The Route

Well as this challenge is called the Lands End to John O'Groats obviously I’m starting in Lands End. There are two reasons for that. I’ve heard that the wind might be blowing up the country and that might give me a bit of a hand and also I fancied a week in Scotland once it’s all over.

I’m trying to do this on the cheap hence I'm staying in Hostels.

As with most things I do I like to keep my options open as much as possible. However, after many times using a 25 inch long piece of string to measure a days worth of cycling, the route looks something like this:-Day 1 - Lands End up the north Cornish coast to Bude.

Day 2 - Bude to Torrington, South Molton, Taunton and up to Cheddar.

Day 3 - From Cheddar up Cheddar Gorge, Bristol, across the Severn, the road west of main Monmouth road, up the Golden Valley to west of Hereford. Up through Kington, Knighton, to Clun Mills. I used to drive to Knighton twice weekly for about 8 years in a former life!

Day 4 - West of Shrewsbury, Oswestry, Whittington (I like the little castle there), Ellesmere (like the mere), up to Chester, through all the Manchester bits somehow and end up at Slaidburn. This is going to be the longest day!

Day 5 - From Slaidburn, to Ingleton, Dent, (haven’t been here for a while. Old fellow’s memorial picnic bench is, well at least was, here), Kendal, Bassenthwaite. My kids, well at least one of them, is staying here – reluctantly accompanying my ex on a sailing week (Bass week).

Day 6 - Bassenthwite to Carlisle, Dumfries and across to Ayr. I was originally going to go parallel with the M74 to Glasgow and Loch Lomond but I read about someone who went across to Ardrossan and then took a ferry on and off Arran and up the west coast to Oban. Well my idea of cycling heaven is rural not urban so if I can avoid Glasgow that’s sounds like a good idea to me!

Day 7 - Ayr to Oban via Arran.

Day 8 - Oban, Fort William and finish at Loch Ness. I'm sure there'll be a lot of monster sightings that day!

Day 9 - Loch Ness up to Dingwall, Lairg and Tongue.

Day 10 - From Tongue along the north coast of Scotland to John O'Groats and finish! (If I make it!)