Wick to John O'Groats, Dunnet Head, and Thurso, then finally onto Inverness - a very long day.
Decided to get to John O'Groats sooner rather than later today as I heard that there's not always someone there to stamp your card with date & time as proof of your visit - a long way to go so nice to have some proof, especially since this became a sponsored effort. As a result I passed up the chance to ride to Duncansby Head and to see Duncansby Stacks in the opposite direction for 3 miles riding into a very strong and gusty wind. I had thought I really should have gone the extra 3 miles (6 miles round trip) as you're only in the area once - but there is a train strike in Scotland and I will need to get home asap after completing this ride.
As predicted, it was difficult to find 'the book' to sign. 'The book' goes back a very long way and has the signatures of people who have completed the End-to-End challenge and some details of their epic journeys. The old hotel was closed and the touristy area didn't have a book. I found a book to sign futher back along the road - I had already passed this hotel a mile or so back. This hotel also had an official stamp so I stopped for a cuppa and filled in their book and had my documents stamped. Sadly I was unable to look up when Barrie Clarke made the trip - this book didn't go back that far.
Nothing much to do here so after a few J O'G photo's I decided to ride on to Dunnet Head, the most northerly point on the mainland. Whilst this was a significant detour from my return route home, it was worthwhile. It is a very natural (unspoilt) area and very beautiful. I took several photo's there. Fantastic flaura / fauna - not sure which, probably both !
Met a couple riding around the coast of mainland brittain on motor cycles - that's quite an undertaking - must be almost impossible to find all of the coast roads - they admitted it was but just did their best.
I now continued to Thurso and onto Scrabster where I found the docks and from there I found the haulage companies and asked around - "can anyone get me back to London, or at least to Inverness?" - I had already bought a train ticket from Inverness to London.
Thurso to Inverness by juggernaut with the help of a friendly local haulage firm.
D Steven & Son, KW14 7UJ, Road Haulage Services » Yell.com
B&B hosts allowed me to stay the night and the next day and night even allowing me to use their computer for an hour or two - I loaded up some photographs to this blog but it's a slow process.
