The final stretch of Alistair McLean's epic cycle from Land's End to John O'Groats has arrived. The FRSB chief executive describes the last days, and the multiple inspirations that kept he and his team going.
Day 9
Today we set off from north of Loch Lomond to Fort Augustus. The weather is atrocious and tomorrow’s is forecast to be worst. We start out in the driving rain for a really difficult first 40 miles.
All I could think of is my daughter Lucy who is doing her driving test for the first time. While she was experiencing one of the most important things in her life, we were knocking our pans out, climbing up through Glencoe and on to Fort William.
At a small lay-by overlooking Loch Oich, I bumped into a friend of mine who lives in the next village at home in Essex, Jeremy Reed who… wait for it... was cycling from Saffron Waldon in Essex, up to John O’Groats and then back down to Lands End before turning north east again to head home for Essex - some 2,250 miles!!!
Thinking of Jeremy’s challenge, it really puts things into perspective for us all. Here we are complaining about the weather, our sore bottoms (I haven’t mentioned it in a while, but it does remain constantly sore), riding on our fancy road bikes and with a support van and then we bump into Jeremy. Respect!
Jeremy is completing his challenge for Epilepsy Research and he’s already raised almost £3,000. I’ve met some truly amazing people on this journey raising money for whichever cause matters most to them, not least an elderly man cycling through Glasgow wearing a shirt branded with both the NSPCC and Christian Aid. Another man was cycling for his local hospice. In fact, I’ve seen a full spectrum of charity t-shirts along the way, raising awareness – almost as important as funding – for the biggest household brand name charities to very small local charities. This thought presses us on.
Back on the bike, we climb up through the Glencoe pass. The views were staggering and we stop for a while, before heading off to Fort William and the next overnight step.
As we arrive, I get a text. It simply said “Dad, I’ve passed xx”.
I am over the moon.
Day 10
Our overnight stay just outside Invergarry had been very cosy indeed. Two rooms (four to each room), we drew lots for who would sleep in the bunk beds. I won and had the relative comfort of my own single. The B&B had one simple menu – soup, lasagne and apple pie with ice cream or custard and lots of bread – perfect. We refuelled and early to bed for what was to be our longest ride of the day - 108 miles. The wet start did not bode well but it was to be our best day of the entire journey (at least that’s what I thought).
We whistled over the half-mile long bridge this side of the Firth and turned into Bonar Bridge for our early afternoon stop of soup, coffee and more cake. The next section was the final 40 miles of the day – quite a run as there was pretty much nothing between us and the village of Altnaharra with a small hotel and about six houses. You run out of adjectives trying to describe the beauty of the place – particularly in bright sunshine. It seemed to get better and better. But for a few tourist cars – perfect peace.
Late into the afternoon one car overtook us and then pulled up half a mile up the road and got out of their car. As we got closer, I saw it was my sister Hilary and her husband Ronnie – I just couldn’t believe it. They had surprised me by flying over from Ireland to see me do my challenge because she wanted to show her support for me and for Mum. We hugged for a long time before I introduced them to the rest of the group. She really is one in a million. What an amazing day!
Our Final Day
Spurred on by the support of my sister and a great evening in Altnaharra, the driving rain, freezing temperature and gusting head wind didn’t seem to matter at all. We were all wet to the skin within five minutes but this was our final day – the weather was not going to spoil it, although it did show us the stark reality of life in Highland Scotland.
My sister and Ronnie joined the support team feeding us chocolate cake on our way to the northern coast village of Bettyhill. It was a surprise at first to see the sea and then it dawned on us – we had reached the northern coast of Scotland. We shared the first of numerous emotional moments of hugs and quiet reflection in these final few hours together as a group. We still had 60 miles to go due east, but it was a real watershed.
Soon after leaving Bettyhill we reached a small roadside café with a coal fire and we de-camped to get some rest from the driving rain. Socks, gloves, shoes and jackets off, we hung around the coal fire. Steam billowed off the clothes as they tried to dry out but at least we had a hot cup of tea.
As we finally rolled into John O’Groats, I’m not sure I had anything profound going on in my head – just a sense of calm, inner satisfaction of achieving something rather special. The new friendships that I had established; the shared emotions; the personal stories we had shared about the reasons we had cycled the length of Britain and the charities we were cycling for. All of this had made the journey very special.
We were greeted by my sister, her husband and our support team (Ted!). There was a lot of hugging and emotion and a sense of a job well done. The obligatory picture by the John o’Groats sign and off to Duncansby Head – the most northerly Head that can be reached by road (it had to be done!) and then off to the pub where we had a team beer in the Sea View Hotel.
I’ve written this last blog of my journey on the plane as I fly south from Inverness to Luton. I can’t quite take in the fact that my return journey (a two-hour bus ride from Wick to Inverness and a one-and-a-half hour flight) has only really taken me two thirds of the way down Beautiful Britain and I’ve just cycled the fully length. I still can’t believe it.
As I consider our journey I can’t help feeling a great sense of humility when I think of all those other people we came across doing this challenge and raising money for their favourite charity. On our last day we met a group riding for the Royal British Legion – one of whom was a double amputee. Words fail me when I think of his personal challenge – for him it doesn’t end at John O’Groats, his is a lifetime journey and makes the need for our society to continue to raise funds for worthwhile causes all the more compelling today and long into the future.
Well done to everyone raising funds for good causes, no matter what the challenge!!
