Holiday Road Trip - NC500

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Bahnstormer_vRS
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Re: Holiday Road Trip

Post by Bahnstormer_vRS »

Bident wrote:Guy,

I am vicariously enjoying your vacation via your photos (similar to how I vicariously enjoy your splendid watch collection). Thanks for posting and have a great trip!
Cheers.

Hoping to have varied selection of locations tomorrow.

Meanwhile, a couple of the coastal village, Helmsdale, that I visited today.

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Note the cemetery in the middle distance

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Bridge was designed and built by the renowned Victorian Thomas Telford.

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The modern day Harbour.

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Guy

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Re: Holiday Road Trip

Post by stefs »

Guy
We did a week driving trip around Scotland a few back and it was cracking. There cant be many better places on earth for it. Amazing scenery and empty roads. The highlands are spectacular but our fav was probably the Isle of Skye. Incredible place. Enjoy the rest of your trip and fingers crossed for the rest of the photos to have blue skies and a bit of sunshine.
Cheers now, Paul
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Re: Holiday Road Trip

Post by Thegreyman »

Great photos Guy, keep them up.

It's easy to forget what a large area Scotland covers. I could probably drive as far south as Birmingham in the same time as it would take me to get from Edinburgh to Thurso where you were yesterday.
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Re: Holiday Road Trip

Post by Soporsche »

Great pics and updates Guy. Wish I'd picked up the thread a few days earlier as a couple of suggestions for en route stops but now passed i think..
Love the Highlands and the roads/driving are epic, biggest challenge is taking in the immense scenery and keeping focused on the winding road ahead :-) Im living the trip vicariously through your pics and updates as its been c.20 years since I was last there.
Have a fantastic trip and hope the weather is clear for great pics and exploring!
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Re: Holiday Road Trip

Post by welshlad »

Just catching up on your trip in more detail now, Guy.

I’m very envious and you’ve started to get me twitching to do some more landscape photography. Scotland can be glorious for that, but you need a lot of time and patience to wait for the right weather.

Looking forward to your next few reports!
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Re: Holiday Road Trip

Post by Bahnstormer_vRS »

Thank @soporsche and @Welshlad.

Very much agree about the difficulties of keeping eyes on the road, hence why I have tended to stop frequently to take in the views.

Whilst I've brought a compact camera with me, I have relied on my phone so far and worked on a point and shoot basis. Turned out fairly well so far.

Guy

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And in short measures, life may perfect bee. - Ben Jonson (1572 – 1637)

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Re: Holiday Road Trip

Post by Bahnstormer_vRS »

Anyway, pictorial update on my run yesterday from Lybster to Tongue, via John o'Groats and Thurso; sticking to the coast.

First off, went a few miles inland to a long cairn, which is believed to be an ancient burial place.

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Onwards to the NE corner of Scotland and John o'Groats. No photo as its just a small harbour, car park and collection of tourists shops.

Instead went to the Eastern tip of the country and Duncansby Head with lighthouse and views to the Orkney Islands.

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Looking south to the Duncansby Stacks.

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From there I decided to visit the Castle of Mey, which was the private holiday home of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, bought as a ruin which was about to be demolished whilst she was in mourning in 1952.

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with wonderful coastal outlook.

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Continuing around the coast I stopped at a Viewpoint with picnic area.

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If you look to the skyline beyond the picnic area you can see a white dot. This is a white globe being part of the Dounreay Nuclear power plant and reprocessing center.

Some notable sponsorship for the picnic area.

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There are some amazing beaches up here.

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The coast a few miles from my hotel.

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They're very welcoming here. A small decanter of sweet sherry in my room.

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and even whisky for breakfast.

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Finally, some smart cars parked outside the hotel this morning.

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Last but not least, I'm having a quiet, no driving, day today and am taking some exercise by going out for a long walk.

Guy

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In small proportions, we just beautie see:
And in short measures, life may perfect bee. - Ben Jonson (1572 – 1637)

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Re: Holiday Road Trip

Post by Amor Vincit Omnia »

Really enjoying the photos and write up, Guy. It’s a wonderful part of the world.
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Re: Holiday Road Trip - NC500

Post by welshlad »

Another great post, Guy. I'm now trying to follow your route on Google Maps to clock places for future reference! :thumbup:
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Re: Holiday Road Trip - NC500

Post by watchaholic »

Thanks for the write up and great photos, it's as beautiful as it is remote. Hopefully I will be able to visit within the next year or two. Now I need to get busy with the ancestral research.
Time and money? I’ve spent most of mine on booze and women. The rest I just wasted…
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Re: Holiday Road Trip - NC500

Post by Thegreyman »

More great photos Guy, you are putting a lot of us in the mood for a road trip. It looks like you are getting decent weather too.

I have porridge for breakfast every morning before work but must admit hadn't thought about having a whisky with it.....might make work more interesting :lol:
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Re: Holiday Road Trip - NC500

Post by stefs »

Some really fantastic photos Guy :clap:
It almost seems like you have the country to yourself.
Really does make me want to go back and do it again. Quite jealous actually.
Enjoy what’s left of the trip
Cheers now, Paul
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Re: Holiday Road Trip - NC500

Post by Bahnstormer_vRS »

Cheers Paul.

Not heading home until Wednesday next; plenty of time for a bit more exploring.

Mind you, had a quiet day today, no driving, just went out on a long (four and a half hours) walk.

Started off visiting Castle Bharrich.

Small ruined castle about 10m Square internally on a promentary overlooking the Kyle of Tongue, which had a modern steel viewing platform with spiral staircase up to it.

Had to cross a small river to get to it.

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.... but once there some excellent views.

To the North

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South

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East

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West

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Back down, out of the village of Tongue, and across the Kyle of Tongue on a causeway.

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I was then trying to get to a beach on the West side of the Kyle but got thwarted by there being no footpath down to it, and I didn't fancy crossing a field which was more than likely private property.

Anyway, I got a reasonably good view instead.

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with the obligatory Watch of the Day pic

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Returned back the way I came.

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Haven't decided where yet but will be heading out in the car tomorrow, probably to find a beach or two as the weather forecast is for low cloud and drizzle, so the hills and moorland are likely to be shrouded.

Guy

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In small proportions, we just beautie see:
And in short measures, life may perfect bee. - Ben Jonson (1572 – 1637)

Inscription on the Longitude Dial
Hatfield House, Hatfield, Hertfordshire AL9 5NB, England
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stefs
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Re: Holiday Road Trip - NC500

Post by stefs »

Views and photos continue to be stunning. I certainly can’t do that with my i phone!
Cheers now, Paul
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Re: Holiday Road Trip - NC500

Post by nbg »

Lovely scenery Guy. Certainly looks like you have been having a great time. :thumbup:

Also looked again at the website you linked to in the initial post and am now thinking we may add the NC500 on to our next holiday on the Isle of Skye, doing it in a clockwise direction.

What route are you coming home via - A9 from Inverness, or A82 from Inverness to Fort William for a bit of different scenery?

Neil
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