This 40+ mile stage, east along the north coast through Betty Hill, retraced our steps on the End to End, a decade ago. A roll-a-coaster of a route through coastal villages before arriving at the ferry terminal of Thurso. A coffee stop at Betty Hill after a third of the way was followed by lunch – which consisted of coloured water and half a dozen energy beans – just outside Reay. Still we did make up for it once we arrived at Thurso with tea and brownies. The weather was mixed, with sunshine and showers and generally a side wind. The only additions to the bird list were a singing Redpoll in Borgie Glen – a gut-busting climb near Betty Hill – and a lone Great Skua harassing a Hooded Crow on the run-in to Thurso. Today we’re ‘getting the job done’ – a gentle 20 miler to John O’Groats and the end of our NCN 1 journey. Well not quite, we’ve then got to ride back, before catching the ferry to Orkney and our enforced route extension. But more of that in due course..