Some Statistics from the Journey

Total distance 980 miles
Total time 15 days 22 hrs
Cycling time 90 hrs
Average speed 10.9 mph
Highest speed recorded 36.8 mph
Lowest speed recorded 0 mph (obviously)
Highest average speed for day 12.2 mph (day 13)
Lowest average spped for day 9.5 mph (day 2)
Longest downhill 8.8 miles (glen coe)
Longest uphill 4.5 miles (shap, roughly)
Steepest gradient up 15%
Steepest gradient down 17%
Longest day (distance) 80.8 miles (day 5)
Longest day (time) 7 hrs 5 mins (day 10)
Average speed in Scotland 11.5 mph
Average speed in Devon/Cornwall 10.0 mph

Furthest cycled before lunch 37.1 miles (day 5)
Cornish pasties eaten 2
Cooked Breakfasts consumed 17
Jaffa cakes snackpacks consumed 30
Punctures 1
Chain incidents 3
Allan keys bought 1
Bagpipes seen being played 1
Kilts seen being worn 5
Kilts seen being worn
(not by german tourists) 3

Day 16 Helmsdale to John O'Groats

55.4 miles in 315 mins

Since it was the last day, the rain, wind and hill(?) gods decided to have one last go at stopping us. There were steep long hills from the outset, into the biting wind and driving rain. We were reduced to a crawling pace for the first couple of hours, but we were not to be defeated now. We met with our steepest ascent, heaviest rain and some strong winds. Things lulled a bit by lunch time and we resolved to pick up the pace in the afternoon, determined to finish at a respectable time. The rain and hills gave up one by one and although the wind persisted, we realised we wouldn't have felt at home if it hadn't. It was even decided that we should sprint the last 15 miles, which we managed in under an hour (doesn't sound that fast, but it required quite a lot of effort). We reached the village of John O'Groats at about 5, where mum met us and paid for the extortionate official photo. We had a pint in the pub and visited Duncansby Head, the actual farthest point. Anyway, we're done now - very relieved and a little tired.

Day 15 Inverness to Helmsdale

71.8 miles in 365 mins

Today was the day of the puncture. Bit of a dismal day in terms of weather, but we avoided the rain that was supposed to be hitting Inverness later in the morning. Bought an allan key in a local bike shop (because one never knows when an allan key will come in handy) and made our way across the Moray Firth, Cromarty Firth and then the other firth (whose name I forget). Oliver seemed to be finding the going particularly difficult, which was uncharacteristic and it was discovered at the top of one hill that his back tyre was flat. We assumed it was a puncture and it was thought that it was probably quicker to change tyres and ask questions later (whereupon no trace of a puncture could actually be found, so perhaps it was just a leaky valve or even just a figment of our imaginations). The change wasted quite a bit of time and got us quite oily and we thought it was terribly rotten luck to get a puncture on the penultimate day. The last ten miles to Helmsdale was quite hilly too, but we were able to meet mum there for a meal (as she was on her way up to meet us at the end on the following day) and stay in quite a cheap B&B.

Day 14 Fort William to Inverness

70.8 miles in 350 mins

we are going to make it. we seemed to be going faster today, i think (although i haven't done all the maths) that this was our fastest day so far. We left an eerie ben nevis behind in the morning and began up the great glen. we got great views (at least until the mist came down) and Oliver swears he saw the monster. the flapjacks fuelled us all the way and were good. we had takeaway pizza in the youth hostel, together with a litre of irn bru each (oliver is acting a bit funny after that). speaking of which, the youth hostel is really good (5 stars)- quieter, cleaner, newer, friendlier etc than others.

Day 13 Crianlarich to Fort William

56.9 miles in 280 mins

Today we had a goodly amount of downhill and, as the well known saying goes: what goes down must already have gone up. We climbed up onto Rannoch Moor in the morning, from where we were able to get spectacular views and espy eerie dintant peaks through the gaps in the patchy cloud. We ate lunch at the kingshouse hotel at the top of glen coe on the far side of rannoch. Now, hitherto, when wishing to partake in our luncheon of pre-made sandwiches, we had entered a pub, bought a drink (one of their finest real ales for myself and naturally nothing other than a diet coke for Oliver) and then we were permitted to sit at one of their tables and eat the aforementionned sandwiches. Here, however this was not to be allowed, which was a shame...

Anyway, after that, we embarked on an 8.8 mile downhill stretch through glen coe (there were a couple of short flat stretches in that, but effectively continuous downhill). This was much fun. the rest of the trip to glen nevis was uneventful, but when we got to the youth hostel, Oliver made flapjacks, which will be good.

Day 12 Kippen to Crianlarich

42.0 miles in 225 mins

Today was to be a day of rain dodging, let me explain: We knew we had quite a lot of time and we knew that there was meant to be a big rainstorm passing over in the morning, so we decided to head out later. By 11, the rain still hadn't arrived (we were close to panic), so we decided to leave anyway. We stopped for lunch about 2 hours later, when the rain looked like it was threatening. We sheltered here for an hour, expecting it to shower and then pass, but it didn't, so we set off again. About 10 minutes down the road, it did tip it down, but fortunately we were right next to a wee tea shoppe when it did so, so we duly had a cup of tea. Set off again through ominous looking clouds and were only a couple of miles from our destination when we were caught out in the open by the rain, but by that time we didn't mind too much, just sprinted it in (with some professional drafting). Arrived at the youth hostel only a little damp. What was really good was that today there was no wind!

photos

I know the photos are the wrong way round - i'll sort it when i have more time.

Day 11 Lanark to Kippen

46.7 miles in 235 mins

I would like to take this opportunity to complain about the condition of the road surfaces in this part of Scotland. They are terrible, not only is the tarmac all worn at the edges, so that it has bumpy stones sticking up, but lots of areas have been gone over several times, leading to several heights of surface. Also, all the ironworks are raised up and all the drains are sunken into the road, leading to painful bumps if one is forced to go over them. There is then the debris and sharp looking bits by the sides of the road to contend with. The Scottish public must think of me as a somewhat drunk cyclist as I swerve this way and that to avoid all these obstacles (going over them is not an option when one has been sitting in a saddle for ten days, so when I am forced to do so by some thoughtless lorry driver I get a little upset).
Anyway, enough of the rant (it's about all I was thinking about during the cycle today). The day was fairly short, as we only needed to get to our uncle and aunt's about 50 miles away. This took us past Glasgow, which is somewhere not to be revisited in a hurry. Once we were past that, however, we got our first views of mountains, which made us feel a lot healthier. Ate a lot of pasta and listened to Oscar, the singing dog.

Day 10 Carlisle to Lanark

78.3 miles in 425 mins

Today was very exciting. After deciding that our intended route to Glasgow was woefully ineffient, we decided to scrap it completely and go up the standard route, stopping to stay in Lanark. This was all decided under a motorway bridge, just after crossing the border into Scotland. It involved cancelling and finding B&Bs at short notice and gearing up for a longer day. Then, as we set out on the new road it began to rain and then, when we shook that off, the hills began. The road through the hills was very good and the scenery pleasant, however the wind was still vexed. All in all, when we got to Lanark, we were fairly tired. We stayed with a little wee scatty Scottish lady in her B&B, which was nice. We had a well expensive Italian in the town, but it was worth it.

Day 9 Kendal to Carlisle

53.9 miles in 320 mins

Today was the first day when we really thought we could have gone on a lot further. The day started by going over Shap Fell, a summit of some 1400 ft, but it was just a case of changing a few gears and then plodding on. A team of cyclists on roadbikes passed us, but congratulated our efforts (they weren't carrying their stuff with them). One of them said I was carrying a lot more weight than them, which i thought was a bit rude... At the top, we were interviewed by someone making a radio programme, which was exciting. After Shap, it was downhill (although still pedalling, due to the headwind) all the way to Carlisle. Oliver chatted to an old dear on a park bench in Penrith about South Africa, but apart from that, nothing of great importance occurred. We got to our B&B before 5 and went to the local pub for a pie (which was too large to finish!).

Day 8 Lancaster to Kendal

22.9 miles in 130 mins

Our 'rest' day was nice and easy and we got to Kendal by lunch time. If yesterday was a raging headwind, then today was only mildly irritated, so we weren't too bothered by that. Morale in the sills camp is now high, as we have done over 500 miles, meaning we are over half way. Tomorrow sees us climb over shap and down the other side, which might take a while, but the good news is that the headwind isn't too strong tomorrow. We spent the afternoon going to the cinema and generally lounging around. We also saw an old cyclist who had adapted his panniers somewhat.

Day 7 Wilmslow to Lancaster

68.7 miles in 380 mins

Despite being a few miles off the route, staying at Richard's was a great help, as he was able to direct us through the manchester suburbs and even cycled with us for the first hour or so. We managed to find a decent route that didn't go on any major roads and the only negative about the day was the stonking headwind (but that did start to die down by the end of the day). We got to a decent B&B in Lancaster and had a huge meal. We counted 2 ferraris and a maserati on the road - Oliver was beginning to make a tally of all the posh cars. We also stopped at a pub for lunch, where they had the largest dog i've ever seen.