The final 53-mile dash to Inverness on Thursday was hampered by a strong headwind. It's funny, but the last time we tried that route we had the same problem. We almost missed the train then, and we almost missed it again today. At one point I was explaining to one of the members how Richard Hopper had broken a rear axle at this very point on our tour four years ago. With that the boy noticed a problem with his gears, which later turned out to be caused by - a broken rear spindle!

We took the 1633 train from Inverness, arriving in Perth at 1858. Perth hostel was nothing special but served us well as a staging post for the long journey home tomorrow.

The journey home consisted of the 0850 train from Perth to Edinburgh followed by the 1042 inter-city train back to Devon. As usual all the bike spaces and tickets had been carefully booked in advance with the help of British Rail's group travel clerks at Torquay, and all the arrangements went exactly according to plan. The Devon contingent finally arrived at Newton Abbot at 1906 - a very long day indeed.

The tour was certainly very enjoyable. If you haven't tried one of our tours yet, you really should book up for one soon. To get away from the daily routine and cycle through some of the most majestic and spectacular scenery in the UK really does make you feel good. And of course the company is always excellent - you're certain to enjoy yourself on one of the greatest adventures you will ever undertake!