14th
Sept
2024

NC500 Day 1: Inverness - Lybster

From Culloden Moor Campsite, we drove past Inverness to Tain, in the hope of visiting the Glenmorangie Distillery: unfortunately it was closed :-(.

So we carried on to Dornoch, wandered around the pretty village and had the best hot chocolate in the world at Cocoa Mountain, with "chaser": 4 delicious hand-made truffle chocolates.

Then we drove on to Dunrobin, the most northerly of Scotland’s great houses, dating back to the early 1300s, home to the Earls and later, the Dukes of Sutherland. We took a self-guided tour of the castle, before wandering around the beautiful gardens and watching a fascinating falconry display.

ANSICHT

Dornoch and Cocoa Mountain

... probably the best hot chocolate in the world!

Big Burn Walk, Hill O'Many Stanes and Whaligoe Steps

After the Big Burn Walk, we headed on up the East coast, stopping at the Hill O'Many Stanes and Whaligoe Steps.

Whilst trying to find a parking space for the Whaligoe Steps, a local resident, Davey Nicholson, not only guided me to a parking place, he also invited me into his house, showed me a picture of the Whaligoe steps from 1945, when the harbour below was still used for herring fishing, and explained the history, which he's done proudly and passionately to thousands of visitors. His father was one of the last fishermen, and he not only guides visitors but also helps maintain the steps. I later found his description on Wick Voices and this youtube video Amazing guy!

We overnighted at Halberry Croft for £10, where there are 4 or 5 grass parking spaces, with water and a wonderful vew out over the North Sea.