Next morning we set off through lanes to Darlington and then took the A68, a road which we stayed on almost all the way to Edinburgh! We rode steadily against the wind stopping for lunch at Fir Tree Cross. After lunch the rain returned in the form of misty drizzle, and this combined with headwind and long gradients made it very slow going, and as we climbed summit after summit over the moors of Northumberland, it became evident that were were not going to make our planned destination at Melrose. Fortunately a phone call to Byrness Hostel near the Scottish border proved fruitful - still four places left - so at 9pm three very weary windswept cyclists found shelter in the Redesdale Forest.