End of the road

Ever had that 'Been there, done that, but haven't got the T-shirt because there weren't any for sale' feeling?

After riding 1159 miles
In 118hrs 34 minutes
And 58054ft of going up (twice the height of Everest folks)
Having burnt 53064 calories
And eaten lots of rice pudding

I have made it to the top of Great Britain.

I was excited to do the last 23 miles this morning; glad to reach the end; a bit deflated that there was noone to share the experience with except the owner of the shop/tourist info who said 'Want to sign the book?' as she mopped her floor with disinfectant. Personally I didn't think I smelt that bad. After all I washed a set of clothes at Lockerbie a week ago. And bathed in the river near Appleby.

JoG is so much nicer than LE. Friendly, cheap parking, nice shops and cafes, great views to The Orkneys (only 8 miles away).

I left my bike to be returned by courier and set off on the bus back to Thurso and train to Inverness. All these places that I had struggled through at a snail's pace flashed by in minutes.

Thanks particularly to Amanda who supported me when I was low and rejoiced with me when I was high.. It was by far the most challenging thing I have done emotionally and mentally. Not a particularly physical challenge but tough.

Thanks as well to my friend Nick who lent me his Garmin after mine had a literal meltdown a few days before setting off. Couldn't have done it without. I'd still have been circling round Media City in Salford trying to find the road to Bury.

Maybe some reflecting time tomoz whilst waiting for the plane home with an extra large haggis.

Best food of the trip was definitely haggis fritters with whisky cream sauce at the Altnaharra hotel. What a combo.

For your absolute amusement there are two pics. A stray apostrophe from Seaview Hotel in JoG and a Gaelic spelling from Inverness station. It's important to be pedantic.Read more