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DAY 1 - Saturday 15th July 2006 (Land's End to Launceston)

I was awoken at around 7am, around an hour and a half before the train was due to arrive in Penzance. I hadn't slept to badly but did wake up a couple of times during the night. I was still very conscious of the fact that I had a cold. How was this going to affect me? I arrived in Penzance at around 0830 and the weather was already bright and sunny. I collected my bike from the back of the train and wheeled it up the platform with the view of getting a taxi to Land's End - the total distance was probably only around 10 miles but I didn't want to do any more than was necessary!! After 20 minutes or so, I was on my way to Land's End and arrived there shortly after 0900. It was very quiet with hardly anyone else around. I knew that I had around an hour to kill before the famous sign was put up, so wanted to use this time to get some breakfast. Unfortunately nothing was open until 1000, so I ended up sitting around and taking a few pictures whilst having a couple of my bananas. Shortly before 1000 the sign was put up and I had my picture taken. As soon as this was done, I was keen to set straight off.

As so I was off!! The first few miles gave me a bizarre feeling. I was trying not to think of the total distance I had, but more focusing on where I would try and get to by lunchtime and the end of the day. I knew it was going to be important to set myself small targets and try not to think of the entire journey that I had in front of me. After a very warm morning, I decided to stop off just outside Redruth, with around 25 miles on the board, at an Esso garage at around 1200 for lunch. There was a nice patch of grass next to it so I sat there for the next hour eating as much as I could and taking on plenty of liquids. It was at this point that my back was aching slightly from the weight I was carrying. It was also very hot - the temperature easily in the 30's.

After lunch, the afternoon was a real struggle. There were many hills, along with the weight I was carrying and the heat was scorching. I had been using the A30 for virtually the entire way so far, and it was starting to get busier the further east I went. At one point I ran out of water on the A30 and was fearing dehydration. All of a sudden there were no garages or shops and in the end I was so desperate that I asked a bloke who was mowing his lawn whether he could fill up my water bottles. He kindly obliged and I had a brief chat with him about what I was doing. I was feeling quite low at this point and thought that it was time to find my first accommodation of the trip as I didn't have much left in the tank. After asking him if there was anywhere local I could stay he suggested that I took the next exit off the A30 into a village called Five Lanes where there was a pub called the Kings Head that may be able to help me out. After reaching the pub, I was told that they did not have any room for me. I asked if there were any other places locally and was told by one of the customers (who seemed a little half cut) that there was a B&B just over the road. I went to the house he was pointed out and could not see any signs that it was a B&B. It was at this point that I had a suspicion that it was a childish prank, but still knocked on the door anyway, so desperate was I for somewhere to stay! After no answer, and a moment to pause to consider my options, I decided to cycle on for another 10 miles or so to Launceston. This seemed a fairly big town on the map I had with me, so I figured I would at least have a choice of places to stay.

I arrived in Launceston at around 1730 and the first place I found was The White Hart Hotel. They informed me that the only room they had was a twin room and that it would cost £38 for the night. I replied by saying that I would take it. I was so desperate at this point I probably would have paid at least double that!! I went up to the room for a shower, change of clothes and went back down to the bar for a coke and a meal. I struggled to eat the meal which surprised me with the amount of energy I must have burned off. I felt absolutely shattered at this point.

I was back in my room by 2000 and couldn't wait to lay down. I remember laying there thinking "I've done 79 miles and feel absolutely shattered. How the hell am I going to cope with tomorrow?". To compound my misery my back was aching too and the weather forecast for tomorrow was for it to be even hotter! I was asleep by 2030 that night and really wasn't looking forward to tomorrow!!

DAY 2 - Sunday 16th July 2006 (Launceston to Bridgwater)

My alarm went off at 0700, and to my surprise I didn't seem to have any lasting muscle pain from the previous days exertions. I was also in high spirits which was also a surprise considering the low I ended the previous day - amazing what a good nights sleep can do! Had a shower and shave and went down to breakfast at around 0730. Initially I had a bowl of cereal (trying to eat good food to start me off) but unfortunately was subsequently tempted into the "White Hart Full House" - no prizes for guessing what this consisted of. After this I was back in my room and prepared myself for the day ahead. I checked out of the hotel at around 0900 and was most disappointed to see that no one had stolen my bike the previous night when going round the back of the hotel.

No more than 2 miles into the morning ride, I was greeted by the sign for "Devon" which improved my general mood further. Shortly after this I was back on the A30. The plan was to stay on this road until around Exeter where I would stop for lunch somewhere. A fairly flat first 15 miles went down quite easily and I stopped at a service station for a drinks refill. Already by 1030 it was starting to get very hot. The road was fairly busy on the A30 and I was quite looking forward to getting off of it. Just 7 miles short of Exeter and...... DISASTER!!! I had my first puncture. Front tyre went straight down so I knew it must be a fairly bad one. The tyre was shredded and I knew that I would have to get the spare in my bag fitted. I'm not even sure what I ran over - I didn't feel anything. The tyre came off and then I spent the next hour and a half trying to fit the spare tyre. As much as I tried and tried, this tyre just would not fit onto the rim. I had ripped a lot of the skin off both thumbs and two fingers in trying. It was now that I remembered that the spare tyre I was trying to fit was the one I had fitted when I did the London to Brighton and I remember the Halfords chap having terrible trouble trying to get it on too - he had to call for help from one of his colleagues. I knew I was never going to get it on. After standing around for the next half an hour swearing, shouting and generally waving my arms around and throwing things, I realised this was not going to improve my situation.

I decided to take the next turn off and hope to find a bike shop that would be able to help me out.... on a Sunday. I was walking for around a mile when I came across the next exit from the A30 and this led me into a picturesque village in the middle of no where called Tedbury St Mary (which, did you know, was Village of The Year in 2001 - according to the sign). I knew there was never going to be a bike shop locally, so started to consider the idea of calling for a taxi to Exeter, where there was bound to be a Halfords shop. Before I did this, I wanted to make sure there was one that was open. After trying to phone several people, I managed to eventually get hold of my Gran. I asked her to find out if there was a Halfords store open for the next couple of hours or so, bearing in mind it was now 1430. She got back to me and informed me that there were two Halfords stores in Exeter, one that was open until 1600 and the other until 1700. Now that it was confirmed there was somewhere for me to go in Exeter and I had a enough time for a taxi to take me there. I spotted a lady in her garden, who seemed to be watching some sort of horse equestrian show which I could faintly hear over the back of the fields behind her house, and asked to borrow a Yellow Pages to get a number for a taxi. It turned out that the most local taxi company was in Exeter, and the first company I phoned said that he would be able to take me in his pick up truck, but it was going to cost £25. I felt I had no choice so accepted this.

20 minutes later he arrived and put my bike in the back of his truck and we started the journey to Exeter. He was a nice bloke and took a keen interest in my trip. He even kindly said that he would wait outside the shop whilst my bike was being fixed and take me back to the spot where he picked me up for just an extra fiver. Obviously I had to go back and cover this 7 mile stretch otherwise I knew I would regret it at the end. We arrived at the Halfords store and I explained that I would like a new tyre and inner tube fitted ASAP. They said they would be approximately 20 minutes so I took this time as an opportunity for lunch - after all it was just after 1500 at this point and I was starving. I went across the road to a KFC and had a meal in there. When this was finished, I went back across to the Halfords store and my bike was ready. This was put back in the pick up truck and I was keen to get back to where I was in Tedbury St Mary to make up for the time I had lost out on. On the way back he gave me some very valuable advise on which routes I should take and what sort of distances I had between major towns so I could judge where I wanted to finish for the day. I realised I would have to cycle on well into the evening to make up for the 4 hours or so that I had lost through the puncture. My target was to get to at least Taunton or possibly as far as Bridgwater.

It was gone 1600 by the time I was back on my way and I had only done 34 miles for the day. I had some serious catching up to do! I covered a lot of ground very quickly and for the rest of the day only had a brief water refill just after Cullompton. I had followed the A38 for most of this section of the trip and was also boosted by reaching Somerset. I went through Taunton and felt I had enough energy to carry on to Bridgwater. I rolled into Bridgwater at 2020 and took the first hotel I found, which was a Korean place called the Acorn Hotel. It cost £38 for the night and was a bit run down, but I really did not care. I was feeling quite pleased that I had salvaged something from the day considering what had happened. I had even improved slightly on the distance from the day before. Whereas yesterday I finished on a low, today I finished on a high. The trip had proven to be quite a rollercoaster mentally so far.  I was asleep by 2230.

DAY 3 - Monday 17th July 2006 (Bridgwater to Ledbury)

Alarm went off at 0700 again. I was up shortly after. My cold had now evolved into an annoying runny nose and I was constantly having to blow it. Looking out of the window, it was already bright and sunny and looked as if I would have to endure another hot day. In fact the forecast was that it was to get even hotter over the coming couple of days with the possibility of record temperatures ever in this country!! I realised that it was just something I had to get used to.

After a bath and breakfast (which consisted of another fry up), I was back on my way shortly before 0900. The plan was to get into the Bristol area by lunchtime and possibly finish in either Great Malvern or even Worcester if I was up to it. I made my way towards Bristol which incidentally had a couple of nasty hills just before you get into the city. I stopped off for a liquid refill just before I reached the city at around 1120 and had already covered 27 miles. Wanted to carry on through the city before finding a nice quite village pub the other side for lunch. I really had to work for this though. Getting in and out of Bristol proved to take a little longer than expected and I eventually found somewhere just short of Thornbury, after crossing through into Gloucestershire shortly before. The pub was called the Cross Hands and at this point I had covered 50 miles and it was 1330. I was glad to get inside away from the heat. It was dark and cool inside.

I had a nice lunch and a chat with some of the locals who seemed quite happy to listen to my story so far and was back on the road by 1430. I thought there was a slight possibility that I may reach my first ever 100 mile ride in a day today. However, the heat was absolutely relentless and I had to make regular stops up to the 75 mile mark, where I stopped at another petrol garage on the outskirts of Gloucester. 5 miles after leaving this point I hit the wall, metaphorically that is. I could feel the heat was getting to me and so decided to stumble into Ledbury and find accommodation for the night here. Even passing through into another county, Herefordshire, did not seem to give me any kind of lift this time. After a chat with a couple in the street when I arrived in Ledbury, they advised that the cheapest place in the area would probably be the Leadon House Hotel. A quarter of a mile later, I arrived at 1820 and snapped up their last room which was a double even though it was going to cost £50 for the night. On arrival in my room, I was very pleased. It was easily the best place in terms of quality that I had stayed in so far. The view from the window overlooking the garden was also very picturesque too. I probably wasn't looking for this level of luxury, but hey, I convinced myself that I had deserved it. Had a very nice meal accompanied with a glass of wine in the garden at around 2000, just when the temperature had dropped to that perfect level.

I had now conquered over 250 miles in 3 days and was now beginning to feel that I was getting into some nice routines. I did not quite make the 100 mile day, but still pulled in an impressive 92 miles, which was once again another improvement. However, I felt that whilst it was this hot, I was going to struggle to beat that.

DAY 4 - Tuesday 18th July 2006 (Ledbury to Stoke on Trent)

Woke a little later today at around 0730. I was sure this wouldn't have happened if I had stayed in a more "grotty" place as I would have probably been a little more keen to leave. Anyway.... had breakfast (yet another fry up) and was out a little later at 0920. The first few miles of the day were very hilly but produced some of the best views of the trip so far as I entered The Malverns. Although the morning was quite tough, the scenery did soften the blow a little.  Passed back into Gloucestershire midway through the morning and made my first stop at around 1200 having covered 26 miles. Once again the temperatures were in the mid 30's and it was very tough going.

A further 11 miles down the road took me to my lunch stop where I found a nice little pub called The Four Winds just short of Stourbridge at 1245.

Just after getting back on the road and as I was passing through Stourbridge..... DISASTER!! A second puncture. It was the front tyre again and once again I do not know what caused it. But... whereas my first puncture happened in the middle of no where on a Sunday, this one had happened in a town, 50 yards from a bike shop on a Tuesday. Incidentally, I was later to find out that this bike shop had only opened a month ago and previously there was no bike shop in Stourbridge. So even though I had got a second puncture, it seemed that my luck had changed somewhat from the first one. To be fair, it was probably one I could have fixed myself, but when you are 50 yards from a bike shop, you let them do it (especially as I'm not exactly an expert).

I was back on the road with only a half hour delay and shortly passed through Wolverhampton and towards Stafford. It was around here that I nearly ended up on the M6, having been forced onto the M6 slip road at one of the busy roundabouts.

The time getting in and out of Stafford was very slow as there were tail backs on the traffic going on for miles. I think there was some sort of accident, but it may have been cleared up before I got to the front. Just after leaving Stafford, I looked down and could see the roads were melting because it was that hot. When I went over some sections of the roads it felt sticky and made a loud noise as my tyres tried to peel themselves off the tarmac. That was something that I had never experienced before!!

As I approached Stoke on Trent, I decided that I would probably stop off here. On the outskirts I found a nice little B&B called the White House which was owned by a camp gentleman who was very softly spoken. He offered me a single room for £30 which I accepted immediately.

A quick shower and change of clothes and I was heading off to the local pub called the Orange Tree. Had dinner accompanied by a glass of wine before stocking up on a few necessities at a 24 hour Tesco on the way back. I was in bed by 2200.

Another 82 miles cracked today. I was now beginning to get used to the aches and pains a little more and was feeling comfortable with some of the routines I had set. However, tomorrow was meant to be the hottest day of the year so far with a possibility of beating some of the all time records, so I knew I had a very tough day ahead of me.

DAY 5 - Wednesday 19th July 2006 (Stoke on Trent to Preston)

I was awake at my usual 0700 time and having yet another fry up by 0730. I must admit, by this point I was getting a little tired of them. I was away again at 0900 and the plan was to reach Lancaster by the end of the day. The first 24 miles that morning were completed with relative ease, but it was after this point that problems began to occur.

My back tyre seemed to be losing air and on closer inspection it was beginning to look well past its sell by date. There were many little nicks and rips in the tyre and I was concerned that I might get stranded in the middle of nowhere if I didn't get a new tyre fitted soon. After seeking advice from someone, I was informed that there was a bike shop in Holmes Chapel, a small town I had already cycled through some 6 miles ago. Although I wasn't keen on going backwards, I was assured that I could find help here. At this point the next town going "forwards" was Knutsford (about 6 miles away) and I thought about carrying on hoping there was a bike shop here, but didn't want to take the risk just in case there wasn't. I decided to go back to Holmes Chapel and located the store I was directed to, although was a little alarmed to see that it wasn't specifically a bike shop but more a shop that sold pretty much everything. I was also informed that all of the "Bike department" were on holiday, so they would not be able to help me. However, I was informed that there was a bike shop in Knutsford who should be able to help me out. Slightly annoyed by going backwards when I should have just carried on, I hurried my way into Knutsford, making a couple of stops on the way to pump up my back tyre. It was midday at this point, and just wanted to get this problem fixed as soon as possible so that I could get some lunch. Found the shop with minimal delay and had a new tyre and inner tube fitted within 15 minutes or so. BUT, I had got no further than the end of the road after leaving the shop and BANG, the back tyre went straight down!! I was sure this must have been down to it not being fitted properly, so strolled back to the shop to get them to look at it again. When it was looked at, I was sure the problem had happened because there was not tape fitted to the inner part of the rim of the wheel, so requested that this was added. After leaving the shop for a second time, I headed in the direction of Warrington and began to look out for somewhere to eat. It was not long after this that I found a pub called The Kilton in a small village called Mere, just south of Warrington. It was 1315 at this point and I had covered 42 miles.

At around 1415, I was back on the road and almost immediately started feeling the affects of the heat. It was whilst passing through the Wigan/Bolton area, that I was feeling my lowest. I really didn't feel like I had much left in me for the day and remember that between the 50-60 mile mark, having to really grind out the distance. I was constantly looking down at the speedometer and making regular stops. It was also at this point where I wasn't really sure where I was going. I wanted to head towards Preston but this area of the country is quite tricky with the many towns and different roads you have to navigate through. It was after 60 miles that I began to gradually find the mental strength to carry on and was going through Chorley and on towards Preston.

Unfortunately, I didn't find Preston straight away and took a slight detour via Blackburn. I realised that I wasn't going to make it to Lancaster today and figured that I would try and settle down in Preston for the night. I found a place on the outskirts called the Whitburn House Hotel which cost me £39 for the night with a double bed. After a quick shower and change, I was off out to the local pub called The Withy Trees for dinner.

Even though I had covered 92.5 miles today, my highest distance of the trip so far, and in conditions that were extremely hot, it was a day of frustration, as this distance should have taken me a lot further. I had made several detours during the day. Still, I knew that the next day seemed fairly straight forward with a trip up the A6 towards Scotland so tried to be positive by thinking about what was to come as opposed to what had already been done.

DAY 6 - Thursday 20th July 2006 (Preston to Langholm)

I was woken shortly before my alarm at 0630 to the sound of rain drops outside the window. After 5 full days of heat and dry weather, I was so pleased to see the rain. It looked so much cooler outside and I found myself wanting to get out there as soon as possible to enjoy it!

After studying my maps over breakfast, I realised the Scottish border was around 100 miles away. After considering the cooler conditions, I was beginning to believe that I might make it by the end of the day.

I left at 0900 and the rain had just stopped at this point. I was off up the A6 in a great mood on this morning which was refreshingly cool. It was around this time I remember having the Proclaimers song, I would Walk 500 Miles, stuck in my head for most of the morning. However, I had substituted the word "Walk" for "Cycle".  Yes, I realise this is obviously very concerning and I was beginning to question my sanity here. I had no problems at all covering the first 30 miles through Lancaster and beyond before stopping for a water refill. It was at this point the sun peeked out from the heavy clouds for the first time in the day.

After a short 5 minute break, I was on my way and going through Kendal continuing on the A6. At Kendal I had already covered 45 miles and decided to go for another 5 miles or so before stopping for a break. This didn't exactly work out as planned.....

After leaving Kendal I cycled up a very long and gradual hill that really took a lot out of me. It was also around this point that I was in the Cumbrian Mountains/Lake District area. This took me through what can only be described as a very remote but very scenic area. Although it was remote, I was concerned that I might not be able to get any lunch if I didn't find civilisation by 1400!! The occasional sign told me that Shap was to be the next village and I knew I really had to push hard to get there for lunch. After a series of climbs the inevitable descents followed and I free wheeled most of the last 7 or 8 miles into Shap. Stopped at the Greyhound Hotel at 1345 and sat outside for some lunch. Although I was having a late lunch and was tired at this point, I was very positive at the fact that I had already covered 60 miles.

After lunch, I continued on the A6 to Penrith and onto Carlisle where I stopped for a small break. It was 1630 at this point and I had covered 85 miles. I realised that I had a good chance of finally breaking the 100 mile mark and getting into Scotland at the same time. After getting through Carlisle, it wasn't too long before I reached the Scottish border at 1815, although I got slightly lost trying to find Gretna Green. It really was a great feeling seeing the "Scotland Welcomes You" sign. I had completed the "England" section of the trip, I just had the "Scotland" section to do now. Shortly before passing into Scotland, I had also passed through the 100 mile mark for the day, so was feeling very good at this point. As soon as the border was passed, the next task was to find somewhere to stay. The nearest town seemed to be Langholm, a further 7 miles away, so I continued along passing some of the first Scottish hills which provided some nice scenery. I was fortunate enough to find a nice B&B called Carnlea, which had a room free. It was a very nice room with a king size bed which only cost £25 in the end!

After a shower and change, I took at 5 minute stroll into the town centre for a meal at The Eskdale Hotel.

I was feeling very happy at the end of today and had many reasons for feeling this way. The weather had cooled down considerably (probably dropping at least 10C from the previous day), I had broken through the 100 mile barrier in a day for the first time (113 in total) and passed into Scotland. The weather forecast was that it was to stay cool for the coming few days, so I had much reason to also feel optimistic for the rest of the journey.

DAY 7 - Friday 21st July 2006 (Langholm to Dunfermline)

I was up at my usual 0700 and having breakfast half an hour later. Managed to avoid the fry up this morning and opted for a bowl of porridge instead with some fruit (you know you're in Scotland when porridge starts making its way onto the breakfast menu). Meg and Bill who owned the B&B were very friendly and Bill even helped me plan my route for the day. Shortly after starting my breakfast, their other guest arrived at the table, a dutchman called Tinko (this is probably not how you spell his name but this is how it sounded). After a brief chat with him, I was away at a slightly later time of 0930.

The morning ride was to take me through some very remote 'B' roads but I was treated to a feast of spectacular scenery going through some of the many hills and forests as I headed towards Edinburgh. The conditions were damp and slightly drizzly with some of the higher ground covered in mist making visibility quite difficult. Their were some points that it actually felt a bit chilly! The morning was very lonely, with only a handful of vehicles passing me and I only saw one person walking during this entire time! The latter part of the morning was where I had a slight accident. As I passed through the hills, you would see sheep and goats just lying around on the road as there were no fences to keep them in the hills. On most occasions they would either see or hear you and run off down the hills but there was one occasion where I approached a group of sheep lying in the road. I expected them to run out of the way but unfortunately many of them ran into each other making there escape a little slower. I braked heavily but did hit one of the sheep. Fortunately for the sheep and myself I had virtually come to a stand still at this point so there was no damage to the sheep, the bike or myself. I was considerably more cautious after this.

After 50 miles of nothing, not even a small village, I arrived in a small town called Peebles. I stopped at a service station and bought some lunch and then took a well earned rest between 1330 and 1430.

The afternoon ride to Edinburgh was very uninteresting and when I arrived I was immediately looking at how I could get to the Forth bridge to get across the Firth. Bill from the B&B had informed me that there was a cycle route when I got to Edinburgh, but it was to be some time before I found this. Just before getting into Edinburgh centre at around 1600 I veered left when seeing signs for the Forth Bridge and asked a variety of people directions. Eventually I ended up on the A90, which was the direct route to the bridge but was horrified to see that at one point, just a few miles short of the bridge, that cycles and pedestrians (so I couldn't even walk it) were not allowed on the A90. I had been told by many people that cyclists were allowed across the bridge but spent the next couple of hours cycling into Edinburgh and back to the outskirts looking for the cycle route that Bill had described. He had told me it started from Charlotte Square in the centre of Edinburgh, which I found, but the signs for the cycle route were so bad that I lost them shortly after. I was getting close to ending up where cyclists were not allowed on the A90 again, when I decided to call it quits for the day and settle down for a B&B. I was so frustrated at this point as I wanted to finish the day the other side of the Firth.

My frustration was to get worse when it became apparent that a lot of the B&B's I found were full and I was beginning to worry that I might not have anywhere to stay for the night. However, one of the B&B's I found, I was given directions to the cycle route that I had been trying to find. It turns out that it went along the other side of the A90 on a small path where I saw the sign saying cyclists were not allowed on the A90.. I couldn't believe how I had missed it as I had been right next to it two hours ago!! I felt like such an idiot at wasting so much time!

Even though it was getting late, I decided to push on towards the bridge in the hope that there was more likely going to be B&B's available on the other side away from Edinburgh. It was as I was going across the bridge I hit the 100 mile mark for the day. This did not cheer me up as I had wasted a lot of time and effort. Immediately after getting over the bridge, I rolled into a small village called Forsyth. Even though there was a hotel, it really was a run down area, and not one I wanted to settle down in for the night. Even though I was tired, I decided I would rather sleep rough somewhere else than stay here! Shortly after I reached Dunfermline, which to be honest, isn't the greatest of areas too, but I found a large hotel called the King Malcolm. I was informed that a room was going to cost me £75 for the night and only took it through fear that every other accommodation was likely to be fully booked given the time was now approaching 2000. The room was OK, but my room in Langholm was better, three times cheaper and the surroundings seemed a lot more welcoming too!

The day had started very well with a very pleasant ride in the morning, even though I don't think I cycled on a flat bit of ground all morning! My mood had completely changed as soon as I got to Edinburgh with the frustrations of that afternoon. Still, another 100 mile day, 2 in a row, and I was still making progress, even if it wasn't as good as it should have been. The weather had remained cool and I hadn't had any mechanical problems with my bike, so it wasn't all bad.

DAY 8 - Saturday 22nd July 2006 (Dunfermline to Crianlarich)

I had set my alarm earlier this morning at 0630, so keen was I to get out of Dunfermline and make some good progress today. After breakfast (more porridge!!), I was away at 0845, so didn't really gain much of a head start. After taking a slightly longer way out of Dunfermline, I found the A823, which is the road I wanted to be on, and set about getting as much mileage done as possible before lunch. I passed through the famous Glen Eagles golf course before progressing to Crieff for a water refill and short break with 39 miles done. I continued for another 11 miles to a small Hamlet called Amulree which had a lovely little hotel called The Lonely Inn. It was here I decided to stop for lunch at around 1300.

The plan was to make my way to the A9 shortly after lunch and follow this all the way to Inverness. I knew I couldn't really go wrong here and it was impossible to get lost. However, after talking to a chap at the bar he seemed genuinely concerned as apparently the A9 was "suicide" for cyclists. I was slightly alarmed by this and I was given a detailed road map from behind the bar to see if there was a safer route to Inverness. After studying this over lunch, I realised that I would have to take a massive diversion to get to Inverness so at this point I reluctantly decided that I was going to carry on with my original plan and cycle the A9. However, shortly after deciding this I got chatting to a couple who also warned me away from the A9, and who also described it as "suicide". One of them had also cycled the Land's End to John O'Groats, amazingly when he was 16, some 20-30 years ago! He did say that the massive diversion would take me through the Ben Nevis and Glen Coe region was definitely worth it as it was very picturesque. After much consideration, I decided to take up his advice - after all I wanted to arrive at John O'Groats safely and didn't fancy 100 miles or so on the A9 if it was going to be that dangerous.

I was back on the road by 1415 and the first 10 miles into Aberfeldy were virtually all downhill!! It was at Aberfeldy, where I started my new route towards Killen as opposed to Pitlochry. After following the Loch Tay for many miles, I reached Killen for a brief stop before pushing on for the last 15 miles of my day to Crianlarich. It was 1800 by now and I didn't want to risk staying on the road any later and having trouble finding accommodation again, what with it being the weekend.

Found a nice little B&B on the second attempt called the Glen Bruar House which was a nice little bargain at £25 for the night, even though the room didn't have ensuite. The room had a double bed and I had some nice views of the hills too. I went to the village pub called The Rod and Reel for dinner and was back at the B&B by 2000 and asleep by around 2030! A nice early night.

Even though I was beginning to take a massive diversion, I ended the day not feeling too bad. I was slightly frustrated by the extra distance this would add, but was also looking forward to Ben Nevis and the Glen Coe the next day. I had also clocked in another decent mileage - 96 miles.

 DAY 9 - Sunday 23rd July 2006 (Crianlarich to Drumnadrochit)

Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to meeeeeeee....... Happy Birthday to me! Yes, that's right, today is my birthday. Although, when waking it did not feel like it. It just felt like a 'normal' day. By normal I mean getting up at 0700 when I'm on 'holiday' and cycling for the entire day until my body aches and I'm too tired to eat dinner. Yes, this had become a normal day to me, and I was completely used to my routine now.

After another breakfast of porridge, I was away by 0900. The morning ride was pleasant and I was to be treated to the Ben Nevis and Glen Coe region, which arguably offered the greatest views of the trip so far. The Glen Coe especially was spectacular. I also found this very dangerous as my eyes would stray from the road to look at the scenery around me. It was almost impossible to concentrate on cycling!! After a hilly morning, I arrived in Fort William at 1300 for lunch. Stopped off at the Alexandra Hotel where I sat outside and consumed a huge roast chicken lunch.

Pushed on at 1400 and for the first time, I felt the need to use my iPod. It's amazing how a little music put me in great spirits and the afternoon flew by with what seemed like minimal effort. The afternoon ride also took me along the Loch Ness, and it was in a village called Drumnadrochit along the Loch Ness that I decided to settle down for the day. Today had been another 100+ mile day and I had finished reasonably early at around 1800. I managed to find a B&B, The Fiddlers Rest at Oakdale, on the second attempt, a room that had two single beds (the only room they had left) which cost £30 for the night. Exactly opposite on the other side of the road was a pub called The Fiddlers which is where I went for dinner.

It was at the end of the day that I actually felt quite lonely for the first time. I was missing family and friends but knew that I was likely to finish around Tuesday lunchtime, so long as I didn't have any unforeseen problems, so I was getting ever closer to the finish line. However, I was also looking at the positives too - it's not every day you cycle 100 miles on your birthday and you go past the likes of Ben Nevis, Glen Coe and the Loch Ness. It was certainly a birthday I wouldn't be forgetting!!

 DAY 10 - Monday 24th July 2006 (Drumnadrochit to Helmsdale)

I was up at 0700 and packed my bags before heading off for breakfast. Breakfast at the B&B was at The Fiddlers across the road (where I had dinner the night before). The owners of the B&B also owned a couple of rooms above the pub. They served up a continental breakfast, which made a nice change from all of the fry ups and porridge I had been having.

After breakfast I moved back across the road to the village Tourist Information office which was handily situated next door to the B&B, and wanted to take the opportunity to enquire about the possibilities of getting back when I had finished. The first option in mind was to phone the trains to see if I could get my bike on any of the services from Wick. However, there were no room for any bicycles on any of the trains leaving Wick for at least a week! It's also amazing how no more than two bicycles are allowed on the train too! I didn't dismiss the option of getting the train straight away as I decided to call a couple of courier companies, one from Wick and the other from Thurso, to see how much it would cost to courier my bike back and then get the train. The two companies I tried didn't answer, so I left messages with them with the view that I would check my phone at lunch time to see if either of them had called back.

I was away later this morning due to my visit at the Tourist Information office and wasn't on the road until 0930. Basically, the plan for today was to get another 100 miles or so done leaving a short stint on the Tuesday so that I could finish at John o'Groats by lunch time. I continued on the A82 through the morning and it was just before I reached Inverness that I saw my first sign for John o'Groats!! - 120 miles to go!! It really was beginning to feel like I was getting near to the end now. After passing through Inverness and using one of the cycle routes along the A9 to Tore, I joined to A9 where cyclists were allowed to join the road.

I stopped for an early lunch today just before Alness at a service station restaurant at around 1200 with only 37 miles for the day covered. I had the most disgusting roast beef lunch ever before checking my phone to see if any of the courier companies had rung back. It turned out that the company from Thurso had left a message on my phone informing me that they could not help me on this occasion. The company from Wick had not phoned me back so I decided to ring them one more time to see if I could get lucky. I managed to get through this time and was slightly taken aback when they said that they could do it and that it would only cost £45. I thought it would cost at least double this!! I came to an agreement with them that I was likely to finish on Tuesday and that I would ring that day to confirm a pick up time etc.

I was back on the road shortly after 1300 and wanted to get as many miles covered as possible to leave myself an easy day tomorrow. The afternoon ride consisted of me cycling along the A9 coastal road where I passed through only a few small villages every 10 miles or so. After going through Tain and Brora, I reached Helmsdale. I was at a dilemma here - as the afternoon had wore on the villages became more and more sparse. I had done 85 miles at this point and still had enough energy to carry on. But I wasn't sure when the next village was coming and didn't want to get stuck in the middle of nowhere. After seeking advise from a passer by, she said that there wasn't really much until Wick which was still around 35 miles away, so I decided to settle down in Helmsdale, a little earlier than I would have preferred.

I found a B&B on the first attempt which was to only cost me £20 for the night. The cheapest so far!! It had a goat tied up in the back garden and was owned by an old lady called Maggie who seemed to gurn after every sentence she said. She would hold this gurn to the extent where you actually felt quite uncomfortable. Aside from that, and the fact that she stank of booze, she was quite a nice lady. Maybe I'm being a little bit harsh on her?!

After a shower and change of clothes, I went straight out to a hotel just down the road called The Belgrave. I had a nice dinner there and decided to stay on for a few drinks with some of the locals. The locals in the bar were a fascinating bunch. Their thick Scottish accents almost made them impossible to understand, but I enjoyed trying. There was even one bloke there who had been out panning for gold that day and had found 4 grams of gold, apparently worth around £140! After three pints in the hotel bar I was back at the B&B and in bed by 2100.

Today was to be my last full day. I had around 50 miles to complete tomorrow and judging by my previous mornings, I knew this was achievable by lunchtime. I was looking forward to getting out on the road and could hardly wait to finish the journey.

 DAY 11 - Tuesday 25th July 2006 (Helmsdale to John o'Groats)

I was up at 0630 this morning and could hardly wait to get out on the road. Barring any problems, today was to be the last day!! I knew there were around 50 miles to go, so the target was to finish by around lunchtime, say 1300. Another breakfast of porridge, which was one of the biggest bowls of porridge I have ever had - Maggie even asked if I wanted some more as I struggled to finish the huge bowl she had provided me!!

I was away by 0830 and within a minute of being on the road was facing a sign for John o'Groats stating that I had 54 miles to go. The first hour was tough and I faced some incredibly steep hills straight away but nothing was going to deter me now. I arrived in Wick at around 1115 that morning and decided to stop for a short break and a quick call to the courier company to arrange for a pick up at 1430 from Wick. Basically, I had three hours to get from Wick to John o'Groats and back - 34 miles, plenty of time.

The weather was warming up quite nicely now after the last few days which had consisted of cloudy and sometimes damp conditions. The last 17 miles from Wick to John o'Groats were quite strange. Part of me didn't want the journey to end and another part couldn't wait for it to end, so I was having mixed emotions as I approached the end of what had been an epic journey. As the mileage I had left to do decreased, the smile on my face got bigger as I approached the end. Just as I saw the sign which informed me that I was about to cross into John o'Groats I stopped and took a picture. I knew that I had no more than a mile left at this point and cruised to the end. My eyes lit up as I saw the famous John o'Groats sign, I couldn't quite believe I had made it!! Had my picture taken at the sign at around 1215 and there were even a few tourists taking pictures of me when they had realised what I had just finished!

Although I had finished, I must admit, I didn't really know what to think. I was by no means overwhelmed by finishing a cycle ride that had lasted 982.03 miles over 10.5 days. I think this is because I had got so used to treating each day as it came, that I could not comprehend or appreciate the achievement of the whole trip at this point. I immediately set about making several calls to friends, family and work colleagues etc thanking everyone for the support they had given me throughout the ride. It really had helped - especially during the times where you felt quite low. Knowing that I had that support really does spur you on.

Half an hour later, I was back on the road for the trip back to Wick. I arrived at around 1420 and was so pleased to see the courier van pick up my bike! I really didn't want to see it again for quite a while! As the courier van left, I had 45 minutes to kill before my train left. I walked into town, ordered one of the biggest pizzas in a local takeaway shop and walked back to the station to eat it. It was 1500 by now and I was starving!

The train ride back towards Inverness was nice. I saw many of the roads I had cycled the previous day or two ago, which was a lot nicer seeing from a train carriage than from the seat of your bike! I relaxed on the way back with a couple of beers reflecting on the entire journey. It was certainly something I would never forget.......

Concluding thoughts....

Looking back, this is something I am very glad I did. It is easy to say that you will do something like this, but something completely different to actually go ahead and do it. I was sure that many people thought that it was just going to be something that I would say that I would do, but not follow it through but I was determined to get it done. I'm also glad that I put so much pressure on myself by gathering so much sponsorship. This makes it very hard for you to walk away from it!

Looking back, it was something that was probably easier than I expected it would be. The first few days of the trip were extremely hard - my body wasn't used to the distance or the extreme heat that I had to face. I was also getting over a cold. However, I always knew that I wouldn't give up - I can be very determined when I get an idea in my head and I knew that a lot of the journey was going to be mental as well as physical. As the days wore on, the ride got easier - my body was getting used to the distance and the heat, and then, as I approached the north of England the weather cooled down. I had also managed to work myself into a routine that I got used to.

Would I change anything that I did?....... Not really, perhaps a few minor things, like taking a little more care and attention over my routes, but to be honest I was very pleased with how the whole trip panned out. I was especially glad that I hadn't pre booked any accommodation as this did give me the freedom to cycle to wherever I wanted on any particular day and didn't put me under any pressure to get to locations. I did have one day that caused a few problems in finding somewhere to stay, but on the whole, it was quite easy to find a place (even in the remote parts of the country). However, my trip was done just before the school holidays, so if anyone else is thinking about doing it, then the date you have planned is probably quite important. I might not have been so lucky if I had started a couple of weeks later.

Would I do it again?...... Possibly. I would say not in the foreseeable future, and if I did, it would be with someone else for company. Loneliness wasn't a factor for the majority of the journey but it did creep in a little over the last couple of days. By then, I had been away from all my friends and family for over a week and didn't even see many strangers, as I concluded the trip through many of the remote Scottish areas in the Highlands.

What's next?..... I'm not sure yet. I've got no immediate plans for any other adventure, but who knows what I may decide to do next........