Now what?

The final push. The day looks like it could rain but it's at least dry to start with. We've got 65 miles ahead and we've been warned that the first 30 are full of hills. A good warning - we count either nine or ten arduous hills and other smaller ones. The thought occurs to us that the cycling today is very similar to Cornwall but we are coping much better. We've also learnt to have shorter more frequent food stops rather than a full lunch break and so the progress is good.

Eventually a weak sun breaks out, and we have a break near the Dounreay nuclear power station. Is it someone's idea of a joke that there is a wind farm right next to it?

The promised flat ground arrives and we start to cycle easily. We plan to stop in Thurso for a coffee but we don't fancy the town when we get there - we've got so used to deserted landscape and tiny hamlets that a normal town feels like an intimidating alien metropolis.

In the final few miles, we continue to see dramatic storms over the Orkneys but remain untouched, yet with the benefit of strong winds pushing us towards the destination.

With a mile to go, Fiona phones to say they have arrived.    Adam is willing Martin's bike to puncture, or at the very least to have its chain come off. Instead, with less than half a mile to go, there is just time for Tom's now legendary Shopping Trolley's pannier rack to snap (metal fatigue?). Impeccable timing: we're all in stitches. It's patched up with plastic ties and we freewheel down the last hill into John o'Groats to be met by Fiona and Alison. How good to see them...

The obligatory cheesy snaps under the famous sign, but in fact we are not quite done. Duncansby Head is the real most extreme north easterly point, so we cycle up to the lighthouse to finish the job. Curiously, for all that it's a scant two miles away, the views are much better. We take it in turns to stand on the triangulation point for more pictures.

It's back to the Seaview Hotel, who have a virtual monopoly on accommodation up here. From here on, it's food, alcohol and reminiscences. It's all over.

And therefore, so is the blog. Almost. We will post some more pictures when we get access to a computer (probably Monday) and a final post to publish the details and celebrate all the best places we've stayed..

For us, it's now back to normal life. It's been exhilarating, emotional, full of laughter and tiredness, but surprisingly little pain. Thank you for staying with us for the last 1032 miles and particular thanks for supporting the MS Society. If you've never done this yourself, start planning it now. It's a uniquely brilliant thing to have done.