16 June - Loch Ness to Bonar Bridge
The team started out the day cycling north along Loch Ness under an overcast sky and stopped at Drumnadrochit for breakfast. The climb out of Drumnadrochit involved a punishing long, steep hill (steep like the ones in the Lake District and Yorkshire but long like those in Devon) which was really tough but which they conquered! They then continued cycling north along the A833 enjoying occasional bursts of sunshine and stopping at Beauly (at the Western end of the Beauly Firth) for lunch. During lunch they were out of the wind enjoying the sun but after that it became overcast and drizzly.
David gave an interview to Moray Firth Radio today (based in Inverness, broadcasting throughout highlands area) and the interview will be broadcast on Wednesday at 10.45am (by which point the team will be cycling the final stretch along the northern coastal road from Tongue to John O'Groats). David also plans to call Caithness FM who are based in Thurlo (located on that final stretch of northern coastline).
Today the team were met by a friend of Bruce's, Mike Peaker, who was a former squadron commander at RAF Kinross and who bought them a coffee!
From Beauly the team continued north to Dingwall (at the Western end of the Cromarty Firth) where they stopped at a bicycle shop to get an inner tube for David.
They continued through the drizzle, not getting too wet but battling other long steep hills similar but not quite as bad the first. From Dingwall they cycled north-east along the northern shore of the Cromarty Firth before bearing north inland "over the top" rather than following the coastal road. They cycled north until they joined the A836 running alongside the southern coast of the Dornoch Firth from where they continued heading west. Then then turned north to cross the firth and reach Bonar Bridge (just south-east of Culrain).
They arrived at the Kyle House Bed & Breakfast at Bonar Bridge at around 6.45pm and promptly sat down to feast on a pack of goodies received as a Father's Day present from David's daughter Becky - including Italian cheese and red onion crisps, oat cakes and Green and Black's chocolate. They then headed to the pub for a well earned meal and drink!
17 June - Bonar Bridge to Tongue - 68 miles
Complete account of today to follow (phone reception in Tongue is bad)....
The team stopped for lunch in a hamlet called Crask where they enjoyed some malt whisky (off the top shelf)! They cycled north to Tongue but towards the end Neil and David split off to the west to explore Ben Hope and see some sights, whilst Bruce headed directly north along the main road to Tongue. Neil and David cycled towards the coast and around Ben Hope, one of the highest mountains in Scotland and the most northerly mountain in the Munro range. First they saw Ben Hope in the distance and then from the slopes they had some good views up and down the valley. They stopped briefly, but were very cold and wet through so headed down the northern coast road to Tongue, downhill all the way. En route they witnessed a BMW motorcycle that had crashed in a ditch and whose passenger was airlifted to hospital. They arrived cold and wet to the Tongue Scottish Youth Hostel where they and Bruce enjoyed an Indian take-away and a bottle of wine.
18 June - Tongue to John O' Groats
(Update of day to follow)
The team arrived at the finish line at about 6.25pm, where they were met by some friends, a representative of the Parkinson's Disease Society, serenaded by a Scottish piper and provided with wine and cake. After a short celebration they then cycled the remaining 3 miles to John O' Groats Youth Hostel where they enjoyed crisps and champagne!
They will be heading home tomorrow so will be able to give you their own accounts of the trip from then on!
