Onwards towards the North coast…

Rather a cloudy day on this our departure from Clachtoll Beach.  As soon as he realised we were leaving, Jim came across to shake our hands and wish us a good journey – he really is an exceptional campsite owner, always on the go and chatting to his guests but definitely not in your face.

Our next campsite is Sango Sands on the north coast and somehow I get the feeling that it may not have the same atmosphere, but we will wait and see.

We decided to take the picturesque route, around the rugged coast until we reached the main A894 just before the (relatively) new Kylesku bridge over Loch Glencoul.

These are some photos of that particular part of our journey.

The extraordinary pink beach at Clashnessie

Guineafowl on the side of the road!

Highland cattle and calf

Cattle grids are handy places for a bit of advertising

I love the reflections of the sky in this loch

Part of our collection of unusual road signs – never saw the pig

Head of Loch Nedd – some of the newer boats…

And the not so new…

Waiting at a passing place as a posse of French motorhomes made their tortuous way towards us

Still 36 miles to go to Durness

The bridge at Kylesku was designed by Ove Arup, better known for the Sydney Opera House, and built as recently as 1984. Before that, a ferry was the only way of progressing up the coast from here.

We stopped at the small crofting community of Scourie as there was a Spar shop and we needed a few supplies.  Peter picked up the attractive Puffin shaped leaflet about Handa Island and we decided to take the narrow road down to the small harbour at Tarbet from where the boat left for the short trip over to the island.

We didn’t see the bull either – phew!

Handa Island is the long island in the distance

We had forgotten that it was Sunday for a moment and, of course, there were no boats running but made an instant decision to come back first thing in the morning to do the trip – after all, there are Puffins!

The weather became mistier and the scenery looked bleaker after Tarbet – this is the main road to Durness!

On arrival at Sango Sands campsite, we found our pitch had been reserved for us – overlooking the sandy beach.  Peter spent a happy few hours birdwatching from Bessie and identified a couple of Arctic Skuas and this jolly Common Gull.

As suspected, the campsite owner was not overly welcoming – it is very much a holiday site.  Still, a means to an end and there is tomorrow to look forward to…