Getaway: Scottish Highlands
Alisdair and Christine Lyle toured the North Coast 500 to explore the history and landscapes of the Scottish Highlands
Join Christine Lyle on a tour of the North Coast 500, the ideal way to explore the beauty of the Highlands
WE HAD PACKED our T-shirts, sandals, suncream and sunglasses, as well as some thermal underwear, wet weather gear and boots. We were off to do the North Coast 500 and were prepared for everything! I like to plan the roads ahead and book as many sites as possible before we go. We chose to do the route in an anticlockwise direction, starting at Inverness. We first made this journey years ago, before the route became famous, and we were looking forward to seeing what, if anything, might have changed. Enjoying beautiful views Coming from our home on the Isle of Arran meant that we had a lovely drive up to just north of Oban, to reach the Caravan and Motorhome Club site at North Ledaig, for our first overnight stop. Although this is a big site, it’s very scenic, with great facilities and beautiful sea views. Next we drove through Fort William and up along the side of Loch Ness (sorry to report, no sighting of Nessie yet again), making our next stop on the outskirts of Inverness at Torvean Caravan Park. And what a delight this little site turned out to be. It sits beside the Caledonian Canal, which made for a great walk in the evening with the dogs. There is also a group of very friendly mallard ducks living here. We would recommend this campsite if you are visiting Inverness. The next day dawned quite sunny and we made our journey up to Brora. Having visited the Black Isle (north of Inverness) before, we didn’t linger here; but if you are new to this area, I’d recommend making some time to explore this part of the world – there is so much to see. We arrived at Brora Caravan Club Site and carefully crossed the narrow bridge that takes you down on to the campsite. Yet again, a great welcome awaited us and we were quickly shown to our pitch. A golf course lies between the site and the beach, which you can cross, with care, to gain access to the beach. It was at this point that I think our two dogs realised we really were on holiday. Alisdair particularly wanted to go and have a look around the incredible Dunrobin Castle, seat of the Earls and Dukes of Sutherland. Just inland from Golspie, on the top of Ben Bhraggie, is a 100ft-tall statue of George Granville Leveson-gower, first Duke of Sutherland, which is known locally as the Mannie. Debate continues as to whether this controversial statue should be pulled down, because this man was responsible for the Highland Clearances in Sutherland. They were ruthless during this period and, like many other areas in Scotland, it has never recovered its full population. Dunrobin Castle looks like something from a fairy tale. The earliest part of the building dates from around 1275 and it has had many additions over the years, making it very interesting to explore. We got into a long conversation with one of the very informative guides, who explained about the castle and its partly unpublished history, and its current owner. He even played us a record on the old gramophone in the playroom! Some broad horizons Heading northwards along the clifftops looking east over the North Sea, it was surprising how many oil rigs and industrial structures we could see on the horizon. This looks to be a busy place. Our next stop was at Wick Caravan & Camping Site, a beautiful, flat, grassy location beside the tidal River Wick. This was another good find, with a great walk along the riverside for us and the dogs. We’ve noticed how many more dogs we meet on sites these days – it seems we aren’t the only dog-owners who enjoy caravan holidays with our pets. In the 19th century, Wick was known as the herring capital of Europe, with more than a thousand boats fishing from here
during the season. Thankfully, the harbour is not quite so busy today. Wick is also home to the Old Pulteney whisky distillery and Old Wick Castle, one of the earliest fortresses built in Scotland, and both are worth exploring. Just north of the town at Noss Head, you’ll find the spectacular Castle Sinclair Girnigoe. Its imposing ruins appear to grow up out of the rocks. The castle dates back to the 14th century and was once home to Clan Sinclair. In its long history, it has had a very chequered past, including one period when it was used by Cromwell’s men. As we were clambering around the rocks, Alisdair got into conversation with a man who turned out to be a local stonemason. The castle’s current owners, the Clan Sinclair Trust, are trying to restore the ruins before they crumble away and he was one of the masons involved in the work. A doggy paradise After a short drive around the ‘top’, we arrived at the Dunnet Bay Caravan and Motorhome Club Site. The last time we stopped here, there were only half a dozen other caravans – it’s a bit different now! There were motorhomes almost wall to wall at what is now a very popular, busy site. But the long, sandy beach of Dunnet Bay stretches out before you, a paradise for dogs (and their owners). On the right-hand side of the bay is Dunnet Head, which is actually the most northerly part of the British mainland, not John O’groats. But I suppose having come this far, you have to stop at John O’groats to take your picture by the signpost! Just along from the site is the Castle of Mey, favourite retreat of the Queen Mother. If you enjoy visiting stately homes, this is definitely worth a look around. We stopped at Keiss to try to see the old castle there. It is a complete ruin, which you cannot get into; but the walk along the clifftop was a good one, with the remnants of ancient brochs and Second World War gun towers to explore along the way. Changing landscapes Caithness is very different from the rest of Scotland, because it’s flat and fertile, but as we started to head west past the port of Scrabster, where the ferries run to Orkney, the landscape started to change. We passed the village of Reay, home to Dounreay nuclear power facility. It is currently being decommissioned, but the process of conversion to a brownfield site won’t be completed until 2336. We did notice a great improvement in the roads here: it’s not all single-track road any more. We drove through the villages of Bettyhill and Tongue before stopping off to see the coastal village of Durness. We were booked into Sango Sands Oasis, a beautiful site that is right on the beach. Another warm welcome awaited us here and our reserved pitch was clearly marked. Apparently, John Lennon spent many boyhood summers in Durness and even visited again after he became famous. While here, we wanted to explore Smoo Cave, a sea cave famed for its 50ft-high entrance. Its first chamber was formed by the sea, while the inner chambers were formed by fresh water. I was quite happy just to go into the cave entrance, but Alisdair explored further underground. It’s also possible to take a boat ride to reach the inner chambers. From the clifftops, there is a whole host of seabirds to be spotted, along with seals, porpoises and minke whales. Sheltered spot We now started heading south-east, to stay at one of our favourite sites in the area, Scourie. The scenery was beginning to look more like the west coast, with mountains and forests. Occasionally, the sun came out, but there was a cold wind blowing; so when it came to choosing our pitch, we picked a spot slightly back from the front line, to get a little shelter from the wind. But we still had panoramic sea views. This is another site with very good facilities and helpful, friendly staff. We took the dogs for a walk to the little harbour near the site. As we came back, Angus spotted some ducks on a pond, so launched himself into the water; at which point, the ducks flew off. Sadly, it turned out this wasn’t a pond, but a very wet peat bog, which left us with a stinky, brown (normally black) Cocker Spaniel! At the site, we had just met Sally and Steve from Cambridge in their motorhome,
and we all decided to have dinner in the small restaurant on site, the Anchorage Bar. We had a lovely meal and an entertaining evening swapping holiday stories. The next day dawned really bright and sunny, and actually felt warm. We were heading for Clachtoll Beach Campsite. It’s recommended that you drive to Lochinver, then take the B869 to Clachtoll – don’t join the B road just after Unapool. As my map advised, ‘If you cannot reverse your vehicle several hundred yards on a narrow single-track road, you cannot safely drive over this road.’ But this is a campsite that you must visit – it’s in a beautiful area. The site is very good, with excellent facilities, and is clearly very popular, too. Looking out to sea from our pitch, on the horizon we could see the Isle of Lewis and to its left, the tip of Skye. Further left still are the mountain-tops of Wester Ross. This is an absolutely stunning vista. The beach is a fine sandy one, lying in a little cove. Angus had a particularly good time here, rolling in the surf. Lochs and castles Although the main road from Lochinver to Ullapool runs inland here, this is still a beautiful location. En route, we stopped at Ardvreck Castle, on Loch Assynt. The castle is a ruin, but it made for an enjoyable little walk, with some lovely views. After that, it didn’t take us long to reach Ardmair Point Holiday Park. We’ve used this site many times before and it’s perfect for Ullapool. We could watch the ferry Loch Seaforth sail back and forth between Ullapool and Stornoway. Although not strictly part of the NC500, Achiltibuie is worth a small detour. This village by the water’s edge looks out over the spectacular Summer Isles. Next day, we drove to the other side of the bay, to Gruinard Bay Caravan Park in Laide. This was the smallest site we’ve stayed at – small, yet perfectly formed. New owners Richard and Lorraine are upgrading the site, but the location is already perfect. Next day, we drove over to Poolewe and turned right onto the B8057 to follow the road along to Cove. In the Second World War, Loch Ewe was an anchorage for the Navy and extensive defences were installed, the remnants of which remain today. Its main wartime use was as a refuelling base and rendezvous point for the ships of the Arctic Convoys to Russia. A memorial to their brave crews overlooks the loch. On our way back, we stopped for what turned out to be a very good lunch at the Poolewe Hotel. They have free Wi-fi here and I’ve never seen so many people tapping away on their phones – Alisdair included. Into the garden Just north of Poolewe is the wonderful Inverewe Garden, now owned and run by the National Trust for Scotland. I well remember being brought here as a child and seeing a palm tree for the first time. The mild climate and sheltered position allow for an amazing diversity of plants. Next day dawned bright and sunny, and it took us all of 35 minutes to drive over to Gairloch and Sands Caravan & Camping. This huge site is spread out over the dunes butting onto the Big Sands beach. We had arranged to meet two sets of friends here, and after locating each other, we went out for a wonderful meal at The Shieling Restaurant in Gairloch. Leaving the van in Gairloch next day, we set off to visit the Applecross peninsula. First, you drive into Kinlochewe, then right, onto the B896 through Torridon. These majestic mountains are some of the oldest rocks on the planet, apparently. Then it’s on through Shieldaig and as you leave here, turn right, onto the single-track road to Applecross. Stop for lunch at Applecross Inn and you can enjoy your meal while looking out over the Isle of Raasay, with Skye in the background. Then prepare to drive over Bealach na Bà, where you can see the most amazing panoramic views. To complete the NC500 circle, you would drive from Strathcarron to Achnasheen, past Strathpeffer (I would recommend stopping off here because it’s a lovely little town) and on into Inverness. We spent three weeks on this journey and had a wonderful time. The North Coast 500 makes a really great road trip, with diverse and spectacular scenery.