Just as it rained when I arrived in John O'Groats it was raining when I left in the morning. And it would rain on and off the whole day. Until late afternoon there was a consistent crosswind blowing from the south that made any southbound part of the route a hellish experience.

Yesterday another cyclist recommended the supermarket in Thurso for Sunday shopping so this became the first stop. Finest cured beef should get me through another day. Then straight to Durness. The occasional rain shower went by almost unnoticed until a rather forceful one hit me near Ben Hope. This one was a beast, paired with an ungodly headwind, and it lasted for several kilometers. After the sky finally cleared the sun was visible almost the entire remainder of the route.

Terrain wise, the road grew excessively hilly in the second half. Undulating roads and one incline after another will wear you down rapidly. The GPS was clocking alpine elevation gains despite the road frequently descending to sea level.

Durness campsite is among the most scenic ones there are with its view of the sea from the top of a cliff. Stunning. The background noise is formed by the chant of seagulls and the incessant attacks of the waves on those cliffs. Luckily the site also features "laundry rooms" equipped with dryers. They seem to be under heavy contention by guests so I had to wait a bit to get my stuff done. But since this means another day in dry clothes it was well worth the wait.

Checking out at 23:00 h, sky still bright.

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