Day 14 - Brora to John o'Groats - projected distance 65 miles.

The final leg. I prepared the vile watermelon electrolyte drink for the last time, and checked out from the hotel in Brora. Today was really about swallowing the miles and reaching the end. I was hoping for a nice flat coastal run, but the receptionist at the hotel soon scotched that idea. "Have you ridden the road before?" she asked when I said I was off to John o'Groats. She made hill signs with her hands and said "there's one very big hill - you'll know it when you see it." Oh great.

The sun came out at 10am, half an hour into my ride, so I was able to see the wild coastline at its best. Then came the hill at Helmsdale, which was a bit of a beast. After that came Berriedale Braes, where a fast descent (44mph) was followed by a tough climb. You can see a 'v' shaped dip in the profile for today - that's Berriedale Braes, where I took the photo of the mist rolling in.

On higher ground, I spent an hour or two cycling through the fog. Stopping for a pot of tea at a traditional croft house museum tearoom, the car park there filled with vintage tractors on their way to Brora for its carnival.

Back on the road, I met Richie from Aberdeen, who was cycling around Scotland's coastline. He was a seasoned rider, having already notched up a JOGLE and some French Alps. We rode together for 15 miles, which helped my average speed for the day to rise from the feeble pace I'd managed up the hills.

On to Wick, I finally managed to find something to obliterate the watermelon taste from the water bottle. Irn Bru - a strong chemical concoction - is made of stronger stuff. Only the final run to John o'Groats then remained, although there was one final hill with two miles to go, just to test your resolve. Sarah and the children passed me in the car just as I was entering John o'Groats, with a few celebratory toots on the horn. I am of course very pleased and satisfied to have finished.

A quick photo session by the sign, a change of clothes, then it was time to pack the bike in the car and head for home. The TomTom reckons it's a 12-hour drive.

Now the bike ride is over, I've had a few thoughts. From the start I was aware that it made no sense for me to think of the whole ride: this was just too daunting, too difficult, overwhelming. I broke the ride down into 14 legs, all of which seemed achievable, and each day while I was riding, I would be thinking of the next five or ten miles. I do think that we can surmount all kinds of challenges if we just break them down into more manageable pieces. Each revolution of the pedals counted.

I also wanted to do something different; to step away from my normal routine. In my working life my schedule is very regimented and very regular, so it felt good to do something completely different. My new routine was quickly established - a big breakfast followed by a 70-mile bike ride. After a few days this just seemed normal. The weekend training runs around Bristol for a couple of months beforehand must have helped.

Whether through luck or planning (probably a mix), the ride worked out very well. My cycling equipment also worked pretty well. I had a few minor issues with my bike, but my gearset problems resolved themselves just before I arrived in Glasgow, and I had no punctures at all on the journey. I had no need for the load of inner tubes I brought with me, although I did change one tyre in Glasgow as a precautionary measure.

On the journey I've come to dislike cat's eyes, which often mark the edge of main roads just where cyclists want to ride; I've seen so much farmland that I'm revising my opinion of Britain as an overpopulated island (perhaps it's just that we all like each other, so we want to live close together); and I've had a few highs and lows. The highs - apart from finishing in one piece - were probably the geographic highs. Dartmoor, Shap Fell, and Glencoe were all wonderful to ride, and it felt as though I was seeing some of the most wondrous natural parts of the country. The low point probably occurred today, just after finishing, with the realisation that the drive back to Bristol is so long.

Thank you for reading my diary. I will compile some more statistics and put them on the site at some point over the next few days. I must also thank all of my sponsors, who have displayed amazing generosity. For anyone still thinking of sponsoring me, the just giving website (http://www.justgiving.com/andrewmchattie) will remain open for some time. Special thanks as well to Tracy Sharpe for the goodie bag (which came in very handy), Helen Towne for her usual fabulous kindness and hospitality, Andy Towne for riding with me in the rain, Helen and Robert in Thornhill for a splendid meal, Andrew Watkins for the champagne, Terry, David and Karen for their support, my mum and dad for their support and for keeping the office going, and - most of all - my family for their unwavering support. Seeing Sarah, George, and Flora at the end of every day was always a treat.

As with so many other things in my life, I could not have done this without you, Sarah.