Day  15/16           Tuesday.   Sept 5

Crask Inn to Thurso

Distance:        100 (Km) 

Time:    5:33

Average Speed:          18.0.  (Km/ hr) 

Ascent:               957. (m). 

Heart Rate:          108 (beats / min). 

Cumulative Distance:           1522 (km) 

Cumulative Ascent :           13,729 (m) 

Punctures so far : 0

A day with a glorious start (downhill or flat and sunshine) and then up- and - down with overcast and mist.

Dinner last night in the Crask Inn was a communal one…all 6 of us at one table. Three of them (English) were involved in a LeJoG for a charity. Dad, Stephen and son George were doing the cycling ( full trip in 12 days) and Mom was providing support with the motorhome. They were going all the way to John O Groats today and our paths crossed at the 65km mark

When I went out this calm morning to saddle up I was attacked by millions of the tiny midges populating the highlands. They don’t carry disease but are a total nuisance. I had known of this possibility and donned my net, long fingered gloves and leggings……fully covered. When the day had warmed up and with a breeze (25km) I removed all these.

Dull when I started out and crested after a short 1.5 km with the windmills (they’re everywhere up here) and then had a glorious descent for the next 12km to Altnaharra,

The sun had now broken through (7 - 9pm) just a I turned sharp right (east)  at the Altnaharra Hotel to cycle down the shores of Loch Navar. This hotel is known far and wide among anglers.

Loch Navar is 10 km long and quite narrow emptying into the North Sea. With the low sun it was preferable to stop and look back at the beauty.

All this area (Strathnaver) suffered badly in the Highland Clearances of early 19C. The wealthy estate landowners were not making a profit with the old communal farming system; it would make more economic sense to displace the residents and turn the land over to sheep, especially with the arrival of the hardy Great Cheviot sheep from the south. Displaced people moved to small villages on the coast, each with a small plot and were forced to resort to other means (fishing for lobster or herring) to add to their small income.

At Syre I came to the much photographed red corrugated iron church built as a mission church in 1891 to serve the remaining  community on the Sutherland estate.

From this point on the road began to heave and roll right to the end of the day. At 47km I linked up with the A836 but the surface did not improve. It was still a single track road but with a rough verge for passing.

Than at 50km I got my first view of the North Sea at Bettyhill with its magnificent beach. From here to John O Groats I’ll be cycling east generally following the coast.

Any coastal trip is never flat. The road ahead regularly moved inland and rose to cross high ground. I could see the rises ahead and Garmin introduced me to 4 majors, but there were many more just as taxing.

The sky darkened along here and banks of mist moved across the landscape. Luckily enough it never developed into serious rain. And I spotted my first road sign for John O Groats; put up especially for those doing the North Coast 500 (miles). Along here there was a plentiful line of motorhomes and motorcyclists coming against me.

And I moved into the last county on this trip…Caithness.

Ahead through the light mist appeared the 3 reactors of the nuclear station of Dounreay operational there from 1958 till 1994. All decommissioned now but it will take decades.

Just after Reay I turned off to the right on a lesser used road but far superior surface to enter Thurso from the land side. Thurso welcomed me and in no time (at 1pm) I had located my Holborn Hotel.

Glad to be in on the last long day of cycling. All calm now and ready for the final assault on John O Groats tomorrow morning.

Thank God for the health and thank God for the energy.