Friday 31st March, Start of Week 5

Week Five  begins in Strath Halladale, where I was last 56 years ago. Revisited the gamekeeper’s cottage where I lived, but couldn't get access for my planned walk up the Halladale River as I did back then because there was no place to park and walk down: it was easy when I only had my bike.

From there it was a bit of a long sequence of frustrations. Beautiful remote roads with fabulous views, but all advertised camp sites not open yet. Even the Craggan Hotel, miles off  the beaten track, which I had been looking forward to as a BritStop, according to the nearest store and PO, has been closed for 2 years. Wish they'd told the BritStops app that! It was quite a long stretch to get to Sango Sands camp site, Durness, which I had only booked for the following day. Fortunately they had no difficulty advancing my booking by a day, so that's my spot for the next two nights, perched high above the sandy bay, and close to the Smoo caves for tomorrow's adventure. (Footnote: John Lennon and his family used to holiday here as a boy; he last visited with Yoko and the children in 1969.)

Passed here earlier on my long route today, this is Ard Neakie, one of the most photographed islands in Scotland. This area is of great geological import because of the way different continents collided 500million years ago. I for one didn't know that back then Scotland was part of America, but was adrift in the southern hemisphere. It moved  slowly (slowly? really?) north, and 430 million years ago crashed into England and Ireland, giving rise to some anomalous rock mixtures. So there. 

PS : the smell of fumes (as I'm sure it is), so still to be further investigated. But where and when? 

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