful warden offered to throw in my grubby collection with a load of the YH washing . Brilliant  . Also free wi-fi . Campsite charged me £10 for the tent site and £6 for. wi-fi !

Leaving Keith & Fiona's in Edinburgh bound for the station and train to Penzance - 2nd attempt

 Youth Hostel at Okehampton

Tomorrow should make it somewhere towards Bristol . Hoping to meet up with Ken Temple ( who did trans am on his own last year and introduced to me by Mike and Joan who teamed up with them for quite a large segment of it) .