Date: 03/08/09
Time: 22:00
Miles Travelled Today: 140
Location: Campsite in Durness
Weather: Amazing all day
If it rains for the entire rest of the trip, it will still have been worth it for today, that's how good it has been.
The day actually started with me a bit nervous. Last night the air bed epically failed and had mostly deflated before I tried going to sleep – its not that it ripped, just gradually let air out until it was useless. That necessitated a trip out of the tent and over to the car to get the fake-thermarest where I discovered, to my horror, that I had left the passenger door slightly ajar and the interior light was on It must have been on for hours.... Come the next day, I had no idea whether the car would start. I have jump leads with me and it wouldn't really have been a problem but it was faff I could do without. Luckily it started first time and I could relax. The weather today has been nothing short of amazing, particularly given the woeful forecasts we have been getting. Blue sky, bright sunshine and temperatures into the high 20s have meant that I, in typical British person on holiday fashion, have managed to get burnt. Only a bit on my leg but still – burnt! In Scotland! In this crappy summer!
I have spent the day wandering from one beautiful place to the next. I started with watching seals, how about that as the first thing to find. Amusingly I was actually parked up looking at a lovely bit of coastline when an old man came up to me and started chatting. “Looking at the seals are you?” he said. “What seals?” was my less than impressive reply. In my defense, they are supurbly camoflaged but really I have no excuse. I then had some time watching them through my binoculars and zoom lense on my camera; a quick look at the ensuing photos this evening has indicated that my photo taking skills need a bit of, uh, polishing but perhaps one will come out ok. A lovely beach in Dunnet then followed where I was able to get the kite out for the first time. If anything, it was a bit too windy but it was great to finally have a fly. Then on around the coast, diverting onto small side roads if anything interesting seemed to be there. This included a walk to a derelict chapel right next to some massive wind turbines. The walk included a bridge over a lovely river, so lovely in fact that after I got back to the car, I made some sandwiches, packed my kettle and my gas burner and walked right back to it to have lunch. The countryside and coastline that I have driven and walked through today has been some of the most amazing I have ever seen, and I have seen a few/over the years. The scale, the emptiness, the sheer majesty of it all is beyond description and I fear that my photos will no do it justice. The end of the day was a little nerve wracking as I attempted to find a campsite for the night. After dismissing one, I then spent the next hour driving through extremely empty moorland getting increasingly worried. I did look at wild camping but any potential places already had someone on them, including what looked like the side of a cliff impressively. Eventually I decided to stop for some food and managed to find a parking place overlooking a loch. Out came the trusty burner and a few minutes later I was enjoying some pasta and salad with a view to die for. Apart from a few Germans who randomly stopped, got out, walked around a bit and then left again, I was on my own with perhaps one car every five minutes passing by. Lovely. However, it was soon time to leave again as it was starting to get late. After quite a bit more driving and at least one full campsite, I finally arrived at this one. It was cheap, has all the amenties you could need (except WiFi!) and is right next to not one but two lovely sandy beaches. What more could you ask for?
I have no idea whether the weather will continue tomorrow, I guess I will find out. I know that the scenary will continue though and that is the main thing.
Time: 22:00
Miles Travelled Today: 140
Location: Campsite in Durness
Weather: Amazing all day
If it rains for the entire rest of the trip, it will still have been worth it for today, that's how good it has been.
The day actually started with me a bit nervous. Last night the air bed epically failed and had mostly deflated before I tried going to sleep – its not that it ripped, just gradually let air out until it was useless. That necessitated a trip out of the tent and over to the car to get the fake-thermarest where I discovered, to my horror, that I had left the passenger door slightly ajar and the interior light was on It must have been on for hours.... Come the next day, I had no idea whether the car would start. I have jump leads with me and it wouldn't really have been a problem but it was faff I could do without. Luckily it started first time and I could relax. The weather today has been nothing short of amazing, particularly given the woeful forecasts we have been getting. Blue sky, bright sunshine and temperatures into the high 20s have meant that I, in typical British person on holiday fashion, have managed to get burnt. Only a bit on my leg but still – burnt! In Scotland! In this crappy summer!
I have spent the day wandering from one beautiful place to the next. I started with watching seals, how about that as the first thing to find. Amusingly I was actually parked up looking at a lovely bit of coastline when an old man came up to me and started chatting. “Looking at the seals are you?” he said. “What seals?” was my less than impressive reply. In my defense, they are supurbly camoflaged but really I have no excuse. I then had some time watching them through my binoculars and zoom lense on my camera; a quick look at the ensuing photos this evening has indicated that my photo taking skills need a bit of, uh, polishing but perhaps one will come out ok. A lovely beach in Dunnet then followed where I was able to get the kite out for the first time. If anything, it was a bit too windy but it was great to finally have a fly. Then on around the coast, diverting onto small side roads if anything interesting seemed to be there. This included a walk to a derelict chapel right next to some massive wind turbines. The walk included a bridge over a lovely river, so lovely in fact that after I got back to the car, I made some sandwiches, packed my kettle and my gas burner and walked right back to it to have lunch. The countryside and coastline that I have driven and walked through today has been some of the most amazing I have ever seen, and I have seen a few/over the years. The scale, the emptiness, the sheer majesty of it all is beyond description and I fear that my photos will no do it justice. The end of the day was a little nerve wracking as I attempted to find a campsite for the night. After dismissing one, I then spent the next hour driving through extremely empty moorland getting increasingly worried. I did look at wild camping but any potential places already had someone on them, including what looked like the side of a cliff impressively. Eventually I decided to stop for some food and managed to find a parking place overlooking a loch. Out came the trusty burner and a few minutes later I was enjoying some pasta and salad with a view to die for. Apart from a few Germans who randomly stopped, got out, walked around a bit and then left again, I was on my own with perhaps one car every five minutes passing by. Lovely. However, it was soon time to leave again as it was starting to get late. After quite a bit more driving and at least one full campsite, I finally arrived at this one. It was cheap, has all the amenties you could need (except WiFi!) and is right next to not one but two lovely sandy beaches. What more could you ask for?
I have no idea whether the weather will continue tomorrow, I guess I will find out. I know that the scenary will continue though and that is the main thing.
Keep this up, Ben, I am having a holiday by proxy with it especially now there are pictures!
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