Tag: Thurso

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Can That Be The Sun?

Friday 5th October – distance travelled 62 miles

We woke up to find for the first time this week it wasn’t raining!

The plan was to go to Helmsdale and Dunrobin castle, the SatNav started off sending us in the wrong direction so had to turn around.

Loch near Bettyhill

Decided the drive to Helmsdale was a lone one and the coast was so pretty so carried on the coast road to Thurso.

North Coast of Scotland
Gavin admiring the view

For lunch in Thurso we went to Johnson’s where we both had potato soup and a bread roll with a cake to take away.  After lunch we had a walk around the town before heading back to the car.

Pit stop for lunch

On the way back we went to the seafront in Thurso which was very windy.  From here could see out to the Orkney’s and a rainbow kept coming and going.  A man out walking his dog told us about a Banksy, not sure if it is a real one of not.

Big waves in Thurso
Gavin in Thurso
Banksy?

We passed the nuclear power station at Dounreay and took a detour through Castlehill which was really pretty before getting back to Bettyhill.

Castlehill
Bettyhill

Tonight we had fajitas to use up some of the shopping we had left before starting to pack up the kitchen and our suitcase ready to leave tomorrow.

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Heading East

Monday 1st October – distance travelled 103 miles

Didn’t have the best nights sleep and sore throat was much worse, definitely getting a cold 🙁

The weather forecast was for it to be dry until 2pm, so we decided to go out, as maybe the best it gets all week.  Gavin did the driving as I wasn’t well – it was a quiet drive!

We decided to head east to some of the places I had looked up to visit, starting with the furthest away, Duncansby Head, and then heading back.

It was a long drive as the roads were almost all single carriageways with passing places, there were a lot of sheep along the route and some nice beaches with rough seas.

Sheep in the road

 

Beach and rough seas

From the car park at Duncansby Head it was only a 10 minute walk across muddy grass until we saw the stacks, they were impressive despite the grey sky and mist.

Duncansby Head stacks
Me at Duncansby Head

After we had got back to the car and removed all our layers headed onto John O’Groats.  Only planned to stay for a quick photo with the sign, as it was raining by then, but had taken longer than expected to get there so stopped for lunch.  Both went for sandwiches ham and cheese for me roast beef for Gavin.

Gavin at John O’Groats
Me at John O’Groats

Once fed we started the long drive back to the house with a stop at Dunnet Head, it was raining quite hard by then but as the most northerly point on the mainland an essential stop.

Dunnet Head

We pulled into Scrabster but just took a few photos through the car window of the harbour and stopped at Tesco in Thurso for extra tissues and throat sweets.

Rough seas

A quick dinner of pasta and tomato sauce tonight, as been a long day and i’m feeling rubbish.