North coast road trip

Big sister Dorene and I take a run along the north coast from Caithness into Sutherland.

Click the pic to enlarge

New photo album north coast

Thurso again

It was great to see my big sis Dorene again, on a brief visit to the frozen North. (Actually, it was a wee bit warmer than Aberdeenshire.)

I took loads of photos, naturally, mostly of the train journey, which you can see by clicking on the link below.

Great British train journeys!: Inverurie to Thurso

The train journey itself is fab. Inverurie to Inverness takes two hours, passing hills, mountains, castles and rivers as it winds its way north-west into Moray and beyond. Time in Inverness then for a strong coffee and a Danish in the splendid Highland Hotel, right next to the station. An hour later and we're on our way seriously north, passing through Easter Ross, round the Cromarty Firth and into Sutherland. South of Helmsdale, the train practically travels along the beach before reaching Helmsdale itself and turning north to cross the bleak moors into Caithness and finally to Thurso. The four hour journey from Inverness just has to be one of the most spectacular in Europe.

At the Old Man of Hoy. Dorene and I went on one of those "Ranger Guided Walks" that the Highland Council organises. This involved taking the John O'Groats ferry over to Hoy, bus to Rackwick Bay, then a walk over the cliffs to the Old Man. The colours in the steep rocky cliffs - different hues of deep reds and browns. Birds skimming across the sea as we headed back to the mainland on the wee JOG ferry.