Apologies… unable to write much due to this…

I will now attempt to get out of bed to have some breakfast…. see if walking is still an option. I may crawl to the dining area.

Here is a little photo of the top of Glen Coe, I channeled the power of the polka jersey to gert me up and over the highlands.  Its competition time…. wheres wally ?

DCIM100DRIFT

The day started a bit later due to breakfast only being served from 7:30am. Full English again, and James had his 1st taste of Black Pudding. We set off about 8:30 and made reasonable progress to Bonar Bridge where we had to stop for the obligatory silly photo

We pressed on to Dingwell for coffee and brunch (this is essential to keep the fuel up) There was some tough hills to get over before we eventually dropped down to the shores of Loch Ness where we met up with the support driver for a few coffees.

The road down to Fort Augustus was pretty hectic (loads of tourist traffic and timber trucks)  but it was a nice 20 mile ride along the Loch where we checked into Morags Hostel – very cheap and full of interesting people. We have a 6 man dorm to ourselves, but apparently there is one other sharing.

I pity the poor individual that has to wake up the smell of us lot (and the sight of his Lordship applying more butt butter)

Day 1 started with rather different weather conditions to the evening before. We awoke to sea mist and fog and went for an early breakfast. After a full English was devoured (to the sounds of celtic flutes and drums) we set off into the fog.

The sun soon burnt off the fog and by 10am we were at Thurso in cloudless skies. Of course we forgot to put sun screen on and the tan lines are looking pretty good. The Caithness coast is amazing but I can imagine in a bad storm you would not want to be up here on a bike. There is nothing but hardy sheep and cows.

We rode on and stopped at 11 for a massive sugar intake of apple pie and custard .. and some original Orkney ice cream at the Bettyhill cafe. We rode a beautiful road along the loch to the most remote pub in the UK (The Crask Inn)

We overstayed our time slot to sample the beers and then had a long descent into Lairg where we are staying tonight. His lordship got a puncture 300 meters from the hotel

We had some dinner and then watched this spectacle

Onwards tomorrow to Morags hostel in Fort Augustus (another long ride)

JOGLE Prologue stage was completed this evening. I let slip that the furthest point was Duncansby head lighthouse (Not John O Groats) so after some debate we cycled out to officially start the ride, a gentle 2km ride. The evening was glorious sunshine with crystal blue skies amd we could see the Orkneys and outer islands. Tomorrow is an early breakfast and we are off in anger.