Monday 22 September: day sixteen – Altnaharra to John o’Groats

75 miles. 6:32 hours of cycling. Average speed 11.4mph 

After probably the best breakfast of the trip in an extremely posh dining room, which we shared with yet another group getting ready for a day of hunting, shooting and fishing, we set off along the bank of Loch Naver. Pete was struggling but absolutely determined to finish the ride. 

It was quite a cold morning and I put on my leg warmers for the first time in the trip. The sun started to break through the clouds, there was not a breath of wind and the scenery was as beautiful as anything we had seen. The ten miles or so to the north coast was about as good as cycling can get. Small roads, virtually no traffic, great riding surface, wonderful countryside.

 

The coast at Betty Hill is lovely - sandy coves and blue sea. The cafe had closed so I got coffee and a pasty at the local shop and waited for Pete, who was half-an-hour behind and looking like he was really suffering.

 

Linda and Frank came past and we chatted, then I set off thinking that I would not wait for Pete, as that might put pressure on him, but crack on to the end. It was now a single road all the way to John o’Groats, so easy navigation, and I wanted to dig in and get there.

There are five stiff climbs after Betty Hill – river valleys which are not as steep as in Cornwall but it was still pretty challenging cycling. I cycled past Dounray, which is as spooky as any nuclear power station, and stopped for a sandwich and coffee at a pub – I think it was the Weigh Inn at Burnside. 

After Thurso it started to drizzle. The road was fairly flat and the riding pretty dull. I ploughed on, getting nearer and nearer. I was very exciting when my milometer got to 1,000 miles.

 

For the first time allowed myself to think that I would actually finish and started to become nervous about having an unexpected accident that would stop me getting to the end. I was riding down a really long, straight road towards a T-junction and when I got there I saw the sign for the Seaview Hotel, which was our stop for the night. To my astonishment I had arrived. 

I felt so happy. 1,003 miles, 39,513 feet of climbing and an average of 73 miles a day. 

I sat in the bar with a coffee and a view down the long straight waiting for Pete. He was nearly two hours behind me and when he came into sight he was clearly struggling. I got back on my bike and cycled towards him shouting and waving my arms. He stopped and we checked in to the hotel and took off our bags. Then we got on to our bikes and cycled the last half mile together to the John o’Groats sign post.

 

What a brilliant feeling. It was the last day so I allowed myself three pints of a lovely beer from Orkney and a fish pie.