
…was superb. We gorged down our self-made brekkie within 30 mins and came the closest ever to our target departure time. We planned for 0800 departure and we left the Youth Hostel at 0802 hrs ! Wow !! The sunshine followed us the whole way up the North East Coast of The Highlands from Inverness up to Helmsdale, where we rest our weary legs before the final remaining 52 miles to John O’Groats.
Highlights of the day was crossing the 3 bridges of Beauly, Cromarty and Dornoch Firths and dropping into Glenmorangie Distillery for a car park buffet lunch followed – naturally – by a tour round the distillery.
With one whiskey downed, the remaining 30 miles were a breeze. Smooth roads and lovely cliff edge views overwhelmed the treacherous cross winds that would randomly hit you and blow you out into the middle of the road ! Hannah joined us for the afternoon cycle and as though that wasn’t enough. Hannah and and Patrick were caught on camera in a star-jump competition.
Team Dinner tonight was cosy and fish supper massive; 2 large fish and mushy peas – delicious. Hotel tonight is a very strange place, an old Inn. It was established in 1816 and looks and feels very strange and haunted. Who knows …. there maybe a strange encounter in the night and we may not all be alive tomorrow….