Day 14 - Crask to John O Groats

82.4miles, 3874.6 feet climb in 6hrs 11min

Last day!!
Started at Crask in wind and rain. Showers on and off until about 3pm. Scenery variable from bleak moors initially then alongside river Naver to Bettyhill. Amazing fab beaches. Along the coast past Reay and not so scenic Dounreay, Thurso, Dunnet & Mey.
There we sat in bar in Castle Arms waiting for everyone to cycle as group to John O' Groats. You got tunnocks teacakes with coffee so there was much excitement over them amongst folk mostly cause i had told folk they yummy. I didnt get one :-(

Eventually when we had all regrouped we cycled final 7 miles to John O' Groats.
Yipee made it :-)
Thank you for all the support and encouragement you have given me xx

Day 13 - Inverness to Crask

66.8 miles in 5hr 42 min, 4649ft climb.

Varied landscapes. Past inverness cally & ross county grounds. Over Kessnock bridge, Dingwall, Bonner Bridge, Laig then it became very bleak, wet and into headwind along single track to Crask in middle nowhere.

Being bused back to stay in laorg but bike staying here!!

Last day tomorrow - exciting :-)

Day 12 - Glencoe to Inverness

82miles, 4635.8ft climb in 6hr 25.

Another amazing day although cycling along A82 not fun! Shoved off road by stupid lorry but survived and battled on!!
Fort William then quieter roads to commando monument and Fort Augustus. Then did the steep climb route on south side loch ness.
Many of the group.missed the turn- (or avoided climb??) & stayed on main road.

The 6mile climb was worth it for fab views and a long brew stop as i only one there!! So cycled all afternoon on own along loch ness to Inverness.
Cant believe only 2days left. Ache but feeling ok :-)

Day 11 - Balloch to Glencoe

69.1 miles, 3641.7ft climb in 5hrs 26minsFantastic day - amazing scenery, stunning views and glorious sunshine. 

So proud of my country i had tears in my eyes cycling cross Rannoch Moor despite very tough headwinds!
Day began cycling by loch lomond then a very hot climb to crianlarich. Afternoon along A82 was stunning except for mad drivers!
Head winds made it tough crossing Rannoch Moor but Buchailetive Mohr etc stunning and then into Glencoe.

Many of my fellow lejoggers have never been to Scotland let alone this part so very impressed!!

Day 10

Moffat to Loch Lomond

80miles, 3923.8 feet climb in 6hrs 42

Fantastic day in glorious sunshine - started with long climb out of Moffat amazing scenery. Then cycled along path beside M74 and railway track rather bumpy but for first time could cycle side by side and chat!

Lunch in pretty Chatelherault Country Park then on through Hamilton, Blantyre and Cambuslang before joining NCN 75 then 7 cycle paths along by Clyde. These took us past commonwealth games athlete vilage through Glasgow Green and up the Clyde before seeing Bankies Bike statue and cycling along canal to Loch Lomond

So hot!!!!!

Tired, achey but ok and excited to be heading for Glencoe tomorrow :-)

Day 9

Keswick to Moffat

74.3 miles, 4045.2feet climb in 5hrs 55

Shattered but in Scotland yahoo :-)

And the sun is shining!!

Hard climb out of keswick up onto moorland amazing views before descent toward Carlise. Lunch at gretna and crossed the border. Last 20+ miles was tough into wind but made it to Moffat thanks to reserves of jelly babies taken from brew van!!

Great to be back in homeland but shattered! Eating in worlds narrowest hotel tonight!!

Day 8

Conder Green to Keswick.

60.76miles, 4166.6ft climb in 5hrs 11mins.

Passed through Lancaster, Kendal, Windermere, Ambleside and Grassmere. Now in Keswick & sun even shining!!

Soaked in Kendal so didnt even stop at costa despite fact I'd love one!! 

Ate tons of malteesers, revels, jelly babies & real grassmere gingerbread!!

Amazing scenery though main roads busy.

Route was blocked by sheep at one point!!!

We are now over half way!!! Scotland tomoro yahoo so excited :-)

Day 7

71 unremarkable miles from Runcorn to Condor Green (near Lancaster), rated 'hard', and felt 'hard'!

7 days down and 7 to go!

Tomorrow we're off to the Lake District and on Monday will reach the Scottish border. Exciting!

Day 6

79.6miles 3320 ft climb in 5hrs 54

Tired! After initial climb a relatively flat well undulating day. Through Shrewsbury & many villages ending in not so pretty Runcorn!!

Some mental nasty drivers - one lot threw bottles at us and last 8miles onA56 not fun!!

Tons sweets cake and malteesers consumed as has become norm! 

Highlight was seeing my Mum & Dad and lovely nephew Joseph as we cycled through Waverton :-)

Day 5

This was billed as the easiest day of the trip - 58 undulating miles, from Monmouth to Clun, with a couple of tough climbs "so still not easy"! It was also described as 'one of the most scenic days with many hidden gems'

After the customary early morning climb we carried on North from Monmouth. The countryside is stunningly beautiful,  the villages are chocolate box/jig saw puzzle pretty - timbered and thatched cottages, lovely churches etc.
The main events today were lunch at a very charming and eccentric establishment called Ye Old Steppes Tearoom in Pembridge and the tea stop by the most extraordinary hedge in a village called Brampton Bryan.

There are 21 of us, 9 women and 12 men on the cycle.  We have three guides with us who rotate the tasks of firstly driving the brew van and setting up the tea and coffee stops, secondly collecting the luggage from the B&Bs and delivering it to the next destination and thirdly cycling at the back as a sweeper and giving what help is necessary.

There are a few bike issues which the guides have solved although one guy had to ride a spare yesterday whilst his own was ferried to a bike shop. Unsurprisingly one or two injuries - nothing dramatic just ongoing problems playing up and sore muscles. However the Fire Service pitched up yesterday evening outside our Wetherspoons because one of our party had been stuck in the bathroom for an hour and a half!

I think we're now north of Watford Gap and tomorrow will be heading for Runcorn.

Day 4 - Hippy Heaven

DAY 4: Hippy Heaven (Glastonbury) to Monmouth

An absolutely lovely day to-day - 64 miles and, for the first time, billed as 'moderate' instead of 'hard'. We have reached Wales and turned a significant corner as we are now heading North instead of East.

A few flat miles after leaving Glastonbury this morning we found ourselves in a busy marketplace just outside Wells Cathedral. There followed the statutory monster climb, a brew stop at Chew Valley Lake and then the real excitement of the day began. Cycling over Clifton Suspension Bridge and the Severn Bridge, and neither disappointed - both magnificent structures offering wonderful views.

This afternoon we experienced what must be a dream scenario for most cyclists - a descent without the ascent! After a tea stop opposite Chepstow Racecourse we swooped down a three mile series of bends to a final reveal of the ruins of Tintern Abbey. We stopped for a cream tea before heading for the night's destination of Monmouth - the road taking us along the beautiful Wye valley with its strangely brown river.

Onwards and inevitably upwards in spite of complaining quad muscles.

Day 3

3 Counties in 3 days.

Very very hilly!!

Moretonhampstead to Glastonbury 72 miles and 5400ft climb. 

Great day – I was even 1st to brew van today – which shocked everyone!