Blogs from John O'Groats, Caithness County, Scotland, United Kingdom, Europe

JoG to Helmsdale 72 miles It was rather auspicious starting the ride on Friday the 13th. However this was quite accidental but we were looking out for other signs for the potential of success for our trip. The first was arriving in JoG to find that the only shop was on an early closing day. As we were self catering this was a minor disaster. Does anywhere still have early closing? We managed to find a farm shop where we got some potatoes and goats cheese. Was this the omen? Or was it the sight of seals in the moonlight on the beach, wishing us well on our travels. The other challenger was the puncture Ewen received after storing the bike overnight which we discoverd as we started off. After this the consensus was that looking ... read more

The day started very early having to get up and cycle to the station to catch a train at 6.30 am to John O' Groats. Getting on the train was a great relief because it was the culmination of lots of plannng. I had arrived in Edinburgh the day before and the bike was assembled and i had all the gear in my panniers. This first part of the trip involved my daughter's partner Ewen, who was coming with me for the first four days. We got to the station on time and it was a great relief. The train looked deserted when we got on it but at subsequent stations we became surrounded by a group out for the day celebrating the birthday of one of their number. They were going as far as Golspie, ... read more

Well , here I go , todays target was to be Alness , but due to the 40 miles I did yesterday I intend to push through to Daviot on the edge of the Cairngorms , my new companions were to depart at Cromerty Firth to head for Beuly and through the great Glen to Arran. The first obstacle of the day was the infamous hill The Berriesdale Braes, a short hairpin decent, followed by a long steep climb,not great for cold muscles but we all managed to haul up and stopped at the top for a breather , The next stop was a coffe stop at the coffee bothy in Golspie , this was lovely little town and Will managed to get his gears sorted by a local handyman. We continued along the i,pressive coastal ... read more

On June 21st, me and my Brother-in-law, Geoff, set out on the mammoth journey from John O'Groats (at the North-Eastern-most tip of mainland Scotland) to Land's End (the South-Western-most point of mainland England), travelling only under our own steam - hopefully fuelled by some of the British Isles' best ale. Cycling, on average, 75 miles a day we'll hopefully make the entire 860 mile journey in only 12 days, travelling through the Highlands of Scotland, the slums of the North-West and the cider-making regions of the West country. My charity of choice is the NSPCC, who do great work protecting those who can't protect themselves. Geoff will be collecting for the British Heart Foundation, another extremely worthy cause, who pioneer research, prevention activity and giving care and support to those living with heart disease. http://www.justgiving.com/Geoff-Maguire... read more

Today I woke up earlier than normal to go on a day trip to see some Scottish wildlife and the highlands all the way up to john o'groats! I got the idea from someone who was going on the trip in my hostel. We met at nine fifteen and headed out. There was ten of us on the tour plus the guide. We were in a mini coach so we got to get right up to nature. We went on a few mini hikes, saw deer, seabirds, seals and the super funny highland cattle with their bangs all windblown in front of their face. We also saw so many lambs!!! They are the cutest ever! Not to mention the views and all the scenery! LFG and Fort Edmonton: I saw the Orkney islands from across the ... read more

So here we are. 5 days till the off. Miles of training completed, route sorted, £Thousands of sponsorship money secured. A Team of 6 of us (The Cardiff Joglers, being Goff, Gabe, Matt, Gem, Joe and Josh) will attempt the gruelling 1017 miles of John O' Groats to Lands End cycle ride over the Easter period. After a long minibus trip up to JOG on Friday 3rd, we shall commence our journey North to South on Saturday 4th. We shall be aiming to post regular updates to share our experiences with friends family and the like. Completion of the ride is scheduled for Wednesday 15th. Could we be doing something better over Easter?? Yes. Why are we doing it?? Couldn't really tell you! Is it going to cause weeks of discomfort to parts of the body ... read more

Just in case I haven't already text you or screamed down a phone at you...I've reached John o'Groats! Yes that's right folks, I've completed my marathon bike ride across Great Britain and Ireland, and the grand total mileage is 1228 miles for all you crazy people who sponsored me by the mile. In Wick now waiting for my marathon train journey back down south. I'll be back tomorrow and ready to hassle all of you who haven't paid up yet! Will update blog with photos and descriptions of glorious Bonnie Scotland in a day or two when I'm home and recovered! fxx... read more