Day 15 Thursday 24 April

 Up and away early today. Our accommodation in Thurso left an awful lot to desire! Run by a very nice helpful man but not the cleanest or most modern! Loved the area but definitely not the accommodation!

View as we left Thurso

Doureay old nuclear plant site, just out of Thurso

Lovely place

The Farr Stone

First stop was at Bettyhill - of course! Lovely little place but so early we just stopped at the little museum and checked out the Farr Stone. This is a Pictish cross slab dating from approx the 8th or 9th century AD! A local story claims that the Stone appeared suddenly overnight after a foreign vessel had been seen at anchor in the nearby bay! 

Views on the way

The coastline is just beautiful 

Mountains are very dramatic

Coastline again

From here on to Tongue, not a lot to see here, obviously no photos!

Loch Eriboll. This far corner of Scotland is an isolated patch of land underlain by Durness limestone. It is a deep sea loch and was an important naval anchorage for much of the 20th century. It hosted the surrender of the German U-boat fleet in May 1945.

Trailhead Allt Chailgeag or Beach of the Burn of the Old Woman. Legend has it that an old woman was gathering peat to take home for her fire. As she drank from the swollen burn, she stumbled and fell in. Her body was carried downstream to the beach where it was found the next day. 

Blasted sheep wouldn’t get off the road! We had to drive behind them for a while!

Hole at top of Smoo Cave

Entrance to Smoo Cave

Bay at Smoo Cave

Inside Smoo Cave

From inside looking out

Moss covered rock formation 

Inside Smoo Cave

Entrance to cave

If you look closely you will see the ridiculous sheep on the cliff face! No fear of heights here!

Coastline at Smoo Cave

Me walking up from the caves

Smoo Cave near Durness - supposed to have a waterfall in it, not today unfortunately but still very impressive! 

Onto Scourie where stopped at a craft market in the Scourie Hall. Very quaint and Gary had a coffee and we shared a piece of Victoria Sponge. The loveliest people there, were so friendly and interested in us! Made a nice change!

On way out saw a memorial to John Lennon. From the age of 9 to 16 shared his boyhood holidays with cousins in Durness!

Some more sheep and lambs!

Kylesku and Loch Cairnbawn. In September 1943, one of the most daring raids of all time was mounted from here! The operation was to sink the German battleship TIRPITZ by midget submarines. The training was conducted here in this Loch. After extensive training, 6 midget submarines were towed by larger submarines some 1000 miles north to the battleship sheltering in a fiord in Norway! None of them survived the mission but 2 of them managed to set their explosive charges and the ship was extensively damaged.  

Road less travelled! Into the No Falls of Kirkgai!

Mountains coming back to civilisation from the No Falls!

The only water we saw - definitely no falls! Decided to drive on to Falls of Kirkaig near Inverkirkaig. Still looking for them but Loch Kirkaig was beautiful. Scariest road we’ve driven on yet! Maniacs drive fast around bends that are smaller than a single lane! Idiots!

Where we are staying at Ullapool, the Ferry Boat Inn. Right on the harbour, just lovely! Especially after Thurso! I’m redeemed! 

The harbour at Ullapool.

Another harbour photo

Onto Ullapool - on the way stopped at Ardvreck Castle on side of the road. There was also a waterfall here, wasn’t looking for this one but there it was just sitting on side of road! 

Photos bit out of sync again! Also wifi not greatest so not all photos here - now updated

Look closely - that little black bob is a seal! 

)

Here it is again!