Day 14 Srath Nabhair

North from the Crasc Inn through the ancestral lands of the McKays and the Highland clearances to Betty Hill then along the Pentland Firth.

Loch Naver from the South

Entering Srath Nabhair

Chapel at Syre

Graveyard littered with modern McKay graves at Syre, beyond is a sight of one of the atrocities of the clearances.

In

Day 13 The Highlands

The Falls of Shin on a hot day

Another  absolutely  glorious  day  in the Highlands, one of the hottest on record. Simply unscottish. You could visit  this lot a dozen times and not see or smell what we have experienced, from Inverness across the firth, around the Black Isle to Dingwall and north to Bonar Bridge, the falls of Shin and the other Salmon  rivers under a hot sun, burning us on our left side as we head north.
Tomorrow Strathnaver, McKay country.

Day 12 Over the Lecht

The Lecht began after about 15 miles. It was mean,  but fortunately brief as was its successor at Bridge of Brown. The weather  was warm and dry, there was a strong smell of pine most of the day.

Riders in the distance on the upper slope of the Lecht

Bridge of Brown, tough when it follows the Lecht

Snow on the northern slopes

Day 11 Glenshee

Like a short day taken from le tour, ambling north from Perth, climbing steadily towards Spitall, then the ascent of Glenshee to the ski lifts followed by a 30th mile descent to Balmoral and the Dee. Even the descents are hard when you start the day knackered. Cut out the  leggings today and substituted a knee support. Damned uncomfortable, but it works.

Tomorrow the Lecht.

The ascent is in the  distance

The Col at Glenshee

Deer above the long descent from Glenshee

Day 10 Across the Forth

This poxy app for Google fails repeatedly, because it can't link to photos taken on a Google Android phone.  Once the attempt to link a photo has failed, the only solution is to delete the entry, thereby losing the written  text, and start again.
A shortish 70 miles today up from Peebles through Edinburgh for lunch under the old railway  bridge and a crossing of the road bridge to Perth.

Leggings are helping to stop my knees hurting and that is going to be essential  for tomorrow's daunting ascent of Glenshee. I don't feel at all ready, just tired.

Day 9 The Scottish Borders

80 miles, over the wall at Banks, crossing the border north of Longtown and the forest to Eskdalemuir monastery for lunch, thence up to Peebles. These hills climbs are much  longer with shallower gradients and corresponding  descents, but I'm  still knackered though optimistic of getting through. I'm now nursing my knees with leggings and a support bandage.
Tomorrow Edinburgh and Perth.

Eskdalemuir monastery with scaffolding

Day 8 The Border Country

Over half way there, up the Lune, shadowing the Shap incline, then over the watershed  from Orton for a descent  of the Eden Valley.  At 60 miles with no major ascents even I was in by 3.00. Still knackered. The weather ignored the forecast so it rained all morning.
I should have photoed the scene on the common at  Langwathby in which two Skedaddle parties, one heading coast to coast the other LeJoG, took picnic lunches at the same time. It shows the scale of this industry.

Day 7 North Lancs

68 miles, first  over Winter Hill/Rivington Pike. Then up between Preston  and Blackburn, to Whalley and Slaidburn for lunch followed by another glorious  climb  over Catlow Fell to Bentham. The route contained about a dozen cattle grids, my favourite obstacle. Arrived in Kirkby last again and knackered again. We've lost one to a broken  arm and with her partner  dropping out we are seven riders and, temporarily, 3 escorts, but we are half way there. Up to the borders tomorrow.

Looking East toward Belmont Church from Rivington Pike

North of Slaidburn, under Catlow Fell

Day 6 South Lancs

A huge day today, 85 miles over the Wrekin, Shropshire and the Cheshire plain. Not much climbing, but the last few miles through Warrington and Wigan were hard going.
I was extremely  grateful to find that the road over  the Wrekin didn't actually go all the way to the mast.  I was the last up it by far, but not the last in at 5.00. My knees are giving grief, but I haven't applied any anti-inflammatories.  I'm not exactly dancing up the hills.
Tomorrow to Kirkby Lonsdale is shorter, about 68 miles with lots of big hill climbing,  including Winter Hill to start, so it's a bit scary.  I'm beginning to think I might make it. I might even allow myself a pint tonight. Tomorrow  will take us nearly half way with much of the tough stuff behind.

The Iron Bridge

Day 5 Through the Marches

Only 53 miles, a relative doddle. Tomorrow  by contrast begins with an ascent of the Wrekin. The rain held off, though it did get colder in the afternoon.

Humber Garden of Remembrance

Day 4 Across the Severn

Arguable the toughest of the trip. Not the longest and not the greatest amount of climbing, but high on both rankings so by our standards long and arduous. A spectacular climb up Cheddar Gorge in the mist and the rain, then stuck up in the fog above allowing a limited view of Chew Valley lake with the waterproof clad anglers crouched in their boats. It was chucking it down. By the time we got to Ashton Court it was time for a break. I even swapped my clothes for dry ones, my leggings seemed to give some help with my knees. Then across the Clifton suspension bridge and out to Severn Beach and the original Severn bridge crossing.

Post office at St. Weonards with LeJoG sign

The route by-passed Chepstow to the West and I was overtaken by those who had stopped for a second break at Tintern on the road up the Wye to Monmouth. Then a big climb up the old road towards Hereford felt as great as the one up Cheddar Gorge. It wasn't, but it was fifty miles later. I managed to stop briefly for a photo at St. Weonards (wonnards), then back to Elm Lodge for 7.00 ish so that was 85 miles and a lot of climbing in 8 hours in the pouring rain.

Day 3 Somerset

Only 73 miles up the Exe Valley and across Somerset to Wells which was much flatter, but not assisted by suffering knees. If they don't  improve by tomorrow I really will have a problem.

Hastily grabbed snap at Culverhay Farm, Wiveliscombe

Day 2 Devon

A long day, 80 miles over the hills with a big climb out of Bodmin. The 70 year old who fell off  and and hurt himself at the start still came in an hour before me. Again I was last to all the breaks and last up all the hills as before. From 12 miles out my left knee gave me trouble.  I think that's just tiredness.