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Wednesday 11 October 2006--We leave Ullapool early. We must catch the ferry for Orkney later; it’s not all that long a drive, but we want
to be sure to have plenty of time. There is plenty more great scenery today, but the weather has turned on us.
Increasing cloud and gloom presage a band of wet weather sweeping across the British Isles. The road cuts inland for a
while, and dramatic mountains like Suilven stand between us and the coast.
Ardvreck Castle is a nearly formless ruin on the shore of Loch Assynt. It was built by the MacLeods of Assynt in the late 15th century. Apparently not a lot happened here. We drive north to Durness, and then along the northern coast of Scotland. The mountains are set back a way now, and the scenery is more sweeping. We stop to have a look at Smoo Cave, but it is closed for repairs! It is not even possible to gain a vantage point from which to look in at the vast sea cave. The beach named Tràigh Allt Chàilgeag, two miles east of the cave, is open for business. According to Nick Brown, the name means "the beach of the stream of bereavement", a melancholy name for a lovely place. I discovered it on my first trip to Scotland in 1998, and although I have found many other beaches at least as pretty, it remains a favorite spot. We linger a little while, picking over limpet shells, but too soon must be on our way. We stop outside of Thurso to see the unexcavated remains of two chambered cairns on a hilltop overlooking the town and the Pentland Firth. The cairns are very large, or were–there isn’t much left of them to see, at least not above ground. The late afternoon sky is gloomy and threatening, and it’s very windy on the hilltop, so we don’t stay long. We check into the tourist office in Thurso and ask if the Pentland Ferry is running. The wind is strong out of the south, and I know from experience that means trouble docking. If the trip were canceled, there would be a couple of alternatives that we could easily arrange while we are here in town. We are assured by telephone that the trip is on. We also call our lodgings in St Margarets Hope, where the ferry lands in Orkney, and are disappointed to find out that we will not be able to get dinner on arrival due to a funeral. I’d chosen this particular guest house because its restaurant was well rated. There is another hotel in the village, but we are told their kitchen will also be closed. Annoyed, we saunter over to Top Joe’s for a pint, and then make the half-hour drive to Gills Bay. We know on arrival that something is amiss–the ferry is not at the dock, and there are no cars waiting. In the office, we find that the trip is indeed canceled. We are the last party to be informed. Plan B...I call NorthLink Ferries in Scrabster, back the other side of Thurso, and confirm that their later trip will indeed go. If it doesn’t, we will have to spend the night in Thurso, which won’t be the end of the world (it just kind of looks like it). I also call St Margarets Hope and cancel our room. The Pentland cancellation is sufficient excuse, and NorthLink lands at Stromness, at the other end of Orkney. We drive back to Scrabster in wind and rain and check in, and grab a bite in a local pub. I try repeatedly to call Doris at the Orca Hotel, but get no answer. I think likely she is booked up, but maybe could help us find something. As it is, we will arrive in Stromness at 9:00pm without a room. We can always sleep in the car. Next |
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Ardvreck Castle, Loch Assynt
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Ardvreck Castle
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The bridge at Kylesku
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Beach stairs
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Beach rock
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