Day 9 - Dornoch to John 'O' Groats

Spot the gnome
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Day 10 - (Dornoch to John 'O' Groats)

The final day is upon us. The opening bars of Europe's 80's classic "The Final Countdown" echoes around the Four Penny Cottage in Dornoch. Hinge and Bracket, the land ladies entertain us over breakfast before we set off on last 80 miles towards our journey's end. Findlay disgraces himself (again) by asking if it is a pheasant pictured on the bottle of Famous Grouse.

The "famous " Berriedale Braes is before us and each team member mentally prepares for the North of Scotland equivalent of the North Face of the Eiger. As it happens, a tail wind takes the sting out of the ascent and all three make it to the summit with understated nonchalence.

The malt loaf saga...
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Our athletes sense a return to civvy street and seize the chance to wolf down chips at Wick, some 17 miles from the finish. All pass on the chance to have their chips on Malt Loaf.

At the finish - 901 miles after the start - Jack and Sheila are waiting with camcorder and celebratory bottles of Ale. Ally is "ecstatic" with his "Bannockburn" Ale.

The boys check into Sandra's Backpackers Hostel where we are greeted by a half cut octagenarian in the bottom bunk. Ally's calves attract the attention of the local "lovelies" where an offer to visit room 7 is received. Jack and Sheila check into their B&B where Sheila soon discovers the shared facilities. The shared facility being a naked German.

Some refreshment boys....
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All that is left is for Zia to tidy his hair, Ally to repair his backside and the sponsor pledges to be collected. Oh and world hunger can be alleviated with a left over donation of malt loaf.