Dave Byrnes' Adventures

Land's End to John O'Groats - 2010

Overview     Planning     Schedule     Map     Diary     Pictures
Day: 062
Date:

Saturday, 3 July 2010

Start:

Dirlot

Finish:

Watten

Daily Kilometres:

18.5

Total Kilometres:

2007.8

Weather:

Overcast and windy

Accommodation:

Hotel B&B (£40)

Nutrition:

Trail mix for breakfast; egg & ham and chicken and mayonnaise sandwiches for lunch; vegetable soup, steak pie and vegetables, and apple crumble and custard for dinner

Aches:

None really

Pictures:

Here

GPS Track:

Here

Journal:

I had a long sleep, but it was a bit uncomfortable, manouevring my body around the hard grass tussocks under the tent, and feeling particularly sticky and grubby, having missed a wash last night.  It rained during the night and remained very windy all night.  I was frequently woken by wind gusts causing the tent to wobble and flap, but thankfully stayed anchored to the ground.

I got up at 7am and was on my way by 8am after packing up and eating a trail-mix breakfast.  Given that I only had about 20km to go to Watten, where I was staying for the night and which I knew had a store, I decided to dump what was left of my trail mix to reduce pack weight, and also all but 600mls of water.  The guidebook route involved some cross-country walking, but also suggested that a road walk was available to get to Watten.  Given that there were no scenic highlights on the off-road route and the fact that the road walk was on a very minor road, I chose the latter.

The scenery became more and more rural with more passed and cattle and sheep grazing on grassy and undulating meadows.  Perhaps a highlight of the morning was seeing, in the far distance, the North Sea for the first time on the walk.

I reached Watten and the Brown Trout Hotel a little before 12:30pm.  Unfortunately, they weren't serving lunch today because of some kitchen repairs, but will be serving dinner tonight.  I didn't expect to be able to get into my room given that I was so early, but the publican was very friendly and helpful and said it would be ready by 2pm at the latest, and that I was welcome to sit in the bar until then, and that he could make me a sandwich if I liked.  I didn't want to impose too much, so walked 50m down the road to the small general store and bought a drink, a couple of sandwiches, and the local Saturday paper, and sat on the bench outside eating and reading for an hour.  It was a bit blustery, but not unpleasant.

I returned to the hotel at 1:30pm and my room was ready, so I did some washing, had a shower and spent the afternoon and evening watching the World Cup quarter-finals and Wimbledon as well as eating dinner in the hotel bar and doing my diary and email.

I can hardly believe that tomorrow is my last day of the walk.  I'm ready to stop, but know it won't be long before I'm thinking back nostalgically to different parts of the walk and particularly the remote and wild western Highlands which were so challenging, yet so rewarding in terms of scenic grandeur and the sense of personal isolation and insignificance.

My clothing is wearing out and I have holes in my socks, boots, T-shirt, sweater and underpants.  I'm going to look like a derelict on the train back to London on Monday.

Getting from John O'Groats to Thurso, where I hope to stay tomorrow night and from where my train departs on Monday morning may prove to be a challenge.  Apparently buses do not run on Sunday, and I probably won't arrive until the evening.  Could be hitch-hiking or maybe a taxi.  Another complication for tomorrow could be the weather.  There is a severe weather warning out for much of Scotland tomorrow with forecasts of 100kph winds and heavy rain.  My planned route was to follow roads to the coast north-east of Watten and then walk about 16km along the cliff-tops north to Duncansby Head (the true north-eastern tip of the mainland) before going west the 3km to John O'Groats.  However, if the weather is too diabolical, the cliff-tops may not be sensible and I'll walk some inland roads to get there instead.

ADVENTURE LIST

 

Round Ireland
(2016)

Hume & Hovell Walking Track
(2013)

Via Alpina
(2012)

Australian Alps Walking Track
(2011)

Land's End to John O'Groats
(2010)

Round Oz Bike Record Attempt
(2009)

Round Oz Bike Record Attempt
(2008)

Round Oz Bike Record Attempt
(2007)

Australia Tip to Top MTB
(2006)

Adelaide to Darwin MTB
(2005)

Sydney to Melbourne MTB
(2004)

Three Peaks Race
(2004)

Appalachian Trail
(1986)

Alpine Track
(1983)

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