On the last legs
- poulterjim
- 12 hours ago
- 6 min read
Way back in May, I met up with Mark to accompany him on the last 4 stages of his epic walk from Lands End to John O'Groats. Having really enjoyed walking with him in April across the Pennines, I was keen to take the opportunity to explore a part of the UK that was totally new to me in his company.
In many ways the biggest hurdle was arranging transport to our meeting place and back from John O'Groats. In the 54 days since he started, Mark had walked over 1100 miles arriving at a small town north of Inverness called Brora. The LNER website told me that a journey starting at 10.03 from Kings Cross and involving 4 changes would see me arrive in Brora at 20.52. All for the princely sum of £90. Perfect I thought - just make sure the Kindle is charged and remember to take a few snacks - and it will be 10 hours well spent.
Sadly, my optimism didn't last much more than 4 hours. That was the time it took for my first train to slip the 9 minutes that was all the time allowed for the first connection in Edinburgh. When I looked at the journey that allowance seemed slim, but given that the LNER website suggested this route - I assumed that this would be fine. It clearly wasn't. At each leg I lost more and more time - so that I arrived at Inverness at around 8.00pm. 11/2 hours after the last train from Inverness to Brora.
My options were limited - stay in Inverness the night and get the coach or train in the morning, or get a cab to take me the final 60 miles on Saturday night. In the end I decided on the latter. A2B Taxis were happy to oblige and my driver very happy and chatty. As well as he might be, given that the fare was £149!
I managed to get back the whole train fare, so the final journey was only £60 more than I expected. It could have been a lot worse...
Anyway, the good news was that I in the right place at the right time. The chaps had booked a rather swish pod at Brora Escapes. And they'd grabbed a ready meal for me to have when I finally rocked up at about 10.00pm.
I can recommend the Brora Escape pods. They are well appointed, clean and comfortable. But they are also pretty damn snug. Ideal for a couple; less so for three blokes. However, we managed to fashion space for three to sleep separately so that we were ready to roll at about 8.00am Sunday morning. When Mark was planning this Odyssey, his original route took him due north inland from Helmsdale across the Flow Country via Watten to John O'Groats. This was because the consensus is that the John O'Groats Trail which hugs the coast, is a serious undertaking, for which you need a serious head for heights, grippy footwear and time.
However, in its favour was that roofed accommodation could be found at every stage (Mark really really hates camping!) and that there was a viable plan B if it proved too gnarly - the A99. So, probably as a result of my urging and against Mark's better judgement, we elected to hug the coast.
The first 10 miles from Brora were easy going - through a links golf course and along flattish farmland next to the sea. The sun was out and the seals were out on the rocks sunbathing - each one seemingly with their own rock to lounge on.
After Helmsdale, the trail became a lot tougher. In may ways the route is a triumph - a bunch of dedicated enthusiasts have willed it into existence. It picks its way across the very edge of solid ground, just beyond the boundaries of all the crofters boundaries - dropping down steep ravines, crossing fast flowing burns - and all the while the sea is restlessly moving hundreds of metres below you.
As well as a bit of vertigo you also get a whole lot of history - passing Iron Age brochs and the ruins of Badbea a deserted Clearance village.
But, I must be honest, it was tough going. All three of us were only too happy to arrive at the Halfway House Hostel as the rain started to fall in earnest. Berriedale is really just a hamlet with no shops or cafes, so dinner that night was a freeze-dried chilli and rice.
Sitting around the wood burner in the lounge, we all agreed that the John O'Groats Trail was simply not going to be realistic based on the time we had. The 20km a day that I'd thought would be pretty achieveable based on previous experience, was actually wildly optimistic. It was time to consider plan B?
In the end we continued on the trail until Dunbeath and then switched to the A99 to get to Occumster for our next overnight stop.
The A99 forms a key leg of the North Coast 500 - the 516 mile road route that follows the north coast of Scotland, starting and ending at Inverness Castle. As such, it's incredibly popular with campervans, RVs and big groups of motorbike tourers. It's also the main road for freight from Inverness to Wick and Thurso.
In a word - busy.
Not ideal for walkers, but given the time of year it wasn't too busy, so doable, if not hugely enjoyable. But even taking the road, the views are fantastic and there are gems along the way. One of these is the cemetery at Latheron, where we stopped for lunch. Such a calm and peaceful place with views out across the Moray Firth, and the inevitable wind turbines.
Benign weather and traffic meant that we got to Occumster relatively easily for our stay at the Windy Roost. This was my favourite overnight stop - friendly hosts, plenty of space and fantastic views. Its clear that the NC500 is something of a mixed blessing for Caithness and Sutherland. On more than one occasion, I heard the complaint that the only real beneficiaries are the supermarkets in Inverness - where the RV crews stock up - little or no money is spent anywhere north of there. They are almost totally self-contained for the few days they spend on the route.
Anyway, that's something of an aside. Tuesday dawned blowy and showery. The wind was a constant feature - it's no suprise that wind farms both on land and off shore are a pretty constant feature of the landscape. But the rain wasn't constant so we were able to make good time, even managing something of a detour to go down (and back up) the Whaligoe Steps. There are 365 of them, descending down the cliff to a tiny harbour at the bottom where they used to land fish (and the women would lug the catch up in crates!). It's not well sign posted but definitely worth the effort. (The car park is at ///incorrect.playful.training).
Next stop - Ella's Hoose in Wick. Not in the town centre, but quiet and comfy. And particularly perfect for anyone who likes Highland Cattle - they feature in literally every single piece of decoration - upstairs and downstairs. Despite it having a well appointed kitchen we ate out that night. As well as visiting the Old Pulteney Distillery Quite a change from dehydrated gloop.
That left a final 16 miles to get to John O'Groats and journey's end. Wednesday was wet and grey. But we got there. Or rather, Mark got there. Sam and I were just along for some of the ride.
John O'Groats is a little tacky to be honest - a bit like Land's End - lots of parking, random souvenirs and people queing for food and drink. However, a short(ish) walk east takes you away from the crowds to Duncansby Head. Here, you can look out across some truely spectacular sea stacks or the roiling waters of the Pentland Firth. A much better end than the signpost I think.
We stayed in the Seaview Hotel, which has a perfectly fine bar and restaurant. The next day it was home time - we took the bus to Thurso to see the break (which wasn't working) and then the train which rumbles through the Flow Country back to Inverness to catch an evening flight to London.
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