Day 14 – The Longest Ride

Knowing that today was the longest stage of the trip, we were up early for breakfast of salty porridge and toast made from home baked bread at The Crask Inn.  The weather forecast was for mixed showers to start followed by clearer weather.  As we ate breakfast the view of the hills and the colour of the sky and clouds changed constantly.  If you don’t like the weather round here, wait five minutes because it will change!

Loading the car next to the National Cycle Network Milepost

The generator had been running for the first hour of the day to keep the lights on, but had stopped by the time I left.  The Crask was built as a trader’s inn to help goods flow in and out of the Highlands.  Today it is used by walkers, hunters, fishermen and cyclists.  As I left, Michael, the Landlord, assured me I was going to enjoy 30 miles of the best cycling in Europe and he was right!  I set off north, just ahead of the rain and enjoyed the undulating single track road and the views of the clouds topping the mountains.  However, I was soon into my rain jacket as the weather overtook me.  Bizarrely in the middle of nowhere

I spotted a single sign at the side of the road in German warning “Achtung - Lammer auf der Strasse” – beware lambs in the road.  I guess many Germans drive this way to the North coast, but having made it this far I doubt they would struggle to understand the signs in English!

As the weather cleared, I heard and then spotted two RAF jets practising dog fighting high up in the blue sky - that must be quite a buzz!  Fiona overtook me, pausing to check all was going well, and I rode on with the weather improving all the time.  The miles rolled by on the smooth road surface with only occasional farm traffic and the post van to content with.  Forests, rivers, hills and lakes, peat moor and farmland made an ever changing vista.  I paused for a few minutes to watch a pair of Buzzards swooping from fence to stone wall to tree top calling all the time with a high pitched whistle.  Michael at the Crask Inn had said there was a chance of spotting a golden eagle on my way north and I would know it by the size, but I didn’t see one.

I was amused at one point to note that I was on an A road that still had passing places for traffic!  Reaching the north coast at Bettyhill I was pleased to see the sea and turned east and began a more arduous stage of the journey with steep hills and descents as the main road followed the coast line.  I had 15 miles of this to do before lunch at the half way point and worked hard to keep up the pace as I had arranged to meet the RSPB Reserve Manager at 3.30pm.  I appreciated the tail wind up the steep hills – the headwinds of Cornwall seemed a long time ago and it was all balancing out in the end!

After lunch of soup and cheesy chips at the Hallidale Inn at Melvich we chatted with the landlord. He had recently bought an electric powered mountain bike (!) and was enjoying whizzing up and down the hills power assisted.  He recalled a round-the-world walker and a 15 year old on a unicycle each passing through on their way to John O’Groats in years gone by.  The unicycle apparently had a brake lever under the saddle, so I think it must had had a geared hub and a freewheel, but I was impressed by the rider’s efforts as he had taken just a month to complete the trip.

I pressed on as fast as I could as for one of the first times on the ride I had a deadline.  I had just over two hours to complete the 30 miles to Dunnet Head.  I whizzed down the hills and hauled myself up the other side with the GPS estimated time of arrival changing radically depending whether I was climbing or descending.  With the good fortune of an ever stronger tailwind, I raced along and was only momentarily worried when the coastline seemed to go further north than I could possibly complete in the time remaining.  I soon realised that I was looking across to Hoy, the largest of the Orkney Islands!  I passed the Dounreay Nuclear Power station, amused by the fact it is now surrounded by a couple of wind farms and wondered why I could hear what sounded like shooting!  I realised later it was bird scarers keeping flocks off the runway at RAF Dounreay.

Making a donation to The RSPB at Dunnet Head

I hadn’t thought about Dunnet Head being on a hill, but the clue is in the name – it is a headland above steep cliffs and as I climbed up I was riding into the wind.  I knew it would have been a very different day if the wind had been blowing the opposite direction!  I arrived 15 minutes earlier than planned and was met by Dave Jones the Reserve Manager.  We chatted for a while about the ride, the reserve and all the different birds that lived there.  I learned that Puffins lose most of their beaks in winter, re-growing a new beak for display in the spring.  We watched four Gannets swooping low over the sea as the wind blew in squalls of rain.

Done it! We had reach John O'Groats!

After photos of making a donation to The RSPB, I headed back off Dunnet Head, travelling south for the first time in a fortnight and then east for the final hour to John O’Groats.  The houses were sparse and the landscape flat as I reached the end of the mainland.  I completed the final miles at a good speed and arrived at John O’Groats at 4.45pm to be greeted by a small but enthusiastic crowd (well just Fiona actually!).  We shared a hot drink and took photos at the famous sign, pleased that it had not yet been taken in for the night.

However, my journey was not quite over.  Dave Jones from The RSPB had pointed out that the furthest point from Land’s End was actually Duncansby Head lighthouse two miles down the coast.  Knowing that, I clearly had to get back on my bike once more and make the short ride and the final climb to the furthest point.  As I arrived the sun was setting and I cast a long shadow up to the lighthouse.  That was it, the journey was done and I could thank Fiona for all her support and load my faithful single speed bike onto the bike rack and head for home.

No Road Left - The end of the ride at Duncansby Head Lighthouse

In total I had ridden 92.5 miles in 8½ hours elapsed and just over 6 hours moving at an average of 15.3mph and a maximum of 40.9mph!

Time to head home