Wick to Thurso Monday 1st May
I was hoping for an early start but dropping the van off proved to be slightly trickier than anticipated. Being a Bank Holiday, the designated garage for Hertz rentals was shut! Trying to speak to someone on the phone about the problem also proved to be problematic. By the time I had scribbled a note and pushed the keys through the letter box of the garage, hoping that in my haste I hadn’t left the Sudacreme in the van, the rain had started and the northerly wind did blow…and continued to do so the 16 miles to JoG. With batteries running low I decided that an en route recharge was in order, the first time I’ve ever had to carry out such a manoeuvre and the JoG cafe was very obliging in letting plug in! I spoke briefly to couple of fellow Lycra clad chaps who were also setting off to complete the JOGLE in 2 weeks! It didn’t start well for one of them as he fell off as he pulled away from the cafe! No damage done although his pride took a denting!
The inevitable photos were taken and by now the weather had improved, well the rain had stopped, so the second part of the day was quite pleasant. The route that had sapped the juice was particularly undulating but offered spectacular views across a barren moorland landscape to the Orkney Islands and the cliffs of Hoy. Long straight stretches of road with virtually no traffic on led the way into Thurso where the highlight of the day was the closure of the High Street due to a collapsed building! On the other side of the bay from Thurso is the wonderfully named port of SCRABSTER, where you can catch the ferry to the Orkney Islands. I always thought a SCRABSTER was a dog that tries to hump your leg by wrapping its front paws round you and thrusts its pelvis menacingly ? I eventually found my home for the night, The Premier Inn, which welcomed me with food, drink and a very comfy bed!
Thurso to Tongue Tuesday 2nd May
What a difference a day makes , as the song goes. The wind hasd dropped and the sun was out! The first part of the day saw Thurso disappear behind me and long stretches of road ahead. As the morning wore on the road got busier with Motorhomes and motorbikes competing for road space as they tore around the North Coast 500 route.
The views leaving Caithness and entering into Sutherland were spectacular, mountains to the west and glimpses of the sea to the north. Signs for Dounreay jogged a distant memory that heralded the gigantic strides of British technology that built 3 nuclear reactors which were operational until 1994. Only the iconic apple green sphere is now visible as the area is now contaminated with low levels of radiation and in the process of being demolished. Perhaps it was passing that site that made my map of Bonanza start to sting?!
The descent into Bettyhill and subsequent ascent to Borgie afforded me great views of sandy coves which looked inviting but not to be surpassed by the view from Coldbackie to the NW to the Rabbit Islands at the mouth of the Kyle of Tongue.
Shortly after leaving the main A836, perhaps the only A road in the British Isles that is single track and has passing places, a rapid hairpin descent brought me alongside the shore line and mussel beds in the Kyle of Tongue. A few hundred yards further on and the Kyle of Tongue hostel welcomed me. A fantastic room with a view, a secure bike store and a well stocked fridge of Orkney ales. What else could a person ask for?!
So I sat in the residents lounge with the sun streaming through the windows, sipping a bottle of local beer and chatting to some of the residents who were field officers for a charity who logged the wildlife and birds on the Scottish Highland Estates. They had spent their day walking the moorlands noting down how many red squirrels and rare birds they'd seen. I finished the day catching up on TV and hoping that weather stayed fair and that my Map of Bonanza doesn’t get any worse!
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