Thursday
It was a big drive ahead of us today due to the Sango Sands cock-up, and we had 95 miles to cover, around 3 hours driving. Our destination was the Old School Restaurant and Rooms at Kinlochbervie.
Today is the day we turn for home. Having spent nearly 2 weeks travelling North, and then today West, we will by end of the day start moving South.
It is also the day we break through 1,000 miles travelled so far. A flight to Portugal is 1,100 miles. Just saying!
S
Kyle of Tongue
Our first stop for lunch was just before the Tongue Causeway, and the first time we got the ‘chair’s out for a picnic en-route.
It was a lovely spot to take a breather before continuing our journey to Durness, where we found way more single track roads than we had been expecting (based on Nikki’s research).
The secret to driving these roads, and quickly learned, is to always leave a passing place between you and the next vehicle, AND keep an eye on what’s ahead. That’s where the co-pilot comes in handy as the driver (Nikki on this occasion) is concentrating on the immediate road ahead, with the co-pilot able to take a longer view. So, and thanks to Steve, we escaped what may have been a particularly tricky bit, pulling into a passing place in good time to avoid meeting (almost) head on a tanker coming the other way.
We got chatting to a couple later who were towing a trailer who didn’t fare so well.
Loch Eriboll
We made a brief stop at Loch Eriboll for no other reason than it was breathtakingly beautiful!
It’s at this point it is worth noting the height of the driving cab above the road. Our view is that a circus acrobat would struggle to get down elegantly, but then again circus acrobats are not retired (the clue is in the job title).
As you sweep around one headland to the next, only to find yet another stunning view, you are absolutely compelled to shout “stop and pull over” so that more pics can be taken, and the jumping in and out of the cab starts to take its toll.
In fact the stunning views are becoming a bit overwhelming, and you almost become blase, to the extent Steve said he is hoping we turn around one headland and find an enormous skyscraper in front of us.
Ceannabeinne Beach
Our next stop, just before Durness, was Ceannabeinne Beach which was simply breathtaking, with Nikki even suggesting we take a dip (which neither of us did). Steve commented that he was a few weeks away from taking a dip in the Sea (when we go to Portugal mid July).
Back to Scotland though, and OMG, to repeat earlier observation, every corner you turn you see a fantastic view, which is then replaced with another and another and another. It’s almost too much, with you left not knowing which way to look.
Sango Sands
We briefly stopped in Durness, visiting the John Lennon memorial (who knew!!). Why there? We didn’t know either, but apparently he spent holidays there as a child staying with his cousin.
We felt we had to visit Sango Sands to see if we had missed out on anything with our booking cock up. We both agreed though that it was no great loss, and our extra time spent in Dunnet Bay was probably a much better outcome.
Based on a friends recommendation, we also made a stop at Cape Wrath. Did we mention how these stunning views keep coming one after the other?
Old School Rooms and Restaurant
After a quick re-fueling stop, we set off on the last leg for the day, and the beginning of our Journey down the west coast and to our ‘hotel’ stop to give the Beast a break (more accurately put, to give Steve a break).
This was all single track, but the roads were SO quiet, many miles where you see nothing coming in either direction, and the scenery was spectacular. Monroe’s, loch’s, bubbling streams. Amazing.
We arrived around 5pm, time to enjoy a well earned beer (Steve highly recommends Skye Black) out front in the Sun, before packing a bag to ‘move into’ the hotel for the night. Splendid dinner as well, we both had Venison Caserole, followed by a good nights sleep.
Before we left the following morning, we nipped down to nearby Oldshoremore beach, which is reputed to be Scotlands finest. We are not sure if it was because the tide was in, but it did not seem to be that special compared to some of the others already seen.
