Dunbeath to John o'Groats
Mary fixed us a wonderful full Scottish breakfast including haggis and we donned all of our rain gear and headed out for our last day of the ride. The Highlands decided to give us some Highland weather. It began to rain in the morning and by noon the rain was coming down in sheets of rain. Cold freezing rain and wind. We rode past fields of heather, sheep, cows and horses and abandoned homes. All through the pouring rain. Just before we came to Wick we found a British passport on the side of the road. We picked it up and thought we would leave it at a post office in Wick. At Wick we stopped at a Weatherspoons to dry out, put on our water proof socks and have something warm for lunch. We stopped at a post office after lunch to turn in the passport but the post office was not an official post office so they did not know what to do with the passport, but then the man opened the passport and exclaimed, “hey I know this guy.” So he called the man and let him know he could pick up his passport.
As we rode out of Wick the weather began to clear and as we dropped into John O’ Groats the scene was breathtaking. The sun was beginning to set and we could see the sea over the fields of heather. We dropped our bags at the hotel and rode out to the sign post were we met a group of riders who had also just completed the ride. We all took pictures and shared stories. Ian presented me with a metal he had been carrying the whole trip to me for completing the ride. We came back to the room, showered and grabbed food in the hotel restaurant.
With that we can officially say we completed the End to End. It was an amazing trip with countless memories and experiences. Near the beginning of the trip I thought, once we completed this we would never want to do it again, now at the end I want to go back and do it all again. This trip we rode ?? miles climbed ?? ft and traveled through three different countries, England, Wales and Scotland.
Complete
Great evening at the Tormore B&B. Conversations with Mary, the matriarch of the family. Lived there for 60 years. Husband is 90, still works the farm everyday. They raise lambs. Keep the lambs for 5 years and sell to others who use them for 2 more years.
Grace and I wear all the rain gear today. It’s raining steadily when we start, then continues to rain more. When I’m thinking it can’t get any worst, the wind picks up. All this while climbing hills. After a couple of hours of riding in the rain we arrive in Wick. Make our way to Wetherspoons, park our bikes outside, go in and warm up and enjoy jacket potatoes for lunch. When we’re done, the weather has improved, lightly sprinkling. Oh, on the way into Wick we find a British passport on the ground. The Wetherspoon wait staff directs us to the store that acts as a postal service for profit store. I go in and ask them if they can mail this to the owner. The lady running the place started coming up with reasons why they can’t, and they don’t do that sort of thing. I asked, “Well, maybe you know him, he’s from Wick.” This younger guy that works there interrupts, looks at the passport, says, “He’s a good guy. I will give him a call right now”. Small towns.
Tough hills ahead
Grace riding with brakes slightly on.
Sunny spot out on the horizon, everywhere else is grey. We’re heading to the sunny spot.
The last ride down into JOG felt great. When there we met others that were just wrapping up their LEJOG. Fun conversations, great attitudes, positive feelings all around.
Presented Grace with her medal. Very proud of her.
