BLOG 7: From Loch Ness to John o'Groats

We continue north - the A9 takes us over the almost 1.5 km long Cromarty Bridge over the Firth of the same name. We are now essentially following the tourist route 'North Coast 500' or NC 500 to Ullapool around the north of Scotland.

Our first stop is at Dunrobin Castle. We visit the seat of the Dukes of Sutherland, which dates back to the 13th century but was transformed into its current French chateau form in the 19th century. One can visit some richly decorated rooms and enjoy the geometry of the gardens.

The second stop is unscheduled and quite annoying. On the very narrow A99, an oncoming coach brushes against us and 'dismantles' not only its, but also our (right) exterior mirror and leaves some scratches on our mobile home. The longer discussions with the bus driver and the need to find a replacement mirror have some influences on our program. Luckily, the Ford workshop in Thurso can quickly help us out with a temporary solution, the right-hand exterior mirror is practically indispensable when driving on the left. Incidentally, there is a rumor that the right mirror on camper vans is the most commonly used spare part in the north of Scotland. Now that we have noticed, we see some fellow sufferers who are also out and about with “temporary” exterior mirrors – welcome to the club!

Despite this event, we are able to operate our planned cruise from John o'Groats around the island of Stroma - which lies between the mainland and the nearby Orkney Islands. The island used to be inhabited by up to 300 people, but was left by the last family in 1961 and has been completely uninhabited since the lighthouse was automated in 1996 - only sheep live here now.

Even in calm seas, the round trip takes us through quite turbulent water – caused by the strong currents of the tides, which create temporary vortices.

The north side of Stroma with its steep cliffs is a bird paradise - especially for the guillemots who are currently breeding. They plunge vertically down into the sea from a height of up to 30 m and can dive as deep as 180 m to catch fish.

Back in John o'Groats, we admire some sculptures and the famous signpost cross. John o'Groats is not the most northerly or most north-easterly point in Great Britain, but it is marketed as a tourist destination.