Land's End to John O'Groats Cycle Challenge Itinerary

Day 1
Land's End - Liskeard 83 miles approx.

The rocky cliffs and pounding seas at Land's End make a fabulous backdrop for the obligatory photos before we start our challenge. We begin on winding Cornish roads as we head east towards Penzance, cycling along the sea for a short stretch as we pass the famous monument of St Michael's Mount. Today is mainly undulating but with a few longer climbs and some shorter steep ones. Inland again, we take winding back-roads before joining a quiet main road to Truro and St Austell, passing close to the Eden Project, before cycling on towards Liskeard. 

Day 2
Liskeard - Sampford Peverell 84 miles approx.
Today we cross Dartmoor, generally recognised to be the most challenging section of the ride. We cycle over rolling hills into Devon and through Tavistock, where we have a steep climb onto Dartmoor itself. The views are fabulous if it's a clear day, though it can often be foggy, so we take it easy as we climb towards the village of Two Bridges. There is a great descent into Postbridge, site of a stone clapper bridge, and then we climb again. By the time we reach the small town of Moretonhampstead, the harder climbs are over. There are still a few short sharp hills as the road winds its way to the edge of Dartmoor but it's then downhill all the way to Exeter. Crossing the centre of Exeter as a group, we follow a quiet road north through the small town of Cullompton and finish a few miles further north at the small town of Sampford Peverell.

Day 3
Sampford Peverell - Tintern 98 miles approx.
Continuing north, we cycle mainly on quiet, rural roads as we cross into Somerset, passing Wellington and the busy town of Taunton. On back-roads again, we cycle towards Cheddar, enjoying the typically English rural scenery. There are a few short hills but we avoid the steep gorge. We near the Severn Estuary as we approach the outskirts of Bristol, and take the Avon Gorge cycle path for a short stretch as we head up through Avonmouth to the Severn Bridge. We cross the bridge using the cycle path and celebrate our arrival in Wales! Our day ends with one of the most scenic parts of our route as we follow the rolling road through the forested Wye Valley, enjoying views of the ruins of Tintern Abbey.

Day 4
Tintern - Shrewsbury 90 miles approx.
We follow the Wye River to Monmouth, where we head north into Herefordshire, leaving Wales behind. The long, fairly gentle gradients are still with us though, as we ride north towards the town of Hereford, with its striking cathedral and red sandstone buildings. Here we see the Wye for the last time as we cross it going into the city. We head out of town on a quiet road towards the small village of Leintwardine, crossing into Shropshire a few miles further on. We cycle on undulating country lanes, passing fields and small villages, and the lovely scenery of the Hope Valley. We rejoin the main road just south of Shrewsbury and have a short run in to our hotel.

Day 5
Shrewsbury - Preston 86 miles approx.
Our morning starts with a gentle cycle through the medieval town of Shrewsbury, with its historic black and white timbered buildings. We cross the River Severn again and head north, turning onto a quiet country road and passing through the small market towns of Wem and Whitchurch. Our route is mainly flat and the miles pass quickly. We head through a quiet corner of Cheshire on main roads into the most built up area of our journey, bypassing busy Warrington and Wigan as we cycle on fast, flat roads into Lancashire and on to our hotel just below Preston.

Day 6
Preston - Carlisle 100 miles approx.
Today is a long day. We cross Preston early, avoiding the morning traffic, and head north on quiet roads through Garstang and along the edge of the impressive Bowland Forest. The roads are mostly flat as we follow our route through the attractive town of Lancaster, cross into Cumbria, and pedal on through Kendal, renowned for its energy-boosting mint cake! The hills of the Lake District rise to our left as we head towards Shap Fell; at over 1,000ft it's the most notable climb since Dartmoor. A long, twisting descent takes us almost all the way to Penrith, where we cycle past the castle and on to Carlisle.

Day 7
Carlisle - Kilmarnock 95 miles approx.
We head north from Carlisle through the small village of Longtown, just before the border with Scotland. Crossing over into Scotland, we pass the famous Blacksmith's forge at Gretna Green, elopement capital of the world, and head through the village. The morning's ride is very picturesque, with the lush green rolling hills of the Southern Uplands to either side as we cycle northwest through small towns and villages. There are some long but fairly gentle climbs and descents as we cycle through this beautiful countryside. We pass through the small town of Sanquhar, home to Britain's oldest post office. The roads get busier as we near Kilmarnock but our hotel lies just the other side of town.

Day 8
Kilmarnock - Inverary 90 miles approx.
We turn onto quieter roads as we head west to the Firth of Clyde via Irvine and Kilwinning. Following the coast road via the pretty waterside town of Largs, we enjoy fabulous views across the water to the Isles of Arran and Bute. The road continues to undulate we cycle along the coast to Gourock, where we take the ferry across the short strait to Dunoon. We cycle north through beautiful forest and along the shores of Loch Eck. This section is mainly flat, until we reach the shores of Loch Fyne, where from the small village of Creggans we have a stiff climb to the top of the loch, with tempting views of Inverary on the opposite side of the loch. We pass the world-renowned oyster beds of Loch Fyne and approach Inverary on flatter roads. Look out for the fairy-tale towers of the castle among the trees to your right just before the town.

Day 9
Inveraray - Loch Lochy 97 miles approx.
Our day starts with a long climb out of Inverary, and we start to feel as though we are really in the Highlands! After a few miles we reach the shores of Loch Awe and cycle around the top of it, admiring the ruins of Castle Kilchurn at its head. Heading west to the coast again, we cross over the iron bridge at Connell, with great views of Loch Etive to our right and the Isle of Mull across the sea on our left. We follow the coast road with views of stunning desolate beaches, and hilly islands and peninsulas across the water. Skirting the forests of Appin, we head north again, still following the coast, to Ballachulish - where the road splits off to the famous Glencoe. We continue straight on, crossing Loch Leven, and cycle along the banks of Loch Linnhe, enjoying a much deserved flat run into Fort William. In good weather we may get good views of Ben Nevis and the surrounding high peaks. We climb out of the town, passing the impressive Commando Memorial, and cycle an undulating route alongside Loch Lochy.

Day 10
Loch Lochy - Bonar Bridge 83 miles approx.
Another day of beautiful Highland scenery awaits us as we head further north. We follow the Caledonian Canal to Fort Augustus, with its impressive ladder of canal locks, and come to the foot of Loch Ness, which will be our companion for many miles. We pass Invermoriston and then the ancient Urquhart Castle, very picturesque against the backdrop of the loch. At Drumnadrochit we leave Loch Ness and head north again, uphill to Beauly, skirting the end of the Moray Firth, and on to Dingwall. Look out for seals as we pass alongside Cromarty Firth. The roads are flatter here but we start to climb again as we take the back-roads from Alness across bleak but beautiful moorlands to the Dornoch Firth. From the great viewpoint above the Firth we have a fantastic descent to Bonar Bridge, where we find tonight's accommodation.

Day 11
Bonar Bridge - Bettyhill 62 miles approx.
A shorter day today, though the terrain is not easy and we will deserve our half-day's rest later! Leaving Bonar Bridge, we head north once more, passing through Lairg at the foot of Loch Shin and encountering our first long climb of the day. Now in northern Scotland, the Highlands are behind us and the landscape is much bleaker, with rich peaty moorlands, clear rivers and very quiet roads. Look out for herds of red deer and birds of prey such as osprey or even the elusive golden eagle. Our road is undulating, and can be hard if there is a strong wind. We skirt the beautiful Forest of Naver and pass the end of its loch at Altnaharra. This is the most sparsely populated region in Northern Europe, with the nearest shop about 20 miles away. A few more miles take us to Loch Loyal, with Ben Loyal towering above it, and after another couple of climbs we reach the north coast, with views of beautiful, deserted golden beaches. We follow the road east to Bettyhill and our hotel. This last section is quite tough with some hard climbs, though the views on a clear day are stunning.

Day 12
Bettyhill - John O'Groats 62 miles approx.
Leaving Bettyhill, our road now is due east and runs parallel to the north coast. After the long climb out of this small village, the road becomes two-way again and, after the villages of Melvich and Bighouse a few miles further on, the roads become flatter. We pass the power station at Dounreay and approach Thurso, and from this point we pick up mileage signs for John O'Groats, making our legs feel much lighter! The small town of Thurso comes as a shock after all the miles we have cycled on near-deserted roads in the last two days. A few miles further, our road passes through the high sand dunes of Dunnet Bay, with its beautiful white sand beach and renowned birdlife. We pass the turn-off to Dunnet Head, Scotland's most northerly point, and pedal the remaining miles along a mainly flat road to John O'Groats and our finish line! After time to celebrate and sign the official End to End book, we load up the bikes and head south to Inverness, where we can celebrate our achievements!

Day 13
Depart from Inverness
After breakfast we go our separate ways. There are good onward transport links from Inverness.