After finishing the ride we went into holiday mode. A boat trip to the Orkneys where we had brilliant weather for the day an then a slow trip down the west coast of Scotland where the weather has been wet and not too cold but the scenery was beautiful.

To finish the blog here are some photos of the Scottish seaside & countryside.

We woke up to rain this morning but we were warm & dry in our whiskey barrel!

I geared up with the wet weather gear & hit the road for one last time. However the rain had stopped once I was on my way & the day turned out to be the best weather yet. The further north we went the warmer it got, all the way to 22 degrees!

After climbing through woodland the ride then shadowed the shore line on the A9. It was not the most pleasant of rides due to the traffic but the cars & trucks generally gave me plenty of room. As we progressed northwards the traffic became much lighter & the ride more enjoyable.

Mundi was able to shadow me today because we were on the main road so it was good to catch up with her from time to time.

When I finally turned off the main road I had 49 kms of straight tailwind riding under a sunny sky, a great way to finish the adventure.

Rolling into John O’Groats I was greeted by a piper & a crowd cheering me in. Mundi has done it again I thought, but no it was the finish of the Run Britanica LeJog an ultra marathon running race. It was good for my ego anyway, & some of the runners came up to congratulate me.

I’ve used the “Royal we” frequently because it has been a team effort & without Mundi’s help, support & encouragement my adventures wouldn’t happen, so big thanks to Mundi and to everyone else who left messages of support.

Distance 190 kms Ascent 1,660 metres

The day started gray but dry as I set off. There was mist on the hills but with a tail wind & some prolonged downhills progress was quite fast in the morning.

I crossed the highest points of the ride, but with a lot of climbing over the past few days they were not difficult at all.

The route followed The A9 on a variety of bike paths & quiet roads. As I get closer to John O’ Groats I’m seeing more & more riders. There were several couples today including one on a tandem.

The landscape changed from wooded forest to seascapes as the day wore on. This area is known for the red squirrels as the grey ones have pushed them out of the rest of the UK. I kept my eyes peeled but all I found was the warning signs. I did see a deer though.

After bouts of sunshine the sky finally let loose and I was soaked but the sun came back out again this was then repeated another 3 times so I was thankful to be wearing a good water proof jacket.

Tonight we’re not in the camper as we decided to treat ourselves & stayed in a whisky barrel! With no cooking facilities we opted for a takeaway delivered to the door.

I actually beat Mundi here today as she was playing tourist back at Blair Atholl Castle, which has an interesting history. One story is that Queen Victoria once stayed here & was so impressed with the hospitality that she granted then the right to bear arms. To this day the family has the only private army in Europe.

Tomorrow is the last day, John O’Groats here we come!

Distance 179 kms Ascent 1,971 metres

Lo & behold there was sunshine when we woke this morning and it stayed that way all day. It was still cold at first but it warmed as the day wore on, topping out at around 15 degrees. I rode most of the day in short sleeves, the first time since day one.

The route wound around the outskirts of Edinburgh and over the famous Forth Road bridge with views of the rail bridge.

It was then back into the country side with its rolling hills and spectacular views. I took many photos but they don’t always do justice to what the eye can see.

The roads were mostly traffic free & when it did occasionally transition to an A road there was usually a separate bike path away from the traffic. There were a few cycle tourists out and about too as it is a popular area to ride in.

When I arrived at Blair Atholl castle Mundi had the campsite all set up so it was into the shower & then stretch the aches out.

Mundi prepared another gourmet meal, no easy feat in the camper, then we went for an evening walk to look at the castle. Two more days to go!

Distance 162 km Ascent 1,326 metres

Today started off cold but dry though I could see rain in the distance.

The route was all tarmac & made for easy traveling particularly with a helpful wind most of the way. We left Cumbria & made our way to Gretna in Scotland. In times past Gretna was the go to place for the English who wanted to be married without the usual waiting period, some 10,000+ apparently!

Along the way there were castles including the one in Carlisle as the borders were notorious for the conflicts between the Scots & the English.

I also passed the UK’s tallest man made structure the Skelton Radio Tower.

Once into Scotland we passed through Lockerbie now remembered for the terrorist attack that brought down a plane.

It was then into the beautiful countryside and on to our camp spot in Biggar. The rain that had threatened all day finally hit for the last 20 kms of the ride but with the wind behind me I hardly felt it.

Distance 163 kms Ascent 1,690 metres

We woke up to this view & sunshine but 20 minutes later it was raining. The forecast was for continued rain throughout the day so it wasn’t much use waiting for it to lift. With rain falling & 7 degrees temperature I set off.

Fortunately the towpaths were wide & clear of vegetation so apart from the wet & the cold, did I mention it was cold, it was better going than yesterday. I was on the busy A6 road for part of the morning but the traffic was well behaved. It also had service stations & I treated myself to a hot toastie which warmed me from the inside.

After Lancaster the rain stopped & I started to dry out. I must be acclimatising because when it got to 14 degrees I felt warm, mind you it took until the afternoon for it to get off 7 degrees!

I was now heading into the Yorkshire dales and some gorgeous scenery. It was hilly with Sharp Fell being the longest at around 10 kms but not unbearably difficult.

We’re now in Penrith in the Lake District, past the half way mark, and tomorrow we cross into Scotland.

Distance 181 kms Ascent 1,100 metres

Today’s route was half tarmac & half gravel towpaths & rail trails but after starting on a well maintained trail it deteriorated to an overgrown single track that threatened to pull me into the canal. My arms & legs copped the brunt of the spiky undergrowth.

The canals were a lot busier today with the boats moving in both directions. The locks were being used constantly so I managed to get some pics of a boat moving through.

Many of the owners were busily painting the boats & I even saw one mowing the grass in front of his.

It was definitely the worst day so far, mentally rather than physically, as the battle with the undergrowth took its toll. And even when I was on tarmac it was skirting major cities so was busy & not very pleasant.

To top it off the last 8 kms was on a muddy, rocky, goat track that took me 40 minutes to ride, sibling in fact that I missed Mundi who had been waiting for me.

Hopefully tomorrow will be more enjoyable!

We have no internet tonight so pics will have to wait until tomorrow

Distance 190 km Ascent 1,147 metres

If 190 km on a bike could be called a rest day then this was it. After the hills of Cornwall & Devon the journey from Somerset to Worcestershire was relatively flat & with a helpful tailwind most of the way it was pretty easy going.

It was cloudy but dry when I set off, it drizzled briefly mid morning but then cleared to a sunny afternoon which made for a pleasant ride.

Skirting Bristol & yard after yard of new vehicles fresh off the boat was not the most pleasant of the ride to date but once the Severn bridge into Wales was sighted the scenery improved as I was back into the quiet roads & lanes.

The route was again a mixture of quiet roads & lanes, bike paths & canal towpaths. A lot of these are part of the National Cycle Network, a system of highways for bikes. The routes are given numbers just like the normal road system and are marked with blue waypoints indicating the direction of travel. It certainly helps with the navigation.

The towpaths today were more scenic as the canals were bigger and had more traffic & canal boats to look at. Some of these are pleasure craft but many are permanent homes for people. There are a series of locks to navigate as the boats move up & down and some of the bridges are low so need to be raised for them to pass.

When I finally arrived at our campsite Jim & Jo were there to meet me.

The body is holding up well so far & my back hasn’t let me down yet, probably because I’m taking it relatively easy with frequent stops for pics & food. One third of the way down & looking forward to the rest of the trip.

Distance 171 kms Ascent 1,420 metres

The route today traversed the hills of North Devon & moved on to the flat landscape of the Somerset Levels.

It was raining when we woke this morning so a little lie in was called for. The rain eventually lifted a bit so off I went, but it rained off & on for the rest of the day.

It was very hilly for the first 50 kms either going up or down. One of the joys of climbing is the rush of the descent but with the narrow lanes it’s not possible as you need to be slow enough to stop for any oncoming traffic.

A lot of the route today consisted of canal paths & rail trails which as well as being traffic free, were very picturesque. The views from the lanes were pretty good too. But with the wet weather it made for a dirty ride too, even with the mudguards.

Distance 203 km Ascent 2794 metres

The day started cold & windy – 11 degrees and didn’t really warm up until late in the day getting to a moderate 21degrees. It was still chilly in the wind though. Mundi, support crew extraordinaire, and Martin & Jane braved the cold to see me off.

The route took me past St Michaels Mount but once past the more built up areas I was into little narrow lanes, bike paths and single track gravel paths.

It rained a little bit about 2 hours in to the journey but with the wind I soon dried out once it stopped.

It took me from Cornwall with its many old tin mines to the windswept Moors of North Devon, beside the Camel river, passing old weathered farm houses an old WW2 airfield and many steep hills!

Our camp site just outside of Haverleigh has a beautiful outlook & a quick trip to the Tally Ho Pub for a meal was a relaxing way to finish the day.