On the second half of the trail I passed a few places I visited on my last ride down through Scotland. The first of these places was Kylesku Bridge, which crosses Loch Cainbawn. I’d been coming down the coastal rode last time but then changed my mind and followed the main road to Lochinver, rather … More Highland Trail 550: Part 2 (23/08/18-29/08/18)
I first heard about the Highland Trail 550 in Utah, of all places. Last summer I was cycling along a lonely dead-end road in the American desert when a car pulled over. The driver hopped out and asked me if I fancied a cold bottle of water. When it is 40C and there is no … More Highland Trail 550: Part 1 (18/08/18-23/08/18)
Today, 16th January 2018, is exactly three years since I left London on my bicycle and it is also precisely one month since I arrived home. Feels like an appropriate date for the last blog on my cycle around the world… After one year cycling I wrote a blog summarising my time on the road … More Around The World By Bicycle: Afterthoughts (16/01/15-17/12/17)
The border crossing between Scotland and England might just win the award for least dramatic of my entire trip, with just a pathetic little sign outside a pub to welcome me and my bike into England. There might not have been any party poppers at the border but that didn’t mean it wasn’t exciting for … More England: The Finish Line (Carlisle to London 04/12/17-17/12/17)
I am getting a bit bored of the ice and snow. I did not expect Britain to be quite so slippery in November… Still, all the ice doesn’t doesn’t half make everything look gorgeous. Scotland is beautiful anyway but with the extra sprinkle of white it is simply magical to cycle. The coastal areas were … More Scotland Part 2: Stranded on Skye (Kinlochewe to Carlisle 24/11/17-04/12/17)
When you get out the airport in Edinburgh there’s a big Bank of Scotland sign that says ‘There’s no place like home’. Too bloody right. Home sweet home. Of course, Scotland is not home for me but it is still Britain and Edinburgh is a … More Scotland Part 1: The Snowy Highlands (Wick to Kinclochewe 13/11/17-23/11/17)
The boat from Iceland to the Faroe Islands takes about 20 hours. I was starting to get cabin fever by the time the islands first appeared in the distance so rushed out on deck to face the Atlantic wind with my camera. Sailing into the Faroes was an extraordinary way to reach the country. Probably … More Faroe Islands: The Kambskarð Story (09/11/17-13/11/17)
After escaping the Westfjords region I continued around the Hunafloi coastline, affectionately nicknamed ‘bear bay’ after the occasional polar bear drifts in here on an iceberg from Greenland. Unfortunately for the polar bears – hungry after a lonely time out at sea – they are usually met with a shotgun upon arrival. The Icelandic don’t … More Iceland Part 2: Winter in the Arctic Clutches (Stardarskali to Seydisfjordur 28/10/17-08/11/17)
I arrived bleary eyed at Iceland’s Keflavik airport at 4.30am, having picked the word’s most inconvinient flight time. The airport had a fancy ‘bike box’ in the car park (a dedicated space for bicycle assembly) where I hopped to get a little shut eye. I’d managed a grand total of 20 minutes sleep on the … More Iceland Part 1: Blinded by The Northern Lights (Reykjavik to Stadarskali 13/10/17-28/10/17)
My geography of the world is great in the places I have cycled, in other areas it is quite appalling. While I was working in Australia earlier this year I spent a good while staring at the map of North America wondering where I should ride when I got back on the bike. I was … More Canada: Autumn Scenes in Nova Scotia (Yarmouth to Halifax 06/10/17-12/10/17)
JKB's Bike Ride 