Eventually I'll get round to doing the graphics for a decent map, but in the meantime, this is a scan of the route I marked in the front of Katie's road atlas, so we could work out which page I was on. The red dots are my overnight stops.
I started trying to work out a route by staring at the atlas, and soon realised I needed help in deciding which way to go. Luckily, the CTC publish three alternatives, so I sent off for their information pack. They do one route based on Youth Hostels, one on B&B's and the third, which I chose, a 'Shorter Scenic Route' (long enough for me).
We bought two copies of the AA 2004 Road Atlas of Great Britain 1:250000 (about 4 miles to 1 inch) going cheap for 3 quid each. On one of these, I cut out the pages I was going to need and kept them in a plastic wallet to take with me; the other was to leave with Katie so she could follow my progress. I marked the route with a pen on the pages of both copies. Together with the printed detailed directions from the CTC, I found this level of detail perfectly adequate for my needs. The only places I got lost were in town and city centres, but you wouldn't want to lug round town centre street maps with you.
The CTC route goes:
Land's End, Penzance, Long Rock, Leedstown, Redruth, Scorrier, Chacewater, Truro, St Austell, Liskeard, Tavistock, Moretonhampstead, Exeter, Broadclyst, Wellington, Taunton, Bridgwater, Bason Bridge, Wedmore, Cheddar, Shipham, Congresbury, Clevedon, Gordano Valley, Clapton-in-Gordano, Portbury, Avonmouth, Aust, Chepstow, Monmouth, Hereford, Leintwardine, Kempton, Bishop's Castle, Shrewsbury, Harmer Hill, Wem, Whitchurch, Warrington, Wigan, Preston, Lancaster, Kendal, Pentrith, Carlisle, Longtown, Gretna, Annan, Dumfries, Sanquhar, Kilmarnock, Crosshouse, Irvine, Ardrossan, Largs, Gourock, Dunoon, Inveraray, Taynuilt, Connel, Fort William, Fort Augustus, Drumnadrochit, Beauly, Muir-of-Ord, Dingwall, Evanton, Bonar Bridge, Lairg, Altnaharra, Bettyhill, Dounreay, Thurso, John O'Groats.
I didn't stick to this route entirely, but the small diversions were just to make up a bit of time in bad weather etc. I've no doubt the 'official' route would be more pleasant cycling than my diversions.
The hilliest part of the trip was the first two day stretch in Cornwall and Devon. Up in Scotland, the mountains may be higher, but the roads seem to go round them.
The trickiest part to navigate was Day 4, getting on and off the two motorway bridges on the way into Wales. Better signposting for cyclists would help.