Land’s End to John O’Groats

What is it about Land's End to John O'Groats, or the End to End as it's normally known, that encourages several thousand people each year to pit themselves against its challenge? It may not be an extreme adventure in the way that walking to the South Pole is, but for most people a journey of 1,000 miles or so, powered only by their muscles, is still a testing epic and one they will remember with pride for many years to come. And for a few of us, the fantastic feeling it gives us makes us want to do it again and again and…

It was a pub dare that started it all for me. A good few years ago, in the days of his youth and vigour, my good friend Keith Dean had cycled from Land's End to John O'Groats. Turning 50, he wanted to see if he was still up to the challenge, and so, in the summer of 1999, he set off to repeat the journey. I couldn't stand idly by. "I'll do it next year for my 50th, too" I bragged, "but I'm not going the short way! I'll do the End to End and the Side to Side as well."

So it was that one June morning in 2000, I found myself setting off to cycle 1,400 miles from Land's End to John O'Groats, calling in at the four extremes of the country: the Lizard (south), Ness Point at Lowestoft (east), Ardnamurchan (west), and Dunnet Head (north).

Of course, when I got back Keith pointed out that, while I might have done a longer route than him, he had done the journey twice to my once. So the following year I set off again, this time travelling north to south on a route that took me through Ireland. And then, for good measure, and to get one up on Keith, in 2002 I set off yet again, this time on a more conventional route, but with company and taking in the Scottish Islands.

To find out more about these journeys and the routes I took, or for more general information on the End to End, click on one of the buttons.