Backies

We awoke to a wet and dreary morning. Thankfully we were toasty warm in the van with heat on full to take the damp chill out of the air. After a quick bowl of granola with coffee for breakfast, we headed further east. In short order, we found our way to John O' Groats, the most Northeastern settlement of "mainland" Britain. Its more of a tourist destination than a village perse due to the ferry bound for the Orkney Islands. Jan de Groot was given permission to operate in 1496 by King James IV, and the descendents ran the service till 1715.
https://www.ferryview.scot/the-ferryman#:~:text…!

We were fortunate the rain let up and we were able to explore the area a bit. Decided to walk along the shore trail till it became too impassable before returning to the "Brewery" to buy some local beer for later. The so called Brewery was more of a visitor center and gift shop. Apparently the building was the last house in the area to be built in the traditional fashion; roughly early 1700s.

As we headed south the rain returned. J had identified a number of potential stops along the way, but the rain was very intense, so we kept going...

As we neared the village of Golspie, we could see a very ornate structure in the distance. Turns out it was a Dunrobin Castle, belonging to the Duke of Sutherland. We pulled in decided to do the tour around the property. Our first stop was the gardens as there was a falconery demonstration underway. A was able to get some good footage, while J got buzzed a few times as the bird zipped about showing off for its trainer. Highly food motivated. We then stopped by the grounds museum sporting a collection of safari trophies, taxidermy regional wildlife, and various historical relics and items. Lastly before the grounds closed for the day, we walked through the castle and all its diverse rooms and living quarters. We were lucky that there weren't any tour buses, and had it all to ourselves! It helped give a feeling of how grand and excess a castle is with it's endless rooms.

Our destination for the evening was an Inn located in the seaside village of Balintore. We enjoyed a hearty pubstyle meal and a pint. They welcome travellers to overnight in their car park along the beach across the way.Lue lisää