Scott Westwood
Lands End to John O'Groats
25th - 31st August 2006
In aid of the Walsall Hospice Appeal
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Scott WestwoodLands End to John O'Groats25th - 31st August 2006In aid of the Walsall Hospice Appeal
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Day 7 – The End and the Big Surprise !
As planned, I made an early start at 8am and navigated out of Inverness to pick up the A9 again. After approximately 15 miles I spotted the first mileage sign for John O’Groats. In a way this lifted my sprits as the end was now in sight but after seeing the amount of miles (113 I think it was) the task ahead became somewhat apparent again. The scenery in this part of the world is absolutely fantastic. Approximately 90% of the journey between Inverness and Wick is on a coast road. I also had the wind behind me today (for the first time in the journey !!) so this, together with glorious sunshine and fantastic scenery certainly lifted my spirits. A few mental calculations after seeing several further mileage signs for Wick/John O’Groats led me to deduce that I should be arriving at the finish at around 4pm. There were a few tough climbs along the way out of Helmsdale and Berridale but nothing could dampen my spirits today. I saw numerous birds of prey along the way but, and I’m ashamed to admit this, I hadn’t got a clue what they were. I made a mental note to myself to learn more about this type of wildlife once I got home. I also spotted several groups of seals on the various secluded beaches. It really is a wonderful part of the world. I reached Wick at approximately 3pm and looked around for a taxi rank / company. This was not to get a lift to the end but to get a lift back to Wick from John O’Groats as my last overnight stay was booked here. The thought of cycling another 17 miles after reaching the end did not appeal. I did not find a taxi rank so decided to sort something out once I got to the finish. The last 17 miles seemed to last fly by. I reached the hill at the top of John O’Groats and stopped to take a picture of my bike at the roadside near the “John O’Groats” sign. I spoke to a couple who’d just finished the ride and they explained that they’d been doing it for the last 20 years. Basically, each summer, they would return to the finish point of the previous year and spend a week or so making their way further north. I made my way down the hill into John O’Groats and this is where I had my biggest surprise of the week. Unknown to me, my sister and her husband had made a last minute decision to drive to John O’Groats from their home in North Yorkshire to ensure that I didn’t have to experience the finish alone. As I was cycling towards the end point I heard shouts in my direction. I already thought I’d gone mad after spending days alone and talking to myself, the many sheep and the wind on occasions so hearing somebody shouting my name just added to the theory that I was in fact going insane. That was until I spotted my brother in-law with a video camera and then my sister with my youngest nephew Jack. It really was a great surprise. We spent the next few minutes discussing the journey and the fact that they’d managed to keep it secret. It had taken them 9 hrs to drive to John O’Groats and they only passed me about 8 miles before the end. It would not have had the same effect if they’d arrived after me. I signed the visitors book at the finish point whilst having my card stamped. Lots of photos were taken before I was driven back to Wick. After a quick wash and change (I had proper clothes to wear now as I’d posted them to the B&B before I began the trip) I ate fish and chips with my family overlooking the harbour in Wick before we retired for the night to our respective accommodation.
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