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.