Lands End to John O'Groats Itinerary

On the day of departure we will be making an early start from the famous signpost at the most south westerly point on the English mainland, Lands End. The first day is perhaps, one of the toughest. The hills in Cornwall are not particularly high, but they are steep and there are a lot of them, any miles that are done in training, prior to the ‘big trip’ will reap huge dividends on this early stage.

The second day of the journey is one of the toughest. We have plenty more Cornish hills to climb up and down although the scenery is lovely. We continue into Devon and more hills await as we cycle through Dartmoor National Park. On a clear day this is a truly spectacular section although it can get very bleak if the weather is bad!

The next day of our adventure will begin with some hilly cycling as we negotiate the back roads towards Exeter. As we leave Exeter behind the terrain becomes a little easier and after lunch, as we will be wending our way through gentle, quiet country lanes through the Isle of Avalon. We continue across the Somerset Levels to bring us to the eclectic town of Glastonbury.

We will continue to the cathedral city of Wells, often referred to as the smallest city in England. A climb out of Wells is rewarded with some fine cycling across the top of the Mendip Hills, before dropping to Chew Valley lake and through the Long Ashton Estate. We will cycle over the iconic Clifton suspension bridge before cycling through Bristol. After lunch we will continue over the Severn Bridge and into Wales. The afternoon is spent cycling along the Wye Valley - a truly memorable days cycling.

The fifth day of the journey is perhaps one of the easiest and the scenery is stunning with the Black Mountains in the distance. The roads are very quiet and the scenery amongst the best of the trip. We will be cycling to the west of Leominster and eventually stopping for the night at the recently restored watermill at Clun Mill, a local pub or B&B. Clun has a couple of great real ale pubs and places to eat.

A scenic, undulating road takes us away from Clun to the white & black timbered buildings of Shrewsbury. After Shrewsbury the route is flat & easy as we continue northwards along the Cheshire plains so although the mileage is high this is one of the easiest days of the tour. Our hotel this evening offers a swimming pool, steam room & a sports massage can be arranged if you want to relax the muscles in your tired legs.

Leaving Runcorn we will be weaving through the Manchester - Liverpool conurbation. The cycling is flat but the navigation is tricky as we have a number of busy roads, roundabouts and town centres such as Warrington, Leigh and Bolton to navigate. As the day wears the countryside beckons once again. We ill arrive at the pretty hamlet of Conder Green situated on the banks of the River Lune south of Lancaster.

Sunday will see us cycling through the historic town of Lancaster before continuing to Kendal and onto the Lake District. Initially the cycling is easy but we will encounter a number of hills further north as we pass the towns of Windermere, Ambleside and Grassmere where you will have the chance to sample the local gingerbread. One last climb awaits as we continue up Dunmail rise with more stunning views as we descend into the town of Keswick.

On the second Monday morning, the ‘daily commute’ or the ‘school run’, will be the last thing on our minds, as stiff climbs from the Lake District are forgotten we will be navigating through the tail end of the Lake District towards the city of Carlisle, the terrain flattens out around this historic city and the cycling becomes relatively easy as the day wears on.

Tuesday will begin with some hilly cycling as we traverse the Carsphairn Forest and travel northeast to follow the cycle paths and quieter roads, which lead into Glasgow. At the south of the city we join the River Clyde cycleway, and as we cross the city we will be enjoying a traffic free ride through one of Europe’s more vibrant cities, which is now defined by its old and new architecture, as well as interesting sights such as the Clydebank Docks and Glasgow Harbour. With the Trossachs ahead of us, we will be heading for Loch Lomond and our stop at Balloch.

As we depart from Loch Lomond we will be greeted with some amazing scenery as we head north, we will hopefully be feeling the benefits of a week and a half in the saddle, as the long steady, spectacular ascents open up glorious views of the Grampian Mountains around Crianlarich and the Bridge of Orchy. Eventually we will find ourselves in the historic and stunning village of Glen Coe.

As we leave Glencoe, we will be riding along the eastern shore of Loch Linnhe towards Fort William, as we follow the road through Glen Albyn we will continue have beautiful Scottish lochs to the east, Loch Lochy finally gives way to the gorgeous Loch Ness as we approach the capital of the Highlands, Inverness. This is another trly memorable days cycling through Scottish Highlands.

Leaving the city behind we will be crossing the Moray Firth via the Kessock Bridge ascending onto the Black Isle before descending towards Dingwall. Just out of Dingwall brings another ascent onto what the locals call the ‘Struie’. As we reach the top of the ‘Struie’ we will be amply rewarded with impressive views of the Dornoch Firth and away in the distance Loch Shin. The final few hours are spent descending down to Bonar Bridge and then the steady climb to Lairg and beyond which is our destination for the evening, The Crask Inn, arguably the finest and friendliest of pubs in the UK.

A freewheeling descent from the Crask Inn and the dazzling backdrop provided by Loch Naver and Ben Klibreck will make this morning truly unforgettable. As Loch Naver gives way to the famous salmon runs of the River Naver, we will be enjoying some of the finest cycling of the whole journey. Around lunchtime we sight the Atlantic Ocean at Bettyhill and the final afternoon will be spent making progress along the northern coastline of Scotland towards John O’Groats. The final few hours of the afternoon will find the terrain flatten out and we are rewarded with an easy ride to the finishing line at John O’Groats, where the champagne corks will be popping.