The North Coast 500 Route

I was very sad to have to leave the Orkneys already. We had seen and explored a huge area in the short time, but we could have spent much longer in each place and there are still many treasures we did not get to. Still, all the more reason to return. Just as I reduce my bucket list slightly, it starts to grow again! Before we left, we stopped to photograph what appeared to be a pig/ sheep cross! 

Actually it is a Mangalitza pig, from Hungary! This is Peter. He was very friendly, striding up to see us, obviously hoping for a treat!

Although it was pretty windy in Kirkwall before we left, I was thrilled to be able to enjoy a really calm crossing back to the Mainland of Scotland. Sadly not with the company of the gannets, but much more pleasant conditions in general.

Getting off at Gill's Bay, we were about to embark on the longest drive of the trip, without a doubt the most spectacular and varied, and the most frustrating because we had to get to Ullapool in the evening, meaning that a trip which could easily take days with hundreds of stops to savour the stunning surroundings had to be completed in 8 hours. This meant relatively few stops and having to be satisfied with admiring the breathtaking scenery for a very fleeting moment from the minibus. I had opted to ride in the jump seat at the front. Michael describes it quite rightly as the best and worst seat. Of course, I had the best and most expansive  views of the wonderful scenery but the seat at the front is very uncomfortable long- term. Along with that, a scaredy cat like me struggles with cornering rather fast on one- lane roads with blind corners, with the knowledge that there were sheep roaming freely all around. 

The sheep here are quite different from NZ sheep in that they stand still when you want to photograph them and stare at the camera! They also seem to know how to cross the roads safely. I saw one at the side of the street looking both ways before crossing. Very well trained!

The drivers are all very courteous too and really use the passing lanes well, so that despite having so much  single- lane road, traffic moves freely and rapidly! As can be seen, it was not jam- packed with traffic. Most of the cars coming towards us were actually Classic Cars, so rather distracting to Michael who evidently found them fascinating.

The ever- changing landscape was fantastic, round every corner something new. No time ever to get bored with the view. Here the majestic Loch Hope near Durness and some rather lovely Gaelic translations.

Tucked in along the coast was Smoo Cave, an old smuggler's cave which has been made easily accessible. It was really well worth the walk down.

Here the view from the top towards the cave, which had a very pretty waterfall cascading down into it.

Only a little further along the coast was one of the numerous golden sand beaches with its backdrop of dunes. So enticing, but most of the year , like those in the south of England, unfortunately a bit too chilly to spend too much time on.

Then, mountainous areas with bogs and moors and pretty little tarns surrounded by heather or in other areas by peat, which as in Ireland is no longer harvested commercially.

Around a few more corners and this phenomenal view over the Assynt mountains

 Of course, you cannot usually go a day in Scotland without a castle, and today was no exception. How lovely to wander down to the beautiful Loch Assynt to view the ruined Ardvreck Castle, dating back to the late 15 th century. Silhouetted against the fabulous sunset, it looked a perfect setting for a film.

Weary travellers were suddenly wide awake as we were treated to the grand finale of the day, sunset over the spectacular mountain peaks and tranquil lochs just outside Ullapool.. The end of a long, yet marvelous journey.

It was time to say 'goodbye' to Michael our tour guide and half of our fellow passengers. They are heading back to Edinburgh and we will continue on to the Outer Hebrides with a new guide in two days. Hopefully the next five days will be as much fun and be as fantastic as the last five!

So, here we are in the Gaelic- speaking area of Scotland. Once more, the most important word to know! 

After six near perfect days so far it was incredible to wake up to another perfect day. Apparently it has rained pretty much constantly here in the past weeks, so we were unbelievably lucky to see this view from the harbour early this morning. What a paradise.

We got down to the booking office as soon as it opened and were lucky enough to get two of the last six seats on a boat trip around the little islands in Loch Broom for the afternoon.  It couldn't have been better because it gave us the morning free to explore this very picturesque little fishing village with its rows of white houses looking out to sea. The very helpful and cheerful young lady in the Tourist Office( who we later saw waitressing!)recommended a walk to me which she suggested would take about one hour. I think she must be a champion sprinter! Later we read about the walk in a guide book, which said 2.5 hours! Anyway, I am very pleased I did it. It was wonderful.

After a pretty walk by what must be one of the loveliest campsites, I found myself on a gorgeous riverside path, which could easily have been the West Coast of New Zealand. Forest, ferns, mosses and river.

It was heavenly and I enjoyed the solitude and tranquility  immensely.

Following directions, I made my way up the hill above the village. I was not properly prepared for the mud, nor for the long walk. Stupidly I had no water and I had not told anyone where I was. Not like me at all! At times, I was tempted to turn back as the going got more difficult and the mud deeper. Just as I nearly gave up, I thought I could see a glimpse of the village and ended up ankle deep in mud to get to the lookout point. I am so glad I did!

What a spectacular view of Ullapool and Loch Broom along with a real feeling of satisfaction.

Fortunately, the path down was much better and I even met a couple of others on the track!

Time to set off with Guni on the afternoon cruise to the Summer Isles. It was brilliant from start to finish. It could not have been better at all.

Though the real highlight was the huge school/ pod  of dolphins which entertained us for probably half an hour with the diving, the  somersaults and the  pure gracefulness. It was a  phenomenal show!

There are many little uninhabited islands on the loch, which goes out into the Minch, the sea separating the Outer Hebrides from the Mainland. Actually, Uninhabited  by man but there were lots of seals and sea birds of course.

What a lovely way to spend the afternoon.  I really felt I had made the absolute most of the day in this gorgeous place.

I wondered how often people had the chance to see such perfect refections and such an incredibly clear blue sky. It is certainly quite rare, althou, like on our West Coast, the winters can be fantastic here.

So, tomorrow we will leave on the two- hour ferry crossing to Stornaway.

Orkney Islands, its monuments and natural splendour

What a day of archaeological wonders, spectacular landscape, cool but calm weather with a fair share of sunshine, and plenty of wildlife, especially seals! As I write this, I can hardly believe how much we took in today, without seeming to rush. Of course, I could have stayed much longer everywhere, but then we would have missed out on unforgettable experiences somewhere along the line.

These many tiny islands of the Orkneys, only 50 miles south of Greenland where I was around this time last year,  have so many  archaeological sites and so much history, it is mind- blowing. I have never been super interested in history, but what we saw, read and heard today really is intriguing and really makes you want to find out more.

It was really a full day, starting with a visit to Maeshowe, thought to be one of the best preserved burial chambers in Western Europe, about 4800 years old. The history was really brought to life by one of the funniest guides I have ever met, Robert. He was from England and had such a dry sense of humour, at times making it tricky to sort out fact from joke!

The entrance to the tomb was very narrow and low, so we really had to virtually double up to get in. It was rather claustrophobic but well worth the discomfort. Unfortunately, photos were not allowed, though a real impression of the inside of this large cairn burial chamber could not be created in a photo. What clever people they were so many thousands of years ago to have built this chamber! 

One highlight of the tomb is the many pieces of viking graffiti on the walls. I wonder if people will be looking at our graffiti in thousands of years' time!

The other highlight, and probably the one which stole the show, was the swallows' nest tucked into the neatly stacked rows of stones used to build the tomb. In the nest,  just above the guide's head, were 4  'extremely well-educated' tiny chicks waiting very impatiently for their parents to return. The guide asked us to keep the tiny entrance clear so they could come in. Sure enough, 5 minutes into the talk, the chicks started to make such a noise that  Robert had to stop  talking, and the parents returned to feed the chicks. Unfortunately, they could not get out because their way was blocked, and in their panic, they pooed on poor Robert! Once we had all left, the parents also followed us out. I was sad to hear that the chicks will probably be deserted in about two weeks when the parents will migrate, leaving their fledglings to fend for themselves. 

Once outside, we could once again focus on the marvelous colours of the countryside around us. These hay bales are just so beautiful - like giant Weetbix, one of the group said!

Throughout the islands are many stone circles but the most remarkable one is ' The Standing Stones of Stenness', supposedly older than Stonehenge and with absolutely gigantic stones leaving you asking how on earth such monsters could have been brought here and erected, plus stood up against the elements for so many thousands of years.

Forming a Unesco Heritage site are four very special Neolithic sites, Maesthowe, the tomb, the Standing Stones of Stenness pictured above and two others which we were yet to see. 

Next one was to be the Ring of Brodgar, an absolutely breathtakingly huge stone circle, set amidst fantastic landscape. It is stunningly beautiful - my photo cannot do it justice at all. Once again it is around 4500 years old and the 27 remaining stones cover a huge area, 8500 square metres! It is truly mind- boggling! It would  have been wonderful to have been able to perch on a mound to simply sit and wonder at them. Instead, I will view my photos at leisure! Not quite the same atmosphere as being there, though.

Last but not least of the four sites is the incredible Skara Brae. As the day went on, it seemed impossible that we could possibly better the things we had seen previously, but Skara Brae just ticked all the boxes! 

Firstly, the location was stunningly beautiful with lovely sweeping sandy beaches 

With very creative cairns, showing that even modern day man can build and design pretty well

Once again, there is a long list of superlatives attached to Skara Brae, one being that it is the finest Stone Age village in Western Europe, though it will soon be surpassed by its near neighbour, the Ness of Brodgar, which is currently being excavated and covers a massive 6.2 acres! The incredible thing is that Skara Brae was only discovered in 1850 after storms washed away the dunes which had covered it up for thousands of years. I spent the day wondering how many other remarkable sites there must be under the grassy mounds everywhere!

What a fantastic trip into the past it was, to walk through this village, viewing the rooms from above. It was fascinating to try to imagine what the people must have looked like and how life was, and of course why they had left?

The breathtaking scenery drew me down on to the beach below. To me, this was equally as awesome as the Stone Age village. It was  so calm on the beach and the colours of the seaweed so vibrant. I would have loved to have spent the day there actually.

Above is the magnificent panorama , and below a closer look at the seaweedy pavement at one end of the bay. It was really very special.

It appeared that we must have finished for the day, but no, we still had yet other treats in store, perhaps considered a little less important, but I must say for me just as amazing, especially the scenery, which I found truly spectacular due to the exceptional colours. The late afternoon  light was simply  magical.

We crossed a causeway to a grassy island where there were the remains of a Norse settlement, , probably belonging to the very wealthy Earl of Thorfinn's  home, about 900  years old . Maybe this was much younger than the previous prehistoric monuments, but nonetheless it was fantastic.

The light  could not have been better. We had been so incredibly lucky to have had such exceptional weather here. In the rain, I think it would have been a miserable experience even with such unique places to visit.

Had we finished? No! We had time for just one more wonder, and it really was fabulous, the Broch of Gurness, a wonderful example of an Iron Age settlement surrounded by a village belonging to the Picts, about 2400 years ago. Once again, it was not only the buildings which were so magnificent but also the outstanding backdrop.

What an end to a marvelous, unforgettable day. I am so pleased to have my blog, which tonight has taken me hours,  but which has helped me to relive the day now and will hopefully  in years to come I bring these memorable moments to life once again.

Back to Kirkwall, the capital of the Mainland, and to a lovely finale, with very special light on the little harbour here.

Rabbie's 10- day Tour Orkneys and Outer Hebrides

We were extremely fortunate that we are both early birds, because we arrived half an hour ahead of the schedule for the bus tour we had, only to find that the tour was about to leave and we were the only two missing! We were only 1 minute late, in fact. It would have been a dreadful start. 

Anyway, all was well and we set off with only 8 passengers ( Canadians, Kiwis, Taiwanese, Swiss and me) at first and Michael our Scottish driver. Very good first impressions! We could both understand him easily, so this was great. It was a beautiful, clear day so we all felt immediately very priviledged. 8 more passengers, with Aussies and Americans , joined later in the day. Full bus!

It was fabulous to do a part of the trip Dennis and I had done only a few days before and to learn a little more about the history again. We also learnt that this wonderful viaduct, which we had seen before, was used in Harry Potter films. I must one day do the West Highland railway trip from Morraig to Fort William, supposedly voted the Best railway journey in the world! I wonder how they can ever decide such things?

When we arrived at Glencoe the cloud had descended and we had our first drops of rain. It didn't matter at all. Actually, it was marvelous to see this valley, with such a sad history of massacre of innocent men, women and children, in such a sombre mood! It was indeed more fitting than the sunshine Dennis and I had had.

At Fort Augustus we took 'the South Road, the high road ' which I have never been on before. We had fantastic views down on Fort Augustus and Loch Ness, Scotland's deepest lake, 325 m at the deepest point. I am pleased that we did not try it in our rental car cos it is pretty narrow, one lane in places, and with lots of traffic. We had a slow climb up the hill as we were following parts of a new wind farm

What massive things they are and so vital to Scotland's plan to have totally renewable energy only by 2020. They are 70 percent there already apparently with their many wind farms, hydro electricity and tidal energy. Brilliant and something we in New Zealand should follow.

En route we had a short walk down through spruce forest to a lookout to the Falls of Foyer. There was amazingly little water in it, but it was still lovely.

We arrived at the tip of Loch Ness, just before Inverness ( inver = at the top of). I love learning little snippets of language on tour. We had a very well- timed stop at Loch Ness just as the sun was setting. Wow, it was breathtakingly beautiful. And, not a monster in sight!

We didn't actually make it into the city of Inverness in the evening, as we passed a pub/ restaurant near our b and b and that is where we stayed till the music stopped. We ate really well, but the highlight was the music played by two young , local men. We were lucky enough to be sitting  next to them so by the end of the evening I felt I had got to know them a bit. What charming, polite and talented young men they are. Charlie MacGiskill playing the fiddle ( his great uncle's fiddle, made in 1864!) was only asked to play at 3 that afternoon and had never played with the guitarist before. You would never have guessed. They were amazing. Apparently his aunty is a famous musician on the outer Hebrides.

There was a wonderful atmosphere in the pub, which was full of people of all ages, from a wee 2- year- old boy who could not stop leaping up and down to the toe- tapping music, to an absolutely wonderful old lady, probably in her nineties, Lizzie, who apparently goes there every music night and sits with her legs twisting and turning to the music, and with such a look of delight on her face. What was so heartening to see was that everyone spent some time with her, bought her drinks and obviously loved her being there. It was such an incredible community spirit. 

We knew the next day would be cloudy with some rain, and that was exactly what it was until lunchtime! It did not spoil anything at all. The clouds actually add a huge amount to photography. We were lucky not to be out in the rain much, the bulk of rain falling while we were in the bus. We stopped briefly at a tiny village called Golspie. Not much there but Guni managed to find a few nice shells and we enjoyed the beach. Just nearby was the very classy- looking Dunrobin Castle, belonging to the Duke of Sutherland, as does a huge amount of the land in this area. The Duke of Sutherland of the 19 th century, was once the largest land owner in western Europe and quite a tyrrant.

He certainly cannot be short of cash with such an enormous 150- room castle and vast grounds! What an amazing setting!

Last stop before the Ferry cRossing was John O'Groats. Amazing to think that just two weeks ago I was very close to Land's End, at the other end of Britain, 876 miles away.

I felt very far from Mark and David and all my New Zealand friends as I stood by this sign!

There had been a weather transformation about 30 minutes before. One minute we were driving in torrential rain with the windscreen wipers struggling to cope and then seconds later we caught a glimpse of some blue sky and suddenly it looked like this.  Brilliant!

I was so happy to be crossing in good conditions. It was still pretty cold on deck and the sea was choppy, but I get the feeling that it was as calm as it could ever be. The highlight was most definitely watching the flock ( not sure of the collective noun for gannets?)of gannets which flew alongside us , above us , actually all around us, using the air currents created by the ferry. These birds were gorgeous. After two unsuccessful photo shots I just sat back and enjoyed their wonderful gracefulness and their incredible fishing ability, diving from great heights like arrows into the waters far below them - mini torpedoes. What a splendid show they put on.

Our first sight of the Orkneys was certainly very impressive. With over 70 islands mostly very small and 600 miles of coastline there is a lot to see and learn. Sadly, we will not have a lot of time, but better than nothing.

We arrived at the little village of St Mary's, a sleepy little port surrounded by fertile land and sheep and dairy farms - lots of them. 

There is so much history here, both from wartime and ancient times, we had an introduction to wartime Orkney with the pretty little Italian Chapel, built by Italian prisoners of war in 1943 using two Nissen huts, turning them into a very ornate place of worship.

We had to island hop to get to the Mainland of Orkney. Before the war we would have had to have taken ferries, but thanks to the Churchhill Barriers, erected by the Italian prisoners of war, at Churchill's command, to block eastern advances, we could now drive over the 'Churchill Barriers' .

I get the feeling I am going to clearly love this place. It seems to offer so much. This sandy beach is not only beautiful, but is also very popular with divers because of the number of world war shipwrecks which can be found there after the German High Seas Fleet was scuttled here at Scapa Flow after the First World War. 

What a paradise today!