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Lands End - John o’Groats ✅

After twelve days in the saddle, today we reached John o’Groats - the more than logic end location of our LEJOG journey. What a blast; it was a pleasure to do. The route as described by John Walsh and Hannah Reynolds was beautiful and very well documented. Thousand miles, let that sink in! Meanwhile we learned some facts about the Kingdom and the countries within. But mostly, we loved all the views and scenery. Never thought England, Wales and Scotland could offer us this greatness. Overall we had non-typical English weather; lots of sun and almost no rain. Tailwinds helped us keep going as well. Thanks for supporting us along the road! We loved every bit of it!

John o’ Groats
Developed not as the end of the mainland but as the access point to the islands beyond, John o’Groats was named after Dutchman Jan de Groot, who ran the ferry between Caithness and the Orkney Islands. It is a place where journeys start and end, goals are achieved and long-held dreams are realised. John o’ Groats draws thousands of visitors each year; it is often surprising how few cyclists you see on the journey but how constant the procession of arrivals at the finish is. You only need to be a few minutes ahead or behind someone for the full 1,000 miles to never see them at all. The final yards of cycling but also months of planning and preparation. The final few hundred metres is comprised of a utilitarian service road to a campsite with views to an uninspiring shopping complex and a small ferry; however, plans are afoot for changes that will create a more celebratory arrival. From the iconic fingerpost sign ahead lies only the Pentland Firth. It has been a major shipping route for centuries, but navigating this short but treacherous seaway between the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean is fraught with hazards. Stormy weather and violent sea conditions have led to many shipwrecks. Close to the famous signpost you will see the original John o’Groats Hotel, although many finishers spend their final evening in the bar at the Seaview Hotel. It’s a fascinating mix of LEJOG finishers and those who live and work here. The bar will be lined with locals and honestly not one of them will give a damn about how long it took you, which route you chose, your punctures or your saddle sores. They have seen it all before. To them John o’ Groats isn’t a destination, it’s home.

Fragments from ‘Britain's Best Bike Ride: The ultimate thousand-mile cycling adventure from Land’s End to John o’ Groats’ by John Walsh and Hannah Reynolds.

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Dick Vloedgraven

LEJOG (12/12) Thurso - John o’Groats 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏁

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