LEJOG Day 18 - FINISH DAY!!!!!

Day 18: Dunbeath to John O'Groats - 39.14, 1611ft of climbing

The day I rode the last leg!

Getting ready for our last day's ride

And we are off!!

After a night in which the camper was getting thrown around by the wind (I slept through it though😁), despite it being parked in the shelter of a big building, today’s ride started a bit like yesterday’s ended. We rode onto the main road, onto a hill and into the wind. Dad said it was like Groundhog Day (another film I need to add to the “movies I need to watch list!). 

Weather didn't look too great! Very windy and rough seas!

But thankfully the road wasn’t too busy and the hills were small compared to yesterday. The wind was horrible though. But after about eight miles, we turned off and headed inland. I couldn’t get my head round how we had turned away from the see but we’re headed towards the sea😫😫. Dad was trying to explain it as we zoomed along. Yes, zoomed along. We’d not really noticed but suddenly we were flying with the wind behind us.

Turning off onto a much quieter road than the A9 / A99

Flying along with the wind behind us for a change

We passed an amazing prehistoric site called The Camster Cairns where ancient tribes used to bury their dead. We stopped and had a look around but I think both of us had our minds on finishing the ride. The road we were on was a country lane over bleak and barren moors but it was dead straight for miles. Dad told me that the Scots taught the Romans everything they knew about building straight roads but then had to build Hadrians wall to stop the “nasty Romans coming up here and stealing our haggis” (his words). Don’t worry, I can tell when dad is winding me up because I can see his lips moving🙄😂😂

Prehistoric site called The Camster Cairns

Couldn't have a day when I didn't stop to stroke animals

These horses were very friendly

We continued to the end of the dead straight lane, turned onto a new one and got half a mile before we found the lane was completely blocked by a huge yellow pipe. I don’t know what it was but we had to divert around it and saw one end go into a factory (and later in the camper saw the other end go into the sea). The diversion didn’t add much distance to the route but meant when we finally got to the sea (yes, ok, he was right that we were still riding to the sea😡), we had a mile or two longer to battle into the wind. The wind was horrible, dad said we were struggling to do 5 or 6 miles an hour on the flat bits. Dad tried to ride in front of me to block it but it was gusting from all around and we just had to battle on for 5miles. 

Finally the John O'Groats sign

John O'Groats 1/4 of a mile!

And then we saw the sign for John o’Groats. We coasted slowly down to the car park and saw the twins, mum and nanna and grandad and Jess the dog waiting. They were all wearing hats and gloves and big jackets and still freezing! 

Mum and the twins arrived before us and got their pictures by the sign!

Even Nanna, Grandad and Jess got their picture first

The twins got the flag and balloons ready in the warm cafe while they waited for us 

The twins waited at the corner cheering and showing us the way

We cycled straight up to the famous sign and had our pictures taken like we had two and a half weeks ago in Cornwall. There were countless photos with everyone, with and without bikes but I just wanted to get a hot chocolate! As soon as we stopped cycling, dad and I began to feel cold so eventually we managed to get into the cafe for some lunch and warm up. 

Emily and Tom helping us celebrate with balloons - it was VERY windy

With the Grand Appeal flag - one of my charities

We made it!

Dad and me lifting our bikes in celebration

I did it!

The iconic lifting bike in celebration photo!

The whole Killick team!

We decided not to stay at John O’Groats as  the campervan park was so windy and exposed and so headed down to Wick. 

The river in Wick where we are staying for the night

We found a lovely site on the river with a huge children’s play area next door so me and the twins spent an hour there while mum and dad tidied up and sorted out the van. We then walked down to town and hand a nice meal in a pub. We all had burgers which were lovely except Emily who had scampi.

Celebratory meal!

The final mileage is 971.59miles in 18 days (okay, 17 and a half days!) with a massive 44,170 feet climbed in total (that's a lot of hills!!!). The shortest day was 38 miles and the longest 68 miles. We’re about 29 miles short of 1000 which is bugging me and dad as well so we’ve already talked about going out and finishing off that distance. Not tomorrow though - tomorrow is a family day with no cycling and lots of relaxing!

The day after LEJOG - no miles cycled, but some walking across fields and small climbs on foot!

Mum said today felt like the start of a holiday and the fact that we had smashed our timescale for the ride means that we now have bonus days too! Nanna and Grandad are staying up near here for a whole week (because they weren't expecting us to have arrived yet!) so we've decided to stay here another day too. The weather has also improved again and was beautiful all today.

First we popped into Nanna and Grandad's cottage so they could do some washing for us and we could all have a look around... it's very nice! Then we headed to the Castle of Mey which was bought by the Queen Mother in the 50s and she then restored it and used it as a holiday home. Price Phillip still visits for about 10 days every August. We had a brilliant guide who showed us around and told us loads of funny stories about the Queen Mother. Then we had a picnic in the gardens just like she used to do every day!

The view to the sea from the castle

Family picture with the castle in the background - One of the castle wardens even gave me some money for my charities after hearing that I had cycled LEJOG 

Waiting to go on our tour of the inside

After lunch we got back in the camper and drove to Dunnet Head which is actually the most northerly point on the mainland (not John O'Groats like everyone thinks) - It was stunningly beautiful. Mum said she could have sat there for hours just looking out to sea. We were very excited that we could see puffins mixed in with other sea birds through the binoculars on the rocks and in the water.

The most northerly point in mainland UK

Mum and Dad were matching today with their coats, hats and sunglasses - Dad says like 'Howard and Hilda' another programme I've never seen!

Me puffin spotting

Beautiful sea views

The weather was glorious

Then we headed off to Duncansby Head which is the other side of John O'Groats. On the way there we stopped at a petting farm (I needed my daily fix of stroking animals of course!) they had pigs, donkeys, chickens, goats, ducks, rabbits and sheep and I loved it all. Tom and Emily really enjoyed it as well. Jess kept trying to chase the rabbits.

Emily and Tom loved feeding the goats carrots the most
I liked the lambs!

Then we drove to Duncansby Head, parked the van and walked across the headland to see the famous stacks. They are rocks which have been eroded over time by the sea (I've learnt all about erosion in Geography!) and they look like witches hats.

Birds were nesting in this cliff face

The stacks which look like witches hats

Another picture of Howard and Hilda!?

Then we headed home for a pasta tea after a play in the play ground - clearly we've not had enough over the last 2 weeks!

I had to do the washing up tonight - Emily says that now I'm not a VIP anymore I have to pull my weight and do the chores as well as them! Mum says that she will need a social media holiday after all of this! - Twitter and Facebook have been going mental today with loads of lovely comments about my achievement. I have also 'almost' doubled my fundraising target so I'm now hoping to build a football pitch with a fence at Jong school, Cambodia (which was another of UWS targets for this year) as well as train 4 teachers. Music Therapy staff at the Bristol Children's Hospital will also be able to visit more sick children - I am hoping to be able to shadow one the the music therapists one day to see what they do.

We are going to leave here tomorrow and head south a little bit. Dad wants to take us to Loch Lomond and Loch Ness and mum loved the scenery in the Cairngorms National Park when she drove through it, Emily wants to swim in the sea so who knows where we will end up over the next few days.... and there is that small matter of 29 miles still to complete to reach my 1000 miles target!!...

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My Twitter page: @12_lejog

Article about my LEJOG adventures written by cyclesprog

LEJOG day 17

Lejog Day 17: Evanton to Dunbeath - 65.07miles, 3550ft of climbing

We decided over breakfast to ride farther than originally planned today. The weather forecast wasn’t that nice for the evening so we thought we’d stay in another campsite (with showers, electricity etc) rather than wild camping somewhere. The only place we could find though was 65 miles away!
We left at 9am though and set off. Straight onto a hill and into a headwind which was pretty much the theme of today’s ride! Actually, the wind became a gusty cross wind at times so wasn’t all headwind🙄😜. We were due to be cycling up the east coast all day.

Lots of wind coming off the sea today

It felt like a real slog this morning. We passed a sign at one point that said 85 miles to John o’Groats. We rode for what seemed like ages and the next sign said 84 miles to John O’Groats!

First sign to John O'Groats that we've seen

We started off as usual on quiet roads parallel to the A9. But then had no other choice but to join the A9. Most of the time we didn’t even have the cycle path so just had to cope on the main road for 35 miles! The A9 is the only road heading north so all traffic goes on it. Sometimes it is duel carriageway, but mostly today it was a windy country road with lots of ups and downs including two switch-backs - lorries travel on this road! - Thankfully there are regular laybys for us to stop in if traffic gets stuck behind us.

Stopped in a layby

Some of the views from today - not the blues skies we've been used to!

A quad bike would have been easier getting up the hills!

That's me in the distance!

We planned to meet mum for lunch at 1pm but they had a problem with the camper so didn’t catch up with us until 2pm. We were starving and had ridden 43miles! But the sun came out and for a while, the wind died down a little too.

Stone commemorating the last wolf to be killed in Sutherland around the 1700s!

After lunch we almost immediately got to Helmsdale (where we’d originally planned to spend the night) and then the real hills started! One really long, slow one into the wind and then the really horrible steep one with switchbacks which was probably as bad as anything we came across in Devon. We couldn’t even have fun coming down the hills as the wind was so strong. Quite a few times we were blown towards the side of the road by gusts and lorries going past fast on the other side of the road did the same.

You can see the road we had cycled in the distance and in the foreground one of the switchback climbs.
Pictures never do the steepness justice though!

Another switchback!

Having a quick rest - Newport is a long way from home!

Finally, we could see the caravan park over on the other side of the valley so one more hill and thankfully, it wasn’t too steep.
Mum was really pleased to see us, it had been pretty hairy driving the camper in the wind too (and I think she was worried about us). Pasta for tea (what a surprise!). The showers in this site were lovely too! Dad and I are both feeling tired but the advantage of riding extra distance today is that we have a shorter day tomorrow and we won't have to do those huge hills! We are hoping to go inland off the A9 tomorrow so avoiding the traffic and the high winds which again are forecast for our last day of cycling..... ONLY 38ish MILES TO GO!!!!! SO EXCITING!

LEJOG days 15 & 16

Day 15 Blair Atholl to Aviemore - 56miles 2789ft of climbing

Reading Harry Potter at breakfast!

All dressed up warm to start the day

We left the nice campsite at Blair Atholl and turned on to the road towards Inverness, passing Blair Castle in the distance. 

Blair Castle

Most of today was spent on the old A9 road. Mostly it was smooth tarmac but in places was becoming broken and potholed. But it was fine to cycle on. 

Nice things to see on the cycle routes!

Dad showed me the profile before we left and the first third of today’s ride was to be climbing as we had to get over the Pass of Drumochter, which also happens to be the highest place on the National Cycle Route in Scotland. In the event, as the valley got narrower, the wind got stronger and to help us it was right behind us. It was really helping us the hill. At one point, on a flat bit, we were accelerating without pedalling just from the wind. I didn’t envy the people cycling the other way, it was a really cold wind too!

The highest point on the Scottish cycle network

We've been lucky and only had sunny weather so far!

Once over the pass we met mum for lunch and then cycled past the Dalwhinnie Distillery where they make whisky but didn’t see many other villages or towns.

Whisky Distillery sign on the cycle path

We definitely felt we were in the middle of nowhere but the scenery was beautiful. Yet again the sun was shining and although it was cold (today was the first day dad didn’t take his coat off all day!), when the sun came out from behind the clouds it felt warmer. By the time we got to our campsite in Aviemore, there wasn’t a cloud in sight and mum was working in the camper van with the door wide open!  

Some of the beautiful scenery we saw today

We saw far fewer sheep (and lambs!) today and those that we did see were just white dots far away on the hills. We did see lots of horses though and I got to feed a couple of lovely ones near Aviemore. 

Today was a great day of cycling. It was cold and sometimes we had a headwind but I had a lot more energy than yesterday and most of the time the wind helped us!

Bush fire

Snow on the mountains in the Cairngorms National Park

Snow on the mountains in the Cairngorms National Park

The twins arrived this evening with Nanna and Grandad who had driven all day from Manchester to get here. It's much more squished in the camper van and I think mum will have lost her peaceful days!

Emily and Tom are sharing the bottom bunk! Top and tailing - I hope they don't wriggle!

I'm on the top bunk - the twins are underneath!

Day 16: Aviemore to Evanton - 52.76miles 2526ft of climbing
The twins joined us in the camper last night. Nanna and grandad were here dropping them off so I got to bed a little later then I have done. Jess the dog was also with us too!

Jess liked being in the camper van overnight

Even so we managed to leave at 9am and headed straight off towards Inverness. Once again, we followed quiet roads and the cycle path parallel to the busy A9 road. There was quite a bit of climbing early on but it was mostly fairly gentle. We saw a few lambs today but certainly not as many as further south. We did see a lot of rabbits, birds of prey, hoses and cows (still can’t get them to eat grass from my hand though!). We still haven’t seen a red squirrel 🐿 despite all the signs saying to look out for them.

The cows won't come and eat from my hand!

We did find some nice downhill bits after all the climbing and were able to coast downhill nice and fast. Not far from Inverness (but it felt like the middle of nowhere) dad got another puncture. He put in a new inner tube this time. I ate biscuits and watched! The weather was sunny but there was a wind and we very quickly got cold when we stopped so had to put on extra layers. Which we then had to take off again!

Dad repairing his second puncture of the trip so far!

Inverness really wasn’t very big (although we didn’t go right through the middle). We had to cross the Moray Firth on the busy A9 bridge on the road as the cycle lane was closed but that was fine.

Moray Firth Bridge

Nanna and Grandad meeting us for lunch

We stopped at the other side and waited for mum to appear with lunch in the camper van. Nanna and Grandad also arrived so we managed to squeeze 7 for lunch in the camper. 

Had another Cadbury's cream egg today. Chocolate is definitely keeping me going!

We’d ridden 35miles before lunch so only had another 15 or so to go but they all seemed to be uphilll! Some of the hills out of Dingwall really were quiet steep but at last we got to the top and it was a gentle downhill all the way to Evanton where we are staying.

Nanna and Grandad are staying up the road in a pub so we went there for tea. It makes a nice change not to be eating pasta for tea. So I had pizza instead!