Sunday July 6, 2014

I woke up early (5:00) and dozed until 6:00 when we started our morning routine of packing up the tent.  We had a good breakfast of scrambled eggs, fruit and yogurt and left the campsite by 8:15.

I knew we had some hills to climb today, but I was feeling good.  The sun was out and warm.  We had one fairly steady climb into the village of Hemsdale.

Ralf was taking a few photos from the bridge as we entered Hemsdale and spotted this monument to the Emigrants.

In the late 18th century well into the 19th century, Highland estates moved from arable and mixed farming, which supported a large tenant population, to the more profitable sheep-farming. Surplus tenants were ‘cleared’ off the estates from about 1780; and the Clearances were ongoing nearly 70 years later at the time of the potato famine in 1846.

Not all clearances were brutal, but some were. Nor were they confined to the Highlands. But the Highland experience was the most traumatic. The Highland Clearances devastated Gaelic culture and clan society, driving people from the land their families had called home for centuries. This monument was to remember the emigrants that went far and wide to new countries including Canada, New Zealand, and Australia.

I chatted to another end to ender a fella from Liverpool who had decided to do a triple – Lands End to John O’Groats – John O’Groat to Lands End and back again – now that is crazy.  He had finished his first leg in 9 days – of course he is supported and is staying at B&Bs.  He turned to his support driver and said this is the way it should be done.  I’m not so sure, if we could afford to do it B&B I think we would.

The hill out of Hemsdale wasn’t too bad, but the one after that was 13%.  It was a tough long climb.  After that it was a dipsy doodle kind of ride up and down, for the most part we had a tail wind.

Lunch time we stopped in a small village with very bazaar parking rules.  Actually I don’t think they had any rules at all, everyone seemed to park where they wanted to parallel, angle parking, double parking and even triple parking.  We were very careful leaving the village.

After lunch the weather changed the temperature dropped from 23 degrees to 16 degrees and the wind changed direction from a tail wind to head wind – that just isn’t fair.

When we arrived in Wick it was raining and cold, we couldn’t find the Information Centre but I asked how much it was to stay in the hotel – 100 pounds!!  She told me about other guest houses and B&Bs.  We are staying at a very nice guest house – we got a deal for cash, still expensive at 70 pounds but at least we are dry and warm and the blog is updated.  Tomorrow we are staying at another B&B, because we have to be at the train station for 7:45, train leaves at 8:15 for Inverness.  The campsite is 2 miles out of town.  We deserve to spoil ourselves after this ride.

Tomorrow we ride to John O’Groats and back again 55ks with photos and a dram of whiskey to prove it.