Postscript

A great treat to spend the night at the Rocpool Reserve in Inverness. A msssive room with an equally big bath. A very special night in a lovely place. What a reward. A glass of champagne and a lovely meal of fresh asparagus fish cheese washed down with fine wines.  

Wick to John O Groats 18

So the last day has arrived. 
Charlie and I ate and drank at Wetherspoons the high spot of Wick, last night. Not quite as good as Kendal but topped by a celebratory muscle relaxant. 
Up for 8 we breakfasted at the hotel and waited for the call from P and F telling us where they were. By 10.00 Charlie was getting antsy so we quit the hotel. Also checking out was one of the 600 also making his way to John O Groats. His description of what had been arranged sounded a logistical nightmare. Huge tent villages being set up at strategic points on the route. 
Headed off the centre of town to find a cafe where we could wait. Surprise no Costa or Starbucks so we had to settle for the local cafe frequented by young mothers and their children. After an anxious half our we eventually made contact; they were just crossing the Kessock bridge so would be another couple of hours. Despite my best efforts to sit tight we started off with a gentle stetch taking us out of Wick. A cloudy but otherwise fine day beckoned. 
The road was bleak but gentle and we were lulled into a false sense of security thinking it would be like that the whole way. Oh no! First it started raining not your honest straightforward rain but that persistent smir which soaks into your every weak spot. Then hills emerged not especially challenging but enough to cause some effort. But no worries with only 18 miles to cover it was a breeze. 
With less than a mile to cover we had no idea where P and F were so no sense of how long or where to wait. Actually the where was not difficult because there was only one place - nope not Starbucks John O Groats but the Seaview Hotel whose bar was open and already populated by locals for their first imbibe of the day. We also met the guy responsible for the tent city logistics and some others who had just finished. 
No phone signal easily available meant borrowing a phone and leaving a message to let them know we were waiting. After about 30 mins the car hove into view and we were off. 
A strange feeling we were on the final yards to completion. Past the tent city which looked impressive down the hill round a corner and there were Patricia and Faye with the saltire a bottle of champagne and a warm welcome. 
We finished at 1.15. It was very emotional for both of us after 17.5 days in the saddle 950 miles a bucketload of climbs lots of wonderful views and many great people will provide us with warm memories and lots of stories. 
Charlie is a great companion to share an experience with so easy to get on with full of conversation and humour he made the journey easy and fun. A big thanks. 
To Patricia and Faye the warmest of thanks for their encouragement and support the transport champagne and the picnic.
To family and friends who put us up fed our voracious appetites and helped us on our way thank you. 
To the many people who contributed to our charities and watched our progress thanks for your support. 
So Charlie what's next?

Golspie to Wick 55

Stayed the night in the Gospie Inn. The food is very good - smoked mackeral pate followed by roast pork belly - but they had run out of the local ale. Boo hoo! 
Left at 9.30 on a grey but still morning in anticipation of quite a challenging day. This proved to be a good call. The climbs up after Helmsdale and later Berrydale Brae were long and at times quite steep but not impossible and we managed them slowly but with panache. More draining are the ups and downs which spoil your rythm and sap your energy. 
It felt quite remote the further into Caithness we travelled but some of the villages had a certain charm. Lybster for example with it's wide street but hardly any residents had a quiet brooding atmosphere suggesting a byegone era and a reluctance to engage with the present. 
As we neared Wick the terrain flattened out but the wind picked up just to make sure the last few miles would remain a challenge. Undaunted we pressed on into Wick and the Breadalbane House Hotel. A wait of 15 minutes eventually produced the receptionist and we were shown to a good room. 
So the last full day of the trip ends!

Inverness to Golspie 55

Inverness to Golspie 56
Last night in Inverness had a good meal in the Hootenanny a Thai meal - very tasty. We also bumped into Ron Culley and spent a pleasant and entertaining time with him. 
On our return to the hotel noticed an Oyster Catcher and Herring Gull roosting on the building beside us very strange. 
Today was windy as expected not a problem except we had to cycle into it all the way which was a real problem. Not only that but we had wanted to take the Cromarty ferry. Why was that a problem? Well there's no ferry at the moment. But that shouldn't be a problem you say. Well it could have been because we checked the website and there was no warning except for the information that they had ordered a new ferry due to be delivered in June but no indication it had not arrived. We phoned but there was no reply and no voicemail information. We did have the presence of mind to check with the tourist information office which, while not being able to inform us of the cycle route did save us the bother of making the journey to Cromarty to find no ferry.
So a slightly longer day than originally planned cycling to Tain by lunchtime into a 30mph headwind. Not a pleasant prospect - the journey took about 3 hours rather than 2.5. Doesn't seem a lot but you try it! 
A fulsome lunch of lentil soup at Tain sent us on our way. We met another cyclist there who had gone to Cromarty last night and had to redo the journey today - not a happy German. We saw a lot more touring bikes today and a walker doing the same route. Didn't get a chance to chat but on reflection it could have been difficult because he seemed a bit confused - we saw him walking back into Tain as we were leaving. 
The 15 miles to Golspie were slow but we made it via a diversion to see the wonderful example of Victorian ingenuity at the Fleet estuary. It's also very picturesque and clearly a haven fo birdwatchers. 
A long hard challenging day let's hope tomorrow is easier.

Preston to Kendal

1/06
Preston to Kendal 48
Started off quite wet which doesn't enhance the attractions of Preston which are hard to find at the best of times. Left on the A6 for Kendal. A further canal detour from lancaster with views across morecambe bay provided us with some welcome relief from the main road. A bit further on and we took the last 9 miles on the cycle route into Kendal. 
Tonight it's the youth hostel! 

Laggan to Inverness 60

Laggan to Inverness 60
Leaving Laggan in the rain and full of trepidation anticipating a long hard slog to Inverness. After a short breakfast we started off on a very pleasant road towards Newtonmre. 
Like most places in the rain Newtonmore and Kingussie are not especially attractive. Got my tyre blown up fully in Newtonmore - phew!
The climb towards Aviemore was steady but not challeging. Once we joined the cycle route along the A9 we fairly raced along. The cycle route is actually rather good and very picturesque in parts.
Stopping for a well earned lunch in Aviemore was a real delight - properly served with good food in comfortable surroundings we spent an unusual hour in the cafe. 
By the time we finished the rain had cleared and although not sunny at least it was dry. The route through Carrbridge was delightful and the long slow ascent of the Slocht made it much easier than anticipated. 
Coming down the last 25 miles or so into Inverness was easy and charming - the pine freshness of the forest and bird song made it a delight. Clava Cairns were a discovery a few miles from Inverness. Built a few thousadnd years ago as burial chambers they have only recently been fully excavated and understood. 
So 3 more days and we will have achieved our goal. It's hard to believe it

Glasgow to Killin

It was a fine start to the day although  cloudy it was warm. Patricia and Fay joined us along the canal towards Kirkintilloch and we peeled off before Lennoxtown. They returned to Glasgow while we headed for the Campsie Glen and the climb up the Crow. And surprisingly easy it turned out to be. When I think the last time I did it I was pretty tired bit this time I felt fine. 
Stopped for lunch a few miles outside Callander before continuing on the next stage of the journey. Up along the old railway line was nice with lively views across the loch much better route than the road which gets very busy. 
Unfortunately the weather turned worse just a few miles outside Callander and never really improved. However it seemed a good tactic under the circumstances because we were off road and didn't need to worry about traffic. 
The journey across the hill was good if not challenging in parts. I thought trains couldn't climb steep hills - how wrong can you be?
Arrived in Killin sodden but satsfied to have completed a challenging day. 
Have to mention the road surfaces which in some parts of the route were worse than awful. Not quite a match with South Lanarkshire but pretty close.