Your shoe bound foot sinks into the pristine expanse before you. It has been years since you’ve been in this situation. You feel like a child that has made a new discovery. You release your feet from their prisons and venture onto the whitest sand you have seen since your honeymoon. It is cold but soft like cotton. This must be a dream.
Leaving the car and boardwalk behind you, you feel the wind whip the tangling hair around your face and praise the chosen warm outfit of the day. As the sea retreats from the coast it leaves an untouched surface of shoreline. Even the grey clouds, that occasionally block the sun’s path to the sand, do not stop the glow of its purity. All at once you wish you could float so you can leave this piece of perfection as is and yet you are filled with joy to feel its beauty beneath you.
As you emerge from between the sand dunes you see the exceptionally calm and clear water ahead. This place is anything but normal. The sun peeks out from behind the racing clouds overhead and the whole scene explodes with colour. A hop, skip and a jump from the shoreline the waters turn turquoise. TURQUOISE!
This is my highlight from Day 7 of our recent trip to Scotland to drive the NC500 route. Can you actually believe this place is in Scotland. Scotland, Uk. The United Kingdom!
Before any kind of suspicion arrives in your mind, dear reader, my disbelief is not in some way an insult to Scotland. Of course these beautiful places can be found anywhere in the world. However, my shock, even now, lies in the fact that it has taken me over the 34 years that I have resided on this planet and in this country, to come to that conclusion. With the filters available online and on Instagram, it is often the case of finding something before you that looks nothing like the images online. Which is why I was so pleasantly surprised and shocked that Achmelvich Bay is even better than any picture I had previously seen. Although our photos look pretty damn good! ‘A’ List photographers that we are.
I have been exceptionally lucky in my life to have travelled to some pretty stunning shorelines in my life.
Cape Tribulation in Australia. Where the Daintree rainforest meets the cool blue waters that also house the Great Barrier Reef.
Three islands in the Maldives. The white sand mixed with crushed shells and coral.
The vast beaches of the Dominican Republic.
The list goes on.
But somehow, Scotland’s Achmelvich Bay transfixed my soul. Could it be the amount of time (4 years) since our last pristine beach visit? Or the freedom from the car on such a huge road trip?
Or could it quite simply be this…
Lockdown was bloody hard. 2020 and 2021 were hard. 2022 felt like it was one tentative step after the other. Watch out for potential landmines! The constant up and down nature of the news and information being thrown at us from all angles had a way of defeating, healing and crushing and restoring hope all at once. No one I know came out of those two years unscathed. And yet on that beach, it just disappeared.
It has to be said that for the few hours we paused our trip in that Bay, there were only four other visitors on the sand itself. Two braved the waters like we did. One lady stopped by for a chat. And another paddled up to her knees. In a way, Mr W and I felt like it was our own perfect paradise. It welcomed you like an old friend.
I have journeyed back to that beach many times since returning home. Albeit it from the luxury of my sofa. We know we will soon be returning to Scotland and its wondrous 500 mile route and even though there is so much more to see and explore, one thing is for sure, our feet will take us back to that paradise to once again feel in awe of this astounding country. That in itself is one thing to take from the uncertainty of life during the height of the pandemic. I have learned so much about the Uk and its pockets of joy. It came when we were forced to abandon trips abroad and opt for open spaces above all else. During the turmoil of Covid, I felt selfish to wonder if travel would ever feel the same again. Now I know the face of travel has changed for us in a huge way. We no longer only look outside our own country for escapism. We look at the country we are blessed to call home and the adventures that still await us.
The links for the itinerary and recap of this day are below. I hope one day you experience this magical route for yourself.
Hi there, welcome back to the Scotland series. I hope these have been of some help so far and thanks for returning! It has been 121 days since we set off on our huge Scotland road trip. The NC500 route around Scotland is, as you may have guessed, approximately 500 miles. From our starting point in Essex, up to the route, around the Isle of Skye and back home via the Lake District we covered 2800 miles. This journey will see you cover many many miles and have your eyes peeled back as far as they will naturally go. It is a joy to travel this route and explore every corner.
121 days ago we loaded up our car with as much long life food as possible, A LOT of wet weather gear and what we like to think were sensible purchases to make our experience in the wilds of the Scottish highlands as comfortable and safe as possible. There are other blogs on my page about our purchases and how we also kept the budget down. Keep tuned in for other tips and itinerary hacks.
The most I can hope from these blogs is to help you have the most fantastic experience in Scotland and on the NC500 route. These blogs try to give you the much needed information for your trip without too many of my feelings and thoughts on each experience. Should you be needing more of a push to try these itineraries, the links to each day’s blogs will be linked below.
This is the itinerary for Day 7 of our NC500 road trip.
After staying in Lochbroom or Ullapool for the night your journey to Clashnessie Falls will take approximately 1 hour 10 minutes.
Clashnessie falls is a site dependent on the right weather conditions for two reasons. Should it rain before your visit the falls will be at their most dramatic and beautiful. However the route to the falls will be, as we found, extremely boggy and unstable. Alternatively if there has been a dry spell, of which is uncommon in the western highlands, you will find the route easier to tackle and yet be greeted upon a fine mist of a waterfall at the end of your walk. The car park can be found using the what 3 words instructions on the itinerary below. The walk from the car park to the beginning of the waterfall route is very simple. From the car park opposite the beach turn left and walk back up the road. You will pass a red phone box on your left. Keep going up the small hill and you will come to a sign post indicating where the walk to the falls begins. It is down a track and when you get to the Falls Cottage you can choose to go either across the stream using the stepping stones or to the right along the fence. Both lead you to a good view of the falls. The route from the car park to the falls should take no longer than 20-25 minutes on a good day, however considerably longer should the ground become boggy in bad weather. I would definitely plan accordingly.
The timing of this day will depend on the weather and how much you care about soggy feet, coats and bodies. Saying that, regardless of the weather the next stop is an absolutely must do. Achmelvich Bay was an absolute pleasure to visit and I’ll post the link soon to why it was my highlight of Day 7. Out of all the places we went to along the route I can hands down, without any hesitation say for both myself and Mr W that we would return to this beautiful slice of paradise. The car park is situated next to the Shore Caravan site and I suggest using (again) the what 3 words app to get you to the exact spot you need to be. The car park does have a charge, although like other sites, it is more of an invitation to pay rather than a demand. There is a single large toilet cubicle on site, which would be great should you wish to change out of swimming gear and such like. This again is chargeable, however the pay machine was broken on our arrival and we were still able to use the facilities. Out of all the activities today, should you be a brave traveller and like to swim, I would bank on spending a lot of your time here and plan your day around this particular site. There is a small cafe which sells fish and chips. Honestly, you can’t go wrong!
From here, you can pretty enjoy the route while you scope out more food to recharge your batteries. Lochinver Larder is highly rated among the NC500 enthusiasts. They will heat the pies should you desire and although pricey (£14 for two pies) they are very filled and tasty. There is nearby free parking. Next, treat yourself to a hot drink at Sovi’s Coffee. The car park is a sharp left turn en route to Ullapool and I suggest slowing down as you approach. The parking is used by hikers to the Bone Caves which takes between 30-60 minutes depending on your fitness level. Although we didn’t do this particular walk, we saw a few people coming and going which leads me to believe it is a popular spot. I have read that the route can be quite uneven and the final climb to the caves is steep. I advise some further research before planning this into your day.
After your pause for drinks, head onto Ullapool for a real treat. For the first time on your route, you will find a beautiful town with lots of shops and places to eat and explore. We ate at the Seafood Shack, and despite my hesitation with fish, I enjoyed my food immensely. The town has wide avenues and although nothing like the size of Inverness or Edinburgh it had the bustle of a small town that feels very warm in its invite. We found street parking plentiful and were lucky to park a stone throw from the Seafood Shack itself.
After you have reacquainted yourself with the familiar sights and sounds of buildings and signposted streets you will notice the return of road markings and busier roads on your journey to the Corrieshalloch Gorge National Nature Reserve.
With its utterly mesmerising view of the gorge and path-making waterfall, this is an absolute must do for any visitors to the Ullapool area. Although a quick visit at just 40 minutes, its effortless snaking paths and views are the best way to end day 7. Parking was plentiful.
Finish your day by making the stunning drive to Aultbea for your overnight accommodation. The drive itself took on the coastal roads which gave dramatic views out to the Summer Isles and the dark navy waters of . On a clear day you may see the island of Lewis and Harris, an island in the Outer Hebrides.
Hello 2023. I won’t pretend I’m shocked at how long it’s been since I’ve written. There’s been a lot going on, there always is and somehow writing has taken the biggest back step to everything else. It’s a shame because of how much I love it, how much there is to tell you and just how much it helps. However, forcing it also isn’t great.
So where do I begin. We’ve had SO many days out in London which have been amazing. Unfortunately, the saturation of the word amazing in social media these days is quite something but let’s take it back to basics. ‘Amazing.’ It is when something amazes you and I’m not talking about the perfect frothy detail on your cappuccino, no I’m talking about something that quite literally feels your mind with amazement. Whether it be on the day, that evening, the day after and/or when you look back at pictures taken. We obviously have the great pleasure in doing the latter frequently because we are big photo takers and we had 4, 5, 6 (can’t remember until I recap them) amazing days out which means there are plenty of photos to go through. Two of those days in particular would not have been possible without meeting our new friends from America, which I’ll go into more detail when I recap those days.
Mr W and I had a lovely Christmas, which after 2 years of covid disruptions (it took me a long time to think of polite word ‘disruption’), was really nice to just again get back to basics. Lots of family time, good food and just stopping. That actual stopping of work and plans and obligations, as such, and rushing around. It was really important for us to do that and we knew the benefits of stopping because we do it every year. Every Christmas Mr W will have off a big chunk of time and we halt the horses so to speak. However after the last couple of months it’s been just horrifically busy and we have been (I think) closest to burnout that we’ve ever been. It was both nice and necessary to just stop and we really did. There were days where we didn’t get dressed. We didn’t eat anything but Christmas leftovers. It was absolutely great.
Moving forward into this year things are going to look a bit different for us both. We’re already planning some big big renovation works in the house. Which is very exciting. It does mean that our travel budget is cut in half this year. Which seen as we are on year 2 of working on a travel budget it’s quite strange. It is all very new territory for us. I must say that Mr W and I do shine best when we have a project as a couple and I am so excited for our ideas to come together. Of course, it will be lovely to have our very own bathrooms rather than a shower that doesn’t work and a bathtub we have to vault to get clean. Back to travel; we’re maybe going to have a weekend away before starting the renovations and then a big travel trip at the end of the year. We’re going to do a lot more days than in 2022. I’ve actually taking it on myself to write a list of all the day trips we planned last year and never got to. This is done to other commitments and the fact there are only 52 weekends in a year. I mean, hardly fair is it!
Last March, we planned to do Dancing Ledge on the Jurassic Coast when we spent time in the New forest but we simply ran out of time. So 2023 will be the year we catch up doing things like that. It would be great to do these big days out and freshen our weekends up with adventures. We’ve got the wet suits, so who knows what we’ll get up to! There is a lot more we both want to see in London but we also just want to enjoy the silly things. This Saturday, rather than you know have a coffee in bed (something we love and certainly plan on doing a whole lot more of this year, adding our books into the mix) or drive to town and having a coffee, we’re going to drive into London for free parking and have one in St Katherine’s Dock. It is honestly just such a lovely place. Even though you’re in the middle of the city, you find this micro community hidden behind the tall buildings of Tower Hill. It feels like nobody really knows about it or if they do it’s like it’s our little secret. It’s like our own little club of people that’s waiting for the waking up of the city that surrounds it. And that is a simple moment between us, coffee and the city noises.
The big trip this year is looking like it’s going to be in September. Shocker right? I don’t want to tell you too much right now because although it’s not heavily reliant on budget it is slow in its emergence from ideas and trying to push ourselves to go new places and do brand new things. There seems to be a form of doing less in the way of tours and entrances and yet more in experiences that mean more to us. There will be some moving from country to country via train. To gain the most from this means a lot of research, as you can imagine we don’t just want to move from country to country and not be on the best route to see what the new country is all about!
When we went to Brussels in November (blog coming soon) we were there for roughly 30 hours.It was just so thrilling to be in a brand new country (for us, tick!). We didn’t feel rushed even though it was a very short amount of time. Those kinds of experiences wake you up a bit and it felt revitalising to have left the UK for the first time since late 2020.
We have had such a busy but beautiful and blessed life since our return from Scotland that there has been a vast array of things to write about. However, lately it’s been problematic to find the time to write. There is a lot going on and in all honestly when Mr W gets home I just want our time to be together. I don’t want to be typing or editing. I came to the conclusion on our return from Scotland that we really only have a very small window each weekday to be together. 3 or 4 hours away from the office in which we can live our married life and just enjoy ‘us’ without the interruption of other hobbies and choices. It won’t always be so easy. We aren’t simply a family of ‘two’, we have a large family that is important and it is my goal this year to see as many of them as possible and more often. It’s never a duty or a chore, it’s just a case of prioritising. So if I can write during the day. Perfect.
Speaking of nightly activities, when Mr W gets home we inherently have dinner and watch TV. Which is fine. When you consider that the nights have been darker, it’s been colder, the snow, oh god the snow (!) laziness is put into perspective weather-wise. But since New Year’s Eve (and this was very subconscious on both our parts) we kind of realised that we didn’t want to sit on the sofa every night, just watching something for sake watching it. This was called into conversation when Mr W asked me out on a date night last week! How cute. We went out to dinner, which we never really do, we’re always so budget conscious that we don’t go out. Most of the time, we cook, it’s rare that we get takeout, if we’re gonna have pizza we’ll dig one out of the freezer. Which is obviously everybody’s nightmare. You always want takeout pizza, they just taste better and that’s a fact. I digress! We went out for dinner. It was lovely. Really lovely. And last night, we went to the cinema. The fact that it cost a tenner is just awesome and I am pushing myself to think that £10 here and there will not blow our chances of travelling this year out of the water. Or… other obviously important things like paying bills and house renovations. Of course. Last night we had a very very cheap Costco dinner sitting at the plastic table and chairs, you know the ones, inside the store. And for a supremely awesome dessert, I smuggled in my pocket some leftover Christmas chocolates. It really was a really cheap night out. Something like £17/18. We’re planning on doing a lot more of these kinds of nights out and chop and change it up a bit.
2023. It’s here. It’s almost unexpected to be here. Not living, but that 2023 is here already, where did 2020/21/22 go? It is is time to get back into the writing and there are a few other projects I’m working on at the moment. All time consuming but worthwhile. Just need to find my rhythm again. I’ve been dictating this particular piece if you have noticed how much my writing changes when I do so. It just gives me a chance to get back into the swing of it before starting with a big piece with just typing. There’s so much to write about as well. I’ll need to write a little list of what I can share with you all. I’ll be heading back to the Scotland pieces soon, as I’m a hater of unfinished business and the itineraries could really help you, someone, plan that NC500 trip you’ve been longing to go on.
I really love the fact that I’m still getting followers despite my absence, hello to all of you, it may mean that this blog resonates with people which is really special actually. I didn’t think it would to be honest and in the beginning it was just some way of me talking through things. If you like what you’re reading and feel like sharing it please do send the link on to people you think may like it too. Thank you for sticking around if you’ve been here since the beginning and thank you to everyone who has ‘liked’ and shared the odd writing over the last couple of weeks. Until next time, be kind to yourself. I think that’s the most important thing we can learn from the past couple of years. Do what makes you happy. I’ll see you soon.
For the past six months I have been busy. Busy with travel. Busy with friends and family. And then, busy personally. In my head I have been coming to terms with living in a bigger body. This has made my mind busy.
I have always been big. I am an emotional eater. I eat when I’m happy. I eat when I’m sad. And I have PCOS which means regardless of what I eat and how much there is I will put on weight. it is also extremely difficult to lose weight. Way to mess with one’s mind eh?
Sugar.
Fibre.
Carbs.
It doesn’t matter.
Growing up in a bigger body meant I continually struggled with clothing and fitting (get it) in with the latest trends. But even then, I didn’t particularly like the trends of my childhood. The Schott jackets and short black skirts at school were just not my thing. I know now that if I had worn those items of clothing it would have been to fit in with everyone else and be worthy of those clothes because I fit in them. If I could have shrunk myself down maybe I would have felt normal. But then… If I didn’t want to wear the clothes others wore, would I have been their type of normal?
As my twenties turned into my thirties, I found that I drowned myself in big jumpers and jeans, which was a big step up from my dress and legging situation of a decade ago. Of course with the obligatory safety cardigan. That is until I started listening to a certain podcast, which I have mentioned before.
The aim of the podcast is to help everybody love themselves in the here and now without feeling the need to change something about themselves. Hence the name, ‘Go Love Yourself’. One early October Sunday morning saw Mr W and I wandering into our fast-becoming favourite haunt in Greenwich for breakfast and Mr W remarked on my strut into the dining area. I laughed nervously not knowing what he meant. Was I strutting? As we sat eating breakfast and sipping our caffeine hit, we talked about why I felt so comfortable. The fact of the matter was, I walked into a place I genuinely loved being, with the person who makes me walk tall and wearing my beloved black trench coat. Under said coat was a pair of khaki dungarees. It was a huge deal to be out in public in a pair of loose fitting trousers without a care in the world. Girls like me aren’t seen in dungarees. And yet there I was. The coat itself makes me feel good because it’s stylish without the price tag. I’ve had it for donkey’s years. It was then that the penny started to drop.
Therefore in October, with holes in many of my clothes including my trusty stretchy jeans, Mr W said enough was enough and unleashed me online to buy clothes I actually liked the look of. My aim has always been to fit into clothes and not once have I stopped and wondered whether I have liked anything that I wear. In fact I have on occasion bought the same ugly top in every single colour it comes in for the pure reason of it fitting my body. Ironically I never asked myself whether the selling point of these items was the fact I liked the way it looked. I’ve never asked myself that question. The exception being my wedding dress.
A big box of clothing turned up 4 weeks ago with various casual dresses, trousers and a rather cool hat. Mr W eagerly anticipated my transformation as I tried on each new item with disdain on my face. What on earth had I done?
This wasn’t me. Dark green waffle knit dresses. Carrot leg grey trousers. And the hat. Why the hat? I didn’t recognise this person.
Fast forward to the 31st October when I mustered up the attitude to wear an outfit from my new capsule wardrobe for a day in London. We had a fancy meal booked using a voucher from my birthday in March, an exhibition booked at the Tate Modern and a talk at Cadogan Hall by Levison Wood, tickets I had gotten for Mr W for his birthday. It was a far cry from our usual days out in our capital city.
I wore a burgundy dress with black tights, my new fedora hat, the trusty coat and some suede ankle boots. Team that with one of my favourite bags and I didn’t feel too bad. The hat was quite a statement piece in my eyes and I could feel the nerves of people looking at me creep in as we jumped on the underground into Liverpool Street.
Training my eyes to watch the pavement as I walk has been a lifelong trait of mine and it’s normally to watch out for my clumsy feet. Only occasionally is it to avoid peoples glances at me. I would always wonder what they were thinking when they looked at me. Why are their eyes gazing at my neck, is it the double chin? They’re looking at my stomach, it’s too big isn’t it? You can imagine the pains I rotate through my head.
And then, the second penny dropped. Regardless of what I wear, my chin and stomach will still be there. Why should I wear items of clothing that make me feel hidden away? When I can wear things that give me a bounce in my step because I actually like them.
Upon arrival at the restaurant, I was complimented on said hat. Smiling nervously I said thank you. Surely, he was just being nice. And yet several times throughout the day and days since I have received similar compliments. This is beyond strange to me.
That evening, we listened to Levison Wood talk to us and the other audience members about his travel ethos. I was totally entranced and equally as shocked when my right arm extended upwards to be picked during the question and answer portion of the night. Someone else was picked and my arm was withdrawn rapidly in embarrassment. What was I thinking? How could I talk out loud in front of 900 people? They would all look at me. It had taken me the hour since the announcement had been made that there would be a Q&A to formulate a question and gather the guts to lift my limb, let alone actually speak. And yet as the questioning continued. My fuck it attitude kicked in, I scolded myself for thinking my question wasn’t as worthy as anyone else’s and I raised my arm again. This time I was noticed. I asked my question, Levison spoke back to me and I grinned nerdily as we maintained eye contact.
I couldn’t believe it. That was me. The one speaking out loud. As the lights came up in the venue, Mr W smiled as he questioned what had gotten into me. It was highly unlikely for me to speak up in a room full of people I know let alone in an auditorium full of strangers. My only reasoning was that ‘fuck it’ had entered my mind and taken hold.
With my new clothes I felt I had taken on a persona of someone with confidence. It is only now I realised that wearing ‘the real me’ was the fashion that fit me best. It will inevitably take time to adjust to wearing new clothes on the body I do not like and choosing not to hide it away. I deserve to feel good no matter my size. That is what the podcast has taught me. I’m just slower on the uptake than others. Or maybe just too scared at times. We met new friends from America in London the other day and we got to talking about introverts and extroverts. They were shocked to find that I am an introverted extrovert. One of them couldn’t believe the fact that I am mostly a shy person because I was so talkative. And yet wearing clothes I love, including the hat and coat, made the extrovert appear for a fun day out. It made me realise that the clothes I wear may not be a true reflection of who I am on the inside, but they are helping me push through a little more each day.
I have never pretended that I have got it all together on this blog. Mental health, PCOS and travelling are the biggest things I’ve ever talked about with you. They’re all big factors in my life and sometimes one will take precedence over the other.
With my PCOS there are huge fertility implications and a lot of my mental health problems come with the condition. It’s often when I’m planning travel or travelling that these battles will get pushed aside and sometimes they’re forgotten. It means that I feel my best because I’m not trying to conquer the demons in my head or worrying about my future with or without a child. And even as I say that I am tearing up because that is where my mental health is at the moment. The battle everyday to stay positive on the fertility side of things in our life is enormous.
For the first time in a very long time I’m dictating this blog. So what I’ll do is speak into my phone as if I’m talking to a friend and then I will go back and edit it. This means it’s much more coherent for you to read! And covers up the mistakes on the phone’s part. This just means that everything in my head is coming out as it needs to and then all I really do is add in punctuation and that means, I hate this word, I can be as ‘real’ as possible about PCOS and mental health for those of you out there that maybe need to hear this story. If I can be to my readers ,or to those who stumble across this blog who has PCOS or lives with mental health issues, someone to relate to and therefore feel less alone with these conditions, I don’t think that’s a bad thing at all.
So it’s been 3 weeks since I wrote and (if you want to just follow the link below it will go back to that blog in particular) it discussed how busy our life had been since our Scotland trip. So, we got back from Scotland on the 2nd of October and I didn’t write for 11 days. It’s now been 3 weeks since that day, so in fact it’s been nearly 5 weeks since the loss of momentum with the writing. What I found I was doing was posting the blog title and then catching up with writing later or spending a whole day just writing blog after blog and then scheduling them to publish. I wasn’t just doing one a day I was either doing 0 or 4 and it just didn’t work. Then I found myself in a pit I could not climb out of.
I’ve not sat here doing nothing. I have been really busy. We decorated our home office and that was back to the bare bones. The skirting came off, we took all the furniture out, the windowsill came.We had to do this has it’s not really been done properly in the six years we have lived here. We’ve got a lot, as you can imagine, of cameras, lenses, photography bits and travel gear in that room, as well as a computer and other you know fiddly bits. All the furniture was all dismantled and removed. It then took over a week to decorate as there was a mishap with paint where we didn’t have enough and the store no longer did that colour. I could go on but you can imagine how it eventually worked itself out.
There was a lot going on and at the same time I’ve been having some osteopathic treatment for my back. The first session, which to be honest I thought was quite tame, didn’t really make much difference to my sciatic pain and I was worried it wasn’t going to benefit me at all. The lady did discover that the bottom of my spine had twisted and therefore on the second visit she did manipulate my sacrum quite a bit and I did feel a lot more pressure in that area. Since then I have been happy with the results and the advice on how to sit and sleep moving forward is really important because that is a massive factor in the predicament I have found myself in. Unfortunately it’s just what we are used to isn’t it, we get into the same positions to feel comfortable. That has been a change in the last week, unfortunately my step nan died last week. When the opportunity arose in September to go and see her, I didn’t go because of my back issue.There was a plan that as soon as I could sit reasonably in a car again that we would travel over to Wales. Sadly, I didn’t get the chance and because of covid I haven’t seen her since late August 2019. That’s been a really harsh blow and naturally I have been beating myself up about it since. We had been writing letters to each other for the past three years and I will miss that massively.
We’ve taken our time putting the office back together so we can take advantage of space and this week I’ve capitalised on this new found sense of get up and go and decluttered the house. We aren’t necessarily messy people but the small changes have made big changes to my frame of mind. I’ve been putting picture frames on walls rather than having them on furniture, just to give the element clear space and to be honest it has really helped to have a lot more order to our home I’ve also had a clear out of my wardrobe and I’ve earn some extra money on vinted which is always great this time of year. I’ve not really experienced money troubles or worries with all the new problems with the economy but it’s always in the back of my mind. I do worry about Mr W and how he takes it all on board. So just by making those few extra pounds I hope it takes the burden off a little bit or you know shows that I’m trying. And there you go, that’s where we’re at up until today really.
The biggest change has come about in my mental health. Where a few years ago, especially during the first few months of covid in 2020, to ease my anxiety over what was happening in the world I would keep myself busy. To cover the cracks in my own problems and my own dealings with it, I would just constantly keep busy but as soon as the busy times stopped the anxieties were still there. In the last 6+ months I’ve actually tried to settle into my anxieties and just feel the feelings because they’re not going to go away. Just because you’ve cleaned your house top to bottom with a toothbrush or you’ve decided to go for a 4 hour walk, in my experience, doesn’t mean your anxieties are banished. It just pushes it aside, it doesn’t really deal with it. I’ve been focusing on what I’ve been feeling to try and process it a lot better but the problem is the deeper you go the harder it is to find your way out. Especially when you can’t pinpoint why you feel so sad. There is a lot of negativity going on in the world and my own struggles with maybe never having a child have thrown me through a loop. The past 3 to 4 weeks have possibly been the worst mental health time for me in a very very long time. What’s worse is on the outside, so as soon as I step outside our front door, I’ve almost gone back to how I used to behave. Putting on a rather poor show that everything’s fine, happy happy, happy, go lucky but as soon as I’m back home I just retreat and Mr W and I just settled into this whole routine of home life. Get up, do the dishwasher, cook dinner, watch TV, go to bed and my and Mr W’s relationship has become quite static. We’ve had a lot of time to talk over the past week about how to make some changes and see what we can do. We’ve got a few things in the pipeline over the next couple of weeks, and like I said it is really there a little things that make the biggest differences.
I will be writing again, I’m not going to sugar coat what’s been going on but I hope by looking back at the Scotland trip, because I still haven’t finished the itinerary blogs and their highlights for you, I’m hoping that it will give me some structure. Looking back as well, which I haven’t done in weeks, will remind me of that fantastic trip and will ignite in me the need (obviously) to pursue the next trip.
We have a little trip coming up in 10 days, a tiny trip, but we’re going somewhere we’ve never been before and I’m hoping I’ll be able to share it with you live so that’s something really exciting. It’ll give us a lovely little boost before Christmas. We have so many lovely things coming up over the next couple of weeks and then we are currently talking about what’s going to happen next year in terms of travel of which I’m already so excited about. Potentially we’re going to two new countries and travelling in a way we’ve not traveled before so that is really exciting. It’s obviously also something to think about logically because of the economy. I don’t want travel to be the reason we fall apart when we have responsibilities at home as well. There’s gonna be a lot of talk but I often find that that’s how we shine as a couple. We brainstorm and explore and we grow individually and together. In some way’s that’s why I write this blog because travel for me eases so many worries in my life.
I used to think it was because it was an escape, that when something bad happens I just run away but now I find it just brings out the best in me. That my anxieties just float away. Maybe it’s down to the fact that when we travel I have my itinerary and I know what to expect. There are no questions and I feel safe. I’m safe from the unknown. For instance today, our igniter broke on our oven and it seems that every year something big goes wrong in our home. You can’t predict it nor can you run away. You have to find the easiest way through anxieties or none. I also think travel just brings out the best in me and that’s because the anxieties of PCOS, mental health and homelife (to a certain degree) don’t exist in my travel brain. They’re all gone for a short portion of time. I get to exist as who I am. I don’t have PCOS nor does my brain hate me.
The plan is to continue travelling on a budget because we, quite frankly, don’t know how to go backwards. It’s not that we would not worry about money when it comes to travel, you just make it work but now we realise it’s not about the money you spend, it’s about the experience you have and they don’t have to cost the world. We have done that for so long. Since the covid pandemic really. We have changed so much as travellers that it would seem almost foreign to go backwards.
Really looking forward to the next couple of weeks and seeing what actually happens next year so stay tuned and thanks for sticking around.
Okay, yes not confession, but my last blog. Thanks so much for sticking around.
In so many ways life has been so busy since we came back from Scotland 26 days ago that something, soon enough, was going to give. Unfortunately, it was writing. I really really enjoyed writing about our trip and sharing the itinerary with you all and yet the busier I got the harder it was to publish every day. And then I reminded myself it is only the challenge I set myself that is falling behind. Nothing else.
With plans to head to Leeds for the day and slowly ease back into our everyday lives, the real happenings proved to be much busier. Heading back to my part time job in gardening was interesting enough with my back issue still flaring up and autumn throwing all sorts of maintenance my way. I experienced my first fully fledged migraine which saw me puking and sleeping for a few days. I took a last minute trip up to Durham for a few days to see my brother and his family which was just brilliant. Two full days of talking, laughing and games with my young nieces. Then as an added bonus my oldest niece came home with my mum so we spent two more days playing and having fun. On the return I met up with Mr W to take a day trip to Leeds to see my step son. We planned an 80th birthday party for someone very special and a day out shopping with a lunch thrown in too. We’ve also seen my other brother for his birthday and spent a slow few hours in Greenwich planning lots of behind the scenes secrets which will be shared soon. These will become apparent on social media very soon!
I would love to say that life will get slower in the lead up to Christmas but it’s only going to speed up. But gratefully it is mostly days out filled with new experiences. So far, there are 6 days out in London and a trip to Europe… which I will tell you all about soon. Part of the reason to head into London is to see my friend visiting from the States. I’ve been helping her with her week long plans and I am SO excited to see her! There are so many big plans in our capital city that I have been frantic with itineraries and research. What is it about Autumn that plunges us into a frenzy?
There are some renovations starting in our home, by us, which will take up quite a bit of my time as well as the regular stuff. The regular stuff being household chores which have severely fallen behind recently. AND there is the Christmas shopping which we like to do as early as possible as socially December is a huge month for us and I don’t like to feel rushed. Ultimately it doesn’t work out that way, but we can only try!
Adding to that we are trying to find the time to look into next year’s travels which won’t hit the bank too hard but take us somewhere new and exhilarating.
Life happens. Everything you love, like and must do happens all at once and it does feel hard to find that balance. Truthfully we do find it testing at times and then ultimately punish ourselves for not getting a grip. However I am trying to treat myself as I would treat others. If my friend was beating themselves up I would tell them to give themselves a break and that is really important. Be kind to yourself just as you would others. Nobody gets it right all the time and nobody can go full throttle all the time.
Right now, instead of staying up alone writing until midnight, I am falling asleep by 10pm with Mr W and on occasion I am reading new books. I am an avid reader and have most definitely fallen behind in my reading since the summer. We managed one late coffee morning in bed a week or so ago and even enjoyed breakfast at the dining room table too. I have squeezed in a hair appointment and had dinner with family a few times. These little moments really help to put the busy times into perspective and have massively taken the pressure off.
Maybe someday we will find the balance. Right now, it’s manageable. Just.
I’m going to be kinder to myself while chasing the next adventure.
This is my highlight from Day 6 of our recent trip to Scotland to drive the NC500 route.
The links for the itinerary and recap of this day are below. I hope one day you experience this magical route for yourself.
Wailing widow falls is 50 foot high and flows off a nearby Loch. Read the linked blog below to find out about our eventful walk to see the waterfall from above and why this part of the day was such a turn in the other direction.
As you will gather, the day so far had been really special. Smoo Cave, pristine beaches and a shoe losing incident that had me nearly peeing my pants. Although I did have to pee behind some heather eventually or actually pee my pants. The whole trip so far had been a test on whether my sciatic nerve would let me walk where and when I wanted to. So far so good. Arthurs Seat. Duncansby Stacks. Big Burn Falls. All amazing days with the stubbornness in me pushing my body to its painful limits.
Wailing Widow falls presented a new idea of waterfalls to this lover of the cascading beauties. It flows directly from Loch na Gainmhich and having seen it partially from above, it was an exciting thought to see it from the riverbed below.
Advertised as being one of the easiest and shortest walks in Scotland, my feet and back were thrilled at the idea. Something that excites me about hiking is how new it still feels to me. Having travelled extensively but never really done the Uk breaks before, I have a newfound love for hiking. It started in August 2021 when we took a short break to Northumberland and fell head over heels for the challenges of hiking the hills to reach the rewards waiting at the end of the trails. This is where my obsession with waterfalls started and in 2 short days we had hiked to 4 complete stunners. We also turned our feet to the trail alongside Hadrian’s wall to Sycamore Gap. As a complete novice, my only real piece of walking attire are my boots. When I slip them on I feel powerful and I trust them to stop me slipping and tripping. Other clothing is simple layers under a thick fleece gilet and beanie hat. I am yet to look into proper waterproofs as shopping while living in a bigger body is fraught with frustrations and feelings of inadequacies. And yet, so far, the odd rain shower has not deterred us from taking on the northern temperatures and changes in weather.
As someone who has and does travel for pleasure, I have questioned myself quite often in the past year as to why this new found enjoyment of walking has become so embedded into who I am. The pleasures I usually find on holidays are wandering around a city or laying on a beach. I sometimes wonder if this new obsession will run its course, as is so often the case for new found hobbies, and yet we are already in the midst of planning two more hiking holidays. I think something I don’t want to face up to a lot of the time is not having the confidence to do these things. I will still catch myself looking at other people on hikes and wonder what they are thinking when they are looking at me. Are they questioning whether I should be on these walks? Hell, on Arthurs seat, I came down from the top scooting on my bum and felt quite embarrassed as it is one of the first hikes we have done where we have been surrounded by hoards of people. The usual places we go to are really quiet. I scooted down the sides of two secluded waterfalls in Northumberland last year, got covered in mud and didn’t care an iota. I hate the part of myself that desperately clings to others’ perceptions of me on the path of loving myself.
I believe the reason I have enjoyed hiking so much is coming to realise that the body I live in and have hated for so long is capable of so much more than I give it credit for. Having spent many vacations walking around cities and the odd day spent trailing across London I know that my walking endurance has always been there. Yet something about the hills, rocky slopes and stumbling pathways of the UK feels different. It feels like an accomplishment to return to the car, coated in grime and sweat, having been out in the elements relying only on my body’s strength to get me through. There have been times when a simple guide on the internet will describe the walk as 2 miles and yet when you are on trail you realise this is most definitely not the case. But by the time your brain catches up with your feet and logic kicks in you are invested and it no longer matters. The journey is just as important as the ending. The legs once so fat in your mind’s eye are pushing on. The only thing that stops them is you.
That is why when planning our trip to Scotland it was less about Edinburgh and the towns and more about hikes and rivers and lochs and everything in between. Both Mr W and I feel such a great need to keep this new love for the outdoors alive that we have approached travelling in this fresh way without too much trepidation.
Maybe that is why when my confidence came crashing down around me I took it so badly.
As I said above, the advice online about the walk to Wailing Widow falls said it was a short and simple walk. We had already noticed that the western side of the Highlands was much soggier than the east and yet armed with our boots we ventured onto the trail heads held high. From only about 10 metres into the walk we noticed just how different this was from other walks we had taken in the UK. Where most trails were signposted. This was not. Where most walks had clear pathways. This did not. Where other walks had rails or even trees to cling to. This DID NOT. In fact the only picture I can paint in your mind is this. Imagine a fast flowing river on your right. It isn’t deep, it’s very clear and it is very cold. Rather than running alongside a well defined river bank, there are rocks and custard thick pools of mud that meet the waters edge. In front of you are a few deeply set footprints in the mud which help you navigate the way. The ‘path’ is not flat and seems to follow a very up and down pattern much like a constant seesawing motion along the riverbank. When the ground levels out there are enormous boulders you have to climb, stretch and pray your way over. You pray that the mud on your boots won’t cause you to slip. The rocks in the ground are not steadfast and they too seesaw in their muddy grottos under your feet.
Now, I am a stubborn person. I will always try before walking away. In fact we made it over 60% along this trail before I realised that my anxiety was taking over and my brain was no longer operating my limbs. For every step I took Mr W was checking the route beforehand. If the mud wasn’t threatening to slide my legs into the river the moving forwards were going to throw me in. After 30 minutes or so, my anxiety exploded out of my body in one of, if not THE, worst panic attacks I have ever had in my life. My whole being sensed the danger and I started shaking and crying. I clung to my husband with actual fear flooding through my veins. He tried to get me to calm down and yet I felt like I was going to die. Looking back, I know if I had fallen in the water, other than being cold and wet, I would not have died and I would have been able to stand quite easily in knee deep water. And yet, on that riverbank, with the unsteady boulders and boulders and thick mud, my brain and the logic it brings with it, shut down.
As I stood in absolute fear and panic, two women walked towards us having completed the trek. I turned quickly to hide my face. It was a response I didn’t question at the time but it is only now I know why I didn’t want them to see me. With my face strewn with tears and my lip quivering I didn’t want to be the fat girl who couldn’t complete the walk. Who am I to think they even cared about me, albeit if you see someone crying, you naturally want to check if they are okay. But who am I to think that they are considering my weight and my ability over their own footfall. My god, I need to get out of this pattern of thinking. At that moment in time, those ladies were watching their feet and the sketchy landscape around us a whole lot more than thinking about my dress size.
The truth of the matter is, and something Mr W and have spoken about at length, is that trail is really dangerous. Upon further investigation online I found a lot of advice about the walk that said how risky it was. With a clear mind upon our return I naturally started thinking about each day and visit and what they entailed. When I thought of this particular visit I started piecing together the images and realised that the slopes of the riverbank had slipped and we had been navigating the aftermath of rock and earth.
I am also now very aware that my confidence in hiking will take a hit now and again because no walk is ever going to be the same. Just because my ability is better than I thought it initially was does not mean I can do everything. When I see other people looking at me in such a mess I naturally think they are seeing my weight and coming to their own conclusions. Fortunately I have given myself a massive figurative slap round the face. My weight does not stop me stepping onto muddy river banks. Nor does it stop me balancing on a rock that is moving under my feet. My fear stops me doing those things. I am afraid because it is a new situation. I am still learning about my abilities in this new hobby.
That day, my confidence took a massive hit. I stood shaking and hysterical amongst those muddy boulders clinging to Mr W with my entire being because fear had finally found me. Why then, have I set out to describe this visit as a highlight to you?
Sitting in the car afterwards, I felt the flooding of anger replace my fear. As we drove to our next stop I watched the mountain ranges and let their calming influence take hold of me. This was one moment in a wonderful day. You have to take the bad with the good. Not two hours before had I been bent double, clenching my legs together, unable to breathe through the laughter. This was not a bad day. It was a bad paragraph in what was a pretty phenomenal chapter.
I still sit here and regret not overcoming my fears that day. I regret that so far I haven’t seen that waterfall and I regret crumbling so much like that riverbank. My fear in the moment engulfed my stubbornness to carry on and I learned that as much as I need to recognise the strengths in my body, I need to acknowledge the weaknesses too. There was a reason for me to be scared that day. I had reached the limits of what I was used to and what I could push myself to do. As someone living in a bigger body and hating that body for my whole life I will always blame my size for my physical limitations and yet that day it was my mind that stopped and said no. As someone who has been bigger than most people my age in every situation I will also put limitations on what I should or should not be doing. Don’t get up and dance at the wedding reception, I tell myself, people will only stare. Don’t wear the dungarees, it’ll show your belly in a way people aren’t used to. Don’t hike that river, your legs can’t carry you.
What a load of bull. Since covid I have danced at parties without the need of an alcoholic drink to stop that voice. I have bought dungarees and am slowly starting to change my wardrobe to reflect the style I think I like. It is hard to say if I do like something for sure or not because I don’t think I’ve ever found a style I am comfortable in, but that is one huge other discussion I will find time to go over at some point. I have believed my legs can carry me over hills, rock faces and treacherous river banks. It is only when my mind shut my body down that I recognised the weaknesses in me deserve a voice. And they have nothing to do with my weight.
Hi there, welcome back to the Scotland series. I hope these have been of some help so far and thanks for returning!
The most I can hope from these blogs is to help you have the most fantastic experience in Scotland and on the NC500 route. These blogs try to give you the much needed information for your trip without too many of my feelings and thoughts on each experience. Should you be needing more of a push to try these itineraries, the links to each day’s blogs will be linked below.
This is the itinerary for Day 6 of our NC500 road trip.
Smoo cave must be seen to be believed. With its green algae painted walls and beautiful waterfall this is a highlight on everyone’s NC500 itinerary. Entrance to the cave is free and is reached via some steps that lead you down the cliff face from the free car park. There are also some not too shabby free toilets in the car park which I have come to love in Scotland. There are so many facilities everywhere you go! There is also a little honesty box that the neighbouring house has set up. I bought a knitted green hat for £4 and there were other items that were of equally good value.
I liked getting here early to beat the crowds and have the cave almost to ourselves. Even though it was early enough and the cave was quiet, the car park was full. Much like other sites in Scotland, parking space was taken up by the odd RV and it was quite small anyway. To save you time and frustration, start your day early! Close by is a food van that sells Cheese toasties, unlucky for us, we didn’t see it on our visit, but I have heard wonderful things and I spoke to the guys over on their Instagram page and they seemed real friendly.
From here we originally planned to head to the Sango Sands viewpoint which is only a 4 minute drive away. Sango Sands is a big complex with facilities for Rvs and campers and is well known on this route. The viewpoint is reached through the complex and gives you a view down to the water and its neighbouring coast. As you may have come to expect after reading these blogs, there was only a brief description alongside a postcode for this stop and we found ourselves pulling up at another beach entirely. Durness beach is very close to Sango Sands, from the hill above the beach you can actually see the viewpoint to the west. This is going to divide opinion on which view is best. But in my very honest opinion. I did like seeing the view from Durness. You are above the beach and see its white sands in full. If you are at the Sango Sands view point, you are looking at it side on and personally I don’t think it is as beautiful or captivating. There is also the chance to traverse the sandy slope here and go wild swimming in the turquoise waters. Can’t go wrong with that can you? There is a small, well maintained car park that you do need to pay for. This will be the deciding factor for you on how long the day will be as to how you spend your time at this beach. Pack a wetsuit and jump in.
When you decide to warm your bones by moving on, head to Kylesku bridge. There are car parks at either end of the bridge however I had given directions to just one as it gives a better view of this concrete monolith and also has a food truck offering a posh fish menu. The views here are amazing and you will be here longer than you anticipate. There are benches but no toilets.
From here keep journeying south to one of Scotland’s hidden gems. You can view Wailing Widow Falls from the riverbed it cascades into and from Loch Gainmhich that feeds it from above. Please take extreme care when walking along the river bank to the waterfall. I have covered our experience in my ‘Highlight’ blog from this day and linked it below. The riverbank walk itself is extremely difficult for those not used to very muddy and unstable paths. The walk above next to the loch is much easier but you need to be very careful at the edge of the loch when looking down to the waterfall. The whole area surrounding the loch and waterfall is very boggy and unsteady. Walking boots are absolutely necessary and it would be wise to take extreme caution. There are two laybys for these walks, the first for the waterfall is more like a grassy layby that has been formed overtime by visitors. The ‘What 3 words’ app is very useful for these two visits.
From here make the very short drive to Ardvreck Castle where there is ample layby parking on either side of the road. It is quite boggy here in places but the easiest of all walks today. On one side of the road is the Castle and on the other is Ardvreck waterfall which is a small yet powerful beauty. It is quite clear in certain places of Scotland that some visits are not advertised by the Scottish tourist board and because of this certain walks have not been made safe for visitors. It is also apparent when wire fences have been trampled over in order to reach a river as is the case in Ardvreck. It definitely makes you feel as though Scotland is a new world only just coming to light.
Staying in Lochbroom or Ullapool will suit tomorrow’s itinerary best.
This is my highlight from Day 5 of our recent trip to Scotland to drive the NC500 route.
The links for the itinerary and recap of this day are below. I hope one day you experience this magical route for yourself.
Turning up at the cabin nestled in the grasses and ferns of the Skail area of Scotland, the River Naver flowing steadily a short walk away, was definitely a break from the accommodation we had so far stayed in on this trip. The pod built by the owners shares the space with three others along with an honesty caravan and firepit area. On the inside varnished wooden planks curved over us in the arched ceiling and the bed greeted us at the opposite end of the space.
In a small fridge Mr W found two tupperwares of breakfast ingredients along with pots of butter and marmalade. In a cardboard egg box were nestled further treats as well as hash browns in the small ice box and tinned beans thrown in for good measure. The small but brilliant kitchen was met with gusto by Mr W as he set about cooking the food to be boxed up for our journey on Day 6. As he cooked and swigged his cup of tea, the rain fell outside and I prepared ham and cheese filled rolls also for the next day’s journey.
As I sat on the bed, the owner’s dog Cap came to greet us at the open front door. It felt good to have the comforts of home around us again. The collie-dog being the biggest one we have missed in the last 3 years. As the cooking progressed and the rolls were packaged away, I sat on the bed writing the blog about ‘Day 5’ (link below) as I occasionally glanced at the rain splashing against the doors panes of glass.
This was the most remote part of Scotland we had stayed in. One single road ran past the complex outside running north/south and it was exceptionally quiet. Every so often you would hear the crunch of loose stones underfoot as the owner Kevin went about his business or other people arrived.
It was here that I felt most at home on this trip, we felt like us again. Working together like we do at home to get organised. It wasn’t that the trip hadn’t succeeded so far in making us happy or that it lacked excitement. There was just something about the space that defined the word ‘home’. Often when Mr W and I go camping, one will raise the fire while the other chops various vegetables with a crude knife and adds it to the meat in the pot for dinner.
It felt very similar although this type of camping was a far cry from the tent we are used to. Next to the bed hangs a curtain to act as a doorway to the bathroom. As people who play the radio or sit on the balcony as the other spends more than a penny, it became obvious very quickly one would either need to sit with headphones on or out in the rain. We’ve been in a similar situation once before in Iceland where a glass walled bathroom gave us a view of each other we certainly did not expect. It is funny but after all these years it is something we both prefer to keep a mystery. Noises and all!
There were ingenious touches around the pod which we found amusing. As people who upcycle and attend to our own DIY home projects it’s always a big pleasure to see it in other peoples homes. As the walls of the pod were curved, owing to the arched structure, the shaving mirror in the bathroom was held in place when not in use by a small chain. Small lengths of thin rope acted as curtain ties and the traditional kitchen oven had been replaced by a portable stove. Which Mr W loved. The whistling kettle took us back to our first year of being homeowners and reminded us of the worth of patience when it comes to a good cup of tea and the very idea of taking something slow for the sake of it.
As I continued to sit and sip my tea, I watched the rain come down in its never ending capacity and marvelled at the simplicity and rawness of the Wee Hoose Glamping site. This place is incredibly simple but effective and yet complex in its re-introduction to what we take for granted and the joy of returning to patience and unpretentiousness.
Hi there, welcome back to the Scotland series. I hope these have been of some help so far and thanks for returning!
The most I can hope from these blogs is to help you have the most fantastic experience in Scotland and on the NC500 route. These blogs try to give you the much needed information for your trip without too many of my feelings and thoughts on each experience. Should you be needing more of a push to try these itineraries, the links to each day’s blogs will be linked below.
This will ultimately be one of those days that you can cut bits out should you wish to longer swimming at Dunnet beach and perusing the shops at John O’Groats. You may find you do not want to go to the Gin Distillery and this will give you an extra 90 minutes in this itinerary.
In my opinion I found the distillery tour too long which is unfortunate because before it started to feel like it was dragging on it really was interesting. It is also good for those who don’t particularly like Whiskey. Tours must be booked in advance and are specifically run 1 – 2 days a week. Please plan accordingly.
This is the itinerary for Day 5 of our NC500 road trip.
We got up with the sun and drove to John O’Groats. On arrival we were the only ones in the car park and were grateful for the toilets nearby. There is usually a charge to use these facilities, but the turnstiles were broken. The car park is £3 and is valid all day. By getting here early you have avoided the queues to take the obligatory photos at the famous signpost. There are about 5 eateries here that serve hot drinks, these open at 9am.
I advise heading to the Duncansby’s car park just a few minutes drive away and coming back to this little hub after your walk. Duncansby stacks are just a short 20-30 minute walk from the free car park which you will find right next to the lighthouse. The ground is easy underfoot and much less muddy than other areas of the Highlands. Watch out for the sheep poop! It is exceptionally windy here but the view is absolutely brilliant of the stacks and coastline. We had the entire space to ourselves and waited for the light to change as the sun rose in the sky. We met no one else on the road as we drove back to John O’Groats which tells me this is a quiet place in the early mornings.
On our arrival back to John O’Groats we found a lot more cars and RV’s parked up and the cafe’s were open. Strangely enough the main eatery was closed and our dreams of bacon baps were dashed. After trying two of the other foodie spots and being told they started savoury food at 12pm, we left dejected and with hungry bellies. There are some souvenir shops here to satisfy out of towners who would like a trinket to remember their time at this famous place in Scotland. Save your money allocated for food for the next destination on this itinerary.
Annie’s bakery is open Sundays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10am at the time of writing this blog. Keep an eye out on their website to be sure you don’t miss out. Not only is the food and drink here cheaper than down the road, but the whole atmosphere is bright and inviting. Check out my thoughts on Annie’s in my recap of the day in the link below. Stock up on those sweet treats and hit the road. The day has only just begun!
The next stop relies on whether you like smoked food. Namely fish and cheese. Should you have the facilities in your accommodation head to the Caithness Smokehouse and talk to the friendly owner about the produce you can buy on the day. Don’t be put off by the directions and where you end up. This is a cottage industry business and you will definitely feel like you are trespassing in someone’s front garden. Produce on the day is not guaranteed but I implore you to try the smoked cheddar. It is absolutely delicious.
The next stop’s selling point is the fact that it, rather than John O’Groats, is the ACTUAL most northerly point in the United Kingdom. There is just a car park at the site but in my opinion gives a much better outlook in relation to sea and cliffs than its counterpart does to the east. The parking is £1 for 2 hours. And I recommend staying for a minimum of 30 minutes. There is not much to do here except a nature walk laid out by the RSPB. Should you be visiting in Spring and Summer you may find yourself gazing down at the puffins that call this place home. Otherwise there is a small stone bench at the viewpoint from which you can sit and stare out at the cold ocean below. Take your binoculars and some patience. Who knows what you may see!
As we didn’t stay at Dunnet head as long as originally planned we drove up the coast to Dunnet beach and enjoyed an hour’s walk along the beach. The car park is of a good size and although there is a small scramble down the large pebbled slope the water seemed shallow enough for a dip and the beach is enormous. It is crescent in shape and I believe is a hidden gem on the NC500 route.
We then head to our tour of the Gin Distillery. If you’ve not been on a tour before, I would recommend it so you can judge it for yourself. Initially there was a brief introduction to how the distillery was started with a yummy gin and tonic to start. Then you are shown the actual distillery and it is explained in detail about the stills, the process and even the bottling. It was very interesting, as I have said, but it went on for at least 40 minutes and the room was exceptionally hot with no seating. This was quite hard for me to deal with and ultimately I started to feel the need to leave. I think if I had been less tired and not been nursing a back problem I would have been fine. As I said, try it once because you never know. The tasting afterwards was enjoyed by Mr W and he could detect all the hidden flavours in the booze and their accompanying drinks. I on the other hand was more than useless and should have taken the tasters home. Which is an option should you be driving etc. The tour is £15 per person which I think is really reasonable for a 90 minute tour, 1 drink and 3 tastings! I used this link to book: https://www.dunnetbaydistillers.co.uk/shop/distillery-tour/
As our tour guide led us round the rain fell from the sky and we knew our next stop was going to be missed. Puffin Cove is not far from the distillery and brings you further along the northern coast of Scotland and the NC500. I have left the information on the itinerary for you so you can make an informed decision on whether you make the short walk down to the cove. Again, the puffins here are mostly seen in the Spring and Summer. Wear your waterproof boots and clothes and go and have a gander!
Accommodation in Bettyhill or Thurso will work best for tomorrow’s itinerary. Our recommendation for accommodations on this trip will soon be available for you to read in a link below.
The rest of the evening is yours. You are in a very remote part of the NC500 which on a rainy day can seem very bleak. Remind yourself that this is all part of the journey and that the landscape will change from day to day.
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