John O Groats to Durness

12 July 2018 John O Groats to Durness
From JOG we drive a few more miles to Dunnet Head, the mostly northerly point of
mainland Britain. Dunnet Bay is a sweeping arc of white sandy beach backed by rolling
sand dunes. Stretching for over 2 miles, the bay is fairly sheltered from the elements and offers great opportunities to sunbathe, paddle, swim and indulge in other beach sports. The beach is a surfer’s haven and offers some quite dramatic surf when the winds are high. There are excellent wildlife spotting opportunities in the bay and a visitor centre at the north end provides details of what can be seen. As we start to work our way along the North coast we encounter single track roads and the landscape becomes more remote and barren, but with that you also get some of the most beautiful sandy beaches and coves to visit, although a dip in the sea maybe more than a little cold! Gradually we worked our way along the coast and reached Durness. From John O Groats to Durness it is about 90 miles and with quite a lot of small and single track road, it will take you about 2 and a half hours roughly although that doesn’t account for many photo stops or time to stop and savour the view with a cup of tea and slice of cake! We spent most of the day enjoying the views and scenery.

We continue our drive along the single track roads with passing places through wonderful scenery such as Coldbeckie Sands, through the Kyle of Tongue and alongside Loch Eriba, Ceannabeinne which divides Loch Eriba from the Kyle of Durness. After a long drive today some 90 miles we arrive at Sango Sands Oasis Campsite. Yet another treat with two beautiful beaches of white sand and blue water. This is a great campsite with some terrific views over the sea.

Durness isn't the most north westerly point in mainland Scotland, but it is certainly the most

north westerly village. It marks the point at which the main coast road from Thurso via Tongue turns left and heads south towards Scourie and Ulkllapool. In this remote and lonely spot you will find all the services you could need, including a petrol station, shops, cash machine. It also has an excellent Tourist Information Centre. We felt is was home to one of the best located camping and caravanning sites anywhere, on the cliffs overlooking Sango Bay, one of many excellent beaches in the area. A mile or so to the east is one of Durness's main attractions, the spectacular Smoo Cave a combined sea and freshwater cave complex which you can explore by boat or by the path from the car park on the cliffs above. Evidence has been found of human occupation here dating back 5,000 years. Elsewhere in the area archaeology suggests pictish farming settlements going back over 2,000 years. We parked in the car park adjacent to the cliff path - not much room for more than a couple of motorhomes and cars. The steps down to the beach are steep and uneven but you are faced with the huge mouth of the cave. Entrance inside is free, walking over a wooden bridge, to view further inside. For the more adventurous there are tours by local cavers starting with a ride in a rib then walking. Not for those who are claustrophobic! There are many birds nesting in the roof of the cave.
To the west lies Cape Wrath. There is no direct access to it by road, but a passenger ferry does cross the Kyle of Durness from Keodale, two miles south west of Durness. This connects with a minibus that makes the 14 mile trip across the rugged landscape to the lighthouse at Cape Wrath itself. The dangers here are not just the obvious natural ones: this area is also used as a naval gunnery range. Once at Cape Wrath you can either make the minibus trip back to the ferry, or turn south to walk the wild and exceptionally lonely eight miles to Sandwood Bay. Durness is now one of the few remaining places of any size in mainland Scotland that you can only access by single track road The white lines cease some fourteen miles south on the A838, and the road east along the north coast of Scotland to Tongue and Thurso has many single track stretches.

Durness is a great area for many things, good walks on the lovely white sandy beaches, and our visit to Smoo cave was an absolute must and if you have a sweet tooth then you definitely have to call into Cocoa Mountain for their amazing hot chocolate and maybe sample a handmade chocolate or two. We can highly recommend the campsite at Sango Sands Oasis as it is very conveniently located with a pub serving good meals on site but last food orders is 8.30pm. There is also a local and well stocked shop nearby just handy to stock up on any little daily essentials.

Golspie to John O Groats

We drive on from Golspie to JOG = 68 miles (1.5hours), stopping at the picturesque harbour at Wick.

From there  we gradually wind our way along the coast to the very top where we arrive at John O Groats and there is always time for a picture under the famous sign.

The small coastal village of John o’ Groats is the starting point for many embarking on the famous 'End to End' journey to Land's End in England, some 876 miles away. Situated in an extreme location, this Highland village combines dramatic, unspoilt scenery and fascinating wildlife, including a breathtaking array of birdlife on the local cliffs, as well as seals, dolphins, minke and killer whales in the surrounding waters. Walkers can follow scenic coastal paths from John o’ Groats along the north coast, from the east of the town to Duncansby Head Lighthouse, and onto the massive rock stacks called the Stacks of Duncansby. Boat trips are available from the town to and around the wild cliffs of Duncansby Head, which reach heights of 200 ft and are home to many nestling birds. Orkney lies just 6 miles away from the town.  JOG Campsite is right on the edge of the coast a good place to stay to take in the wildlife or to take a trip over to the Orkney Isles.Otherwise there is not much to do other than the obligatory photograph under that famous sign so the following morning we drive along the northern coast just a few miles to the Castle of May where we stopped to looked at the gardens and a lovely coffee in the visitor centre. The small coastal village of John o’ Groats is the starting point for many embarking on the famous 'End to End' journey to Land's End in England, some 876 miles away. Situated in an extreme location, this Highland village combines dramatic, unspoilt scenery and fascinating wildlife, including a breathtaking array of birdlife on the local cliffs, as well as seals, dolphins, minke and killer whales in the surrounding waters. Walkers can follow scenic coastal paths from John o’ Groats along the north coast, from the east of the town to Duncansby Head Lighthouse, and onto the massive rock stacks called the Stacks of Duncansby. Boat trips are available from the town to and around the wild cliffs of Duncansby Head, which reach heights of 200 ft and are home to many nestling birds. Perhaps we should have taken the trip across to the Orkneys - maybe on the next visit!

Dornoch - Golspie and Shin Falls

11 July 2018  Dornoch to John O Groats

After a short walk around the town we visit the weekly market with stalls of fresh fish, meat,, cheeses and other handicraft goods. Three young children are attracting the visitors in their kilts and playing violin and accordion. We move on to the Cathedral a wonderful place where most would recognise as the venue for the wedding of Maddonna. 

Returning to the camp site we soon set off towards Lairg to visit Shin Falls where we saw salmon leaping. It is just 19 miles from Dornoch, on the road from Bonar Bridge to Lairg. The Falls are spectacular in their own right and very easily accessible, just a short walk from the road and car park.For much of the year Shin Falls are recognised as one of Scotland’s best places to see salmon leaping. Depending on the weather, fish can usually be seen jumping from mid May until late autumn as they make their way up river to spawn.

The new Falls of Shin Visitor Centre (Lottery Funded) opened in May 2017 and has a restaurant, shop and adventure playground. There are a range of woodland walks from the Falls car park from 20 minutes to over an hour. There is also a woodland play area (Suitable for children and adults!). You get a great view of the river and falls and if you wait and concentrate will soon see the salmon leaping. 

We continued on to Bonar Bridge  then along  the A9 at Golspie on the coast the location of Dunrobin Castle. 

Dunrobin Castle is the most northerly of Scotland's great houses and the largest in the Northern Highlands with 189 rooms. A visit to Dunrobin castle could literally take up a day with its beautiful gardens, interesting tour, popular falconry displays and unexpected museum, this is a highly recommended stop, the castle is not open all year so you need to  check. The cost for an adult is £11.50. Dunrobin Castle is also one of Britain's oldest continuously inhabited houses dating back to the early 1300s, home to the Earls and later, the Dukes of Sutherland. The Castle, which resembles a French château with its towering conical spires, has seen the architectural influences of Sir Charles Barry, who designed London’s Houses of Parliament, and Scotland’s own Sir Robert Lorimer. The Castle was used as a naval hospital during the First World War and as a boys’ boarding school from 1965 to 1972. Dunrobin Castle is on the east coast of the Northern Highlands overlooking the Moray Firth, just north of the villages of Golspie and Dornoch (famous for its cathedral and Royal Dornoch Golf Club).

Inverness to Dornoch

This is our journey around Scotland’s North Coast 500. This is the first time we have been in a motorhome and our only experience of caravanning was some 30+ years ago when our children were younger. We thought we would like to try this experience before perhaps purchasing a motorhome of our own. 

I have visited the north of Scotland before but that was as a young teenager when my parents took their holidays in Dornoch travelling from the west country by train. Another great experience travelling by sleeper train to Stiling then across a branch line to Bonar Bridge. We stayed in a cottage in Gilchrist Square. We travelled around the Highlands in a minibus owned by a local coach company driven by a gentleman called John Grant. We had been to Shin Falls, Ullapool and Thurso. I had many fond memories and wanted to retrace some of the steps. 

10 July 2018  Inverness to Dornoch across the Black Isle via Cromarty = 74 miles (2hours)

Arrived Inverness Airport at 12.00midday. met by Fiona of Coast to Glen Motorhomes to pick up Elddis Accordo 125 motorhome for  our start/finish line of the North Coast 500. She gives a simple explanation of how things work and we are soon on our way. We begin our travels up the A9 and once you are over the bridge taking in the views of the Moray Firth you hit the Black Isle, a place where you could easily spend a week exploring what it has to offer. Lovely villages to visit such as Cromartywith its little shops and cafes, fabulous beaches for walks including Chanonry Pointthat is a popular place to spot bottle nosed dolphins when they come in to feed in the bustling waters of the changing tides. Cromarty stands close to the tip of the of the peninsula known as the Black Isle, which projects into the North Sea between the Moray Firth to the south and the Cromarty Firth to the north. It benefits from the protective shadow of the Sutors of Cromarty, the high ground to the east, and is the principle settlement on the Black Isle. 

The village looks north across the Cromarty Firth towards the fabrication yards at Nigg. It occupies a triangle of ground, with sea on two sides, and you get the very strong sense of a history that is intimately tied to the sea and to seafaring. Cromarty's major phase of development was overseen by the local laird, George Ross of Pitkerrie and Cromarty, in 1770s.

There is a two car ferry that will take you across to Nigg, but only in the summer months - no good for us in a motorhome. 

We spend little time at Cromarty parking on the Links and walking around the small town (village) taking in the galleries, pottery, Hugh Miller’;s house and a visit to the Cromarty Store to use the cash machine. A walk around will take no more than an hour to take in the pretty cottages. We finish up on Rosemarkie Beach for a cup of tea and some light refreshment before setting off to our next stop, Dornoch. 

                             

                             

Prior to arriving in Dornoch we approach the town of Tain, and able to stop of at ASDA’s new supermarket to do some initial shopping for our trip. We soon reach the historic town of Dornoch with its impressive cathedral. This is a distance of about 90 miles and without stopping would take about 2 hours. We arrive early evening at the GDornoch Caravan and Camp Site situated on the Links adjacent to the Royal Dornoch Golf Club  the most northerly championship course. The camp site is well situated 10 minutes from the town but on the evening was very quiet and apart from the pubs no where open. We had a quick recce of the town and found Gilchrist Square where I gad stayed as a young boy. However you will need to stop to take in the views and photo opportunities. There is the  museum and lots of quaint shops and cafes and Dornoch is also blessed with miles of sandy beach for a stroll through the dunes anytime of the night and day. Dornoch is an east coast town by-passed by the A9, and as a result probably too easy to overlook. It can be a busy place, but if you explore it in the evening or early morning, with fewer cars and fewer people, you begin to appreciate the beauty of the stone, almost pink in some lights, from which so many of Dornoch's buildings are constructed. This is best appreciated by standing in the main square, again ideally in the absence of traffic or parked vehicles. To the north is located the Cathedral. To the south is a wonderful run of buildings including the Old Town Jail now converted to a gift and fancy goods store but you can still see the old cells. There is also the excellent  Dornoch Castle Hotel whose origins are not as a castle but rather as the Bishop's Palace built to accompany the cathedral. Many other buildings are, in their own smaller way, just as impressive. 

Beyond the golf course (more accurately, courses) lies the sea and some wonderful beaches. These turn more rocky to the north, providing hours of enjoyment for those who want nothing more than watching a world in miniature in a rock pool.

                         

North Coast 500 Scottish Highlands

We are planning our trip to drive around the North Coast 500 in a motorhome. We have never motorhome before and have put a lot of planning into this trip.

We fly Easyjet from Bristol to Inverness on 10 July 2018 and will be met by the owners of Coast to Glen from whom we are hiring a 2/3 berth Elddis Accordo 125 motorhome.

We have planned to take the journey travelling anticlockwise so I can get a feel of driving the vehicle  on normal roads before attacking the single track roads with passing places.

We will spend 10 days starting and returning to Inverness. Below gives and idea of what we will see on our journey through Caithness & Sutherland.

Caithness & Sutherland together occupy much of the far north of Scotland.We begin our description of the area in the west, and move round in a roughly clockwise direction. Set  amongst the spectacular scenery of Assynt, Lochinver is a busy little fishing port with a regular fish market. The excellent Assynt Visitor Centre combines the roles of museum and Tourist Information Centre. There is a pottery with craft shop and a range of other retailers. High on the hillside above the village is the excellent Inver Lodge Hotel. South of Lochinver a narrow single track road runs through Inverkirkaig en route to Achiltibuie and the Coigach Peninsula.  The mountains of Sutherland and Assynt are popular with walkers. Suilven dominates the Lochinver skyline and is just one of a number of distinctive and isolated mountains running in a line parallel to the west coast. We have individual feature pages covering three of them: Suilven, Quinag, and Ben Stack.

Lochinver is the start of the Assynt coast road, the twisting single track road that runs north to the base of the Stoer Peninsula, then east to Kylesku. En route it takes in some of the most beautiful scenery in Scotland. Passing close to Achmelvich, it goes via Clachtoll, Stoer, Drumbeg and Nedd. Achmelvich is a tiny settlement with stunning white sands and turquoise blue water. A little further north the diversion to the Stoer Head Lighthouse is well worth taking. Inland, meanwhile, the main A road up the west coast goes through Elphin and Inchnadamph, passing the nearby ruins of Ardvreck Castle, en route to Kylesku. At Kylesku, a beautiful curving road bridge now crosses the mouth of two lochs. Overlooking the old ferry slipway in the village is the excellent Kylesku Hotel. Boat trips operate from here in the summer to Britain's highest waterfall at the head of Loch Glencoul, the 650 foot Eas-Coul-Aulin waterfall. 

Ten miles north of Kylesku is the popular holiday village of Scourie which offers safe bathing from its sandy beaches. From nearby Tarbet, it is possible to take a boat trip to Handa Island, a Nature Reserve with seabird colonies and seals. Close to Tarbet are the tiny settlements of Foindle and Fanagmore. A little inland from Scourieand just past Laxford Bridge and Ben Stack, is the tiny estate hamlet of Achfary.

North of Scourie is one of Scotland's major fishing ports, at Kinlochbervie. It is set in a rocky inlet off the main road system, but attracts traders from all over Europe to its fish market. Just north west of Kinlochbervie, beyond Oldshoremore and its own lovely beach, is the starting point for the 4.5 mile walk to Sandwood Bay, one of the most isolated and certainly one of the most stunning beaches in the country.     

Durness is the most north westerly village on mainland Britain and a good touring base. Despite major road improvements in recent decades, the last 14 miles to Durness from the south are of single track road, with rather more along the north coast as you head east. A couple of miles south west of Durness is the start of the easiest way to Cape Wrath, with a little seasonal ferry crossing the Kyle of Durness from Keodale.  Anyone visiting Durness should make a point of visiting Balnakeil, a mile to the north west. En route you pass a craft village, and at the end of the road is a remarkable golf course; an attractive ruined church; Balnakeil House, originally built as the summer palace of the Bishops of Caithness; and Balnakeil Bay, which stretches north up the west side of Faraid Head. This is one of the most attractive stretches of coastline in Scotland.  East from Durness you pass the car park at the top of the path leading down to Smoo Cave. The road then rounds the deep indentation of Loch Eriboll before heading across country to the bridge across the beautiful Kyle of Tongue. A diversion south from just east of Loch Eriboll takes you past the western ramparts of Ben Hope to Dun Dornaigil, a broch. North west of the end of the bridge over the Kyle of Tongue an unclassified road leads to the little known gem of Talmine. On the east side of the Kyle of Tongue is the village of Tongue, dominated by the ruined Caisteal Bharraigh and by Ben Loyal to its south. 

East again, and you come to the village of Bettyhill, created by the Countess of Sutherland in 1815 to house people cleared from Strathnaver to the south, and beyond it the crofting township of Strathy and nearby Strathy Point.Roads south from both Tongue and Bettyhill, bring you to the tiny hamlet of Altnaharra, primarily a base for fishing, complete with its well preserved Parish Church. Thurso is an ancient town. The name comes from the Old Norse, Thorsa, meaning Bull's River and in Viking times it was an important gateway to the mainland. Much of the economy of Thurso today is tied up with the presence of the Dounreay Nuclear Power Development Establishment, located on the coast eight miles west of the town. Thurso itself has plenty of character, as well as a beach and a castle. In the oldest part of town are the ruins of Old St Peter's Church which dates back to 1220. The old Town Hall and Carnegie Library are now home to Caithness Horizons, a superb modern museum. Just to the west of Thurso lies Scrabster, the main ferry port for Orkney, whose outline can be seen rising from the sea to the north. The Scrabster to Stromness service is operated by Northlink Ferries. Five miles west of Scrabsteris Bridge of Forss. On the coast nearby are the gloomy Brims Castle and the ruins of St Mary's Chapel, the latter being accessed from the hamlet of Crosskirk. Inland are the Cnoc Freiceadain Long Cairns.

East of Thurso is the planned village of Castletown at the southern corner of Dunnet Bay. Nearby is the Castlehill Heritage Centre and the Flagstone Trail, both of which celebrate Castletown's flagstone industry. Further round Dunnet Bay you pass the Seadrift Visitor Centre before coming to the village of Dunnet. Here you find the wonderfully preserved Mary Anne's Cottage. To the north is Dunnet Head, a windy, lonely spot: and the most northerly place on mainland Scotland. The highlight of this length of coastline is undoubtedly the Castle of Mey, mainland Scotland's most northerly castle and holiday home to the late Queen Mother for nearly 50 years. In the castle grounds are the Castle of Mey Gardens. On the shore nearby is the small but perfectly formed Phillips's Harbour. Travel east from Mey and you pass Gills Bay, from where Pentland Ferries operates a vehicle ferry to Orkney, before coming to Kirkstyle, home to Canisbay Kirk.

John o' Groats a little further east again, is possibly the most visited location in the area: the starting point for many a long distance walker en-route to Lands End. A seasonal passenger-only ferry makes the short crossing from here to Orkney. Two miles further east from John o' Groats is the lighthouse and spectacular cliff scenery ofDuncansby Head. The road south from John o' Groats meets the east coast at Freswick. The village of Auckengill is home to the Caithness Broch Centre, while on the shore nearby are the remains of Nybster Broch. A little further south is the settlement of Keiss, with a harbour and two castles.

Like Thurso, Wick has its origins as a Viking settlement, its name coming from the Norse Vik meaning bay. It became a Royal Burgh in 1589 but enjoyed its greatest prosperity in the 1800s when it developed as a thriving herring port, becoming the busiest in Europe. Wick and Pulteneytown, respectively on the north and south banks of the River Wick, together make up what is generally now known as Wick. The former has a busy shopping centre and many of its buildings show their Victorian origins, while the latter was the heart of the fishing industry. Pulteneytown is also home to Pulteney Distillery, the most northerly in mainland Scotland, and the excellent Wick Heritage Museum. On the cliffs south of the town are the ruins of the Castle of Old Wick. Three miles to the north-east of Wick,beyond the village of Staxigoe and near the Noss Head Lighthouse, are the ruins of Sinclair and Girnigoe castle. A good quality "A" road links directly back from Wick to Thurso, passing through the village of Watten and close to Halkirk.

South of Wick the main A99 tends to stay fairly close to the east coast, and passes through a series of attractive settlements and villages. On the coast near Thrumster is the haven at Sarclet. At Whaligoe, where the A99 meets the coast, the Whaligoe Steps lead steeply down 250ft to a harbour carved out of a cleft in the cliffs. Inland is the Cairn o' Get, one of a number of prehistoric monuments on the inland side of the A99. Others include the Hill o' Many Stanes and, further inland, the Grey Cairns of Camster. A number of prehistoric sites have been linked together by the South Yarrows Archaeological Trail, inland from Thrumster. Lybster and Latheronwheel are both villages with attractive harbours, though the former's is the busier. Lybster is also home to Waterlines, a museum dedicated to the fishing industry which was once so important here. An old church at Latheron has been converted into the Clan Gunn Heritage Centre & Museum, while beside the A9 a little further south west is the Laidhay Croft Museum.

The village of Dunbeath has an attractive harbour, a spectacular castle, and the excellent Dunbeath Visitor Centre.Inland is the poignant memorial to a wartime air crash at Eagle's Rock. Further south is Berriedale with its very steep descent and ascent on the main road, while on cliffs further south are the remains of the Badbea Clearance Village. Helmsdale is a very attractive village with a harbour standing at the mouth of the River Helmsdale. Here you can visit the Timespan Museum and Arts Centre and the Emigrants Statue. Inland from Helmsdale, the Helmsdale River flows down through Strath Kildonan, the focus of Scotland's very own gold rush in 1869 at Baile an Or, or town of gold. The main settlement away from the coasts of Sutherland is Lairg, found near at the south-eastern end of Loch Shin and surrounded by a vast heather and conifer clad landscape. Its railway station serves the whole of the sparsely populated far north west, and it tends to be a focal point for all the major (though mostly single track) inland roads in the region, both north-south and east-west. There are a number of shops and other facilities in the village. 

South from Lairg you meet the sea again at the head of the Dornoch Firth. Long before a bridge was built across the firth closer to the sea, Bonar Bridge, named after the Thomas Telford bridge built in 1812, was the old crossing point of the Kyle of Sutherland linking it with Ardgay. The settlement had been an important industrial centre in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, having a large iron foundry. Local oak woodland was felled for fuel and laid the landscape bare. Today, Bonar Bridge is surrounded by spruce plantations: though there are some more ancient trees, thanks to James IV. Visiting Bonar Bridge on one of his many pilgrimages to the shrine of St Duthus at Tain, he was so angered by the damage inflicted on the forests that he decreed new trees should be planted. Some still remain.  Ten miles west along Strathcarron from Bonar Bridge and Ardgay is the tiny settlement of Croick. Croick Churchwas the site of a particularly sad and unusually well publicised episode during the Highland Clearances.

Dornoch lies east of Bonar Bridge, beyond the north end of the bridge across the firth built in the 1980s. It sits on a headland facing across the Dornoch Firth and is surrounded by sand dunes. Its centre is dominated by its cathedral which dates back to 1239. Opposite the cathedral is the excellent Dornoch Castle Hotel. The town also boasts a championship golf course and is a regular halt on the golf-tour circuit of Scotland. On the coast north of Dornoch is Embo, home to a holiday village and to the Embo Cairn. Further on is Loch Fleet. Inland from Loch Fleet and on the road back to Lairg, is Rogart, a fascinating widely dispersed community. North from Loch Fleet on the coast are the towns of Golspie, and Brora. Both are well worth a visit. Just north east of Golspie is Dunrobin Castle, the fairytale family seat of the Earls and Dukes of Sutherland. This comes complete with large formal gardens and its own excellent museum. Brora is home to Clynelish Distillery. Between Golspieand Brora is Carn Liath, a well-preserved broch.