No coastal-themed issue would be complete without a trip along the iconic NC500
WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHY: Penny Reynolds
It has taken me a few years to persuade my husband to take a return trip to Scotland after our last one was a bit of a washout! The offer of fine sandy beaches and coves was enough to persuade him to give it another go and we set off from Somerset to travel the North Coast 500 (NC500), a route around the very top of Scotland, to some of the most remote areas in the UK.
After two overnight stops we arrived at Inverness and the official start of the NC500. The route can be travelled in either a clockwise or anticlockwise direction and we chose the latter. Our first stop was at the lovely Rosemarkie on the Black Isle just north of Inverness overlooking the Moray Firth.
This is a well-known area for dolphin watching and we set off along the beach in the rain to Chanonry Point in the hope of seeing them. However, luck was not on our side that first day and we returned this time cycling down to the point and my husband was rewarded by seeing a pod swimming down the estuary towards the sea. I, however, did not get my binoculars out quick enough!
After a few days relaxing at Rosemarkie, watching the waves and just catching our breath before the 516 miles that make up the NC500, we set off northwards anticlockwise towards the top of Scotland and a campsite at Dunnet Bay just west of John o’ Groats.
On the way north we stopped at Laidhay Croft Museum, a nineteenth century croft (a small rented farm) complete with barn and byre. It was fascinating to see that the oblong building contained the living quarters as well as the housing for the animals.
The first door led to a tack room for the horses/donkeys as well as an area for them to be housed. The second door led to the living quarters, with a lounge and bedroom area being contained in one room, with the very small windows to keep the heat in and a coal fire for warmth.
There was an internal door leading to the kitchen with a solid fuel cooker, kitchen table for working on, as there are no kitchen units or countertops, and various types of furniture for kitchen utensils and pots and pans. Another internal door led to a small scullery which housed a tin bath, a mangle and various other pots and pans that would not fit into the kitchen.
The last internal door led to another room that would have originally housed the cattle, but was used for displaying various
