Month: June 2015

A walk in the woods

On By Carol HenshawIn Scotland, walksLeave a comment

With the temperature in double figures, sun in the sky and no wind for the first time this week it was definitely a day for a walk. As a change from the beach we did an almost eight mile circuit on tracks and paths in Borgie Forest. There was only one worker there and for most of the way it was just us, bird song and the smell of the conifers. We could hear two cuckoos and numerous other birds. Several wild flowers were on or close to the path.

Borgie Forest Flower 4 June 2015 (1 of 1)

Further south where some trees had been cut, there were good views across to the surrounding hills.

Borgie Forest View 4 4 June 2015 (1 of 1)

Back at the car park we had our picnic by the totem pole (we had not seen one of these since we visited the Totem Pole Park in Oklahoma). Inevitably no wind and being stationary brought out the midges and I got bitten despite slapping on the Deet before we set out. As we drove back the wind reappeared with increasing cloud cover so tomorrow will probably be spent getting organised for the next leg of the trip, to Orkney. Hopefully the forecast rain will allow even a short walk along the Skerray beach.

Borgie Forest totem pole 4 June 2015 (1 of 1)

Bus shelter greenhouse, bookshop and beach

On By Carol HenshawIn Beaches, Books, bookshops and libraries, ScotlandLeave a comment

This morning we had to go the Thurso for supplies and on the way passed the Skerray bus stop (which I presume is now defunct) and has been converted into a greenhouse.

Bus shelter greenhouse Skerray 3 June 2015 (1 of 1)

Nearer to Thurso We passed Dounreay nuclear power station and I recalled lorries of nuclear waste trundling down the A9 through Dunblane at night heading for reprocessing further south. It appears to be in the process of being closed which will decimate local employment opportunities despite being good for the environment. In Thurso we headed for the first bakery/cafe we saw to top up the caffeine levels and I overheard a conversation between a wiry 60-something cyclist from Northern England and the woman behind the counter. He was trying to offload all his small change but she reminded him that he might like it to weigh him down when battling the wind on his way to Tongue. I could not resist asking him if he had cycled all the way up here but no, he had taken the train to Elgin to stay with a relative and having been to John O’Groats was now heading for Durness and the west coast. I bid him good luck as he would be battling a strong headwind. Indeed we passed him later on as we drove up the hill out of Thurso.

I was very happy to discover that Thurso has a secondhand bookshop and found a first edition of a volume of the New Naturalist series that I collect. After that we left town and headed back along the coast wondering about walking out to the old lighthouse on Strathy Point. Having got as far as the car park the very high winds made it not safe to walk any further out to the end of the point and the lighthouse (only the third time I have abandoned a walk due to wind). Instead we had lunch back at the cottage and a walk on the more sheltered Torrisdale Bay.

Torrisdale Bay 1 3 June 2015 (1 of 1)

Torrisdale Bay 2 3 June 2015 (1 of 1)

A beach and back in time

On By Carol HenshawIn Beaches, ScotlandLeave a comment

After a slightly later start this morning we visited the Strathnaver Museum in Bettyhill. It is situated in the 18th Century Parish Church of St Columba. Inside the member of staff who greeted us apologised for the lack of heating. I empathised as I do some voluntary work in a secondhand bookshop which is in an old Methodist Church and we have the same problems of heating a large space and fitting around the remaining church furniture. James had asked me why the name of the place ‘Bettyhill’ was so different from the Gaelic name on the road signs. It was named after the Duchess of Sutherland and was developed to house the people evicted from their homes in Strathnaver in the early 19th century. The museum has some neolithic finds but also document the clearances which came late to Sutherland (with contributions from local schoolchildren, videos and other oral history) and also the history and genealogy of the Clan McKay.

Old Croft Window Farr 2 June 2015 (1 of 1)

After a coffee at the nearby cafe which was next to an abandoned croft we then had a walk on Farr Beach. It was empty apart from a dog walker. I found three more pieces of sea glass but before we had finished walking it started to rain so we headed back to the cottage for a lazy afternoon reading in front of the fire.

Farr Beach 2 2 June 2015 (1 of 1)

A morning walk on Torrisdale Beach

On By Carol HenshawIn Beaches, Scotland, walks2 Comments

We awoke fairly early and as the sun was shining, set off after breakfast for a walk on Torrisdale Beach. The recent heavy rain made the footpath down to the beach more like a stream but we had our boots on and slithered on down, jumping across some of the stretches of water without bridges and managed to avoid falling in the mud. The tide was out and beyond the dunes it was easy to see why the place is a favourite of surfers when the conditions are right. There was no one else around at all and only a few footprints on the sand. No sea glass here and no unusual shells or other finds. We picked up driftwood for the cottage fire and on the way back up to the car, heard some cuckoos. We have not heard them at home for the last six to seven years and only the other day, someone was commenting on this on our local Facebook page. Several grey lag geese were feeding in a field near Borgie and we spotted a buzzard sitting on a fence as we drove back into Skerray. I was planning to try and get some back-lit shots of the poppy buds in the cottage garden this evening but the wind is increasing in strength so flower photography will have to be postponed.

Torriesdale 6 1 June 2015 (1 of 1)Torriesdale 8 1 June 2015 (1 of 1)Torriesdale 10 1 June 2015 (1 of 1)Torriesdale X 1 June 2015 (1 of 1)