Our epic tour of the Scottish Highlands began at Newton Abbot station for the five of us who live in Buckfastleigh. We met at the station at 16:50 and boarded the 17:12 train to London Paddington. When we arrived Michael took some video shots of the group on the station, but we didn't have much time to hang around.

Next we took the underground trains to Euston where we needed to board the 21:33 sleeper train to Fort William, only the second time we have ever used the Sleeper service on our tours. We were supposed to be able to get settled in from 20:30, but the train was delayed and still wasn't even on the platform by 21:15. We passed the time eating a Burger King and running down the up escalator and up the down one.

Eventually the train arrived. Julian and Dominic were saving money (perhaps foolishly) by not booking a sleeping berth, so they settled into their ordinary train seats to try to get some kind of sleep during the journey. The rest of us piled into two adjacent double bunks with a connecting door. Andrew joined the train at Crewe at 23:59 and was looked after by Luke.

The train sailed up to Scotland overnight and whilst we all got a little sleep, it was definitely not a good sleep.

(No notes have yet been found for today's ride, so this report was written from memory in 2021. Please let Michael know if you remember any other details from the ride)

Whenever the train stopped at a station there was always a certain amount of banging and noise going on around the platform. And at Carstairs, where the train divided, there were several jolts as the two halves of the train were separated. At least those of us in bunks got a little more sleep (or at least rest) than those in the chairs.

This morning we were awoken by the cabin staff and given our Sleeper Train breakfasts to enjoy in bed - we chose from a menu last night. We were able to enjoy views of the remote Rannoch Moor from our cabin windows. We had plenty of time to get ourselves ready before the train pulled in to Fort William station at 09:43.

Once we had loaded panniers on bikes we rode the short distance through the underpass to Fort William town, where our first port of call was the Nevisport outdoor shop. They had a great range of GoreTex jackets and camping gear, but Luke was more interested in their sunglasses - he said he needed them for home, as he doesn't have any.

Next stop was the supermarket in the town where we stocked up with lunch and supper and as many snack bars as we could carry in preparation for our walk up Ben Nevis. We then rode the three miles up Glen Nevis to the youth hostel, where we left our bikes, put on the best clothes and footwear we had for walking, and set off up the path that starts from just opposite the hostel at about 1pm.

We were fortunate to have lovely weather just when we needed it - there was a little cloud, but plenty of sunny spells, and the top of the mountain appeared to be cloud free when we set off. Julian was not intending to climb to the top for some reason, but the rest of us hoped to, although on every previous attempt over the years we have had to stop when we hit low cloud.

The views started opening out perfectly as we climbed up, and when we reached the Halfway Lake we felt we had really achieved something even if we didn't get much further. It was looking a bit cloudier now, but after some discussion Julian and Dominic decided to head back to the hostel while the rest of us said we would try going a little further in the hope that the cloud would lift.

Well as the remaining four of us continued up the path, the cloud did seem to lift, and we were able to just keep climbing higher and higher, with even more spectacular views opening up for us. Soon we were past the highest point we had ever reached on the tours and still we were able to continue. Dare we hope that this year, finally, we might reach the top?

After several more hairpin bends the terrain became rockier and almost alien. Then we found a large patch of snow not far from the path - in the middle of August! We couldn't resist playing on it for a while, throwing snowballs and doing some impromptu "trainer skating".

A little further up we found a steep drop-off to the left not far from the path with snow all around it. Gavin wanted to film it as carefully as possible, as it really was very dangerous and yet also spectacular. Still the climb went on, but now we were sure we would reach the top.

And sure enough, by about 5pm we finally reached the summit, the first South Dartmoor tour ever to do so. It had taken us four hours to climb to the top, a total distance of 4.3 miles, and we were on the highest land in the UK, 1345m above sea level. It really was an exceptional achievement, especially considering we didn't have the best footwear for the job. We were tired and a bit sore, but it had all been worthwhile for this feeling of standing on the summit of Ben Nevis. We took several video clips of each of us on the top and savoured the moment.

Now of course we had to do the descent, and that proved not as easy as it sounded. We took some shortcuts where many walkers over the years and skipped some of the main path hairpins, but it was hard not to fall over and it was painful on the knees and legs, especially for Gavin and Michael. Gavin had blisters and had fallen over twice in the first part of the descent, but it was nevertheless a lot of fun.

The cloud lifted from time to time during the descent to give us opportunity to sit down, rest and enjoy the unparalleled views one last time. When we finally got back to the hostel - another 4.3 miles - it was around 8pm and we now all had sored legs and sore feet. But what an achievement! If Julian and Dominic were at all envious, they didn't show it!

We finished our day with a late shower and the preparation of our own evening meals in the well-equipped and spacious self-catering kitchen at the hostel.

(No notes have yet been found for today's ride, so this report was written from memory in 2021. Please let Michael know if you remember any other details from the ride)

Today was one of the longest rides of the tour, so we left fairly early on a rather wet morning. We didn't stop until we reached Spean Bridge, where the Woollen Mill had a superb cafe where we bought coffees and other refreshments. We weren't so interested in the many woollen items for sale in the shop.

While we were in Spean Bridge we visited the local shops to stock up with milk, bread and other items for our evening meal tonight and also lunch. We also stopped to look at the Commando Memorial as we left the town, one of Scotland's best-known monuments, unveiled by the Queen Mother in 1952 and dedicated to the men of the original British Commando Forces raised during World War II.

Our ride then continued at speed along the banks of Loch Lochy and on to Loch Oich, where we found a car park overlooking the loch that actually had a picnic table, making it the perfect lunch spot. Julian thought the table looked like there had been a Chimps' Tea Party as we left, and did a great Chimp impression for the camera.

At Invergarry we headed west along Loch Garry, stopping to see the superb views at the Glen Garry Viewpoint West. Within a couple of miles we were at the Loch Loyne Viewpoint, 35.4 miles into the ride, offering more views of the unspoiled Scottish scenery.

We headed west at Bun Loyne to cover the final 27 miles to the coast, and this was the hardest part of the day. Gavin was quite tired by the time we reached the western end of Loch Cluanie and took a break by the loch to admire the desolate scenery. As he said on the video, we hadn't seen a house for nearly 10 miles.

It was with great relief that we finally reached Ratagan Youth Hostel on the banks of Loch Duich. This was the club's first ever visit to this hostel, as we usually head out along the Road to the Isles to the Isle of Skye. It was a nice hostel set in beautiful scenery and we all thoroughly enjoyed our stay there.

(No notes have yet been found for today's ride, so this report was written from memory in 2021. Please let Michael know if you remember any other details from the ride)

If yesterday was the longest ride of the tour, today was definitely the hardest, involving a fair distance of 48 miles but also the biggest mountain climb to the third highest road in Scotland. Luke was not looking forward to it as we loaded our bikes in the loch-side gardens of Ratagan Youth Hostel. However, the ride would be easier on this tour than on any previous tour because we were starting at Ratagan rather than Raasay.

Our first task was to ride around Loch Duich, which after eight miles brought us past Eilean Donan Castle on the far side, built on a small tidal island from the early thirteenth century. There was a bit of a climb to Achmore, then we were rewarded with great views along Loch Carron, another enormous loch where we had to ride the full length on one side and then halfway back along the other side. It was along the final stretch of this journey that we got a particularly unpleasant spell of heavy, cold rain, when Julian was heard to say "This is the worst tour ever!".

We soon arrived at the village of Lochcarron where we were able to take shelter from the rain while raiding the village stores for as many snacks as we could carry for the impending climb.

Another short climb and descent brought us to Tornapress by 4pm, 35.2 miles from Ratagan and the start of the longest climb of the tour, to Bealach na Ba, the Pass of the Cattle. Tornapress was 6m above sea level, but when we had finished the climb we would be at 626m above sea level, the third highest road in Scotland.

At the bottom the temperature was quite warm and reasonable, with good visibility and no rain, but as we climbed the long hill in stages the fog descended and the temperature dropped. By the time we finally reached the top (probably by around 7.30) there was rain and it was very cold, but everyone did feel a sense of relief and achievement at having reached the top. Dominic in particular was very chirpy at the top, having overcome a stomach ache at the bottom - his only problem now was that he was freezing cold and wanted to get on with the long descent. Michael took a short video and then we pressed on.

After the climb came the descent, a 620m descent in fact, which is not easy when you are freezing cold - it was actually hard putting on the brakes for the many hairpin bends on the way down. We were also up against the clock, as we had arranged to have hot meals at the Applecross Campsite at the bottom, but last orders were 8.30. A few went past the campsite to the bottom of the hill and had to climb back up again, but when we finally arrived we were very grateful for the excellent food that was on offer. We had to wait a long time for our orders to be delivered, and it was not especially warm under the plastic greenhouse awning of the restaurant, but none of that mattered, we were just so grateful for hot food after such a difficult day. The desserts were particularly generous and well worth waiting for.

When we finally left the campsite we had just a couple of miles to ride through the remote coastal village of Applecross to Camustiel, where Mrs Gillies provided us with bed and breakfast in her house by the sea. We stayed with her on our last visit to the area in 1993. We were extremely grateful to settle in for hot showers and a long and well-deserved night's sleep. Gavin in particular was feeling quite sorry for himself with sore knees, a sore behind and general exhaustion, so he was soon asleep in his comfortable double bed.

(No notes have yet been found for today's ride, so this report was written from memory in 2021. Please let Michael know if you remember any other details from the ride)

We had a wonderfully peaceful and relaxing night at Mrs Gillies house in Camustiel, and as this was our rest day of the tour we were in no particular hurry to leave. Mrs Gillies laid on an excellent breakfast, and when we had finished sharing stories of our last visit in 1993 we eventually set off rather late.

Gavin's knees were very painful this morning, possibly a result of running down Ben Nevis a few days ago, and undoubtedly made worse by the high mileages and long climbs. As we rode back through Applecross we all hoped they would sort themselves out as the day went on. We stocked up with lunch and supper from the village shop.

Until 1976 the only way to access Applecross was over the mountain road we had taken yesterday, and since that road becomes impassable during the winter months the whole village was cut off for many months of the year. The coast road changed all that, although it's a very long detour compared to the mountain road and so the village is still one of the most remote in Scotland. Children from Applecross have to go to school at Plockton, and since it would be way too far to travel every day, they board at Plockton during the week and return home at weekends. As we looked at the sign commemorating the opening of the coastal road we could really appreciate what a difference the road made to Applecross when it was opened.

Riding along the coast road we saw a number of ruins, abandoned houses from long ago. There was several of these in evidence when we reached Lonbain, although there were signs that some were being sold and rebuilt at last. We had lunch in the area, trying to imagine how difficult it must have been to live here all those years ago when the only access was over the mountain.

Gavin's knees were unfortunately becoming more and more painful as the ride went on, and several people were taking it in turns to push him along when there were uphill sections. Soon after Eilean Mor Island, however, he was so slow that Michael sent the rest of the group on, as there seemed little point in making everyone late at the hostel. So Gavin and Michael cruised along at a leisurely pace, stopping to take video clips of the unique scenery of the Applecross peninsula. We could have wished the road wasn't quite so hilly near the end, but we eventually reached Torridon by effectively walking up all the hills.

Torridon is a very modern hostel with unusual architecture that reminded Michael of Totnes school. The kitchen was large and well equipped and we had an enjoyable evening preparing and eating our meals. Michael made some enquiries about a doctor for Gavin, which seemed an unlikely prospect given that the total population of Torridon was probably 10 people, but surprisingly we found there would be a doctor available in the morning. Gavin was keen to complete the tour properly so decided to see the doctor for some treatment.

(No notes have yet been found for today's ride, so this report was written from memory in 2021. Please let Michael know if you remember any other details from the ride)

We slept fairly well at Torridon, but Gavin's knees were still sore this morning, so after breakfast Michael and Gavin went down to the Torridon medical centre (looked like a room on the side of the community centre) to see a doctor while the rest of the group rode on to Gairloch.

[Gavin will say what happened at the surgery]

The others now had a good lead on us so we didn't expect to see them until Gairloch. Gavin and Michael rode on slowly through spells of rain, with Michael giving Gavin a push up some of the hills. Our route took us into Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve, which was rather bleak and barren but evidently home to some important wildlife. There was a good downhill section to Kinlochewe, where we were able to buy lunch.

A few miles along the valley we came across the Beinn Eighe Visitor Centre. Gavin needed an excuse to rest his knees so we took a look around, even though it hadn't changed much since the last time Michael went there in 1993. There was an interested 3D model of the reserve, however, which showed the surrounding mountains towering either side of our road.

We continued riding along the relatively flat route along the side of Loch Maree, then on the downhill section that followed the River Kerry we stopped at the Kerry Falls HEP Station, since Gavin has an interest in power generation and HEP in particular. And he needed another rest for his knees of course. Only one of the three turbines was working today judging by the fact that water was only coming out of one of the exits. We peered in the windows but couldn't see a lot, so we went around the other side and saw one of the turbines through that window. But then an engineer arrived to do some maintenance, saw that we were interested and offered to give us a guided tour inside! That was very fortunate, so we spent twenty minutes looking around and asking questions. Fascinating!

The last few miles were mainly downhill, and when we finally arrived at Carn Dearg Youth Hostel, Gairoch, the others were already showered and cooking their meals. Gavin and Michael finally sat down for their meal quite late, but it was well worth waiting for.

(No notes have yet been found for today's ride, so this report was written from memory in 2021. Please let Michael know if you remember any other details from the ride)

We had cloudy skies once again as we prepared to leave Carn Dearg hostel after breakfast. As we had a private boat booked for later we set off as early as we could, buying lunch from Gairloch before heading north through Poolewe.

Conditions were almost dry, with occasional spells of the lightest drizzle that didn't really make us wet. Dominic had a slight problem when his pedal fell off on one of the climbs, but Michael managed to fix that for him.

We found a great viewpoint just beyond Tournaig - the Inverewe Viewpoint - 11.4 miles into the ride, which offered good views to Loch Ewe and the Isle of Ewe. Everyone was feeling fit and in good spirits, so Michael took a video clip.

After another climb we reached Gruinard Bay. The island in the bay, Gruinard Island, was used for Anthrax testing in 1942 and remained contaminated for many years, so there were warning signs all around the island warning people not to land there. It was finally decontaminated in 1990 and the warning signs removed.

Next stop was 3.00pm at the Little Loch Broom Viewpoint, 25.8 miles from Carn Dearg. Gavin decided his knees were better now so he had tried riding up the hill from Gruinard, but now he was paying the price for doing that. From the viewpoint we could see the route we were taking over the hill on the far side which represented a huge short-cut to Ullapool compared with the main road alternative. But it would involved some climbing.

We all enjoyed the downhill to Dundonnell, but the track to Eilean Darach Lodge was a little muddy, and the footbridge of the Dundonnell River was, well, interesting. We then had a tough climb over the peninsula followed by a track descent to the Alltnaharrie Inn on the side of Loch Broom. It is possible we took a wrong turning near the bottom, as the track became rather boggy and overgrown, but ultimately we reached the Inn somewhere around 5pm.

There is no ferry across Loch Broom to Ullapool, but the Alltnaharrie Inn own their own boat, Mother Goose, for bringing customers over and back, since all their custom comes from Ullapool. Michael had telephoned in advance and arranged for them to ferry us across with our bikes. It was a tight squeeze to get all six of us on board with our bikes, but it certainly made for an interesting experience. We were taken across at a reasonable speed, and when we disembarked on the far side we were right next to Ullapool Youth Hostel, on Shore Street.

Ullapool is one of the finest youth hostels we stayed at, being modern and comfortable with a good kitchen and a great location overlooking Loch Broom. After showers we bought our food from the nearby shops and cooked fine meals to conclude a good day of cycling.

(No notes have yet been found for today's ride, so this report was written from memory in 2021. Please let Michael know if you remember any other details from the ride)

Heavy rain when we woke up in our comfortable upstairs dorm made everyone want to stay in bed, feeling sure we were in for a miserable day, but by the time we had finished breakfast, loaded the bikes and settled down on the wall opposite the hostel to admire the busy goings on around Ullapool, the sky was blue and things looked much more promising. A friendly cat, that Michael named Manky, kept us entertained.

As this was the last town before Lochinver, we stocked up with a few provisions for lunch at he local supermarket and then cracked on, following the signs that said simply "The North".

We followed the main road as far as Drumrunie, then turned left towards the imposing mountain called Stac Pollaidh. By the time we reached the end of Loch Lurgainn, some were quite hungry, so we stopped there for lunch. This turned out to be rather a bad decision, however, as within minutes swarms of midges descended on us and made the time quite unpleasant. Still, the scenery was as remote and beautiful as we had expected of the far north of Scotland.

A Badnagyle we turned right which took us north towards Lochinver on a road that has been named The Mad Little Road to Wester Ross. It is so called because it twists left and right, up and down to avoid the myriad small lochs and hills in the rocky terrain. There is no scenery quite like this in the UK, and whilst it was hard going at times it was definitely worth the effort, especially when we reached the beautiful, unspoiled Enard Bay where sheep grazed peacefully on the foreshore. This surely was one of the highlights of the tour.

After a few more hilly miles we reached Inverkirkaig where a steep driveway brought us up to Achins Bookshop and Coffee Shop. This not only provided welcome rest and refreshments, as it has done on previous tours, but also entertainment when some children outside found some grass snakes disappearing into a hole in the ground. Julian managed to pick one up and watched with fascination as it coiled itself up into knots in his hand.

Halfway down the descent to Lochinver we stopped, as usual on these tours, to take a quick look at Lochinver Primary School. This is unusually located on a piece of land that juts towards the centre of Loch Culag, which means the school is almost totally surrounded by the loch. It's a great location for a school, although parents and children do have to walk halfway up the long hill to get to it every morning.

At Lochinver we had a choice of two stops to buy food for our evening meals and breakfasts, then rode up the hill and turned left onto the lane that leads to Achmelvich, just a few more miles from Lochinver. After passing Loch Roe, which is a saltwater loch, we were soon at Achmelvich Youth Hostel, which surely boasts the best location of any of the hostels on our tour. It is just a few minutes walk from Achmelvich Beach, which itself is probably one of the finest silver sand beaches in the UK. The weather was a bit cloudy, but it was dry and not too cold, so we made the most of the daylight by having fun on the beach before showers and food.

After playing with the frisbees, some of us went in for a dip, as we have done on all our previous Scotland tours, but today the ones who went in noticed quite a number of jellyfish. We had never seen them here before but weren't too concerned, until one stung Gavin and another stung Dominic! Both lads were in a lot of pain, although Gavin seemed to be suffering the most. We asked the warden and he took us down to see the local doctor in Lochinver. He prescribed something for them, but judging by the pain they were in all night long, it didn't seem to do much.

(No notes have yet been found for today's ride, so this report was written from memory in 2021. Please let Michael know if you remember any other details from the ride)

Gavin did not sleep well last night - the doctor's drugs didn't really make a lot of difference to the pain he was getting from his jellyfish sting. Dominic didn't sleep too well either, although he seemed to be in less pain than Gavin. For the rest of us it was a bit like sleeping in a hospital ward. This morning, however, both were feeling better and were ready to crack on with the ride without the need for buses or taxis.

First off we followed the Achmelvich road back to the main road and then detoured back down to Lochinver stores to get lunch, as there were few places to buy it on today's ride. We then followed the main road for nearly 40 miles, from the Highlands of the West coast to the lowlands of the East coast. It was easy to notice the gradual replacement of the mountains with heathland as we rode. The weather was not great, with spells of rain on and off, but we had got used to that by now so it wasn't really a problem.

After climbing for the first half of the ride, the second half was all downhill, bringing us to the turnoff that would take us to Carbisdale Castle. Soon we could see the towers amidst the distant woodland, and it wasn't long before we were entering the impressive gates and riding up the long driveway.

Carbisdale Castle must be the most impressive hostel in all of Scotland. It was built in the 1920s and then gifted to SYHA. It has been mistreated over the years by various wardens, for example one who brought his car into the library for a service and stained the wooden floor with oil, but it is still mostly intact with its statues and works of art. It really does feel like a castle.

We had hoped to be put in the Spook Room again, but sadly another group was in there, so we had another room further down the corridor. It still took two and a half flights of stairs to reach it though.

After showers, Gavin took the camcorder on a tour of the castle, following a hidden staircase down from the other end of our corridor, through many doors and hallways, eventually leading us out of a concealed panel in the wooden staircase. The rooms were magnificent, offering great views to Bonar Bridge. When we got to the library, all the fine books had been removed and either sold or put into storage, but it had been completely redecorated and was an enjoyable place to sit and talk. We also discovered another hidden panel at the bottom of the main staircase that led to the games room.

Going down further from the ground floor we found the multiple kitchens, being used by the many people who were self-catering, but tonight we were making the most of a luxury hostel and having the provided evening meals. This was in the main panelled dining room, and was very tasty.

When the time came to get to sleep, Michael kept true to form and told everyone a ghost story, loosely based on the reputed haunting of the Spook Room in the hostel by an old nurse who used to look after the children in the nursery but died before her time.

(No notes have yet been found for today's ride, so this report was written from memory in 2021. Please let Michael know if you remember any other details from the ride)

We woke up in a real castle this morning to yet another cloudy day, but having breakfast provided was a nice treat, even if it was nearly three flights of stairs and three corridors away from our dorm. We had plenty of time today, as we only had to ride 41 miles by 7pm, so we made the most of our final hours in the hostel until it closed at 10am. Gavin took some good video shots in the courtyard as we were thinking about leaving.

Our route took us though Culrain to Ardgay where we stocked up with items for lunch for our final day of cycling, then off the main road on the quieter shortcut through Struie Hill Viewpoint, from where we could just make out the castle jutting out of the distant woodlands. We had lunch somewhere near the top of the hill, then after a long downhill we joined the main road near Ardullie, which gave us great views of the Cromarty Firth. Here, as we have seen on previous tours, we were treated to the spectacle of a number of seals lazing around on rocks or swimming through the seawater, and we caught several on video.

We followed the main A9 over the Cromarty Bridge and over the Black Isle, which was rather busy, then as we were enjoying the downhill to Inverness we saw a strange sight coming out of a side road at North Kessock - a recumbent tandem, being ridden by a husband and wife. They were happy to talk to us on camera for some time, explaining that the bike wasn't any faster than a traditional tandem, in fact it was a bit slower because of the extra rolling resistance between the four wheels and the road and the extra wind resistance from the front end, but it was more comfortable! It was interesting to talk to them, and we watched them ride off onto the main road on their way to Inverness.

We followed soon afterwards, crossing the remarkable and very modern-looking Kessock Bridge and making our way to Inverness Station.

As expected we were in plenty of time to catch our Sleeper train to London: it was due to leave at 8.30 but would be available for boarding from 7.30. We made use of the time to buy some good hot food from the takeaway shops near the station, then loaded our bikes onto the train and settled in for a good night's sleep. We didn't bother with the dining carriage because tables had to be reserved and prices were high - and they didn't seem too keen for us to take up a table for just a coffee and a cake. We were pretty tired though, so after some good chats about our adventures on the tour we settled down for another reasonable night's sleep on the move. AS before, Julian and Dominic were on seats, and Andrew disembarked in the middle of the night.

(No notes have yet been found for today's ride, so this report was written from memory in 2021. Please let Michael know if you remember any other details from the ride)