A 7 am knock at my door. In the absence of a dining room, the owner wheels in a cooked breakfast trolley. Is he wearing pyjamas? “I don’t get this at home.” My book for this trip is Between the […]
Day 285: Whaligoe to Wick Read More »
It’s a beautiful morning, the sun shining on the fresh overnight snow. Despite the forecast of a clear day, an early snow flurry adds to my load. Hardy fishermen work on their boats. The John o’Groats Trail follows the shore
Day 284: Helmsdale to Berriedale Read More »
Snow fell during the night. Time-travellers leave no footprints. Crossing the golf course at Brora, fresh snow crunching under my boots, I’m giddy among childhood echoes. I choose the beach rather than a narrow icy strip between a stone wall
Day 283: Brora to Helmsdale Read More »
Limited by Sunday public transport options, I have a leisurely short walk today, leaving plenty of time to chat over breakfast with John, the Airbnb owner. He worked for 30 years on a boat safety crew for the rigs, retrieving
Day 282: Golspie to Brora Read More »
I’m the only person stepping down from the early morning Wick train onto a wet platform at Tain. Arctic showers are forecast to sweep across the Highlands, and light rain is already falling so it’s on with the waterproofs. There’s
Day 281: Tain to Golspie Read More »
Walking on roads round the Moray Firth from Cromarty to Nigg Ferry would take three days, given my lower daily mileage on hard surfaces to avoid a reoccurrence of shin splints. When I set out on my coast walk, I
Day 280: Munlochy to Rosemarkie Read More »
A gorgeous morning transforms even the grim B9039. It joins the busy A96, arrowing seven miles through Inverness to cross the Moray Firth at Kessock Bridge, which is not my idea of fun. A fellow coast walker, Jon Combe, found
Day 279: Inverness Airport to Munlochy Read More »
This is my last trip of the year, taking a break in December to enjoy the Christmas build-up and spend time with family and friends. Wintry weather is forecast, so the tent is abandoned, the backpack space partly filled with
Day 278: Nairn to Inverness Airport Read More »
The puddles of water at my head and feet have nothing to do with the heavy rain during the night. Condensation is a challenge when bad weather forces me to close the tent flaps. We exhale more than a litre
Days 276 & 277: Craignure to Salen Read More »
Sharing yesterday’s waterfall adventure with the Mull Facebook group, Mullman responded with a lovely story, reminding me of Bella, our beautiful English Setter. The sheer drop near the waterfall is called Kelp’s Leap. When my stepfather, Iain Moody first came
Day 275: Carsaig to Craignure Read More »