The Journey North. Day 13.       Friday 4th May 2018

From: Helmsdale       To: John O Groats       GR: ND381734     Mileage: 62

The WW1 Memorial Clock

Jackie had spent a somewhat restless night. The automated chime sequence of the clock in the Seaforth Highlanders War Memorial struck every quarter hour through the night. Accompanied by hourly chimes! It seems the locals get off to work early hereabouts. The timber lorries started driving past our car park about 0600hrs. By 0730hrs I was up and dressed. First time either of us was up before 0800hrs. There was a public loo on this car park. Space for 6 cars, three disabled bays and an electric charge point. I’m not sure we even have those in Plymouth!

I walked onto Thomas Telford’s bridge, the original crossing of the river and looked downriver towards the sea at the new bridge constructed in the 1970’s. They knocked down an ancient Norse castle to build that! The river below is famous for salmon runs and breeding. On the end off the bridge was a Spar shop. Not expecting for one moment to find any Croissants being sold in I walked with perhaps an air of hopefulness if not expectancy. There were no croissants but I immediately spotted some bread rolls and could smell bacon. Things were looking up. The young woman behind the counter was outgoing and friendly with a lovely smile. We chatted. She opens at 0600hrs and closes at 2200hrs. Her customers, not forest workers as I had suggested, but rail workers and tradesmen. It was quite large, bright and clean and the only shop around for miles and miles. I bought two bacon baps and hurried back to the wagon. Jackie was up and the kettle was on.

We sat on the wall outside overlooking the river and munched on our bacon baps.

The Emmigrants Statue.
The clearances still after hundreds of years touch raw nerves!

A quick walk up to the War Memorial. As much in an attempt to silence the clock as anything. Around to the ice house, the emigrants statue and memorial and then down to the harbour. We might have been better off parking here. Back to the truck and off.

The New Helmsdale Bridge.

Jackie was the duty driver and I the navigator. Up here you breathe-in involuntary as you pass a cyclist! It’s narrow in places. As I was Nav it is down to me that I missed one of the few places I was really intent on visiting. The Whaligoe Steps. These are three hundred odd steps down the cliff face to a small fishing ledge. Harbour would be too grand a term for it. We learnt later that the local council do not signpost it as there are no handrails and can be dangerous when wet!  Therefore what we don’t see we cannot visit! By the time we found somewhere large enough to turn….Bollocks forget it.

Before we knew it we were in Wick and looking for the heritage museum. We eventually found it and parked outside. It was a tiny cottage and they wanted £4 a head. We agreed no and went walkabout. Across the river we spotted a Weatherspoons. Ah Wi-Fi. We entered. Might as well have a bite. A single bacon bap does na keep a man alive. Two x scrambled eggs and coffee. £6-95.

Six old ladies were sat opposite gabbling on in a broad Scottish accent. They had seemingly brought their own chocolates and cakes to eat. What the staff thought of that I am uncertain but they ignored it. I had spotted two solitary  Ferro Rocher chocs. All that remained from a tray of twelve. I walked over and before long returned with the chocs leaving the girls giggling away. Jackie looked up and said “Forgive my husband, he’s terrible”. “We know.” They chorused back.

J.S.Lowry's 'Black Steps'

We cannot find the Tourist info centre but found the shortest street in the UK. No 1 Ebenezer Place Wick. It is officially the shortest street in the world according to the Guinness Book of Records at 2.06 meters. It houses a restaurant now and is supposedly a fine dining experience. Walking back towards the harbour and docks we saw where the first bombs fell on UK soil in July 1940 killing 15, 8 of which where children. Further along by the harbour we saw J S Lowry’s Black Steps. Check it out on the internet. A quick walk around the harbour. Drop a few coins in the lifeboat collection box and back to the truck.

1340 Arrive Noss Head and the lighthouse for Castle Sinclair and Girnigoe ruins. This magical place dates from the early 13C. Is perched on top of the cliffs literally overhanging the sea some 30 meters below. In previous years it also housed the Lord Protectors Parliamentarian troops during the English civil war. It fell to its ruinous state in the 1700’s. This will be without doubt the best place I will visit on this our month long trip to Scotland. I am certain. It is easy to imagine a Viking Longship putting into the sheltered cleft between the rocks. If you don't see that you have neither imagination or soul.

 

 

 

 

 

It is all too easy to imagine a Viking Longship putting in here!

Where we were parked at Noss Head close to the lighthouse is where during WW2 there was a large radar station. Most traces of which now gone apart from a few stone buildings used by the local farmer as cattle sheds.

John o Groats next stop.

The campsite although not full, all the Leckie points were taken by The Autotrail Club on a round Scotland rally.  Twenty of ‘em. The organizers came from….wait for it…. Cornwall. Bude to be exact. It was £18 for the night. We had a quick brew and then walked across the road to visit that famous sign  and have our photos taken.

A walk around the harbour.

A few more photos and back for some of Nanna’s Magic soup as Callum calls it. Brought from home frozen.

A beautiful evening. Perhaps the best yet, There haven’t been that many to chose from.