The Pics from the top:
* Doug, Yolanda and John at the finishing post just after we'd arrived;
* Ackergill Tower in Sinclair's Bay (a castle offering very luxurious accommodation);
* A deserted croft in the bleak countryside during our last day.
Day 51 - Monday May 25th. Our final day dawned dull and damp: dreich as the Scots say. We set off by car after breakfast, returning to The Old Smiddy pub and were on our way, for the last time, before 9am. Physically, we seem to have managed well: our legs and feet have become hardened to the task and hills are little effort. John's shin splint pain has gone and there seems to be no sign of wear taking it's toll apart from some small aches that would be cured by a day or two's rest. We were accepting of what was to be a pretty boring day, what with the dull weather masking the distant views, and the countryside becoming more level and bleak.
For some time now, we have walked separately most of the time, meeting at odd points during the day. My natural walking speed is a bit faster than John's,but then I stop a lot to take photographs or check out some flower or bird while John tends to keep a steady pace going. In fact he said that he felt he had become a 'walkamaton', and it is true that, once we have got a rhythm going, the feet just seem to step out one after the other for as long as necessary. Today we were set on walking together and finishing as we started, together, and it made a pleasant change. We somehow had more to say to each other, reviewing the previous weeks, commenting on our surroundings and joking. However, as we approached Wick, the weather closed in further and it drizzled steadily.
At Wick, John saw Yo and the car in the Tesco carpark as we passed, so we sat and had a cup of coffee and Yo said that she had visited thegolf clu which was right by the beach and there it seems you can walk along it. We checked with a local who said that we could go a few miles towards the village of Keiss on it, which would be much more pleasant than the road. So we got to walk on a sandy beach with the grey sea gently lapping at our feet for about half an hour and were feeling really happy. We were hopeful of reaching Keiss this way, but were stopped by a broad stream that emerged from the dunes in which the water was brown with peat, and you couldn't see the bottom, and it looked too deep to wade anyway. I did go in above my knees and hadn't got to the deep bit, so decided to go no further. We were therefore forced to follow the 'stream', which looked more and more like a river, and to find our way around and over deep drainage ditches, tussock grass, fences, gates and finally a field of oats before getting back onto the road. Sadly this has cost us about half and hour, but we had enjoyed the change.
Now it was a solid and boring yomp to the finish. The last 9 miles seemed to take a very long time and for part of it, we were in a thick, damp mist. Eventually, after 4pm, we saw the little tower of the old John O'Groats Hotel in the distance and knew our challenge was almost over. We didn't skip down the last mile, but were certainly elated and relishing the fact that we had done it.
The finish is the old hotel with the signpost pointing to Lands End in place whilst the photographer is there: as at Lands End, they take the top off when he's not. John and I touched that post at the same moment, then the photographer put LEMUSICALJOG 1,024 MILES onto the sign post and we had our photo taken. We thanked Yo for her days and days of support, then went to the cafe for a celebratory toast in good Scotch Whisky.
Tomorrow, I will hitch a lift with John and Yo to Inverness, then take the train home whilst they drive on back down to the south-west.
In conclusion, we feel that we have succeed in completing the challenge and done it well. We kept up 20 miles per day average, finished 9 days in advance of our original limit and have experienced some of the most wonderful countryside in the UK on the way. Our route had been overall a good compromise between scenic and direct and everything had gone to plan. We had certainly demonstrated that 60 is no limit to physical stamina and strength. Personally I have proved to myself that the long walk I had talked about and thought about for a long time was within my capabilities and, although it is not something I would want to repeat, is an experience that I will value forever. It has not been one of John's ambitions, but he seemed happy to have succeeded in the challenge and was making noises about finding another, very different challenge for the future.
If you have not done so, please do SUPPORT OUR CHOSEN CHARITY to build a children's hospice in Cornwall. This can be easily done by logging on to www.justgiving/johndrinkwater. This makes our efforts worthwhile in the wider context and is the main reason that I put so much into the Twitter and Blog.
If you HAVE already supported us, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
Finally, I would like to dedicate my walk to my lovely wife, Lindsey, who so readily agreed to my doing it so soon after our marriage at a great cost to herself in terms of spending weeks alone. She has been brave and supportive throughout, so thank you my darling.
For some time now, we have walked separately most of the time, meeting at odd points during the day. My natural walking speed is a bit faster than John's,but then I stop a lot to take photographs or check out some flower or bird while John tends to keep a steady pace going. In fact he said that he felt he had become a 'walkamaton', and it is true that, once we have got a rhythm going, the feet just seem to step out one after the other for as long as necessary. Today we were set on walking together and finishing as we started, together, and it made a pleasant change. We somehow had more to say to each other, reviewing the previous weeks, commenting on our surroundings and joking. However, as we approached Wick, the weather closed in further and it drizzled steadily.
At Wick, John saw Yo and the car in the Tesco carpark as we passed, so we sat and had a cup of coffee and Yo said that she had visited thegolf clu which was right by the beach and there it seems you can walk along it. We checked with a local who said that we could go a few miles towards the village of Keiss on it, which would be much more pleasant than the road. So we got to walk on a sandy beach with the grey sea gently lapping at our feet for about half an hour and were feeling really happy. We were hopeful of reaching Keiss this way, but were stopped by a broad stream that emerged from the dunes in which the water was brown with peat, and you couldn't see the bottom, and it looked too deep to wade anyway. I did go in above my knees and hadn't got to the deep bit, so decided to go no further. We were therefore forced to follow the 'stream', which looked more and more like a river, and to find our way around and over deep drainage ditches, tussock grass, fences, gates and finally a field of oats before getting back onto the road. Sadly this has cost us about half and hour, but we had enjoyed the change.
Now it was a solid and boring yomp to the finish. The last 9 miles seemed to take a very long time and for part of it, we were in a thick, damp mist. Eventually, after 4pm, we saw the little tower of the old John O'Groats Hotel in the distance and knew our challenge was almost over. We didn't skip down the last mile, but were certainly elated and relishing the fact that we had done it.
The finish is the old hotel with the signpost pointing to Lands End in place whilst the photographer is there: as at Lands End, they take the top off when he's not. John and I touched that post at the same moment, then the photographer put LEMUSICALJOG 1,024 MILES onto the sign post and we had our photo taken. We thanked Yo for her days and days of support, then went to the cafe for a celebratory toast in good Scotch Whisky.
Tomorrow, I will hitch a lift with John and Yo to Inverness, then take the train home whilst they drive on back down to the south-west.
In conclusion, we feel that we have succeed in completing the challenge and done it well. We kept up 20 miles per day average, finished 9 days in advance of our original limit and have experienced some of the most wonderful countryside in the UK on the way. Our route had been overall a good compromise between scenic and direct and everything had gone to plan. We had certainly demonstrated that 60 is no limit to physical stamina and strength. Personally I have proved to myself that the long walk I had talked about and thought about for a long time was within my capabilities and, although it is not something I would want to repeat, is an experience that I will value forever. It has not been one of John's ambitions, but he seemed happy to have succeeded in the challenge and was making noises about finding another, very different challenge for the future.
If you have not done so, please do SUPPORT OUR CHOSEN CHARITY to build a children's hospice in Cornwall. This can be easily done by logging on to www.justgiving/johndrinkwater. This makes our efforts worthwhile in the wider context and is the main reason that I put so much into the Twitter and Blog.
If you HAVE already supported us, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
Finally, I would like to dedicate my walk to my lovely wife, Lindsey, who so readily agreed to my doing it so soon after our marriage at a great cost to herself in terms of spending weeks alone. She has been brave and supportive throughout, so thank you my darling.
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