Tuesday 5^th August. 61 Miles:
Milton Keynes to Leicester. Hottest day of the year so far! About 9 hours on the road, 6 hours cycling which I ‘spose means 3 hours resting, eating etc. Went Bradwell to Northampton up route 6 then the Brampton Valley Way (which included 2 blissfully cool ex-railway tunnels) to Market Harborough. Route 64: Great Bowden, Welham, Cranoe, Glooston and Goadby then it turns into 63: Noseley (where I ran out of energy), Illston on the Hill, Gaulby, Kings Norton, Stoughton and into the very familiar Evington. Sunburn on the back of my neck and possible slow puncture. Thankfully, staying with friends...

Wednesday 6^th August. 3 Miles:
Getting spares, seam-sealing my new tent and regaining my strength in Leicester.

Thursday 7^th August. 44 Miles:
Ride to Loughborough and onto Derby, protecting my sunburn with a large Middle Eastern headscarf. Seeing friends in Derby.

Friday 8^th August:
Chilling out in Derby.

Saturday 9^th August. 2 Miles:
Back to Leicester by train to see my mates for the weekend.

Sunday 10^th August:
First real rain, the heatwave is almost over. Leicester with a side trip to Wolverhampton by car.

Monday 11^th August. 50 Miles:
Train back to Derby then rode Nottingham via the Sherwood forest where I'm camping.

Tuesday 12^th August. 43 Miles:
Another snapped spoke, then more off-road style biking along the cycle route to Rotheram. Then Train to Leeds to meet up with friends and family.

Wednesday 13^th August. 3 Miles:
Still in Leeds. Gathering skipped wood for making a cupboard out of. Sleeping under the stars in my friends back garden during the Perseid Shower so LOTS of shooting stars. An amazing experience.

Thursday 14^th August. 10 Miles:
In Leeds, cycling the Meanwood train to The Hollies and the Alwoodley Crags.

Friday 15^th August.
Still in Leeds. Need to get moving!

Saturday 16^th August. 19 Miles:
Train Leeds to Selby then nice easy ride along 65 through Howden to Laxton then turn off to Saltmarshe. Seeing relatives.

Sunday 17^th August. 53 Miles:
Turned over 3000 miles on my Brompton today whilst passing through Faxfleet (that is total milage on my Brompton since new, not what I did today - to clarify for som of you readers). My ride took me along the Yorkshire Ouse then up over the Wolds bypassing Beverly and Driffield. Eventually down Staxton hill. Camping near there.

Monday 18^th August. 44 Miles:
Biked Staxton, Seamer, Ayton, Silpho then over the Moors to Sneaton, Ruswarp and Whitby. Camping on a exposed cliff top near the Abbey.

Tuesday 19^th August. 18 Miles:
Whitby, Ruswarp, Sleights, Grosmont and Glaisdale. Then the 1 in 3's got a bit much for me so got the train to Darlington... Staying with family this eve.

Wednesday 20^th August. 42 Miles:
Got a lift to Bishop Auckland then cycled along old railway lines past Durham, Langley Park, Lanchester, Cossett, Rowlands Gill to gateshead and Newcastle. Staying at the Youth Hostel.

Thursday 21^st August. 10 Miles:
Having some problems with my cheapie Shimano clipless pedals. Also it's raining and I'm in Newcastle. A warm Internet cafe seems the place to be... err maybe it's stopped raining now. Will be staying with relatives this evening.

Friday 22^nd August. 61 Miles:
Getting slightly lost out of Newcastle then Tynemouth onto route 1, Whitley bay, Seaton Sluice, Blyth, Bedlington Station, East Seekburn around an Alcan Aluminium plant whith its own power station (and coal mine?), Snab Point around Druridge bay to Amble, Warkworth where they have a very impressive castle and a full campsite. Straight up the A1068 to Alnwich by-passing the very picturesque Alnmouth. Camping at the Rugby ground in Alnwick. Rugby grounds make excellent campsites - more clubs should open theirs up in the summer months...

Saturday 23^rd August. 51 Miles:
Alnwick, Seahouses, Bamburgh, Belford then followed the East Coast Mainline up. Staying in friendly campsite outside Berwick-on-Tweed ideally located for high-speed trains! A whole family of Dahon Getaway V owners so was able to talk folding bike. Met all the freaks and geeks today: on my way encountered 2 Germans cycling the North Sea Cycle Route and a couple with a tricycle tanden, half of which was made in Wales!

Sunday 24^th August. 47 Miles:
Rode up the Tweed river going into Scotland, back into England several times. Cycled through Norham where a carnival seemed to be going on. By-passed Coldstream, went through Kelso. A lot of up and down so fairly glad to see the Youth Hostel in Melrose.

Monday 25^th August. 59 Miles:
Melrose, Galashiels, Innerleithen then up into the Moorfoot Hills (404 Meters). Great view over the Firth of Forth. Down through Dalkeith, Musselburgh and to Edinburgh. Staying with friends.

Tuesday 26^th August. 1 Mile:
Getting myself organised in Edinburgh. Dealing with my pedal problem and getting a bike bag.

Wednesday 27^th August. 10 Miles:
Still in the Scottish Capital.

Thursday 28^th August. 8 Miles:
Got to Glasgow on the train. Say Sanctuary expo on Human Rights at the Gallery of Modern Art. Moving stuff. Staying at the Backpackers Hostel and seeing some live music in the evening.

Friday 29^th August. 16 Miles:
Went to Oban by train, then to Lochboisdale by ferry. Cycled on to Howmore (South Uist), staying at a basic but very friendly hostel.

Saturday 30^th August:
Chilling out at Howmore, going to the beach and enjoying this great place!

Sunday 31^st August. 17 Miles:
Cycled to Benbecula, staying in Balivanich near the airforce base and with lots of midgies...

Monday 1^st September. 39 Miles:
Rode Benbecula, through North Uist and missed my ferry to Leverburgh because of the tidal conditions. Staying at another simple Hostel in Berneray, right on the beach.

Tuesday 2^nd September. 3 Miles:
Very lazy day, just took the ferry to Leverburgh and staying at a nice Hostel at the other side. Meeting up with friends there.

Wednesday 3^rd September. 33 Miles:
Rode the East side of Harris to Tarbert. Breathtaking scenery. Along the way met a fellow cyclist so today have a travelling partner. From Tarbert went to a Hostel in Rhenigidale. This is a community that until a dozen years or so ago didn't have road access! Consequently the new road is very steep - very hard work for someone with just six gears...

Thursday 4^th September. 34 Miles:
Got blown UP the hill out of Rhenigidale. Along the A859 to Stornoway. This is a real small, Lampeter-without-University-but-with-ferry-terminal type of place. Has a woolies so maybe Cardigan...

Friday 5^th September:
Still in Stornoway, chilling out. Mending puncture.

Saturday 6^th September:
Went for a walk up to Ness with a couple from the Hostel. Got bitten by midgies and ticks. Say the Butt of Lewis(!)

Sunday 7^th September:
It's Sunday so nothing happens here. Making new friends at the Hostel

Monday 8^th September:
Stornoway to Ullapool by ferry.

Tuesday 9^th September. 70 Miles:
Ullapool all the way up the (quiet) A-roads to Durness. Staying at the Hostel there.

Wednesday 10^th September. 30 Miles:
Rode to Tounge - like the body part - very beautiful part of the world.

Thursday, September 11^th 24 Miles:
Discovered this morning that I have a slow puncture. ode to Bettyhill OK. Along the way met a couple from Melbourne on a Bike Friday Tandem. Got lots of friendly advice about Australia. Had a mechanical problem with Brompton broke one of bolts holding luggage block to frame. Got lift with local vet to Thurso and met lots of helpful people at the bike shop who helped me solve my problem. After this caught the ferry from Scrabster to Stromness.

Friday 12^th September:
Went to Hoy on a small ferry, went across to see the Old Man and walk along the clifftops and sitting by the beach.

Saturday 13^th September:
Got a lift to Kirkwall Youth Hostel. Catching up with people I met earlier in my journey.

Sunday 14^th September. 62 Miles:
Cycled Kirkwall along route one, Loch Kirbster up to the Neolithic village of Skara Brae. Around top of the mainland, beautiful coast looking toward Rousay.

Monday 15^th September. 23 Miles:
Doing some shopping, then biked to the Italian Chapel and into Deerness, looped back to Kirkwall.

Tuesday 16^th September. 4 Miles:
Flew to Papa Westray (Papay) in a 10 seater (inc. 2 pilots) aircraft. Staying at the Youth Hostel.

Wednesday 17^th September. 20 Miles:
Exploring Papay, saw the farmstead that's older than Skara Brae. Met some interesting locals and enjoyed the sunshine on this tiny island. Flight back to Kirkwall airport was great too.Back to the Youth Hostel there.

Thursday 18^th September. 32 Miles:
Cycled to Maes Howe to see the Neolithic tomb with Viking rune Graffiti !!! Onto the stones of Stenness, the ring of Brodgar and a Neolithic village nearby. Biked back an alternative route to Kirkwall seeing rainbows aplenty. Thinking whats the difference between C19 Vandalism on Brodgar and C12 (?) rune carving at Maes Howe? The perspective brought on by the passage of time...ferry to Lerwick.

Friday 19^th September. 1 Mile:
Very tired after bad night on the ferry, topped off by getting a soaking on the way to the Youth Hostel.

Saturday, Sunday 19 & 20^th September.
Relaxing.

21 to 24^th September.
With the impending pressure of going to the Southern Hemisphere I decided to take it easy in Shetland. Far too windy and rainy for cycling although I did do a little bit. Went to Scalloway, which is a tiny but interesting place, where the 'Shetland Bus' worked from in WWII. It was a real mission getting home to West Wales: Northlink ferry to Aberdeen, Virgin Train to Bristol (crossing the Forth bridge!) and then onto Great Western back to Carmarthen.

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