John o' Groats & Back       May 29 - June 6th 2010

As you can see from Tom's proposed route (see below), plans for the John O'Groats trip are progressing apace. The group totals eight to date and with a maximum of ten riders, it's important that you contact Tom ASAP if you're interested in joining this pioneering adventure. You only have to glance at the route to realise that Tom has selected some cracking roads through some of the best scenery in the country, how can you resist?

If you're put off by rumours about the Scottish weather, fear not because May & June are not only the sunniest months but also two of the driest. 

Annual rainfall Chart	Annual sunshine chart

The Route

Outward leg Day 1

 Meet @ 07.30am leave Coventry 08.00am & join A45 heading for Birmingham.

 Leave A45 & Stonebridge roundabout & take the 3^rd exit onto the A446 & follow signs for Coleshill.

 Continue on A446 & follow signs for Lichfield on the A38, @ Lichfield follow the A51 Weston bypass.

 Turn right onto the A515 heading to Ashbourne. Continue through Ashbourne on the A515 turning right onto Dale Rd B5059 @ Buxton.

 Turn left onto the A6 at Bakewell road. Continue on the A6 & bear left onto the A624 heading for Chinley/Glossop.

 Continue until reaching Turnlee Rd, bear left onto the A57 heading for Mottram Moore Rd & join A6018.

 Continue on the A6018 until reaching Ashton Under-Lyne on the A635/Stamford St.

 Continue to follow A635 at the roundabout, take the 3rd exit onto A627 Cavendish St.

 Continue on the A627 to Oldham, (Fuel stop at Sainsburys). Turn left onto the A62 Oldham way.

 Take the second exit at the roundabout, carryon to the second roundabout & take the 3^rd exit onto the B6048.

 At the end of the road turn left onto the A671 Oldham road, continue on A671 until reaching Burnley.

 At the roundabout at Centenary Way take the 3^rd exit onto Church Street on the A682.

 Continue on the A682 until reaching the A59; turn right towards Gisburn.

 Take the first left and rejoin the A682 when reaching Gisburn.

 Continue on the A682 until reaching Long Preston & turn left onto the A65 heading for Cowan Bridge.

 Continue on the A65 until reaching Bentinck Dr & turn right onto the A683, continue on the A683 passing the Kirby Lonsdale Golf Club.

 Continue and the turn left onto the B6256, carryon to the end of the road & turn right onto the A684 then turn left onto the B6257.

 Continue to the end of B6257 and turn right onto A685. Stay on A685 until reaching Tebay (Fuel Stop). At the roundabout take the 2^nd exit & pick up the B6260.

 Continue until reaching Orton & turn left onto B6261, carryon to the end of B6261 & turn left onto A6 then right still on A6 Main st.

 Continue on the A6 until reaching Carlisle.

 From Carlisle follow A7 to Sarkbridge. Pickup B7076 & continue to Lockerbie.

 Approximately 242 miles

Outward leg May 30^th Day 2

Leave Lockerbie @ 09.00am on the A723 towards Beattock, Turn right onto the A701 & head for Moffat.

 Continue on A701 to Broughton & turn left onto B7016. At Biggar turn left onto A702 & then turn right to rejoin B7016 on the Carwood Rd.  

 Continue to Carnwath on B7016 then turn left onto Main St A70.

 Turn right to rejoin the B7016 continue until reaching the A702, turn right onto Main St until reaching Whitburn.

 Pickup the A801 towards Maddiston, Rd changes to A805 continue Rd changes to the A905 to Stirling.

 At Stirling join the A84 to Callander (Fuel Stop); continue past Loch Lubnaig Rd changes to A85 after Lochearnhead.

 Continue on A85 & turn right onto A82 at Crainlarich (fuel stop @ Clifton) and continue until reaching Fort Augustus.

 Approximately 218 miles

 Outward leg May 31^st  Day 3

 Leave Fort Augustus @ 09.00am continuing on the A82 passing alongside Loch ness.

 At Drumnadrochit turn left onto the A831 and then right onto the A833.

 Turn left onto the A862 through Beauly & Windhill.

 Turn Right onto A832, continue towards Tore & turn left onto the A9.

 Continue on A9 turn left onto B9176 heading for Dalnavie, continue to the end of the road and join A836 heading for Ardgay.

 Continue on A836 through Lairg (Fuel stop) head for Tongue.

 Continue on A836 through to John O’Groats.

 Leave John O’Groats on the A99 & head for Wick

 Approximately 228 miles

 Return  leg June 1^st  Day 4

 Leave Wick @ 09.00 on the A99; join the A9 @ Latheron.

 Continue on A9 until reaching Inverness; (fuel stop) @ the roundabout take the 3^rd exit onto A82 Longman road.

 At the next roundabout take the 1^st exit onto Harbour road, @ the next roundabout take the 2^nd exit onto B9006 Old Perth road.

 Continue on B9006 after passing Tower Brea Rd bear right & continue until reaching the B851. Turn right onto B851 until rejoining the A9 south.

 Continue on A9 & turn right heading for Tomatin, pass through Tomatin following signs for the A9.

 (Fuel stop needed before following A938)

Continue on A9 & pickup signs for A938, follow A938 until reaching the A95.

 Turn right onto A95 continue on A95 & then turn right onto A939.

 Follow A939 until turning right onto B976 follow until reaching the A93, turn right onto A93 continue until turning right onto the A950 follow signs for Kirkmichael.

 Turn right onto the A924 until reaching Pitlochry.

 Approximately 221 miles

 Return leg June 2nd  Day 5

Leave Pitlochry @ 09.30 on the A9, bear left onto A827 & head Aberfeldy / Kenmore / Killin.

 Leave Killin & continue on the A827, bear left onto the A85 for approx 5mls.

 Pick up the A84 heading for Callander; arrive in Callander refreshment stop & fuel stop.

 Continue on the A84 until reaching Stirling then pickup B8052.

 Turn left onto Kerse Rd A905 for approx 13mls. (Fuel stop)

 At the roundabout take the 3^rd exit onto the A9 for 0.4mls, the bear left onto A803.

 Stay on A803 and look for signs A801 Bathgate for approx 8.5mls.

 Follow signs for the A706 until reaching the A721; turn left onto the A721.

 Continue on A721 until reaching the A70, turn left onto the A70 & continue until the Hynford Bridge.

 Shortly after the bridge turn left onto the A72 road changes into the A73.

 Stay on the A73 for approx 13mls. At the roundabout take the 2^nd exit onto the A702.

 Continue until reaching the B7076; follow the B7076 to Lockerbie.

 Approximately 165 miles

 Return leg June 3rd  Day 6

 Either return to Coventry following the reverse route from Day 1 or the motorway M6.