02-Jun-1996 - Day 15 - Lairg to Reay

• Day's Distance: 60.74 Miles
• Total Distance: 957.48 Miles
• Time:  5 Hrs 57 Mins
• Average Speed:  10.2 Miles/Hr
• Max Speed:  32.0 Miles/Hr
• Punctures:  0

I was much relieved when the anticipated headwind did not materialise and I set off after a good breakfast in a happy mood.

The major road soon turned into a single track with passing places.  The road surface was very smooth, perfect for cycling and I made good progress as I entered miles and miles of coniferous forest.  The day was overcast with sunny spells and it was just too cold and just enough of a threat of rain to prevent me removing my waterproof jacket.

Leaving the forest I approached Altnaharra, the last town for some twenty miles.  The hotel offered food and so I had an early stop for lunch of scampi and chips.  The hotel was clearly a place for fly-fishing with the bar containing several examples of the larger fish caught, stuffed and mounted in glass cases.

I set off again and took the B road to Bettyhill, which ran first along Loch Naver and then following the River Naver along the valley.  It was incredibly beautiful and I stopped to commit the scene to film.  At one point I could see in the distance a post office sign and began to wonder if I could get a snack.  As I approached I saw the sign was above a small post box and that was all.  Could it be counted as the smallest Post Office in Britain?

Approaching Bettyhill, you could sense the end of the country approaching, feel the Altlantic before it came into view.  Then a corner was turned, a hill was climbed and there it was, the ocean at the North of Britain.

Bettyhill was a curious place, typically Scottish village with the few houses just randomly scattered across the sides of the valley.

Then I was faced with a series of long, steep climbs.  This was the case almost right up to Reay.  If this is what the road is like to John O'Groats then tomorrow will be a long day, despite only being a short distance (around 40 miles).  I am told by people in the pub, conveniently situated next to the camp-site, that the rest of the road is pretty flat.  Hopefully they are right.

I was so busy talking to this couple from Cornwall in the pub that I didn't realise that they had stopped serving meals.  Fortunately when they heard what I was doing they did make some haddock and chips for me.

Day 15 Map (approximate route)


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