This is the post excerpt.
So we’re off to the land of our forefathers’. A big road trip adventure. During which we will experience: Highland cattle, mountains, lochs, seafood, sunrises, sunsets, shortbread, midges and hopefully – please Lord – an aurora. Oopsy – forgot to mention Whiskey. Come and join us, see where we are and what we’re getting up to.
Here are just a few images of our road trip around the northern Highlands. They don’t do it justice but we hope you get the idea.
Today we are homeward bound. Left the Highlands behind and headed south to Dundee.
Scenery changes a lot now and gone are the jagged high peaks, replaced with fertile pasture and cows. Wee stop in Dundee to see my Aunt Catherine and visit my dad’s grave. Wow did she spoil us! Lunch, food to take for our tea and a bottle of whiskey for Don! It was lovely seeing her again after such a long while. She had some old photos to give me of my parents which was very special, as I only have one picture of them together.
After visiting the cemetery, we headed for Edinburgh. Don has family links to a small village just outside and we go in search of the church that has his family name. We discovered it after some arguing with the sat nav. It’s a beautiful little church with a fantastic driveway. Took some pics, had a wander around the outside before getting back on the road.
We camped for the night in a lovely little village just before the border called Town Yetholm. After such a long day driving, we decided to treat ourselves to a beer and some pub food. Found the only pub in the village to discover its called The Plough…just like our local at home! Wow this place was entertainment. Colourful locals. Impatient tourists. All wrapped up in a great local beer and excellent haggis bon bons followed by steak pie. Perfect end to our tour.
Started the day with a visit to see my mum’s old boss Mr Sinclair who lives in Thurso. It was a lovely visit and good to share some memories of my mum and Cliveden.
We drove towards Wick and stored to see Sinclair Girnigoe Castle. It sits on the top of a cliff and is in the process of being preserved. It was quite impressive! Spent quite a bit of time wandering around.
We camped in Brora. There is a stunning beaches at the side of the camp site. You have to walk across a golf course to get to it. We both felt quite rebellious walking across the greens! Had a stroll along the beach looking for fossils – didn’t find any.
Outlook for tomorrow…CHANGEABLE
Visited Disneyland this morning. Oopsy sorry. Not Disneyland but a quote “fairytale castle “. Dunrobin castle has been added to twice since its original building. It is the seat of the Sunderland Clan. This clan were responsible for the wholesale clearances of the North Western Highlands which decimated the local population and resulted in mass emigration to the new world. It has beautiful gardens and is lovely. Can’t get over the history of the clan though.
Stopped for lunch in Dornoch. A beautiful lovely village. Some gorgeous houses here.
On to the Falls of Shin. It’s here that you get to see one of nature’s most amazing migrations…the salmon returning to spawn. It really is exciting to see the fish trying to leap against the flow of a torrent of water to get over the waterfall. There were lots of cheers when one succeeded! We loved it!
Time for a quick whiskey taste at the Dalmore distillery. Nice but for me not as good as Highland Park.
Carried on down the A9 and crossed over the Black Isle and the bridge back into Inverness which means…
North Coast 500…COMPLETED!!
Now camped in Aviemore for the night. It’s super busy here.
Down to Dundee tomorrow to visit family.
Outlook for tomorrow…CHANGEABLE
So we said farewell to the Orkney Islands this morning and were sent on our way by a pod of porpoises playing in the water near the coast. Lovely.
Obligatory stop at John O’Groats for obligatory photo. Very over rated. Lots of tat for sale. Dunnet Head(the actual most northerly point) was a much more enjoyable experience.
On to Duncansby Stacks via a long cliff top walk. Steep. Raw. Striking. I imagine in the mist it would be very moody here. Fabulous clifftop walk. Enough to earn a beer!
Now camped in Thurso. Camp site sits on the top of a cliff. Bit blowly but lovely sunshine makes up for it.
Outlook for tomorrow…CHANGEABLE
Thurso
Mega history rush today!
First stop, Skara Brae. A world heritage site of monumental importance. Discovered completely by chance in 1850 after a terrible storm blew away the sand that had buried it, it is ridiculously well preserved. Quite mind blowing just how clever these people were. To construct buildings, make tools and survive without the use of metal…staggering. You can probably tell that I was slightly impressed by this place.
We also visited Skaill house, home of the man who discovered the village and on whose land it sits. Really lovely house. Library even has a secret hidden cupboard!
Did a big loop of the top part of the mainland…it’s just one huge farm! Well ok…Lots of small farms really but you get the idea! Thought we might visit the Orkney Brewery but once again, we were beaten to it by the cruise ship passengers. Even the locals are not impressed with them.
In the afternoon, we visited Maeshowe, a neolithic burial cairn. Visits only allowed in small tour parties so off we go! To enter the chamber, you even have to bend in half to proceed down the entrance tunnel. We squeeze inside, all 22 of us and are told the history of the place by Richard, a very good story teller. This cairn was used in neolithic times, the entrance way lining up directly with the setting sun on the winter solstice and by the Vikings years later. At one point, a group of 100 Vikings took shelter from a terrible snow storm and were stuck for 3 days. 2 went mad. The others drew rune markings. The victorians on discovering the cairn and it’s nearly collapsed roof, decided to preserve it and promptly put a roof on it! Not in keeping as they say but at least it was saved long enough for modern technology and new archaeological thinking to do a better job. Gutted not to be able to take pictures but to be honest all you would see are ancient stone blocks!
Home for a tasty fish pasta cooked outside!
Today was a brilliant day of discovery and learning. I am in awe of the ancients and the creations they made with such rudimentary tools.
Outlook for tomorrow…CHANGEABLE
Whiskey Galore! If only. Today we had a tour of the Highland Park distillery. Fascinating for me as I’ve never experienced a distillery before. Of course the taste of two of their whiskeys may have swayed my opinion…excellent guide and tasting session at the end. They let you keep your little tasting glass as a memento. Don of course, purchased a different kind of memento!
Drove around the mainland today. Took in the Italian Chapel. Built by Italian prisoners of war during WWII. Made from Nissan huts it is a testament to their spirit. From here to St. Margaret’s Hope. A lovely little town where we have coffee and cake in a fabulous little café. On to Hoxa Head and the remains of WWI & WWII gun batterys. They overlooked and protected the British fleet and the vital Scarpa Flow. Back to St. Margaret’s Hope for dinner. YUM.
Well. We spent most of the night hoping that the howling gale and pouring rain wouldn’t make us homeless. Lordy the wind gusts were mighty strong! Overcast today so as planned, we went in to Kirkwall and had a good look around. St. Magnus Cathedral is stunning. A definite political statement if ever we’ve seen one. Considering it was built in 1100’s, when Orkney was ruled by Norway, it is vast and amazing.
After a very tasty lunch of smoked salmon baps, we head to Highland Park for a tour of the distillery. Only to discover that two cruise ships were in port and had booked every afternoon tour slot. We book for tomorrow morning and leave feeling slightly dejected and very anti cruise ship passengers!
A change of plans it is then! Off to Stromness we go for a look around the second biggest town on the mainland. It was a typical fishing and ferry port. Little alleyways. Bemused cruise ship passengers wondering where to go. And locals cursing the drivers who clearly don’t grasp the city centre of driving down a narrow cobbled Street!
Standing Stones of Stenness. Followed by the Ness of Brodgard a site that is still being excavated. It is a major archaeological dig that has given historians huge amounts of information about neolithic life. Finally on to the Ring of Brodgard – 36 standing stones in a circle about 100m in diameter. How archaeologists can tell what is important and what isn’t is beyond me but my lord, these sites are impressive.
Outlook for tomorrow…WHISKEY
So we woke up to clearish skies for a change. After a hearty breakfast curtosy of our b&b host, we set off to Dunnet Head, the most northerly point on UK mainland. Yes, yes. I know you thought that John O’Groats is but it’s not. Think of that as the tourist most northerly point – a place for pictures by a pole and fridge magnets.
Took the ferry over to Orkney. Beautiful sunshine all the way across. Now camped in Kirkwall. Brilliant sunshine still – we don’t know what to do with ourselves! Having a bbq tonight. Exploring tomorrow. First stop…Highland Park distillery. A treat for Don.
Looking miserable due to severe reaction to midge bites.
Don happy as sun is shining!
In Scarpa Flow…notice the WWII buildings.
Cath puffy face! 
Outlook for tomorrow…SHOWERS BUT CLEARING LATER UNTIL THE WEEKEND
Cocoa Mountain hot chocolate
Lochinver
Smoo Cave
Kylesku Bridge
Don and Cath's Highland Adventure 