Itinerary Plan B
This page with give a full technical breakdown of everything we and you need to know about the schedule and route etc proposed in 'plan B'.
This breakdown of the route does not consider the varying terrain we must cover during the tour.
We are covering a total of 1017.8 miles over a ten day period so 'Itinerary Plan B' has been created in order to cover the same route as 'Itinerary Plan A' but the daily breakdown of miles to be covered is as near to 101.7 miles a day as possible.
Please note the actual distance covered in Itinerary 'Plan B' is 1021.5 mIles, 3.7 miles more than itinerary 'Plan A'. This is due to two very small diversions for accomodation purposes.
'Plan B' shows the route and places we will visit (pass through) listed in numerical order on the electronic map.
Please view the accomodation details provided below each respective daily breakdown for information regarding our planned accomodation on itinerary 'Plan B'.
Day 1 - Land's End to Tavistock, Devon - 103.9 Miles ( Total 103.9 Miles)
Day one will actually begin in Manchester. We aim to fit as many people and bikes as possible into the support vehicle and get them on their way to sunny Cornwall.
The remaining members of the team and their bikes will board a train at Manchester Piccadilly station destined for Penzance.
Once we all make it to Penzance in one piece and have had time to get everyone straight, we have to take a quick ride in the wrong direction towards the Land’s End Hotel at Land’s End which will act as our official starting point.
After a quick photo op at the famous Land’s End white sign post, our journey begins.
Although this is only day one, we will encounter some steep gradients along the way including an initial climb of approx 600ft above sea level on the roads between Land’s End and Penzance.
The roads between Helston and Truro promise a gradient of approx 800ft above sea level. However, by far the biggest climb we face on day one will take place on the roads between Liskeard and Tavistock because they promise a gradient of approx 1000ft above sea level.
But fear not, for what goes up must come down.
The day will provide a tough introduction to the tour through the picturesque lanes of Cornwall.
The south-west peninsula is the most popular holiday destination in Britain and as such the narrow, tree lined roads that are characteristic of the area can become rather congested.
The route climbs from the granite nose of Land’s End (1) to the town of Penzance (2) before continuing along the shores of mounts bay to Helston (3).
The Lizard Peninsula is bypassed as the route continues across country to Falmouth (4) and then to Truro (5) before once more joining the coast at St Austell and the picturesque village Par Sands (6) situated on St Austell Bay.
The route now leaves the sanctuary of the Par and the coast then strikes out across the wilds of north Cornwall before reaching Devon and Dartmoor.
The ascents and descents gradually become more onerous as the towns of Lostwithiel (7), East Taphouse (8), Doublebois (9) and Dobwalls (10) pass us by before we reach Liskeard (11).
The course now follows the high grounds of Bodmin Moor and into the county of Devon.
We will then visit Merrymeet (12), St Ive (13), Callington (14), St Anns Chapel (15) and Drakewalls (7) before passing through Gunnislake (17) and reaching our destination for the day, Tavistock (18).
Night 1 - Camping - Tavistock, Devon
We will spend our first night in Higher Longford Caravan and Camping Park which Located on edge of Dartmoor National Park in Tavistock.
Higher Longford Caravan and Camping Park is just outside Tavistock right on the foothills of Dartmoor National Park. Exact directions are provided on their website.
Prices are £9.00 per night for 1 tent pitch with two people sharing and £3.00 per extra person thereafter. Many facilities are offered at this site including the all important hot showers! Please see Longford Caravan and Camping Park website for more information. http://www.higherlongford.co.uk/index.html
Day 2 - Tavistock to Axbridge, Somerset - 104.2 Miles (Total 208.1 Miles)
Today we hit Dartmoor. This great plateau of rolling moor land extends for over 360m2 and covers most of southern Devon.
The aveage hight of the plateau is 1000ft above sea level but it reaches a staggering 2100ft (approx) above sea level at High Willhays, its highest point.
As with day one, we face some tough hill climbs today. The roads that take us from Tavistock to Moretonhampstead steadily rise to a dizzying (approx) 1700 above sea level.
From there though you will be happy to know it is down for many miles!
We start the day in Tavistock (1) before Taking on the plateau of Dartmoor Forest. The fringes of this beautiful wilderness are intertwined with a maze of canopied roads that interconnect to the many villages.
We pass through Postbridge (2) before reaching Moretonhampstead (3) which is the largest town on the eastern fringe of the moor.
After leaving Dartmoor national park behind us we come upon Tedburn St Mary (4), Venny Tedburn (5) and the historical town of Crediton (6) before reaching Tiverton (7).
Following the course of the Exe Valley, the cycling promises to be delightful.
The route will take us through a setting of wooded hills and meandering streams. Ahead can be seen glimpses of the Brendon Hills and Exmoor National Park.
We cross the River Bathern (by bridge!) and pass through Bampton (8) and then follow the river course in the shadow of steep sided hills to reach Shillingford (9).
The road continues and we will pass Waterrow (10) and Wiveliscombe (11) before leading into the beautiful Vale of Taunton Deane.
We will pass through Heathfield (12) before heading down a steep embankment into the town centre of Taunton (13).
Once we have cleared Taunton we pass through Monkton Heathfield (14) before the road turns north and begins to run parallel with the M5 into the town of North Petherton (15).
To the west rise the peaks of the Quantock Hills that separate the Vale of Taunton Deane from the Somerset Plain and Sedgemoor.
This vast fertile area of the Mendips is criss-crossed by a grid-like network of roads which when followed north will provide us with extensive views of the Quantock Hills before delivering us safely into Bridgwater (16).
This area is quite exposed with flat, open farmland stretching as far as the eye can see and makes for easy cycling.
We will soon pass the villages of Dunball (17), Pawlett (18), Huntspill (19) and Highbridge (20).
At the edge of the Mendips we will arrive at the town of Axbridge (21) which is today’s destination.
Night 2 - Camping - Axbridge, Somerset
We will be spending our second night under canvas at West Broadway House which is one mile from England's Grand Canyon (Cheddar Gorge) in the tranquil rural surroundings of Somerset, in the South West of England
West Broadway House is situated almost halfway between Axbridge and Cheddar on the A371 Somerset.
Prices are available upon request. This site has all mod cons including hot showers. Please see West Broadway House website for more information. http://www.broadwayhouse.uk.com/index.html
Day 3 - Axbridge to Worcester, Worcestershire - 104 miles ( Total 313.1 Miles)
We start our day in Axbridge (1) before passing through some wonderful wooded slopes clinging to limestone outcrops and continue ever north through the villages of Winscombe (2), Churchill (3), Redhill (4) and Lulsgate Bottom (5) as the route begins the run towards Bristol (6).
Once we have negotiated the main road leading through Bristol city centre, we are quickly led out of the urban sprawl through the villages of Filton (7) and Patchway (8) before reaching the charming town of Almondsbury (9).
We are now in the deepest darkest Cotswolds which promise to provide us all with sights of unforgettable beauty and some of the most imposing scenery of our journey.
Still heading north, we will contour the west flank of Stinchcombe Hill passing through the villages of Alveston (10), Falfield (11), Stone (12), Woodford (13) and Newport (14) before reaching Dursley (15).
We are now well on our way to our destination.
All that remains is to follow the quiet road which weaves pleasantly along the steep sided river valley before climbing through the wooded slopes past the village of Uley (16), along an undulating crest with beautiful views across the Cotswolds, through Woodchester (17), straight through the historic town of Stroud (18) and then past Painswick (19), Shurdington (20) before passing through Cheltenham (21).
Once through Cheltenham town centre, we continue heading north passing the famous Cheltenham racecourse on the right.
We will continue and pass the town of Bishops Cleeve (22) with beautiful views back to the steep ridge that marks the western edge of the Cotswold escarpment.
Swift progress may now be made along the flat flood plain of the River Severn.
The road passes through the isolated knoll of Oxenton (23) before passing through Pamington (24), Bredon (25) and Bredons Norton (26).
A little further on we come upon first the town of Eckington (27) then the beautiful Pershore (28) located on the River Avon.
We will now follow a delightfully varied course through glorious open countryside through the village of Upton Snodsbury (29) and into the medieval town of Worcester (30) where a hot meal, cold drink and bed await us.
Night 3 - Camping - Worcester, Worcestershire
We will spend our third night at the Ketch Caravan and Camping Park in Worcester. Situated right on the river this site promises to provide us with a relaxing nights sleep.
Ketch Caravan and Camping Park is located on Bath Road in the centre of town so will be nice and easy to find.
No information currently available regarding tariffs etc.
This site does not have its own website but all relevant information we will need is located on the ‘UK Campsite’ website. Please view this site for further information. http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/sites/reviews.asp?revid=2928
Day 4 - Worcester to Acton Bridge, Cheshire - 103.2 Miles ( Total 416.3 Miles )
From the centre of Worcester (1), we follow the river bank further north to reach the village of Hallow (2) then onto Holt Heath (3).
This area will be a delight to cycle through because of the ever changing panorama of wooded slope, narrow overhung lanes, twisting roads and ancient woodlands.
From Holt Heath we follow the course of the River Severn through Shrawley (4), Noutards Green (5), Areley Kings (6) and Ribbesford (7) before descending through the south-west peninsula of the Wyre Forest into the town of Bewdley (8).
We will now be making good progress as our route continues to take us through the Wyre Forest to reach the villages of Button Oak (9), Kinlet (10), Highley (11), Chelmarsh (12) and Eardington (13) before the road turns east and follows the Severn Valley Railway into the historic town of Bridgnorth (14).
From Bridgnorth we will navigate a tree lined route past the River Worfe and onto Stockton (15), Sutton Maddock (16), the beautiful Telford (17) and Sleapford (18) before passing through Crudgington (19).
We will then follow an avenue of rhododendrons into the villages of Waters Upton (20), Peplow (21) and Hodnet (22) before a nice descent through open countryside passing Marchamley (23), Darlinston (24), Prees Higher Heath (25) and Prees Heath (26) before finaly reaching Whitchurch (27).
Leaving Whitchurch town centre we will follow the road which after taking us into the county of Chester, passes a waterfowl sanctuary before crossing the Shropshire Union Canal.
From here, the road continues through scenic meadowland to pass the impressive entrance to Cholmondeley Castle on the left.
We pass through the pretty villages of Bickley Moss (28), Spurstow (29), Bunbury Heath (30) and Tiverton (31) before a short climb leads to the village of Tarporley (32).
Ignoring the newly constructed bypass that circumnavigates the village, we follow the rural road which boasts spectacular views across the Gowy Valley.
After descending into Cotebrook (33) the road continues to lead us ever onward passing Cuddington (34) before we make a small diversion to Acton Bridge (35) which is where we will be spending the night tonight.
Night 4 - Camping - Acton Bridge, Cheshire
Tonight we will be staying at Woodbine Caravan and Camping Site situated in Acton Bridge, Cheshire. Please note this is a small diversion from our route which would otherwise continue up the A49.
Woodbine Caravan and Camping Site is a beautiful country site on the banks of the River Weaver in the heart of Cheshire.
Prices are from £10.00 for tents per night.
Please view South Cheshire Tourist Board website for further information regarding Woodbine Caravan and Camping Site. http://www.touristnetuk.com/Nw/S-CHES/accommodation/ac-camp/all.htm
Day 5 - Acton Bridge to Sedbergh, Yorkshire Dales - 96.9 Miles ( Total 513.2 Miles )
After leaving Acton Bridge (1) behind us, we pass through Whitley (2), Stretton (3) and Stockton Heath (4) before being delivered into the familiar realm of deepest darkest Warrington (5).
An industrialised barrier stretches across the country from Liverpool in the west to Humberside in the east, presenting a seemingly impenetrable band of urban sprawl to us northbound cyclists.
However, fear not, for our route weaves through many back roads and wealthy suburban villages that remain surprisingly untouched by the proximity of the areas large industrial cities.
As we exit Warrington, we will pass through Winwick (6), Golborne (7), and Abram (8) before reaching sunny Wigan (9) for a much needed ‘pie stop’ (Nick, you know what I mean).
As we continue, we will cycle through Marylebone (10), Standish (11), Coppull (12) and Chorley (13).
The concrete blocks begin to recede now and give way to a more open countryside and a few miles of mental relaxation.
A few miles later we will cross the Leeds and Liverpool Canal before passing through the village of Wheelton (14) then join the road which takes us into Blackburn (15).
We will cut right through the centre of Blackburn then pass through Wilpshire (16) and Langho (17) before arriving at Clitheroe (18).
The going gets a bit tougher from Clitheroe onwards as we face the biggest climbs of the day.
At first we must cut across the open moorland – some of the most remote roads we will have yet encountered – the climb may initially appear to be unending but the gradient soon relents to allow the beauty of the area to be fully appreciated.
The much welcomed descent now leads us through the villages of Waddington (19), Newton (20), Slaidburn (21), High Bentham (22) and Low Bentham (23) before taking us back into Lancashire, along the course of the River Wenning and then into Cumbria.
The last leg of today’s journey takes us through Wennington (24) and Turnstall (25) before passing through Kirkby Lonsdale (26), Casterton (27) and Middleton (28) before finally delivering us all in one piece to Sedbergh (29) in the Yorkshire Dales where we can hop out of the saddle, straighten our backs and enjoy a much needed and well earned hot meal and cold drink!
Night 5 - Camping - Sedbergh, Yorkshire Dales
Night 5 will again be spent under canvas at Cross Hall Farm Caravan and Camping Park in Sedbergh deep in the Yorkshire Dales.
Cross Hall Farm Caravan and Camping Park is right on our route through Sedbergh so as soon as we arrive we can start relxing!
Prices are £5.00 per tent with two people sharing per night. Please view Cross Hall Farm Caravan and Camping Park website for more information. http://www.ukcampsite.com/a_print/print_entries_frames.php?&e=148ODJ&a=0
Day 6 - Sedbergh to Dumfries, Scotland - 111.7 Miles ( Total 624.9 Miles )
Today is the day. Today we reach a real milestone of our tour. We cross the border!
The day’s route follows the eastern leg of the Cumbrian Cycle way that traces the Eden Valley north-east between the Pennines and the Cumbrian mountains.
From here a steep climb leads into the remote valley at Mallerstang and the source of the River Eden.
Again the river is followed north through a patchwork of grazing meadows that carpet the widening valley floor.
The hills of the North Yorkshire Moors begin to retreat as the Lune merges into the estuary of the Solway Firth at the fortress town of Carlisle.
Leaving the town, we cross the River Rawthey at the far side of Sedbergh (1) and commence the slow climb towards Garsdale (2), Garsdale Head (3) and Outhgill (4) before we pass through Nateby (5) and onto Kirkby Stephen (6).
The route now leaves the main road to cross the undulating hillocks that dominate the western fringe of the Pennines.
We will pass through the village of Soulby (7), make a quick climb before a lovely descent into Great Ormside (8) and through the beautiful village of Dufton (9).
The cycleway continues through Knock (10), Millburn (11), Blencarn (12) and then onto Skirwith (13) and the town of Langwathby (14).
The road then joins another cycle track before we begin another steep descent to cross the Croglin Water and pass the villages of Salkeld Dykes (15), Kirkoswald (16) and Croglin (17).
The road now gives way to a more pleasant section of easier ground which leads us through Newbiggin (18), Castle Carrock (19) and into Brampton (20).
The final miles into Dumfries are said to be relatively painless.
The glacial ‘Kames’ that for form the hillocked landscape around Brampton is left behind as the route crosses the estuary of the Esk and the Eden.
We will follow the road which takes us through Longtown (21) on the River Esk.
The road now continues easily across the border into Scotland to reach the town of Gretna (22) and a significant milestone of our journey!
We will leave Gretna town crossing the River Annan and begin a slow short climb passing through Rigg (23), Eastriggs (24), Dornock (25) and Annan (26) before reaching Cummertrees (27).
We will now continue more easily along this beautiful coastal section with the view across the Solway Firth to the Cumbrian Mountains.
The road follows the course of the rail line all the way to Dumfries.
We will head along the estuary bringing us to Bankend (28) which is nestled beneath the Bankend Hill.
We pass through Glencaple (29) and Kelton (30) before starting another steady climb with amazing views across the Mabie Forest to eventually arrive at the town of Dumfries (31).
Night 6 - Camping / Bunkhouse / Iron age Roundhouse / Tepee - Dumfries, Scotland
Tonight we will be spending our first night in Scotland staying at the Marthrown of Mabie situated in the Mabie Forest just outside Dumfries.
This is a very interesting site and offers us the options of camping, hostel, bunkhouse, tepees's and even the use of a replica Celtic Iron Age roundhouse for accommodation.
Marthrown of Mabie is situated a few miles out of Dumfries town centre, off the A710 coastal road near to the village of New Abbey.
Prices are £10.00 per night per person for camping and £15.00 per night per person for the hostel, bunkhouse, teepee, and replica Iron Age roundhouse. Please view the Marthrown of Mabie website for further information. http://www.marthrown.com/Index.html
Day 7 - Dumfries to Paisley, Scotland - 99.9 Miles ( Total 724.8 Miles)
We start the day in Dumfries (1). Once leaving the centre we pick up the local ‘KM cycle route’ and follow it passing Newbridge (2) and then onto Dunscore (3).
We will now start the gentle descent into Keir Mill (4).
The terrain will now become suddenly more dramatic with the Kier Hills dominating the western horizon and the evergreen plantation of the Forest of Ae creeping onto the lower slopes of the Lowther Hills in the east.
We pass through Thornhill (5), Carronbridge (6), Enterkinfoot (7) and then Mennock (8).
The route now takes us through a impressive forest fringed lane that leads to the 17th centaury Drumlanrig Castle before passing through Drumlanrig Park on a high course above the Nith Valley on the west bank.
The road then descends to the west bank and follows the river past Eliock (9) and into Sanquhar (10).
We will now continue along the Nith Valley with the Lowland Hills dominating the view all around.
We pass through the town of Kirkconnel (11) before continuing to follow the course of the river onto New Cumnock (12) before leaving the sanctuary of the Nith Valley and a more undulating course is followed to Cumnock (13).
From Cumnock, the course takes us across the River Auchinleck before delivering us to a town by the same name (Auchinleck 14).
The road is now pleasantly followed to the town of Mauchline (15) before passing through the suburbs of Kilmarnock which include the villages of Crosshands (16) and Hurlford (17) before reaching the city of Kilmarnock (18).
The route now endeavours to search out a course through the industrialised centres and suburbs clinging to the banks of the Clyde in the west and the Firth of Forth in the east.
Once we leave Kilmarnock, we will soon be passing through the villages of Kilmaurs (19), Cunninghamhead (20), cross over the Annick Water to reach Montgreenan (21) and then onto Kilwinning (22).
We will now cross the River Garnock in Dalgarven (23) before passing by one of Scotland’s oldest churches on a beautiful tree lined lane.
We will then pass through Dalry (24) and Highfield (25) before the road continues along the crest of a ridge above the Garnock Valley.
On our way to the Erskine Bridge we will pass through Beith (26) before reaching today’s destination, Paisley (10), where the industrial skyline of Glasgow can be seen in the distance.
Night 7 - Hotel / B&B - Paisley, Scotland
Tonight we are stuck in the bright lights of the city.
Let’s face it; Paisley is nothing more than a car park for Glasgow City and Glasgow City Airport.
There is no camping, many hotels, a few B&B’s and a few hostels in Paisley.
As there are so many options to choose from, I think this item on the itinerary needs a big fat group discussion. Therefore, we will have to look into tonight’s accommodation together at a later date!
Day 8 - Paisley to Fort William, Scotland - 102.5 Miles ( Total 827.3 Miles )
If the weather is favourable today promises to offer us some of the most memorable cycling one could hope for.
The day will contain all the scenic diversity that typifies the west coast of Scotland.
Leaving industrialised Paisley (1) behind us, we will cross the River Clyde on the Erskine Bridge into Old Kilpatrick (2) where we will now pick up the ‘Glasgow to Loch Lomond Cycle Route’ which runs parallel to the River Clyde utilising sections of disused railway lines before turning north along the towpath of the River Leven to follow the Leven Valley to Loch Lomond.
Whilst we are on the cycle route we will pass through (or near by to) Bowling (3), Dumbarton (4), Renton (5) and Alexandria (6) before reaching the start of Loch Lomond.
We will now follow the western shore of Loch Lomond which takes us through Arden (7), Luss (8) and Tarbet (9) before delivering us safely at Ardlui (10) at the northern most tip of the Loch.
From Ardlui to today’s destination the route gets a little tougher with some large hill climbs.
The route takes us through Inverarnan (11) and Crianlarich (12) before we finally reach the beautiful town of Tyndrum (13).
The route leaves Tyndrum with a steady hill climb (the highest we will face today peaking at approx 1000ft above sea level).
The route tracks along the narrow Glen Falloch and Strath Fillan, overhung with beech and crowded by the surrounding peaks.
We will pass through Bridge of Orchy (14) and Achallader (15) before the inhospitable wilderness of Rannoch Moor will leave us riders seeking the security of Glen Coe (16) with mountain scenery as dramatic as anywhere in Scotland.
After a wee climb we will make a final welcome descent off the moor and enter Glen Coe.
The entrance of Glen Coe is guarded by the peaks of Beinn, providing us riders with an uncomfortable but beautiful welcome.
We now continue on our route passing Ballachulish (17), North Ballachulish (18) and Onich (19) on the way.
The scenery will now suddenly change from classic Upland Mountain into a rugged, coastal setting.
The road follows the headland and passes through Corran (20) before following the shore line of Loch Linnhe and going around the base of the peaks of Beinn an Mhoir and Beinn na Cucaid to the town of Fort William (21) which is today’s destination.
Night 8 - Camping - Fort William, Scotland
Night 8 we are in for a treat. We will be staying under canvas in Glen Nevis Holiday Park which is set in the midst of unsurpassed Highland scenery only minutes from Fort William at the foot of the Ben Nevis Mountain.
Glen Nevis Holidays is situated only 3.5 miles from Fort William town centre.
Prices start from £6.50 per night per person for camping. Please check out Glen Nevis Holiday Park website for further information. http://www.glen-nevis.co.uk/touring/index.htm
Day 9 - Fort William to Dornoch, Scotland - 112.4 Miles ( Total 939.7 Miles )
As we leave the town of Fort William (1) behind us, we will be able to see the whale-backed peak of Ben Nevis with the Allt a Mhuilinn leading up into the dark recesses of the north face cliffs.
The road continues easily through the Leanachan Forest to reach Spean Bridge (2).
The road now leads us out of Spean Bridge, over a wooded hummock followed by a soft descent down the hillside of Coire Ceirsle before joining the River Gloy on its route to the banks of Loch Lochy.
Peaks rise steeply all around the depths of the mirrored loch water, creating a truly memorable scene. Have your cameras ready!
The road undulates easily beneath a canopy of greenery as we pass through Laggan (3). At the head of the loch a final descent leaves the Laggan Forest and crosses the Caledonian Canal.
The next town we pass through is Invergarry (4) which will act as a place for a quick pit stop at the head of Loch Oich.
We shall now continue along the west bank of Loch Oich before crossing the Caledonian Canal once more.
The route to Fort Augustis (5) picks a course through the glacial hillocks deposited at the head of the most famous of all Scottish lochs, Loch Ness.
The road now continues along the shore of Loch Ness below the Port Clair Forest before making a short detour to cross the River Moriston at Invermoriston (6).
Creagnaneun Forest now hugs the steep slopes above Loch Ness before delivering us to Drumnadrochit (7) half way up the Loch.
We then pass through Lewiston (8) and Lochend (9) located at the northern-most point of Loch Ness before continuing onto Inverness (10).
We will leave Inverness before crossing the Beauly Firth into North kessock (11) where we pick up the coastal road which will eventually lead us all the way to the finish line.
We will pass through the towns of Tore (12) and Duncanston (13) before crossing the Moray Firth and reaching Evanton (14).
We will then begin to follow the course north passing through Dalmore (15), Rosskeen (16), Kildary (17) and Morangie (18).
We will then cross the Dornoch Firth and just before reaching Evelix (which is on our planned route), for accommodation purposes, we have to make a short detour from the coastal road and our planned route to arrive at today’s destination, Dornoch (19).
Night 9 - Camping - Dornoch, Scotland
Night 9 will be spent under canvas at Dornoch Firth Caravan Park which is a slight diversion from our route on the coastal road.
Dornoch Firth Caravan Park is situated just off the A9, midway between the Highland's oldest Royal Burgh of Tain and the town of Dornoch.
Prices start from £9.50 per tent per night with two people sharing. Please check out Dornoch Firth Caravan Park website for further information. http://www.dornochfirth.co.uk
Day 10 - Dornoch to John O'Groats, Scotland - 81.8 Miles ( Total 1021.5 Miles )
So, today is the day we make the home run and the big push towards our final destination.
The concluding leg of our journey follows the north-east coast road out of the Highlands into the open moor lands characteristic of the Scottish north coast.
The route is as flat as any we have so far encountered.
The route follows a lonely course and taken in isolation the day would not be considered the most memorable of cycle tours but as a climax to our tour that has spanned the countryside of Great Britain it is a fitting finale and something we should all enjoy.
The stretch of coastal road spanning from the outskirts of Inverness to the north-eastern tip and John O’Groats is as isolated as expected and lives up to all preconceptions that one may associate with this part of the journey.
The day begins in Dornoch (1) which is slightly off route.
We head back towards the coastal road and soon reach Evelix (2) and are back on course.
We will cycle through Proncy (3) and then the road takes us right onto the coast of the North Sea for the rest of our journey.
Now it is just a question of staying focused and covering the ground required to reach our target.
We will pass through Golspie (4), Doll (5), Brora (6), Kilmote (7) and Portgower (8) before finally reaching Helmsdale (9).
From Helmsdale stunning views across the rugged coastline of the North Sea is a (small) reward for our efforts as the road begins to lead us down a series of steep descents taking us through the villages of Berriedale (10), Borgue (11) and Dunbeath (12) which all offer welcome sanctuary to us weary riders.
As the route continues it will be noticeable that the ridges and peaks of the Highlands have receded onto the western horizon and been replaced by more open grass land combed by the relentless winds that sweep this north-eastern headland.
The road winds northwards passing through Latheronwheel (13), Swiney (14), Occumster (15) before continuing through Bruan (16), Ulbster (17) and by the time the village of Thrumster (18) is reached the cycling has become very straight forward.
A little further on from Thrumster we reach Wick (19).
As we leave Wick we will pass the twin ruins of Sinclair and Girnigoe Castles clinging precariously to the cliff tops.
We will now pass through the villages of Ackergill (20), Keiss (21), Auckengill (22) and Freswick (23) before we follow the last bit of coastal road across a harsh landscape of Tussock grassland.
A short climb (our very last of the trip!) over the Warth Hill leads to the final descent to the coast and the small village of John O’Groats (24).
We have made it. What has all the fuss been about?!
After a quick photo op at the famous John O'Groats white signposts (to complete the set) we can head for camp.
After many hours of tedious research I have drawn the conclusion that emotions at the end of a tour of this nature tend to be a mixture of jubilation and disappointment.
Jubilation, obviously, because the trip has reached a successful conclusion and any rider completing the full distance can feel justly proud.
On the other hand there may be an anticlimax that accompanies a project such as this.
Realising you now must begin the tiresome task of arranging transport home before going back to work and facing ‘real life’ can be quite disappointing.
No matter how we all feel, we should all be immensely proud of what we have achieved and never forget the fun we had whilst doing it!
Now that we have cracked open the champagne and used up the last bit of muscle rub in our kit bags, its time for us to start planning the next trip? How about the circumnavigation of the British Isles, the Red Sea to the Dead Sea or around Ireland or…………???
Night 10 - Camping / Hotel - John O'Groats, Scotland
Our final night will, at last, be in the place we have just spent ten leg aching, blister inducing days to reach. John O’Groats Caravan and Camping site in John O’Groats.
At the end of the A99 you will find the John O'Groats Caravan and Camping Site on the seafront besides the Last House in Scotland and there is a hotel very near by if you can’t hack spending one last night under canvas!
It is not clear what the cost is to stay at the Campsite or in the Hotel but full contact information is provided on their website. Please view John O’Groats Caravan and Camping Site website for further information. http://www.visitjohnogroats.com/johnogroatscampsite.co.uk/index.htm