Wednesday 18th May

(Sat 20th again – it works via the pub’s wifi, so I’ll have to stay a bit longer and hope to catch up!)

 

Lybster high street- “a notable example of a fishing village created to provide a livelihood for the victims of the evictions”.

There are a lot of settlements along this coast with the Scandinavian suffix “ster” which, I think, means “homestead”

 

 

Lybster harbour  which over a century ago provideda base for 100 fishing vessels

 

Wick’s Wetherspoon’s Alexander Bain public house.  He came from Thurso and invented the electrical clock and the electric telegraph

Development in Thurso moves a’pace

The John O’Groats signpost

The New Zealand factor

John O’Groats harbour

What happens in heavy seas

Local field boundaries

From inland

The Dining Room window (no photographs allowed inside).  Observations from my visit to the Castle of Mey: the Queen Mother never threw anything away: she wore the same raincoat when she came to stay for 40 years, the carpet in the dining room was threadbare where the corgis sat but she wouldn’t throw it away because Queen Mary gave it to her.  The corgis got fed before the guests were given their tea.  At dinner one had to speak to one’s left hand neighbour for the first two courses and the right hand neighbour for the pudding.  No conversation across the table permitted.  No lunch was served indoors – always picnics outdoors.  No double beds, all bedrooms had 3/4 beds, each guest given own room.  Only two en-suite bedrooms, guests have to traipse along the corridor – although to be fair she fitted out the castle in the mid ‘50s.  Charles now stays there and continues to make no changes.

Orkney from Castle of Mey

View from shore side

 

From Castle of Mey garden gazebo

 

Rainbow cabbage at Castle of Mey

 

A harbour between Wick and Thurso

 

Dunnet Head is more northerly than John O’Groats

Two puffins – really.  Very excited, first time I’ve seen a puffin

An orchid – Northern Marsh?

 

There is a 360 degrees viewpoint at Dunnet Head – the buildings are from the army presence in the war

 

Calm waters in the Pentland Firth

Next stop Thurso – the Tourist Information Office, arrived at 5.10 to find it closed, no matter will go back tomorrow to get info re the crossings to Orkney.  No matter, can do it tomorrow.

Staying in the Dunnet Bay camp site in a gale force wind.  It is 22.18 and still dusk; couldn’t read a book by the light but can work on the lap top.