Getting Started
We spent all day getting up to Thurso by train (make sure you
reserve a space for your bike on the train, it’s free but they
do check), and then to start the ride we had to cycle to John
O’Groats, which seemed so unfair. We did half of it the night
before, in the fading light, and camped in a field near the
castle of Mey, then got up in the morning and cycled to John
O’Groats for the start. Not much there but a tea room, a gift
shop and a sign post (which you have to pay an extortionate
price to get your photo taken by: we didn’t).
 Day 1
Thurso to Bettyhill
The first leg, back to Thurso on the A836, was fairly flat and a
good warm up. But after that we got into some serious valleys
and it was really hard work, especially because we faced a
serious headwind which I’m told is always there. It made even
going downhill a bit of a struggle. We were seriously ready for
food when we stopped at the Halladale Inn in Malvich, about 16m
from Thurso and the only pub along the way, although there was
also a friendly shop in Reay where we bought chocolate. The
journey to Bettyhill was even more arduous but as soon as we
started South and inland it was suddenly easier and because it
followed the valley we didn’t have so many hills. We stopped at
the Farr Inn in Bettyhill, a beautiful town and a nice, quiet
inn. There’s also a camp site, but we were tipped off, after
having supper, that there was a ceilidh down the road, so we
cycled on in the gathering darkness for 4 miles to catch the end
of it, and then camped in a field of sheep.
Day 2 Bettyhill to
Invershin
The next day was a great ride and not too difficult, up the
Naver valley and alongside Loch Naver along the B871 and the
B873. There was a serious lack of shops or pubs to get food.
There was a posh fishing lodge which did food at Altnaharra just
after we got back on to the A836, but that was a bit early for
us to have lunch so we carried on to the Crask Inn. We really
settled in there, they served us good, reasonably priced and
hearty food and we chatted to a chap called Dave, masquerading
as a barman, for several hours. Apparently it’s the second
remotest pub in the country.
We suddenly realised it was 5.30 and we headed off towards Lairg
and beyond.
The valley became smaller and cosier. We stopped at the Shin
Falls briefly to take photos, and then we turned right along the
A837 at Invershin to get to the house of our hosts for the
night, some first cousins of Charlie’s mother. Very pretty
valley, and it didn’t feel too remote for my liking. They bathed
and fed and beered us and we set off in the morning after a
great night’s sleep.
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