Park Hotel Thurso

... and I can't see what's wrong with it.

For some reason, I come over all emotional after Lybster, it must have been the sugar! Pulling myself together, I try to make it to Dunbeath but by a tiny place called Latheronwheel the siren's call of a B&B sign is too much and I stagger to their door.

Sandy and Betty are lovely and help me hang the tent up in their garage to fully dry out, then force feed ...

... on his ride. Then I notice the name on his charity t-shirt - Ben Cocker. My brother has a school friend of that name but I'm too nonplussed to ask and he peddles off to complete his journey leaving me wondering... It really would be a very small world, if he is my brother's friend!

Wick campsite is about half a mile out of the town by the river. It's a peaceful spot and I sit ...

There can't be many people who've started their John O'Groats to Land's End journey (JOGLE for the uninitiated) by spending the night before heading to the start at an '80s party with two Adam Ants, Batman and Batwoman, Freddie Mercury, a Rubik's cube and a Falklands battleship! Thanks to the RAF Kinloss Mountain Rescue team for the best party in a garage that I've ever been to!

Getting to John O'Groats is a ...

... 14 degree weather. We also had some excellent cheese, but we didn't sample any of the 8.5% alcoholic beer.

The next part of the tour involved most of the ancient sites. We saw Skara Brae which is a stone aged village (from about 5000 years ago). It was uncovered in one of the huge storms they regularaly have up here, about 150 years ago. there are stone huts which were orignally in the middle of a midden, complete with stone ...

... it takes a lot longer at the level crossing than waiting for a train).

Despite thinking we might be cutting it a bit fine, we managed to pull into Freswick at about 7:30pm- still well over an hour of daylight left- gotta love the far noth! Our B&B has very cute attic windows and a lovely view, being quite secluded. However; B's planning isn't quite as good as she thought and we seem to have ended up in a room without an ensuite...

... wave killing time along the coast, waiting for a tow in the snow.

Writing this I am wrapped in several hoodies sipping coffee as blizzard conditions ensue outside. My neck is sore from the lip, which landed on me square as I attempted a kookish turn. I have honestly passionately despised the cold but its hard to shake the feeling of stoke, the cocktail of seratonin and endorphins that forms a kind of internal buzz. You just don’t get that from sitting through ...

... and thought maybe I could treat myself at some point. Then I remembered how much I'd spent on all the kit I was carrying with me that was slowing me down. No B&B's yet!

Chatted to a girl at the campsite who had just finished the trip from Land's End in 2 weeks and 2 days. Wow. I'm going for the more leisurely approach. And the scenic route. Why not, I've got the time to spare. There, that's my excuses done!

Time to get a move on.

... banner and flags up the two big hills at Helmsdale and Berridale. Rain all day until mid afternoon when it cleared. Got quite tired after the two hills and with fifty miles still to go stopped for half an hour for a rest. The last fifty miles were more hilly than I had expected but managed to press on and arrived in sunshine at John o'Groats at 7.50pm welcomed by Sue and the children with the ...

... a result of losing the weight from one side of the bike and everyone in earshot though he had wiped out...its nothing a few tie wraps won't sort out anyway. We arrived in Waverley station in plenty of time so nipped out and got a load of irn bru, scotch pies and rolls to make pie butties for the ride north. The train to Inverness was pretty normal but after that things started to get a bit strange. First we ...

... showing. I remove my waterproof s to show of the PROSTaid Tshirt that I had proudly worn only long enough to have my photo taken at the JOG sign, which was long enough for me to get drenched. Photo shoot over I redress and head to the start line (yes it does exist, a start/finish line for LEJOGers and JOGLErs) stepping over I turn south take a deep breath and ...