Beaches and Caves

We started the day with a little backtracking, we missed John O Groats on our way to Dunnet Head, and we needed the typical picture at the sign post. It was relatively early in the morning, so not busy at all, and we took a quick look around. Even our NC500 guidebook calls this popular spot underwhelming, but we were glad we had a chance to check it out. We headed back west and stopped at Castletown Beach. Such a beautiful spot, and my little rubber boots came in so handy. It was low tide, so there were lots of interesting things to look at. I even found a couple of pieces of beach glass. On the way to Castletown beach, we passed the late Queen Mothers summer home, the Castle May. We drove down the lane to the carpark but we were too early and the castle wasn't opened. We peeked through the gates, and it was very impressive.The sun was out, but it was raining over the Orkney Islands, so we had a beautiful rainbow. We drove west for most of the day, and the landscape became even wilder. Single track roads for the most part and only a few very small towns. Beautiful beaches, though. Randy did a great job driving, and he had to pull over on a regular basis to let oncoming traffic go by. Fortunately, there were passing places, spots where the roads were a few feet wider he could pull over on. A couple of times on coming traffic had to back up, but this was the exception. The scenery changed from seaside vistas to heather covered moors. Quaint small villages and miles of open countryside. We stopped for lunch on the causeway that crosses over the Kyle of Tongue. As I made lunch, I could watch the seabirds and look at the ruins of a castle in the distance. We stopped for the night at Sango Sands Campground just outside Durness. This was another place on our must-see list, and it didn't disappoint. The beaches far below were absolutely stunning, and the walking paths above were wonderful. We parked with a view of the Atlantic. The facilities were very nice and we had electricity so no need to worry about charging my phone. Everyone at the campground has at least one dog, so we enjoyed meeting lots of new furry friends. We are quite comfy in our super sized campervan and cringe to see so many travelers in tents. The wind here at night shakes our camper and not to be repetitive, but it has poured rain almost every night we have been in this camper. I can't imagine trying to stay warm and dry in a tent. But hey, the people in tents are friendly and have smiles on their faces. Oh, and there are people traveling and camping on motorcycles, bicycles and hiking. Unbelievable. We had a great day on the road and a lovely night at Sango Sands. We don't have to check out until 11 so we will walk to the Smoo Caves tomorrow morningRead more