Day 26 - Thurso to John O'Groats


Day 26 Thurso to John O'Groats

The last day. A simple breakfast in the shared kitchen of Sandra's BandB. It is just 33 km ahead and not lots of climb.  It is cool to start but not cold. Heading out of Thurso we miss the first turn off the main road and realise quickly and so double back 5 minutes later.

 Heading off on a back road this is what this trip is about compared with a more direct route.  Bigger distances, more climbs, but beautiful quiet roads and paths.
We cycle by the sea and then back inland. There are little man made protective harbours on the coastline.
  At one point we follow the markers. I check the map 10 minutes later and we have gone the wrong way.  We ask a local.
We go back to the last junction.  The marker actually points the wrong way. What can you do!


A few more villages and hills and we ride past the Seaview hotel were we will drop the bikes when the ride is finished.   We ride down to the John O'Groats road end. Touristy.  Big tourist  buses. Many islands about off shore. The Shetlands.  We have our photos taken beside the sign post.
Journeys end - Shetland Islands in distance
We ride back up to the hotel to organise out bikes for a courier back to where we have hired them from at Lands End. We  leave the bikes in the garage at the back of the hotel to be picked up later. We get changed and organised. We walk back to the road end with all our personal gear in saddle bags and back packs to have lunch. Then catch the bus . It takes 25 minutes to get to Wick. It is nice to be here. Wick is a  bit tired and run down.  The bus will take us to Edinburgh tomorrow. From our room on the 4th floor we get a nice view out over the harbour.
Our bus leaves at 6:50 am but we have a 5 hour stopover in Inverness so we'll have time to explore this interesting attractive and well looked after city.


We spend 2 days in Edinburgh staying at a B&B but really with a family before getting the plane back to Luton Airport in London. We take the city train and get off at the first station  where we pick up our camping gear from Tina. It is so nice to see her and we are very grateful that she has looked after our gear for us.  And then get back on the train into London.
 The next morning we get the train down to Dover, the ferry across to Calais and pick up our rental car, well actually not rental car but rather lease car which is much cheaper. It is  exactly the same model as our own car in New Zealand - a  Peugeot 208 - but slightly newer. It is brand new.  We will have it for  4 and  1/2 weeks.  We will head off through France, Amsterdam, Northern Germany then south to Zitas home in the Allgau in the South of Germany.  We will see family and friends and spend time enjoying walking in the mountains and getting some decent clothes - especially for Mike who really needs them. In Germany the  clothes are a better quality and cheaper than in other places (or so I am told).

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