The Uk and John o' Groats

I left France on September 11th and headed to Edinburgh.  So far I have done very little the way I planned it.   I had planned to catch a train straight to Inverness, but didn't.   Why, you ask?  Well there were no hostel rooms available in Inverness and the cheapest room was coming in somewhere between £180 and £200!  I managed to get a hostel bottom bunk on the fourth attempt, dumped my gear, and went straight out to do my chores, simple things like:- get some pounds, purchase a UK charging plug, purchase a train ticket to Thurso for the following day, and most importantly get a UK sim.
The wonderful waiting room at Edinburgh's Waverley train station

Jobs done I could relax, and enjoy the train ride, killing time in Inverness for a couple of hours and arriving in Thurso at about 6.00 pm.  Another hostel, and a number of people to chat with, including my room mate, a young German lass who had ridden her bike from home.
Thurso

An early start the next morning to catch the bus to John o' Groats.  It was from here that things started to diverge from my original plans.  I knew, from my guide book reading, that the start of the John o' Groats path was dodgy - very close to cliff tops, barbed wire fences to climb, and streams to ford, and this was reinforced by listening to the locals, who also added "overgrown" to the litany of faults.  
Setting off

Because of this, it was my intention to walk on the road, which is what I did last time.  The bus driver gave me a heads up though - since the last time  I walked here things have changed dramatically, that is there is a massive increase in traffic, AND in the cost of accomodation.   A touring route has been devised, and heavily promoted, called the North Coast 500 (NC 500).  This is a 500 mile route around the Highland coast.  I lasted around 12kms on that first day before hopping on a bus.  The number of cars and motor homes passing in both directions made safety an issue, not to mention that it was extremely unpleasant.  This time though was different on one aspect - I could see!  10 years ago I couldn't see anything due to a heavy fog.
John o' Groats
Leaving John o' Groats
On the way to Wick

As I was walking in those first few hours I realised that a plan review was forthcoming.   I was stuck with having to stay in Wick and Lybster as I had booked and paid for accommodation in both places.  I made the decision to bus it to Dornoch after that, where I could safely walk on the designated path.  The only problem was that I had to walk on the edge of the road for crossing Dornoch Firth on its mile long bridge!  A mile can be a very long way!
Dornoch Cathedral - which was closed
Dornoch Firth Bridge.  The longest bridge of its type in Europe - doesn't look long, but when you are pounding over it, trust me, it's very long!

I have been walking on the path, mostly, since then into Inverness, though I resorted to a train for the last 15 kilometres into the city because I would have been walking along a very busy road.  I was back on roads because if I had followed the path I would have had a very long bridge to cross over Cromarty Firth, and the only bed choices once across were in the vicinity of £200 - not an option!
The Cromarty Firth bridge
Cromarty Firth

There have been some advantages with these changed plans.  By arriving in the villages of Wick and Lybster I had enough energy to explore the villages, unlike last time when all I had the energy to do was find something to eat and go to bed.  By following the last few stages on the path I went to places I hadn't seen last time too which was nice.   I did, though, get to stay once again in one of my favourite little towns in Scotland - Tain. 
Wick
Wick harbour
Wick
Lybster harbour
Lybster
Tain
Tain
Dingwall
Conan Bridge

As you can see from a lot of these photos I have had a lot of sunshine.  It was quite hot walking some days.  However, that is about to change in the next day or so, with heavy rain and strong winds on the way.  I have collected my winter clothes and have sent the summer ones on.  It is around 13° now, so I am glad of warmer clothes.

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