We're on Our Way

Well we finally arrived in John o Groats. I won't bore you with the travel details suffice it to say that the Senior Doctor and I and the bike all arrived safely with all attachments in place.

We stayed with Gail at the Anchorage B&B. It was a great place equal to any hotel and you also get Gail to keep you entertained. Her husband is a local crab and lobster fisherman so she regaled us with the finer points of de shelling crab.I think the thing is dead before she starts or a least I hope so. In the evening we repaired to the Local gourmet establishment to treat ourselves of some of the afore mentioned crab only to find it had all been hoovered up that day for Prince Charles who was staying at the Castle of Mey. As the saying goes it's the  rich what gets the pleasure and the poor that..........

 

Set out the next day on the epic voyage. Called in initially at the John O Groats finger post just to prove that we did start from the right place. Some consternation however as I think it was the first time the Senior Doctor had actually realised how far it was to Lands End. Soon sorted out however with an extra large Mr Whippy!

 

I don't intend to dishearten you with a blow by blow, turn by turn  description of the route. More just point out the highs and lows of the trip. You will note they are usually lows - such is life.

All was going swimmingly on the first morning until I turned to check on the Senior Doctor to find her head gently emoting a faintly luminescent  glow in the gloomy weather. All was well however when I realised that we were passing Dounreay. Nothing like a dose of gamma shine to clear out the sinuses first thing in the morning. A few miles further down the road her head returned to it's usual shade of magnolia.

 

As we progressed I was a little perturbed to find the brakes to be less than efficient. Hence we called into the Bike Shop in Thurso and let Sam and Sean sort them out. They did a great job and everything seemed ticketyboo once they'd finished. It's a bit of a black art bike fettling, something akin to voodoo practised with Allen keys whilst getting ritually covered in grease, but job well done. Thanks lads.

 

We stayed in Thurso on the first night. We did find a fish and chip shop that yes did fry virtually everything in batter.  Misplaced your baby  - look no further the've battered it and it's in the fryer!  We restricted ourselves  to Cod and chips and very good it was too. Even the Senior Doctor enjoyed it and she's not a lover of fish. Removed to many fish bones from throats during her stint in A&E.

The next day we rode along the coast. Great views and plenty of sheep. I, residing as I do inHerefordshire, now count myself as a bit of a conasieure of sheep, but the lot we saw today were a bit odd. They all appeared to have massive heads in relation to the size of their bodies - most bizarre, but then as the Senior Doctor opined the North Highlands is a bit like the land that time forget so they probably started out as Wooly Mammoths and have evolved into the creature we see today. I'll be glad to get back home where sheep are warm, round and cuddly and make excellent lamb chops. 

 

The weather was misty and cold. I could really imagine myself rampaging up and down here in a kilt with the Jacobites, but l soon came to my senses when I remembered what happened to them. Not a good idea to abuse a sitting monarch - so forget my afore mentioned comments about Charlie pinching all the crab. I was glad to go hungry (well actually we had a nice stuffed chicken breast) so my liege could gorge himself on the fruits of the sea. Good on you Charlie!

We did have a bit of a scare today as the Senior Doctor came into contact with the infamous Scottish midge. However we plastered her with 100% deet and this, together with the promise of another Mr Whippy, seemed to do the trick. However I think she will have to wait for some time for this promise of a glacial treat to come to fruition as we haven't seen even a small, local shop in over 30 miles - back home  they always seem to be building a Tesco Express 20 yards from your front door whether they have planning permission or not, but if you  expect to see one in the next 200 miles in Scotland - forget it. I'm sure there is a moral in there somewhere.

We'll the Senior Doctor is off to bed so I best go as well. Have to give the posteriors time to reformat before the next saddling bashing tomorrow. We are now one bike, two riders and 839 miles to go and almost certainly more entertaining japes to be experienced. Keep watching........