SUILVEN

BLAIRMORE CAR PARK

WAR MEMORIAL AT LOCHINVER

LOCH-SIDE AT LOCHINVER

SUILVEN

TONY AT THE BOTHY

VIEW FROM SUILVEN

SUNSET FROM SUILVEN SUMMIT

MORNING CLOUD INVERSION FROM SUILVEN SUMMIT

TIME TO PACK UP

ON OUR WAY DOWN

With the exception of a shower, the facilties at Blairmore car park were almost as good as a camp site. It was past midday before we departed to drive south. What a drive it was though, weaving alongside lochs and around mountains. Wonderful new scenery presented itself to us each time we rounded a corner.

Our destination was Lochinver, by a route that took us past Scourie and Unapool. Rubi took over the driving at Scourie which meant that she had the exciting task of navigating the single track switchback which is the Assynt Coastal Route to Lochinver. It was hard to get above 3rd gear most of the time - and my car has 6 gears.

We arrived intact at our destination to be wowed by the view towards the harbour and out to sea. It was sunny for a change so we were able to take a mid-afternoon snack and cuppa at a picnic table beside the sea-loch.

We did a quick reconaissance of the area before paying a visit to The Caberfeidh Bar and Restaurant to enjoy tasty battered cod goujons washed down with, in my case, beer made from porridge oats. A chatty motorcyclist from Sheffield taking a random ride around Scotland, and a builder from Somerset, kept us company.

The weather was looking good for the next two days, so in the morning we packed our rucksacks for an overnight expedition to climb Suilven, a remarkable mountain because of its unique double-humped shape, like a camel's back. End-on, it seems to rise almost vertically out of the surrounding moorland, but it can be climbed from the side up to the dip between the peaks, although the route is still very steep. From there, each of the two summits can be accessed. The 723m high eastern one, called Meall Meadhonach, usually requires ropes to reach. However, the higher 731m western summit, Caisteal Liath, is accessible on foot, so this was our goal.

We parked the car near Glencanisp Lodge and started walking about 1.30pm. Roughly 3 miles further on we reached Suileag Bothy where we met Tony, from Christchurch, who was staying there temporarily. He was on the last week of a three week camping and fishing trip in the area.

Leaving Tony at 3.30pm, it took us another two and a half hours to reach the dip between the peaks, and another half an hour to reach Caisteal Liath. We were treated to the most stunning views across the moorland to adjacent mountains and the sea.

The wind was low so we made the decision to pitch the tent and stay the night on the summit. This enabled us to see a beautiful red sunset over Loch Inver.

In the morning we were treated to a further amazing sight as there was a carpet of clouds below us, called a cloud inversion, with the mountain peaks poking through.

The wind had risen a little during the night so we had to take care not to let anything blow away as we took down the tent and packed our rucksacks.

We returned by the same route we came, and it was a challenge to avoid slipping on the steep rocky slope down. Around 4 hours later we were back at Glencanisp Lodge. They had an Honesty Shop here (serve yourself and put the money in a box) so we made ourselves a welcome cup of hot chocolate.

We finally left Lochinver at around 5.00pm and continued our southerly journey, stopping briefly at Ullapool and eventually reaching Gairloch a little before 8.00pm.

To make a change from cooking in the car, we ate at the Millcroft Hotel in Gairloch before identifying a car park close to the beach as a suitable place for our stopover.

DURNESS, CAPE WRATH & SANDWOOD BAY

WATERFALL INTO SMOO CAVE

CHOCOLATE HEAVEN

WHICH ONE IS MORE PRICKLY?

LOCAL EVENT

PIPE BAND

TOSSING THE CABER

KEOLDALE FERRY

CAPE WRATH LIGHTHOUSE

AWAITING THE FERRY BACK

THE FERRYMAN HAS BEEN DOING THIS FOR 33 YEARS

DUNES AT SANDWOOD

SANDWOOD BAY AND SEA STACK

The good thing about Scotland is that you can park your car or camper almost anywhere and spend the night in it, and nobody bothers you.

Our plan for Durness was to spend the day resting before embarking on a 3-day walk around the Cape Wrath peninsula with our tent. It was just as well that we were not going anywhere today since the weather was grim - relentlessly windy, and alternating between drizzle and heavy rain. The severity of the weather meant that the ferry across the Kyle of Durness, necessary to get to Cape Wrath lighthouse, was not operating. We spent the day washing our clothes, replenishing our food supplies and making full use of the local Visitor Centre.

In the evening we prepared our gear for the following day's walk to Cape Wrath, and slept in the car park by the ferry slipway at Keoldale ready to catch the 9.30am crossing. However, the morning's weather showed no improvement over the previous evening's and we were not surprised when the ferryman informed us that there would be no crossings today either. Nor would the ferry be operating tomorrow (Friday 29th) because of the annual local Highland Gathering.

Our plans thwarted, there was no option but to find other things to do. We had passed signs to Smoo Cave in Durness and went for a look. It was worth the effort to see this huge and fascinating place, with the Allt Smoo river passing through a hole in the roof of the cave to produce an impressive waterfall inside. We also walked out to the viewpoint to look north over the foggy Atlantic Ocean.

After, we took a drive to nearby Balnakeil Craft Village to see the paintings, pottery and glasswork. The village occupies buildings which were previously part of a cold war military early warning system, presumably for missiles coming over the North Pole. In the centre of the Village is the 'Cocoa Mountain' chocolate factory with a cafe serving the most exquisite, and expensive, hot chocolate. Rubi failed to show as much reluctance as I had hoped when I offered her one.

The weather had greatly improved by now, so we left the car at the Craft Village and took a 6 mile walk around the Faraid Head peninsula with its beautiful sandy beaches and dunes. From the Head itself we could just see Cape Wrath lighthouse to the west. Then it was back to the local Spar for supplies for our evening meal (a tasty mix of rice, ham, eggs and vegetables) before settling down for the night.

Friday was the day of the Durness Highland Gathering and the weather was cool but dry for it. The event is similar to the sort of village fete we have in the South of England, but with Scottish music and Highland Games thrown in. There were running and jumping events for all ages. Particularly exciting was watching burly Scotsmen putting the shot, throwing hammers and tossing the caber. The occasional poorly aimed or exceptionally good shot had everyone running for cover.

In one marquee they were promoting all sorts of Scottish foods including venison, rabbit, crab, smoked salmon and cod, wild garlic pesto, cheese and seaweed - with lots af samples for us to enjoy. Rubi was taking note of some of the recipes to make at home.

The music came from a folk band, various individual pipers and a full bagpipe marching band which finished off the event by playing Scotland the Brave.

Our last activity of the day was a pleasant walk along Sango Bay beach followed by our first whisky since arriving in Scotland. That helped us sleep!

We rose early on Saturday and rushed down to Keoldale in the hope that the ferry might take us across across the Kyle of Durness at last. We had also resolved to catch the minibus to Cape Wrath lighthouse rather than walk. When we arrived at the slipway, it was clear that many other people had had the same idea as there was quite a queue. Fortunately there were two minibuses waiting on the other side which could take a total of 32 people and we were numbers 29 and 30. Two young girls, numbers 31 and 32, arrived shortly after and those that came later were disappointed.

Once over the other side, we were treated to the slowest, bumpiest 11 mile ride that either of us had ever experienced. The road was little more than a track, but the hour it took to get to the lighthouse seemed shorter because of the amusing commentary from the driver. We saw lots of evidence of the military use of the area, including checkpoints, observation posts, gunnery targets and bomb craters. The lighthouse itself was little different to 

others we had seen, but the novelty came from being at the remote North Western corner of Scotland.

After refreshments in the very basic 'Ozone Cafe' at the lighthouse it was time to get back to the ferry. Rubi managed to wangle the front seats of the minibus for us both so that we had a much better view on our return journey.

Back at the car by 2.00pm, the weather was dry and we still had half the day left. We opted to drive down to Blairmore, near Kinlochbervie, so that we could walk to Sandwood Bay and back. The beach at Sandwood is reputed to be one of the most beautiful in Britain, and we were not dissapointed. Immediately behind the beach is a network of sand dunes which we explored. Just offshore is the well-photographed sea stack Am Buachaille rising out of the water. It was also noteworthy that we could see Cape Wrath lighthouse from the beach, just 11 miles away. Thus, even though we had not walked the whole route around the peninsula as originally planned, at least we had come to appreciate the magnitude and ruggedness of this remote wilderness area.

The 9 mile round trip to Sandwood Bay took us less than 4 hours, but after two great adventures in one day we were ready to eat and sleep. Tomorrow we would say farewell to the Cape Wrath area.

SCOTLAND (FOR) THE BRAVE

COOL SHADES

SUPPER'S UP

EDINBURGH

MILKY OWL LOOKING SUSPICIOUS

NOW WE KNOW WE ARE IN SCOTLAND

PREPARATIONS FOR THE TATOO

NEW FORTH ROAD BRIDGE - THE QUEENSFERRY CROSSING - UNDER CONSTRUCTION

SCHEIHALLION - OUR FIRST MOUNTAIN

ROCKY TERRAIN

EN ROUTE TO BEN LOYAL

HERE AT LAST

We set off at midday on Saturday 23rd July, sharing the driving on the long uneventful journey north, past Birmingham, Manchester and Carlisle before turning off the A74(M) at Moffat to reach our first stop at Peebles. The day was dry and sunny.

It was gone 8.00pm by the time we got to Peebles, but we quickly located the Rossetta Holiday Park nearby, where, following a little negotiation, they let us stay for £10. The campsite had a bar in a castle-like building overlooking the site, but all we wanted was a shower before eating and settling down for our first night sleeping in the car.

In the morning we took the short drive to Edinburgh, leaving the car at Ingliston Park & Ride, and taking the tram to Princes Street. 

We took a stroll to the eastern end of Princes Street, then to the Palace of Holyrood House at the foot of Holyrood Park. We didn't have time to walk to Arthur's Seat on the top, and when it started to rain we were glad we didn't. Instead, we sheltered under an umbrella as we walked the Royal Mile to Edinburgh Old Town and the famous Castle. Along the way, Rubi took a shine to a Milky Owl on display and I photographed her with it on her arm.

Outside the Castle entrance, tiered seating had been assembled for the Royal Edinburgh Military Tatoo which runs over most of August. There were also lots of posters promoting various entertainments at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe which takes place at the same time. Perhaps we will come back and see all this some time.

We caught the tram back to Ingliston Park & Ride then continued our drive north. Crossing the Firth of Forth on the road bridge, we were impressed to see both the famous rail bridge to our right and the new road bridge in the process of construction on our left. The new bridge is necessary because the one on which we were crossing is suffering from corrosion problems. Thankfully, it didn't give out while we were on it.

A couple of hours of driving took us to a car park with toilet facilities at the foot of Schiehallion, just in time to cook supper before it started to get dark. Schiehallion is a 1,083 metre high mountain about 12 miles to the west of Pitlochry. Our first encounter with the dreaded Scottish midges kept us in the car most of the time.

In the morning we donned our walking gear and headed for the summit. The weather fluctuated between rain and sun, but got colder and wetter as we neared the top. The rocky terrain also made it hard going. We had brought a packed lunch, but chose to bring it down again so we could eat it at a picnic table in the car park, where it was warmer. The round trip up and down the mountain had taken us five and a half hours.

It was late afternoon when we set off, this time on a 4 hour drive which took us past Inverness and Bonar Bridge to a place called Altnaharra, where we car-camped in a layby. In the fading light three cyclists passed by.

In the morning we availed ourselves of the facilities of the Altnaharra Hotel where we met the three cyclists getting ready for the next stage of their John o'Groats to Land's End charity ride. Brave souls!

Our goal for the following day was to climb Ben Loyal. We started from Ribigill Farm and headed south towards the ominous looking mountain which comprises a number of peaks. It was a very steep climb just to get onto the plateau. By then we had run out of time so I navigated us down again on a slightly less steep route. By the time we got back to the car it was 6.30pm and Rubi was truly knackered.

After a reviving cup of tea and a cheese roll, we drove the final hour to Durness. At last we had reached the north coast of Scotland. We did a quick reconnaissance of the small town so we knew where everything was, then parked at the side of the road for another night.

Tomorrow was Wednesday 27th and we deserved a rest day.

WEST COUNTRY WEEKEND WANDER

LIGHTHOUSE AT START POINT

LEAVING HALLSANDS

THE RIVER DART FROM JAWBONES HILL

DARTMOUTH CASTLE

HAPPY BUNCH AFTER A LOVELY DAY OUT

This weekend Rubi and I invited friends Lee and Mary to join us for a weekend of walking in and around Dartmouth. We arrived almost exactly at 8 o'clock on Friday evening and, after eating, paid a visit to The Cherub pub, Dartmouth's oldest alehouse (built in 1380).

Next morning we donned our hiking gear and I drove us to Torcross and the far end of Slapton Sands, leaving the car at the Start Bay Inn, where we would be eating later. Our walk initially involved a good trudge, as near direct as I could get, to East Prawle. I made a couple of minor errors on this complicated route, but after about two and a half hours we arrived at the village's wonderfully named and rather quirky Pigs Nose Inn. It rained briefly as we took refreshments, but by the time we were ready to continue our walk the weather had cleared and became brighter and sunnier throughout the afternoon.

Our return route was via the South West Coast Path. It was a wonderful walk that took us initially to Start Point, where we saw the lighthouse, onward past the ruined village of Hallsands, then to Beesands. A final climb up-and-down brought us back into Torcross. We had walked 14.5 miles; it was 6.00pm and we were hungry. The Start Bay Inn is famed for the quality of its fish and chips, and we were not disapointed.

Sunday's walk started a little later due to at least two of us having a lie in. This time we stayed local as I led us all up to the viewpoint on Jawbones Hill, then on through the wood on Dyer's Hill and up Gallants Bower where Cromwell's forces defeated the Royalists. The walk continued on to the old Coastguard Houses and down to Compass Cove for lunch. The return was once again via the South West Coast Path, stopping for Ice Cream at the Dartmouth Castle Tea Room. Back at the house, we enjoyed a late lunch on the garage roof-garden - vegetarian stir fry washed down with white wine - brilliant.

The weather forecast for Sunday had not been encouraging, but turned out to be just as good as Saturday's. Lee and Mary were excellent company. We all enjoyed some good exercise and had a lot of fun. It was just a shame that we had to drive back home on Sunday evening.

THE VATICAN & HOME

INSIDE THE VATICAN MUSEUM

EGYPTIAN COFFIN

PERSEUS & THE MEDUSA

ELABORATELY DECORATED CEILING IN VATICAN MUSEUM

CEILING OF SISTINE CHAPEL

BASILICA OF SAN PIETRO IN BACKGROUND

INSIDE THE BASILICA OF SAN PIETRO

PIAZZA SAN PIETRO

OUR LAST SUPPER (BEFORE FLYING HOME)

Fortunately, my injured shin did not spoil Tuesday's visit to the Vatican, a final 'must see' during our visit to Rome. It would have been an hour's walk from the guest house so we took the Metro to get there. The queue to the Vatican Museum was long, and we had to resist constantly being hassled by 'guides' offering us the opportunity to 'skip the line' by paying twice the normal €16 ticket price for their guided tours.

As it happened, queuing under the shade of Vatican City wall was not unpleasant and it only took about half an hour before we were inside.

We were obviously keen to see the Sistine Chapel, but getting there involved passing through many other wonderfully decorated rooms packed with statues, paintings and historical artefacts. It was all very interesting stuff, especially the Egyptian displays, and undoubtedly worth a fortune. When we finally reached the Chapel it was packed with people looking up in admiration at Michelangelo's famous fresco-painted walls and ceilings. It spite of the 'No Photography' signs, Rubi sneaked in a few discreet shots without using flash.

It was past 2 o'clock by then, so we went back to the canteen near the Museum entrance only to discover that there yet more galleries to view, stuffed with yet more paintings, tapestries and items from all around the world that had been gifted to the various popes.

After resting our legs in the Vatican garden for a while, we exited the museum and walked around the city wall to Piazza San Pietro from which the Basilica of San Pietro can be accessed through a security barrier. I was carrying my first aid kit, which contained scissors and a knife, so a bit of explanation was required before the security guard would let me through.

The next barrier to get through was the 'clothing police'. Hats had to be removed and several girls with 'disrespectfully short' skirts were turned back.

The basilica was bigger inside than it looked from the outside, and was opulently decorated with marble of differing colours, and filled with many statues, including those of previous popes. The voices of the choir singing in the background made the visit very atmospheric. It felt like a fitting finale to our holiday.

By the time we left San Pietro the sky had darkened, and a thunderstorm broke just as we were passing back through the Piazza. We dodged the rain and crossed back over the Tiber as we made our way towards Giolitti's ice cream shop for a final 'hit' before departing Rome. Usually the shop was packed inside and out, but the rain had clearly driven the customers away so we could enjoy our ice cream under cover inside. By the time we finished the rain had stopped and the streets were already drying.

Supper was an excellent meal at the same place we had eaten when we visited the Colosseum - the mere €20 they charged us included a litre of Frascati wine which we later wondered if we should have drunk. In any case, we certainly slept well.

Roberta had prepared breakfast early for us on our final morning, and gave us two hard-boiled eggs to eat on the plane. The Leonardo Express took us back to Fuimicino Airport and by early afternoon we were in the air heading back to the UK. It had been a full holiday, the weather had been excellent, and we had seen all that we had planned to see, and more.

Unfortunately, work awaited us both in the morning.

VILLA BORGHESE & FRASCATI

GARDEN AT TERME DI DIOCLEZIANO

ONE OF THESE LOOKS LIKE A HORSE!

QUADRACYCLE

PIAZZA DEL POPOLO

SHOPPING IN FRASCATI

LAGO ALBANO

A MERMAID

BY LAGO ALBANO

HIGH WALL ENCOUNTERED ON OUR WALK BACK TO FRASCATI

Sunday was a good day to explore more of Rome. We walked past the Stazione Termini to the Terme di Diocleziano (the Baths of Diocletian), which is a National Museum of early Roman history. We were lucky, as entry is free on the first Sunday of the month. There were lots of ancient sculptures on display and we were fascinated to learn what had been deduced about early Roman life by digging up graves. You were clearly 'middle aged' in your 20's back then. A film about how they worked out the design of a chariot from a few bits of iron was fascinating.

We proceeded on to Villa Borghese to see the huge park that surrounded it. It was busy with people who obviously enjoyed a weekend visit. We hired a motor-assisted quadracycle so that the two of us could explore the area more fully. It was fun, but we found ourselves having to take a short cut on a dirt track to get back to the bike hire centre in time.

We left the park via Piazza del Popolo, then walked along the east bank of the Tiber to Ponte Umberto I, before heading back to our guest house via Giolitti's, where they serve the most stupendous ice cream. We had to wait in a long queue to get served, but it was worth it.

Continuing back, I took a wrong turn and we ended up back at Piazza del Popolo. Fortunately, the close proximity of the Metro line enabled me to appease Rubi, and we were soon back at Pousada.

We were up a little earlier on Monday morning so that we could catch the train to Frascati, a small town in the mountains famous for its wine, 12 miles to the south-east of Rome. On arrival we walked to the town square and enjoyed watching local life whilst we drank coffee, and each had an 'alcolico completo' (wine or beer with various nibbles). The weather was exhaustingly hot today!

Around 2.00pm we decided to take a bus to Castel Gandolfo close to the extensive Lago Albano (Lake Albany). The lake was beautiful and we enjoyed a swim in the warm(ish) green/blue fresh water before eating and sunbathing for a while. All too soon it was time to return to Frascati to catch the train back to Rome. We decided to walk the 7 mile distance, but our journey was not without incident. Just north of the lake, the path, so clearly shown on Google Maps, turned out to cross private property and also required us to climb down a steep wall. Later, as we got close to Frascati in fading light, I managed to walk into the steel pole of a car crash-barrier which was bent across the path. I bashed my shin, which was incredibly painful, but Rubi took great pleasure in playing nurse as she improvised a dressing for the swollen and bleeding wound.

I limped back to our lodgings and, after applying a more permanent dressing to my injury, we ended the day sharing a wine and pot-noodle supper on our balcony.