Tag: travel

NC500 Day 6 – Itinerary

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.  

https://frameworktravel.home.blog/2022/10/14/nc500-day-5-itinerary/

NC500 Day 6 – Smoo Cave, Wailing Widow Falls and Ardvrech Castle
Highlight six of the NC500 – The weakness in me

Highlight five of the NC500 – Our wee cabin

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. 

NC500 Day 5 – John O’Groats, Duncansby Stacks and Dunnet Head
NC500 Day 5 – Itinerary

NC500 Day 5 – Itinerary

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. 

https://frameworktravel.home.blog/2022/10/12/nc500-day-4-itinerary/

https://frameworktravel.home.blog/2022/09/21/nc500-day-5-john-ogroats-duncansby-stacks-and-dunnet-head/

https://frameworktravel.home.blog/2022/10/15/highlight-five-of-the-nc500-our-wee-cabin/

Highlight four of the NC500 – My husband, the rally driver!

This is my highlight from Day 4 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. 

This particular highlight will remind you that planning for every eventuality cannot truly happen. 

2 motorbikes crashed in Broar on the A9. Not only did they crash badly enough to be airlifted to the hospital but they crashed on the small bridge crossing the river Brora which runs off of Brora Loch to the west. This slicing piece of water divides Scotland in the east all the way to Lairg. It’s not something you need to know until the bridge is blocked. And here it was, blocked. I have tried since then to find out how the rivers are without any further news found. At our accommodation in Wick we met several people who were caught in the aftermath of traffic and we found out the two involved were American tourists. It is certainly not something you want to happen on your travels and I hope they are okay. 

Man and woman air-lifted to hospital after motorbike crash on A9 in Highlands

Now I mentioned our accommodation in Wick. From Brora it is an hour’s drive via a small stop off at the Whaligoe steps. We were making good time on our Day four itinerary (see link below) and were due to arrive early at our accommodation for 5pm (ish). And yet our detour from the crash was over 115 miles long! We left Broar at 3:45pm and arrived at our accommodation at 7:10pm. Now if you are a regular reader you may take an educated guess at my mood at the very beginning of this little problem. 

This meant missing the Whaligoe Steps, one of the big highlights of the NC500, and potentially missing our check in at our accommodation. A night in the car was not something I was looking forward to. As we took the Sat Nav’s advice, we came upon a ford. No not a car, a river ford, with very visible wheel tracks leading into the water. Now Mr W isn’t particularly precious over his car, but upon my closer inspection from the suspension footbridge, I couldn’t see the riverbed and just could not risk it. Not only did we have Marv the drone in the car but my laptop, a lot of camera equipment, luggage and food. Oh and ourselves! We retrace the road back to the A9 and Mr W set about finding a new route to Wick. The Sat Nav presented us with a 3 hour detour and honestly my heart sank. A quick look at the news told us that the road had been closed since 11am and we made up our minds to take the detour. 

We headed west from the A9 towards Lairg and joined the A836. Quickly the road became single track and the most difficult we’d faced under the tyres so far. Most of it was loose shingle and even though we had started the NC500 on that same morning, we had been blessed with normal roads so far. This introduction, although early, most definitely gave us an insight into what was ahead in our trip. The road itself cut through flat heathlands which were sparse albeit with the occasional swampy looking river. There was just nothing there. No cattle. No houses. Nothing. It was us and the four cars in front of us. It became clear very quickly at how the crash on the A9 was affecting the eastside of Scotland as traffic built up ahead and behind us.  

The four cars in front of us became our ‘team’ as Mr W put it. The front car set the pace and to stop any delays in having to pull over in a layby for oncoming traffic we were all in this together. Occasionally one of the ‘team’ would pull over to give themselves from the twisting turning roads and Mr W would shout out ‘come on, team’ as we sped away. Despite the dodgy roads and the fear of actually crashing I could not stop laughing at his finding joy in the moment. My husband, the rally driver, was pumped up and exhilarated from the change in circumstances. His inner comedian bounded out with every bump in the road and I could not help but grin. 

After a while with the time of arrival on the sat nav having changed dramatically and it becoming clear we would indeed make our check in time, we both started to relax. The roads became narrower, with blind bends as we turned onto the B873. On one side were the slopes of the mountains around us and on the other the road made way for steep drops the Loch Naver below. The waters were as black as night and yet as an Asda home delivery truck pulled around the corner I could not help but breathe a sigh of relief. If he was all the way out here, we would be fine. As people joined and left our team as we whizzed around the road Mr W whooped and cheered us all on our merry way. 

We saw images of Scotland that we did not see for the rest of our trip. Men dressed in waders out in the rivers fly fishing. A lonely single Inn watching the road bursting into new life. Rain clouds passing over Loch Naver deciding on whether to meet its surface. We also whipped past our accommodation for the next night and I realised that we would be tracing some of this detour again in the morning. From Bettyhill right round to Thurso we found the double track roads had returned and the car glided onto our final destination as Mr W bade goodbye to our ‘team-mates’ as they went on to fulfil their day’s plans. 

The relief was palpable as we reached our hotel and yet despite the interlude of doubt, worry and racing, I found myself in absolute awe of my husband. He had not panicked like I initially did. He took it for what it was. He took it in his stride and laughed at every challenge. 

I am grateful for him. I am grateful for having seen a much more rural piece of Scotland than we had planned to see. I am grateful we didn’t attempt the ford crossing and stayed dry in our car. 

This also means we have unfinished business in Scotland. Oh no! We shall have to return. 

NC500 Day 4: Tarbat Ness Lighthouse, Dornoch Beach and Big Burns Falls
NC500 Day 4 – Itinerary

NC500 Day 4 – Itinerary

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. 

Day 4 of our trip was heavily altered due to things out of our control. There was a big motorbike crash up in the town Brora, on a bridge no less, and it completely cut us off from reaching the Whaligoe Steps and Wick via the A9. I go into more detail about this detour in my ‘Highlight of the day’ blog which is linked below. As for the Whaligoe Steps, we sadly never reached them, but I’m sure with roads being clear you will find this itinerary well timed and suiting your explorer needs. Enjoy! 

Start out from your accommodation in the Inverness area to Tarbat Ness Lighthouse. The drive in is lovely and open and although the car park is rather small, making this your first stop of the day means you shouldn’t have any difficulties in parking. There was a car parking fee, but the machine was broken. Before you head over to the lighthouse itself, it is worth taking the short walk to the cliffs at the end of the car park. There are beautiful views of the cliffs and even a bench from which you can admire the lighthouse. Retrace your steps back to the car park and head up the lighthouse’s drive to give you a gradual introduction to the stripey building from afar. We spent over an hour here as we had a tinker with our drone, but I recommend anywhere between 20-40 minutes should you just be here to look around and stretch your legs. 

From here make your way to Dornoch, and if you’re feeling in the mood for something sweet, head to Cocoa Mountain on the high street. Don’t do what we did and sit inside, take your order to go and walk around the village. It really was beautiful and I wish we had done that instead. The shop is nice enough, the hot chocolate is okay, but the patrons had lots of dogs so it was nice to have a ‘ooo and ahhh’ over those furry friendlies. The service is rather slow which is surprising considering this is one of social media’s top highlights of the NC500. We found street parking only 3 minutes from the shops itself which is really useful. This is Scotland remember. London’s speeds are far far away. 

From here, follow the ‘what 3 words’ navigation to Dornoch Beaches car park below. We followed the Sat Nav and ended up driving through a golf course. And yes there were signs saying to look out for flying balls! It is said you can see seals at this beach and although we didn’t, we spent an enjoyable hour or so walking in the shallow surf and sand. You can swim here so add time to your schedule and take a load off. You have officially started the NC500! Enjoy it all. 

From here we took the journey to Big Burns Falls, which has the tiniest car park signpost you are likely to see. Again, the instructions are below for you, if you notice the Golspie Inn on the approach, turn left immediately after and you are there. Another small car park awaits you, but it is a relatively quiet place and it is not to be missed. Read my blog (linked below) on Day 4 to find out why! The walk itself is really quite humid as you find yourself between wet rocks and foliage for a majority of the time. This isn’t unpleasant and you will see for yourself why. I am so excited for you to do this walk in particular. 

From here the plan, I hope for you, works out. Drive up the east coast towards the Whaligoe Steps. There are 365 steps here, so take your time especially on the way up and remember you set your pace. I have put in the nearest navigation instructions I can find. It is likely to be busy but the car park looks big enough for short term visitors. I wish I could give more advice. But life happens in mysterious ways and we could not make it on this trip. 

https://frameworktravel.home.blog/2022/10/10/nc500-day-3-itinerary/

NC500 Day 4: Tarbat Ness Lighthouse, Dornoch Beach and Big Burns Falls
Highlight four of the NC500 – My husband, the rally driver!

Highlight two of the NC500 – A tall observation

This is my highlight from Day 2 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. 

Plodda falls is 46 metres high. It plunges over the rockface fast and loud. From below you are ‘misted’ with its waters on a breezy day as you gaze around at the wondrous greenery it has breathed into life. The space here is dominated by rock. Everywhere you look there are jagged boulders, walls of stone and sharp boulders in the river bed. The tall Douglas firs are old. So old their roots are over a foot thick in places and have woven their way around rocks that have long ditched the soil that once encased them. This is an old part of the Glen Affric National Park. There are wooden railings to keep you from plunging down the steep banks of the gorge but other than that this place feels unkempt and stolen back by nature itself. 

Above the waterfalls on the fir-needle strewn trail you can hear the mammoth cascade of water and yet you can’t see it. Ahead of you there is a different kind of path. It is structured and although wooden it is man-made and almost out of place. As you tread the boards of this pathway, you hear the water moving below you as the wood rises up around you, fencing you in and guiding you onwards. At the end of this amazing observation deck you find yourself hovering over the very falls themselves. The water is white with its fast movement. It rains down, unknowing of its future path. The river falls away below you and you can feel the fear of perhaps crashing down with them. 

I, for one, am not bothered by such things. Mr W on the other hand is not a fan. He can never really decide whether it’s the fear of heights, falling or something else entirely that bothers him. If he is on a hill or a steep gorge he is fine. There is something about movement while at a height that just ‘gets’ to him. He hated the London Eye when we went on it back in the day and yet that is the slowest moving thing on this planet. Maybe it is a case of looking at movement below from a great height that puts the whole situation into perspective?

Either way, I am fine with it. He is not. And I find it absolutely hysterical. The barrier of the observation deck is at least 4 feet high and it would be insanely hard to fall from it. I reckon that was the plan eh? And yet leaning over, head, neck, shoulder, arms and upper torso is thrilling. It is like you are on the bow of a great ship plunging over Niagara Falls. Yet, this is significantly smaller than Niagara, but then you are not a ship. You are a 5ft5” woman who is cackling in sheer delight at the height and noise you are experiencing. There is sunlight streaming from the afternoon sky and your body is suspended on land and in the air. 

The noise drowns out every other thought in your body. You are in Scotland. You are inside the water. You are nowhere and everywhere. You are taking the leap over the falls. Whooshing down into the pools below. You are above. You are dry. You are alive. 

The trees hear you gasp and laugh. Your husband is beside you as you experience nature’s beautiful self. It is a magical moment. It is as funny as it is not. No one else will understand and that is okay. You snap a very quick photo as he grips the barrier with a white knuckled fist. The sun is in your eyes. There is laughter and love. 

It is these moments that remind you why travelling is so important to you. 

https://frameworktravel.home.blog/2022/10/08/nc500-day-2-itinerary/

https://frameworktravel.home.blog/2022/09/18/nc500-day-2-bruar-loch-ness-and-plodda-falls/

NC500 Day 2 – Itinerary

Hello and welcome back to the Scotland itinerary series. 

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. 

As you may have seen from the itinerary from Day 1 (link below) we started our trip on the eastside of Scotland which is quite unusual as it approaches the NC500 in an anticlockwise manner. Most tips tell you to combat the route in a clockwise form, however as we had plans in Edinburgh and we had plans to finish in the Lake District this worked better for us. Mr W had also heard a tidbit about travelling anti-clockwise too. In all honesty, everything I heard prior to our trip suggested that the east coast of Scotland is vastly different to the western side. In a way I would agree, they are very different. However, in the opinions I read it became quite obvious that people favour the west coast of the Highlands which is a shame. The east has so much to offer and I found it was just the best build up to the rest of the journey. It gradually envelops you into the route. The villages are pretty and the coastline is easier to navigate on foot. 

So without much ado, let’s continue with the itinerary. This was one of the easiest days in terms of navigation.

Day 2 was such a beautiful day filled with wonderful activities to help you stretch those legs as you introduce yourself to Scotland.

We ate in our hotel room in order to save time and money. We used our pre-packed oats and our hotel had a kettle so this really helped us. 

Start your day as early as sunlight allows. The Old PackHorse Bridge needs at least the beginnings of sunlight to fully appreciate. We made sure to get here mega early so we were alone and there was just one other vehicle in the car park when we arrived. The walk to the bridge is along the main road in the town of Carrbridge. It was very easy and yet packed a punch for those early morning thrills. To get the best view of the bridge itself there is a wooden staircase just a few metres off of the current bridge. Please take care using these stairs, they can be extremely wet. 

From here we journeyed to the House of Bruar which stands in front of the pathway to the Falls of Bruar. Parking is free. There is much advice online to use the toilets in this establishment as they are rumoured to be the ‘poshest’ toilets in the highlands. I cannot confirm or deny this fact as we were quick to leave after spending a lot more time on the hike than we originally planned. There is advice online about the walk itself. It says to turn left as you approach the first bridge on this walk. One thing I can advise to the unsteady on their feet is to cross the bridge and take the walk up the hill on the right hand side of the river. It is a steep walk which I for one could only tackle uphill. If I were presented with that steepness on the descent I would not have been happy. We did the loop walk anticlockwise in its entirety and still got to see everything. The descent on the left hand side had long stretches of large rocks embedded in dryer earth to walk down. This is something for you to consider as you approach this walk. 

Something I do wish we had done is visit the House of Bruar which is a huge complex of shops with clothing, trinkets and even plants. It looked so decadent and by the time we had returned from the falls it was really filling up. Maybe add an hour onto your day and take time to look around? I also spied a coffee area which would be a welcome treat after your walk!

Having spent so long at the falls, we head straight to Clansman Harbour, Inverness for our Loch Ness Cruise. Our cruise time was at 2pm. There are other times for the cruises so you could potentially get a cruise at 4pm if this suits you better. We went with the 50 minute Clansman cruise which was perfect for us. If we had had the time, we would have approached Inverness via Fort Augustus to give us the perfect introduction to Loch Ness. By doing this you will drive from Fort Augustus up the left hand side of the Loch to Canmans Harbour and be able to peek out at the water as you go. 

Not usually one to jump on the typical tourism bandwagon the cruise was a welcome relief from walking and driving. When you think of Inverness and Scotland in particular you, or maybe just I, always think of Nessie. So I just had to include this on our trip. It was relatively cheap and, as expected, packed with tourists. We had no trouble getting a seat. The only trouble was the grey sky and the condensation on the inside of the windows. It meant we didn’t see much of the Loch itself and as it is a looping cruise, you see the same bits out and inwards. Would I do it again? No. Am I glad we did it? Yes. It feels like a rite of passage for sure. I have linked the website below for you to book your tickets. The car park for the harbour is located across the road so don’t let the location fool you. Try and arrive ahead of your journey time as there aren’t many car park spaces and there are lots of people arriving by coach. There is a walkway that gives you safe passage under the busy road to the harbour. This is conveniently located next to a large ‘Nessie’ statue at the far end of the car park. A large gift shop can also be found at this location. 

Be aware, there are not very many gift shops on the route and therefore you should buy any desired trinkets when you see them. Prices remained similar in the few shops I did see. For example, magnets were generally £2.50-3.99.

After our brief cruise we made our way to Plodda Falls, which was well signposted on the approach. There is a charge for the car park which is very reasonable. We found there were quite a few midges here so grab those midge nets or deet sprays. We didn’t fare too badly on this entire trip but it is always good to be prepared. The waterfall here is exceptional and the observation deck is NOT to be missed. There are two trails you can try. The white marked Plodda Falls Trail and the green marked Tweedmouth Trail. Somehow we started on the white trail and finished on the green trail. I know I know, we did not start very strong on our trial following. But there are no complaints about doing it this way. If you have time constraints, definitely do the first trail and if unsure, just retrace your steps. 

A perfect end to a fantastic day! We stayed in Strathpeffer and booked in for two nights for the next few days’ activities. (Review to be linked below soon!)

Oh and your car will be absolutely filthy from the dusty, single track road to Plodda. Sorry about that! The Scottish rain will soon sort it right out.

https://www.jacobite.co.uk/tours

https://frameworktravel.home.blog/2022/10/09/highlight-two-of-the-nc500-a-tall-observation/

NC500 Day 2 – Bruar, Loch Ness and Plodda Falls
NC500 Day 1 – Itinerary

NC500 Day 6 – Smoo Cave, Wailing Widow Falls and Ardvreck Castle

Miles: 116. Wildlife: nil. Camper Vans: 20+. Steps: 8300.

Cost of pre-bought food: £3.80 approximately

Extra costs: £4

Today we changed our plans slightly due to the weather. With a 10 mile hike ahead of us in the pouring rain we opted to have a later start than originally planned. And I can tell you it was well worth the change. 

We left our accommodation at 8am and said goodbye to the eastern part of Scotland. This part of the trip was set to be more challenging on the road and rather more mountainous. The road here is single track with alot of passing places to help out. It certainly takes some getting used to but it really is easy enough. 

Our route took us anti-clockwise along the northern coast of Scotland from Bettyhill and I started to really understand why people do this route. As we drove down from Coldbackie we were introduced with the Kyle of Tongue. What an absolutely breathtaking place. Having so many passing places on the road means there are very few parking places, or laybys, to get out in and take photos. So on the approach to the bridge at the kyle, after seeing a parking area, we did not hesitate to pool over. It is an astonishing place with mountains surrounding the water, the still waters reflecting the sky and a serene sense of calm everywhere you turn to look. We took our time to really drink in the scene. I do love to find gems like this alongside fulfilling plans. This is what I’m enjoying about road trips: you will see things you never would have thought were anything special on a map. 

We continued our way through the mountains. It is hard to put into words just how phenomenal the route up this way is. The colours of the heathers. The ferns. The tiny streams and rivers that wind their way around the foothills. The cap-like clouds that pass over the mountain tops. Every turn feels like a picture perfect moment. After what felt like a very long and beautiful drive we arrived at Smoo Cave. 

This was one of the places that everyone we have spoken to and every review online has said is a must see. It was for that reason I felt completely shocked at the size of the car park. It barely held 10 cars. There are only 100 or so steps down to the cave from the car park and although they are rather large steps there is a sturdy handrail. The view you get out to sea is fabulous and as you walk across the bridge it’s definitely easy to see why this place is so loved. The large cave was made by the sea but there is a smaller inner cave which has been punched through from outside by a waterfall. The waterfall is found at the end of a wooden walkway and is just fantastic. I do think my obsession with waterfalls is getting out of hand. The water falls into a large pool and then moves into a small river out of the cave. It is absolutely fascinating. The walls are decorated with vivid green mosses and algae which change their colours and depth with every step you take. The only cave in the UK with both types of erosion and the largest of its kind in this country too. Now you know something completely pointless to know, until, maybe, it comes up on a quiz show. Just give me 10% of your winnings! 

Now, I’m not going to shout this too loud, but something I love about being in the country is just how friendly people are. One of the best things I’ve seen up here are the honesty boxes. At our accommodation last night there was an honesty caravan! Filled with souvenirs and dried food items. Today at Smoo cave was an honesty box filled with knitwear items. It was honestly adorable and I may have bought a hat… a lovely green one.   

With my new purchase in hand, we took the short drive up to Durness beach. OH. My. Gah. It is stunning. Blinking through the wind I had to remind myself that I was indeed in the UK and that the sand actually was white. The water too was out of this world. Where white sand ended, turquoise water started. In Scotland. In the UK. Just… wow!

Tearing ourselves away from the temptation to swim (why did we do that) we continued on our journey and left northern Scotland behind entirely. Our route took us down the western edge of the coast and towards Scourie. Our very brief next stop appeared out of practically nowhere and even though it was a tick on the ol’ list. It really was impressive. The Kylesku bridge stretches across Loch a’ Chàirn Bhàin and pausing in the car park before it we had the most amazing view of the Quinag mountain range. Mr W was very happy with the sun poking its head out behind the range and lighting up the clouds lazily loping their way over the top. Everyone has their quirks eh.  

Something I am noticing a lot about Scotland is the places you want to find often only have a postcode. The next place was no different, all the guides online will tell you the postcode or that it is found by a layby on a particular road. That is why when I come to adjust my itinerary before I share them with you, I will be using the ‘what 3 words’ method to help you find places much easier. 

Wailing Widow Falls is hidden from the road and can be approached from the bottom or the top. We parked at the top deciding it would be a different approach for us to stand at the top of the falls. And here, hilarity ensued. I put on my walking boots because I’m just crap without them, Mr W left his trainers on. All the guides say it is a short 300 yards to the viewpoint. Superb. Just 20 yards or so into the walk we were presented with boggy pathways. Beyond that were large sloping rocks and even more soggy situations. The ground kept getting wetter and wetter as we tried to navigate our way across. Usually there is a footfall made pathway to follow but it looked as if everyone that had come before us and opted to choose their own path to avoid the water. By following footsteps we were met with deep puddles of thick mud and it was hard to find where to walk. After much negotiating, we found the edge of the gorge and saw the very top of the waterfall. It was too unstable and muddy at the edge to get a decent look and so we decided to return to the car. The waterfall itself crashes down and out of the relatively small Loch na Gainmhich. Something new entirely for our eyes to gaze upon. But this was something that was not meant to be. 

On our return to the car, Mr W and I took separate paths as best suited to our shoes. With lots of promises from him, I felt reassured that the ground wouldn’t swallow me up and took the waterlogged route many a time. He on the other hand was finding the paths harder due to his footwear. I remember stepping over a large boggy spot and turning to see how he was getting on. He was slightly bent over and at an odd angle. He was reaching for the ground while keeping one leg lifted. Then he plucked something out of the ground. Not off of the ground. OUT of it. His shoe. He looked up at me smiling. The bog had swallowed his trainer while we kept on moving. And I could not stop laughing. He decided it would be best to keep the trainer off and just replace the socks in the car. We were still a way from being dry and yet every step he took squelched and turned the wool to a very soggy counterpart. He jumped puddles, leapt across mud and generally made good old ‘clean’ fun of the situation. I on the other hand got a stitch from laughing so much and I swear to god I nearly wet myself.  

We advised other people who had parked near us of the situation and went on our merry soggy way. We spent our final visit of the day at Ardvreck Castle. It is in a very sorry state and is all but collapsed. However it was a pretty and short walk that ended the day nicely. There are many houses and outbuildings in the Highlands that are in a similar way and even though I’m sure it would be great to see them restored, there is something very alluring when they are in this condition. 

Tomorrow is another big day. As I sit here writing this to send out into the void, my eyes are drooping, the shower is waiting and before I know it, the next adventure will begin!

Highlight six of the NC500 – The weakness in me
NC500 Day 6 – Itinerary

Running from the rain

This is going to be a relatively short post. 

I am so very busy putting together the last bits for our Scotland trip and yet I found myself reminiscing about a trip from a long while ago. 

In 2008, my mum took my brothers and I to the Dominican Republic. She has been before herself and always wanted us to go. It was, until that point, the furthest we had ever been from home. The weather was sticky and hot. The beaches were stunning. The pool was cool. 

And boy did it rain. Every other day the heavens opened, the floodgates opened and it rained cats and dogs. It wasn’t itty bitty rain, it was big stair-rod rain that forced its way through clouds and air to the ground. The lush greenery was evidence of its great power on the island. 

Whenever it rained, sun loungers would be thrown aside as people grabbed belongings and ran for shelter. Bodies would burst from the pool and into the dry doorways of hotel rooms. 

And it wasn’t until I started planning for Scotland that I saw how funny this practice was. 

People would get out of the pool because the rain would make them wet. 

Hysterical. 

Whilst planning Scotland, I have had to think about every eventuality when it comes to food, weather and clothing. We have hotels booked every night but to keep costs down we are taking about 90% of our food for the fortnight and have needed to be quite inventive in our approach to every travel aspect. Something we will be doing for the first time is wild swimming. We have invested in wetsuits and as a bigger girl this is something that I would usually avoid. Wetsuits are unforgiving when it comes to lumps and bumps. And yet I had a fuck it moment. 

The other day I was looking up the details of Loch Maree and made a mental note to pack a woolly hat to wear with the wetsuit so no heat escapes through my bonce. Good eh? I then made a small prayer that it wouldn’t rain while we were swimming… 

See where I’m going with this?

Heaven forbid it rains while we are in a body of water. 

And there you have it. We have come full circle from the Dominican Republic to the Scottish Highlands. Lovely.  I really think situations can be determined by your approach. Why run from the rain? Clothes dry, puddles evaporate, may as well make the most of it!

Travel is a universal language

Sticky notes lay out in various colours across my bedroom floor. My friend and I had some planning to do. Our first trip abroad was looming and we wanted to make the most of it. We were 17 going on 18 and New York was calling. My friend had wholeheartedly been on board with going on the trip however when I asked what she wanted to do she had no idea. The pressure was on to make sure she had the best time. In my mind I had wandered those streets thousands of times. Now I was preparing to make those walks a reality. 

As we sat there on that wooden floor, we used the post it notes to piece together a plan for our 5 days in Manhattan. We put them into columns based on which days they would work best on and used a map to pinpoint which stops were close to one another. This was way before I was confident using the internet and so the process took us a few hours. And yet it was exciting. 

The trip in the Spring of 2004 was amazing. Perfect even. And therein started the development of my skills towards itinerary creation. Since then I have created itineraries for family, clients and Mr W and myself. It is an absolute joy. There is something so soothing to create something particular and bespoke. A blank piece of paper transforms into a carefully crafted and researched travel bible.

I’ve never really had much confidence in my ability. It is a mixture of self esteem issues and a bad experience working in the travel industry. Recently I have felt particularly crap about it all due to my client list becoming practically nil due to the pandemic. 

Last week, I had the best time talking to a new friend on zoom. She lives in America and we met on a facebook group in March 2020. The group was a place to talk about Italy and at the time was being flooded with questions about Covid and how the country was doing. It became very clear very quickly in which way the new virus was going and it became a space to share fears and tips on how to salvage our bookings.

Over two years later Carrie and I have shared pleasantries online. We have a similar travel history and I was able to share our trip to Italy in September 2020 with her as she is yet to rebook her own. Just a month or so ago she told me the very exciting news that she would be coming to England for the first time. She asked if I would look at her list of plans and let her know if I could recommend anything she had missed. 

I said it might be worthwhile talking ‘in person’ and after a few hiccups we finally ‘met’ last week. I’m always nervous meeting a new person but having been laid up with a bad back all day and only remembering that I was due online at the last minute I felt exceptionally unprepared. As someone who is trying to remember that the least interesting thing about myself and others is the way we look, I annoying found myself finger-brushing my hair and thanking my low-light lamp.

No worry was ever needed less. Carrie was so friendly and intrigued by my accent that we spent a good 20 minute talking about all sorts of things. Afterwards, we got down to the nitty gritty and talked incessantly about London. Although Mr W and I spend a lot of our free weekends in our capital city I do find that we avoid tourist traps and feel that our days there would not be too impressive to an out of towner. It soon became clear that the index in my mind was so much bigger than I originally thought and I found myself smiling as Carrie took copious notes. It was as if a light had blinked into life in my brain and I sat for over an hour unloading everything I knew. We agreed to meet up when she comes over and I sat in quiet contentment at my ability to spurt out knowledge so quickly. There was another half hour or so of chatter about Paris, Italy and how we generally approach travel and I felt the prickles of twinship with another soul.

With promises to share our Scotland trip with her and glance over her London itinerary upon my return I signed off for the night. I sat for a while smiling. A new friendship across the Atlantic ocean was forming and based on something so very special to me. 

It was a great pleasure to be reminded of just how much travel is embedded in my very being. I’ve been quietly simmering with pride ever since. It also reminded me of how friends can come from anywhere at any time in our lives. I am revelling in a new experience however small it may seem from the outside looking in. 

Note to self, this is just another reason to take a chance when you maybe aren’t feeling your most confident.