Total miles: 11.8
Elevation gain: 327 ft
Time walking: 12pm – 5pm
Miles to date: 1,290.4
Oh what a delightfully short and easy day! It felt like a real treat, if a little strange, to be able to slow down today and not rush or feel overly tired. Definitely a good thing, after the last week. My hips and gluts were really tight and aching during the night which, combined with the cold and the rain, woke me up several times. I still seem to not feel too bad once I’m up and moving though, it just seems to take a little longer each day to ease my muscles and joints back into action!
The morning was dry and semi-sunny so I made the most of it by having a leisurely breakfast while the tent dried out a bit after the rain. Then I met Jay, who is the guy who is heading the development of the John O’Groats Trail and gave me the draft guidebook to trial. He lives further north but was driving south and had a few more pages of the maps to give me. It was great to actually meet him after exchanging several messages and emails and he gave me some more tips about various sections of the trail further north.
I finally headed off about midday, just as it started to rain, and was pretty much straight onto the long Dornoch Firth Bridge. The A9 wasn’t as busy as I’d expected but it was windy and there was lots of spray from the rain (which stopped when I got on the bridge thankfully), both worse when tall lorries barrelled by. I was glad of the very secure barrier/fence as occasionally the wind would nearly push me into it! Halfway across the bridge my rib started to hurt again and I sighed. Each day when I start out it is fine, and I have a brief glimmer of hope that it has magically got better overnight. Then a mile or two in the pain hits with a vengeance, and continues on and off for the rest of the day. The first few pangs always seem to be the worst, throughout the day the pain eases slightly (or maybe I get more used to it?). I try to breathe through the worst of it, which isn’t easy as it hurts more when I breathe…! Ah well, only a week and a bit left now…
Reaching the end of the bridge took my mind off the pain for a while as I had to step over the barrier, climb down a grassy embankment and then climb a fence, to join a track which ran at the water’s edge. Definitely worth the slight scramble, suddenly the road was a distant memory and the calm of the shining water, ruffled by occasional gusts of wind, breaking around the rocks and seaweed at the shore, had an instant calming effect. The sun came out and it was perfect! I suddenly had a huge sense of happiness and gratitude, and realised I was looking forward to the next week or so, walking along the coast. How lucky am I, to be out here, up here, doing this?!
The track wound inland slightly after a bit and then headed into fields. All fine, until I spy in the field ahead two very large looking black cows with massive horns. They were possibly bulls, I’m not sure (due to the fact they were right at the other end of the field…not a lack of basic bovine anatomy knowledge!) but they were not your average cow…they looked something like a cross between a Highland cow and a buffalo. Whatever they were, I wasn’t convinced they would let me through the field without showing some sort of unwanted interest in me so I scouted out another route. Thankfully there was a semi-decent path the other side of the fence (maybe lots of other people also didn’t fancy their chances against the horned buffalo cows) so I did a bit of fence scaling and took the slightly less daunting route.
One more field, this one with good old sheep, and I was back to the safety of the road, this time a nice quiet back lane, and then into the pretty Camore Wood. Loads of funky mushrooms and toadstools in this wood! Big ones, small ones, bright ones, spotted ones. There were some flat-topped creamy brown mushrooms that looked just like creme brûlées! Sometimes I wish I knew more about mushrooms, but I’m not sure I’d actually ever dare to forage for them. Just too many deadly lookalikes! The wood was over far too quickly and it was back to the edge of a field and then a mile of pavement into the pretty little town of Dornoch.
I stopped for a few cereal bars and snacks (and bananas, yay!) in a gorgeous little shop-come-deli that seemed to sell everything, then headed down past the old castle and beautiful 13th century cathedral to a little cafe in a shop-come-gallery. I had plenty of time so I had a nice rest there, enjoying lunch and one of the most delicious banoffee pies I have ever had! After two cups of coffee I figured I probably should make a move, especially when they started to prepare to close!
The sun was out again and I had a nice walk through the remainder of the town and out towards the golf course. This was on a slight hill so there were lovely views back across the Firth and out to Tain and beyond, and then as I rounded the corner the sea was there and I was properly on the coast! It was beautiful. Classic golden late afternoon sun bouncing off the sand, the sea, the rocks; patches of blue sky reflected in rock pools, dark rain clouds and black rocks contrasting with silvery water and the white froth of breaking waves. From time to time a rainbow would appear out to sea, and the light breeze brought the delightful taste of salty air. An instant feeling of contentment came over me. I love the sea. I always forget how much, until I’m by it again! I was suddenly really glad that I’d decided to head to Orkney when I finish, up until now I still wasn’t entirely sure if it was the right idea. But the instant I saw the coast I knew that a few days by the sea just relaxing, walking along the beach, watching the waves, would be just what I needed.
The last bit of the day followed the path between the golf course and the sea for a couple of miles, the weather constantly changing from sun to cloud to rain, which made for beautiful, ever-changing scenery. Soon I could see my destination ahead, the holiday resort/camping and touring ground at Embo, right on the coast. As I neared, and passed, all the static caravans I wondered whether I’d chosen the right place, it was very “resort-y”, but when I had checked in and went down to the non-electric tent pitches I was definitely happy. I’m on a little section just in front of the sea (far enough away that there’s no chance of getting wet!), away from all the cars and caravans. I think I have the best view of the whole site! And I’m the only tent here. It’s my own little patch of heaven, I can see the sea from my tent and I can hear the waves rolling up onto the beach and crashing on the rocks. Tonight, when I came back from the restaurant (where I had dessert again…talk about sugar overload today!), the full harvest moon was up and its reflection was shining like silver on the sea. I stood gazing at it for ages, watching the lighthouse far away steadily mark time with light, the silhouette of the rocks and the waves that broke on them. I could have stayed watching that beautiful scene all night, but even wrapped up in multiple layers it soon grew chilly and I retired to my tent. It’s very peaceful, listening the waves and the gentle breeze. It’s nice too, to feel both away from the crowds but not too far from civilisation. There is something comforting about knowing there are people nearby!
Tomorrow is a little longer but nothing like previous days. I’m looking forward to it, it’s pretty much all along the coast or around Loch Fleet, and I go through the little town of Golspie and past the huge Dunrobin Castle which I can see from here. Maybe I’ll even catch a sunrise in the morning…
