We took another trip off the beaten track recently, one on of those days where the weather was unexpectedly better than forecast. After a trip round the county showing family well known spots like Castle Sinclair Girnigoe and Dunnet Beach, we headed west into Sutherland, and ended up at Portskerra Harbour!
Again, like when I visited Lybster, we hardly saw another soul and so we were free to explore.
I took a quick wander east towards Strathy, along the coastal path. Further along is a memorial dedicated to three seperate drowning disasters which have taken place over the last decade.
I was quite happy to climb the small hill away from Portskerra Harbour to get a better view of Strathy Bay, and further beyond it, views of Dounreay – a nuclear power site which is currently in its decommisioning stage.
In the very far distance, and with the aid of binoculars, we could make out Dunnet Head – an earlier stop on our day adventure!
Our cousins were more adventurous, scampering off to a section of rocks that would be cut off at high tide (the tide was on its way in as we were there).
When you get fantastic weather days like this, it’s impossible not to get out and explore – we’ve had a very first summer in Caithness this year! When the light illuminates the cliffs, they really do look spectacular!
After an hour or so of climbing over the rocks, finding crabs in the rockpools, it was time to collect our pizzas from the nearby Melvich Hotel. Top tip – phone your order in early, as their takeaways are extremely popular!
As we finished the last bites of our pizzas, we took the the descent of the midgies, and some overcast skies as signs we should head back east across the Sutherland/Caithness border!
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