It's a long way from Kettering to the Cape and a long journey not helped by the seeming lack of connected trains going anywhere but London. After leaving home at 8:15 pm on Friday, we arrived in Inverness, four trains and twelve hours later and considerably worse off after having to buy a train ticket for the dog ... there's a first time for everything! We met John and indulged in an early breakfast, watching the town wake up before getting another train northwards to Lairg. I started reading Jane Austen's 'Emma' on the train, and was not to be allowed to forget it for the rest of the entire fortnight!
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| Packing Alfie with the luggage |
At Lairg we found the minibus service (locally referred to as the post bus) waiting for the train. What a brilliant joined-up service. The driver was very friendly and welcoming and chattered to us the whole way northwards to Durness. Unfortunately I hadn't slept well on the sleeper service and was struggling to keep my eyes open. I dozed and kept waking up to scenes of misty mountain tops, winding narrow roads and the fish market at Kinlochbervie. In fact we seemed to be driving the route that we'd be walking - south - which was rather disconcerting.
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| Smoo Cave |
The driver couldn't do enough for us though, and when he'd dropped off his other few passengers he drove us to the John Lennon memorial garden at Durness, then up to Smoo Cave where he waited with our heavy bags, and then took us to the campsite. What a lovely person.
We set up somewhere sheltered, for the wind was strong, and took a walk on the beach. This required all my warm clothing, including hat and winter gloves, and full waterproofs; yes it's British Summertime!
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| Cape Wrath that way ... |
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