Day 14 – Stonehaven to Peterhead
A bit chilly, blowy, rainy… loved it!
Then it was sunny again.
Day 15 – Peterhead to Banff
What a lovely 17% gradient. Yes, I was looking back… and breathing very heavily. The strange marks on the road surface are sweaty cyclist imprints where I fell off through lack of momentum. They soon evaporate.
Day 16 – Banff to Elgin
Only one picture worth posting today. I did meet some pigs, but they were not at all co-operative.
Cold, windy and raining mostly. For a change the wind was almost behind me.
Day 17 – Elgin to Inverness
Lossiemouth
Meet the Dicksons!
Look, snow on mountains.
Inverness
Day 18 – Inverness to Dingwall
Day 19 – Dingwall to Golspie
Day 20 – Golspie to Wick
This hill was a bleeder!
Hmmm, that looks like more weather.
The harbour at Wick
Day 21 – Wick to Thurso
The John O’Groats Hotel.
Last time I saw this building it was not in use, but it did have a spectacular paint job.
It took a whole bottle of turps to get it cleaned up.
The lighthouse at Dunnet Head, the true most northerly point of mainland Great Britain. There are nicer pictures to be seen here.
Day 22 – Thurso. A day off, and a nice day for a walk.
No idea!
Day 23 – Thurso to Tongue
That reddish-brown stuff in the rock is Scottish toffee.
This one is included just so I can say that I was doing 63 kph down that hill, with my brakes squealing… ok, it might have been me.
Day 24 – Tongue to Durness
The trouble with going over that edge, and the lovely steep downhill that follows, is that it has taken me about 40 minutes of hard climbing to get this high. Oh well, here goes…
A lamb… hoping that ‘hat hair’ isn’t always as extreme as that sported by the old bloke on a bike. In fairness it is quite bad; sort of badger effect in 3D.
Day 25 – Durness to Rhiconich
Day 26 – Rhiconich to Lochinver
If I was to say I biked up that hill, it would be partly true.
Day 27 – Lochinver to Ullapool
Simon
The pictures are truly brilliant. My husband and I are following your progress and are amazed at how well you are doing.
Helen
Hi Helen
Thanks for posting. Glad you like the pictures. I love taking them. In fact, I love any opportunity to ease the pressure on my knees.
Not so much progress today, but I want to get to Cape Wrath, and not get stuck. The plan was to go today, but a storm like nothing I have seen before jumped out from behind a mountain. I had to walk with the brakes on just to keep hold of the bike. I estimated the wind speed at 568 mph, which only proves that estimates can be wildly inaccurate.
Tomorrow I will speak to the ferryman. If he’s not sailing I’ll move on, but that is a big lump of Great Britain to miss out just because it got a bit blowy. Fingers crossed.
Wow Simon the pictures are amazing and the distance astounding. I am truly impressed by both and wish you many more adventures in the coming days. Hope you manage to get the ferry today. Keep pedalling 🙂
Hi Clare
Thanks for posting, and glad you like the pictures.
Shame about the ferry. Actually, it is a little dinghy with an outboard motor… perhaps a blessing in disguise.
Supreme effort Simon! Photos and the weather are stunning (sure you haven’t enhanced them?!). You seemed to have timed it right for both the good weather and missing most of the General Election! Keep it up – I’ll look forward to monitoring your progress southbound. John M
Hi Simon
Wow, what stunning photographs and entertaining commentary as ever!
Hi John, good to hear from you, thanks for posting.
What election was that then?
Hi Jules, thanks for posting.
I’ve been mulling over the Kit Kat situation today. Now I used to be a bit anti-chunky, preferring the traditional 4 stick bar. But now, after munching through more than several of each, I’m thinking four chunky sticks has to be the way. You would need proper break to get through it, and a little rest afterwards might be advisable. Win win!
Time to think is a true blessing.
S