Day 107 - John o'Groats to Stromness
After breakfast at the Seaview Hotel, we caught the early bus to Thurso. It was pouring with rain and blustery. The bus got busier with damp passengers who'd all been waiting in the rain which all contributed to the strong smell of damp wool.
Thurso has a charm about it and compared with Wick, the high street seems to have a lot more vitality.
The planting boxes along the high street are used as community gardens to grow vegetables.
Those ready for picking are marked with a flag.
Caithness is very proud of its flag which you see everywhere.
The geology provides large slabs of rectangular stone ideal for large stone paving slabs.
and stone slab walls.
We walked the mile or so along Thurso Bay
to the harbour at Scrabster and met Joan at the RNLI shop.
Joan has been on the local RNLI committee for 20 years and has run the shop for more than 10 years. It's only small in area but with the queue of cars waiting for the ferry across the notorious Pentland Firth to Orkney, I suspect Joan does a roaring trade - especially from those who've gratefully made it back safely!
Before we left Scrabster harbour, the safety briefing advised that because of the strong winds there might be some 'rocking and rolling' on the 90 minute crossing - I kept my eye on the horizon!!
On the way across at 20knots, we were accompanied for most of the way by fulmars, gannets and (what we were told were) puffins flying fast and low just over the wave tops, with their short wings flapping furiously.
The route passes the island of Hoy and the stone stack, the Old Man of Hoy.
The waterfalls that were falling off the cliffs were being blown upwards in the strong wind.
Beautiful Stromness harbour looking across to Scapa Flow.
Thurso has a charm about it and compared with Wick, the high street seems to have a lot more vitality.
The planting boxes along the high street are used as community gardens to grow vegetables.
Caithness is very proud of its flag which you see everywhere.
The geology provides large slabs of rectangular stone ideal for large stone paving slabs.
We walked the mile or so along Thurso Bay
Before we left Scrabster harbour, the safety briefing advised that because of the strong winds there might be some 'rocking and rolling' on the 90 minute crossing - I kept my eye on the horizon!!
On the way across at 20knots, we were accompanied for most of the way by fulmars, gannets and (what we were told were) puffins flying fast and low just over the wave tops, with their short wings flapping furiously.
The route passes the island of Hoy and the stone stack, the Old Man of Hoy.
The waterfalls that were falling off the cliffs were being blown upwards in the strong wind.
Safely into Hoy Sound - the approach to Scapa Flow, the sea state calmed and Stromness Hove into view.
We were met off the boat by Helen - a friend from when Sally was based in Basle. Helen took us up to their new house in a fantastic location overlooking the whole of the harbour.
We were met off the boat by Helen - a friend from when Sally was based in Basle. Helen took us up to their new house in a fantastic location overlooking the whole of the harbour.
Helen, Mike and Luna.
Then a great evening of a catching-up, a lovely supper, wine and stories.
Are you carrying on? When I got back someone asked me why I didn't go all the way to Unst in Shetland. I didn't but dare I say.............
ReplyDeleteHi Chris. Very tempting!! Orkney in this Summer weather is beautiful. I could have happily carried on.
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