Exploring the northern part of the NC500 today. Castlehill first stop. Saw a sign for the Heritage Centre and drove out to harbour area to see what this involved. So interesting! It was the site of an estate where flagstone was first quarried in 1793. The flagstone works closed in the 1920’s and it lay abandoned for 50 years! In 1996, the quarry site was regenerated as a community woodland. Walked through a small section, it was so quiet and peaceful!
The woodland
Sculptures in the woodland, gannet diving on left, the quarry in middle and a seal on the right
Remnants of the quarry itself
Some of the flagstone used for fences
James Traill started the quarry and the flagstone industry. Had a wander through the housing used by the workers and the old wall we think surrounded the quarry, the workers houses and Traills estate. Harbour was made using the flagstone, how they did it all by hand was amazing!
The wall housing the estate
Some of the workers houses ruins
Heritage Centre behind us
More of the harbour
Onto Dunnet Head, the most northerly section of Scotland. Just stunning and the beautiful sunny skies definitely helped make it so!
Us at the sign saying the most northerly point of mainland Scotland
View from the summit of Dunnet Head
View from the top which used to be a military garrison
View from the viewpoint. That is the Orkney Islands in the background, so close! Not enough time to go 🥲
From The viewpoint, heaps of nesting birds in the cliffs
The lighthouse at Dunnet Head
The sign on its own - nowhere near as attractive as the one with us in front!
Over to Orkney Islands
Stopped in to view the Castle of May, the Queen Mothers favourite summer palace when she was alive
For the life of us, we couldn’t find the parking area to look at this castle, so view from the road sufficed!
Sheep we saw on the way
There are lambs just everywhere, they are just so cute! Not sure I can eat lamb ever again (just kidding, could never give it up. Yummy beats cute everytime!)
Still cute!
Onto John O’Groats - what a pretty place. It also has signs saying lands end and first and last place on mainland Scotland! No wonder there was always in house fighting!
Sign at harbour
Sign for the start and finish of the 147 mile walk to Inverness - maybe another day!
Accommodation on the harbour front, very pretty and I am sure very expensive!
A ship wreck that occurred here, a memorial.
Memorial to a polish boat lost here. The Pentland Firth is the most dangerous in Scotland, but looks so beautiful!
Gary as a Viking!
Obligatory photo in front of the John O’Groats sign
The stone on this beach looks like the Devils Causeway, just a lot smaller
Onto Wick.
Went out to Castle Sinclair Girnigoe - what an absolutely fabulous place, it is definitely one of the best castles we’ve seen so far! The Sinclair family has occupied this site since at least the latter part of the 14th century when they were also Earls of Orkney. It is perched right on the cliffs edge. Must warn you I have lots of photos- couldn’t stop taking them!
What it looked like in its heyday
Again before it deteriorated
Inside view
View from a window, water is so clear!
View of the Great Hall of the Castle
Across the drawbridge into the castle.
View of cliffs looking to left of castle, so high up!
Us in front of little beach in front of castle
Little beach without us in front of it!
Rock to the front of castle, note the sliver where you can see water
Beach again
Side of castle
Me sitting casually on a ledge five thousand feet above ground - well it felt that high up!
They have this weird system for opening the gates! I had to be shown how to do it by a local, very embarrassing!
Castle with drawbridge - I said I had lots of photos
,
View from that ledge I was sitting on.
Off to look at Old Wick Castle- very disappointing especially after the Sinclair castle!
Last and definitely least! Old Wick Castle. Back now to Thurso and off to Ullapool tomorrow!
View from that ledge I was sitting on.
Looking at all the stone buildings, walls and ruins - it's a wonder there is anything left of Scotland!! Your trip is flying by, mainly because you are so busy, seeing so much and travelling so far, keep up the pace please!!
ReplyDeleteYep hard to believe we’ve been here 2 weeks now! Slow down time!
Delete