On the morning of September 4, our groups parted ways: some of us to Orkney, others back to Edinburgh. The other Orkney folks and I met our new driver, Heather, and set out for the day. We actually shadowed the folks going back to Edinburgh as far as Loch Ness and Culloden.
The first stop of the day was Scotland's most famous loch, Loch Ness. I was the only one brave enough to go for a swim, and managed to cut my toe open in the process.
...Or was it Nessie???
Then we went to Culloden, site of the last battle fought on British soil. After this, the two group parted ways.
We continued through Inverness and along the northeast coast through Sutherland and Caithness, stopping here and there along the way. After a few days of indifferent weather, we finally had a warm and sunny day. We got to John o'Groats, the northeastern-most settlement in mainland Britain, in time for a hike to Duncansby Head for a view of the sea stacks before catching the evening ferry from Gills Bay to St. Margaret's Hope, on the island of South Ronaldsay in Orkney.
Orkney is an archipelago of approximately 70 islands (20 of them inhabited) off the north coast of Scotland. Is is almost entirely flat, almost entirely treeless, and has entirely dead-straight roads with no traffic lights to speak of anywhere outside of Kirkwall, the capital and largest settlement. But for anyone with an interest in archeology and/or Iron Age history, it is a must-see. Among the things we visited on September 5 and 6 were the Tomb of the Eagles, the remains of a Neolithic village called Skara Brae, and a burial mound called Maes Howe. Also, two stone circles: the Ring of Brodgar and the Stones of Stenness. The Stones of Stenness are probably my favorite standing stones out of all the ones I've been to. There aren't that many of them - they form barely half a circle - but they're bloody HUGE, and they give off a very positive, protective energy. I get the same kind of vibe from them that I get from Salisbury Crags in Edinburgh. It honestly felt like seeing old friends again.
Other noteworthy things we saw in Orkney were the Italian Chapel, a tin structure converted into a church by Italian prisoners of war during World War II, and the Highland Park whisky distillery. I've still got two small bottles of Highland Park that I purchased there. We also had free time in Kirkwall on September 6, most of which I spent holed up in a cafe with a book. True to form, the weather was reasonably nice when I went into the cafe, but I watched storm clouds get rapidly closer until by the time it was time for me to go back to the bus, it was absolutely pouring down rain. I got wet through.
On September 7, we caught the early morning ferry back to Gills Bay, poked around Dunnet Head (the northernmost point on mainland Britain) for a bit, and then began wending our way west along Scotland's north coast. The scenery up there is indescribably gorgeous, and these are the photos I'm the most heartbroken to have lost, because I have no words for what it looks like up there. It's nothing short of spectacular.
We stopped at a deserted beach near Durness, where I completed the Triple Crown of Lunacy Involving Very Cold Water, legs 1 and 2 being the beach on Harris and Loch Ness, respectively. I have never experienced water that cold in my life. I actually waded a far way out, because I couldn't forced myself to put my head under. I was hoping a wave would do the job for me. Somehow or other I did it, then scampered back to the beach, and in spite of my best efforts, managed to get sand everywhere. From there, it was a short drive to Smoo Cave, most of which I spent shivering and thinking I was never going to be warm or dry or sand-free again.
Smoo Cave is a gigantic cave near the northwestern tip of Scotland. Some days, there are boat trips into the water system inside the cave, but there had been a lot of rain recently and the water was way too rough on this particular day. After that, we turned south and eventually wound up at a hostel near Lairg for our final night together. This hostel is made up entirely of train cars, and was very cool. I liked it almost as much as the blackhouse on Lewis.
September 8 was a long driving day, as we made our way back to Edinburgh. Our one significant stop for the day was the Hermitage Forest in Perthshire. It was here that I lost my old camera into a waterfall. It was heartbreaking. But as Kathy told me, at least it wasn't my wallet, or my passport, or God forbid, ME.
And so, this finally concludes the trip that reintroduced me to Scotland over nine months ago. It was an excellent trip. I just wish I had my own pictures of it!
Cheers, y'all.
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