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Journal: |
I had breakfast and was on my way from the hotel by 8:45am on a
wet and windy morning. For only the second time on the trip, I
was wearing my Goretex long pants and splashed off down the wet
road, huddled against the strong wind determined to stay as dry and
warm as possible. Actually, the temperature wasn't too low,
but the wind chill was significant.
I had decided against the guidebook route which would have
involved crossing to the east coast via some tracks and
cross-country sections and then following the cliff edge northwards.
Although the scenery would have been interesting, slogging through
knee-deep wet grass and nettles in rain and wind was likely to make
it very unpleasant. Instead, I chose a route that involved
quiet back roads north to the north coast and then eastwards along
the coast until I reached Duncansby Head, the most north-east point
on the UK mainland.
It took about four hours of walking along the roads to reach the
north coast, but there was little traffic and, despite being blown
about by the wind, I managed it comfortably and could see enough of
the rolling rural landscape to make it interesting. I finally
came within sight of the coast at about 1pm and stopped soon
afterwards in the village of Canisbay to eat my lunch huddled in the
lee of a bus shelter. The coast looked windswept and exposed,
with forlorn houses overlooking the white-capped sea and the
rain-shrouded Isle of Stroma offshore. I could see a ferry
struggling to make headway northwards through the waves.
After lunch I paralleled the coast eastwards and actually had to
pass through the village of John O'Groats, about 500m south of the
coast, on my way to Duncansby Head, about 3km east of John O'Groats.
The rain had stopped and I had some long periods of sunshine, though
the wind was still very strong. I climbed up to Duncansby Head
and its lighthouse, arriving about 3:45pm and had a look around,
with clear views west and south along the coast, including the
spectacular Stacks of Duncansby, rocky spires rising from sheer the
sea.
This really completed my journey from south-western tip to
north-eastern tip, but I still had to walk back to the John O'Groats
tourist area a few kilometres along a coastal path. It was a
pleasant walk, overlooking some sandy beaches and low rocky
headlands. A highlight was seeing large seals wallowing in the
breakers just offshore, and a second highlight was watching the
track of a large thunderstorm passing just to the west of me north
to the offshore islands. I was glad it missed me. I
reached the tourist area and had a brief look around, though there
wasn't much to see. I confirmed that there was no Sunday bus
to Thurso, 32km away, from where my train leaves at 8:41am tomorrow,
but also confirmed there was a 6:47am bus tomorrow morning, which
will get me there in plenty of time. I walked back to the
village of John O'Groats and booked into the rather tacky hotel
where I had dinner and was given a small "breakfast pack" since I
will be leaving before breakfast is served tomorrow.
So, my hike is over. It lived up to all my expectations
(and the weather significantly exceeded my expectations....I am very
brown). It will be nice not having to walk every day but I
know that, in a few days' time, I will be thinking back
nostalgically to various points along my trek. Trips as long
as this become a way of life, rather than just a vacation.
They are cleansing and rejuvenating. Nevertheless, I will
enjoy returning to civilisation and am looking forward to seeing my
loved ones.
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