clairedavieswriter

Well this was a bit unexpected:

It certainly hadn’t been the plan as we enjoyed the view of the Kyle of Tongue from our breakfast table and remembered the stags we’d heard braying as we went to sleep last night:

But the forecast for tomorrow, when I planned to ride the last leg from Thurso to John O’Groats, was very much of the “Are we having fun yet?” variety (see Day 5 blog). So this sign on the way out of Tongue made me wonder: it’s not that far – perhaps we should just press on to the finish?

Between Tongue and Thurso my resolve (and legs) were sorely tested as the route crossed multiple burns, involving punishing climbs, albeit with glorious descents. Here I am trying to put on a brave face at the top of one of the former.

After just 20k, we were very happy to stop for a breather in Bettyhill, where the coastline views were beautiful…

And at the enterprising village stores, we could have bought our evening meal, done our laundry, and hired towels and swimwear. They also sold a fine assortment of alcohol in a helpful range of bottle sizes.

But we were more interested in warming up and drying out (sweat, not rain, if you must know) in front of the fire.

I hadn’t seen this sign when I ordered my flat white. I was advised that the coffee was filter, and they used powdered milk to make froth. It seemed to work.

They don’t show up brilliantly in the photo, but we were pretty excited to realise we were looking at the Orkney Islands.

Today’s filmic moments were less 007 and more Local Hero.

And as ever there were eye-catching signs along the way:

And my favourite (even without the misspelling):

The options for lunch were limited – everywhere seemed to be shut – so we were relieved to find the Halladale Inn open and serving a sustaining bowl of soup with a slice of quiche. From there, the terrain flattened out a little. By this stage, the plan to carry on had been decided. Tea and cake in Thurso topped us up for the last leg – a two hour dash to John O’Groats, where my welcoming committee was waiting, in the form of Jonis with the van.

And then it was all over. I’ve cycled a total of 1,907.94 km or 1,185.53 miles since leaving Land’s End on 6 September.

Thanks for following my journey, I’ve really loved the whole experience. More reflections tomorrow – for now, I’m off to bed.