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Went up to Scotland again this year left it until later this time, and didn't stay in any one place for more than a couple of nights. We started off in Jedburgh, then moved on to Strathy in the far north. Down to Strathconon, and finally Kilmartin in Argyll
Wallington House
We intended driving straight to Jedburgh but saw signs for Wallington House a National Trust property in Northumberland. We had plenty of time to spare so we stopped off for acouple of hours and had a look around
Holy Island
Went to Holy Island and Lindisfarne Castle. It was a really nice day, the sun was shining the birds were singing. The tide was out so we could get across the causeway, you can only get on or off the island at low tide. There is no bridge or ferry just the causeway.
Jan taking a rest
Above and below views of the castle and harbour.
The Castle which was converted to a house and is now in the care of The National Trust, dominates the island. From it's courtyard the views over the island are superb.
There's Jan again, having another rest. It's such hard work being chauffeured around then having to look at the nice places you've been taken to!
Lybster
Lybster is a village just off the A9. Drive along the exceptionally wide main street towards the seaward end of the village, and a narrow steep road on the right takes you down to the harbour. In 1810 a wooden pier was built to allow fishing boats to land, this was replaced twenty years later by the stone harbour we see today. This was at the height of the herring fishing boom and at one point Lybster had the third largest fishing fleet in Scotland.
Strathy Point
Turning right onto a narrow single track road takes you to a small car park.. From here you can walk to Strathy Point with its lighthouse overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The lighthouse built in 1958 was the last built as a manned lighthouse, and the first in Scotland to be run on electricity. It was converted to automatic operation in 1996. With the natural arch caused by the sea and the small islands just off the cliffs. On a nice day it's just a great place to be.
Farr Beach
Farr is a small village it has a fabulous cove and beach, with Atlantic rollers coming ashore and the occasional surfer.
Orkney Islands
The Orkney Islands were home to the Royal Navy during the First & Second World Wars. The ships would be anchored in Scapa Flow, an open stretch of water roughly ten by ten miles which is almost surrounded by the islands. At the end of WW 1 the German High Seas Fleet was interred in Scapa Flow, but the German crews scuttled 52 of the 74 ships present.
Type: Steel Double Screw Motor Vessel
Tonnage: 1,631 GT
Length: 230 feet (70.1 m)
Beam: 51 feet (15.5 m)
Draft: 16 feet (4.9 m)
Propulsion: Mirrlees Blackstone Diesels
Speed: 15 kts
Capacity: 500 passengers, 50 cars
MV Claymore arriving at Gills Bay near John o' Groats. The ferry was built in 1978 for Caledonian MacBrayne Ferries by Robb Caledon, of Leith. Claymore has been owned by Pentland Ferries since October 2002 and is due to be replaced next year by a new catamaran The Pentalina.
During World War II a German U-boat the U-47 got through the submarine defences, and entered Scapa Flow. She torpedoed the battleship Royal Oak which sank taking 833 of her crew with her to the bottom. The U-47 escaped, it was the first and only time the defences were breached.
www.pentlandferries.co.uk
The Pentalina
www.hmsroyaloak.co.uk
HMS Royal Oak
The submarine defences at Scapa Flow, consisted of lines of sunken ships (block ships) and submarine nets stretched between the islands. After the attack on the Royal Oak Winston Churchill the British Prime Minister, ordered solid barriers to be built between some of the islands. These became known as the Churchill barriers.
Below: One of the Churchill Barriers
Above: Remains of a block ship.
During WW II Italian prisoners of war were in camps on The Orkneys. Because of the Geneva Convention, prisoners of war were not allowed to work on military installations. So the barriers were made as causeways, these being for civilian use meant the prisoners could help construct them.
Left: The altar
Above & below two views of the interior.
The Italian prisoners requested a chapel be built for them to worship in, they were given two Nissin huts placed end to end. The result was what is now known as The Italian Chapel. All the elaborate painting was done by the prisoners, as was the altar, the front of the chapel and the statue of St George which were all moulded in concrete. The candle holders on the altar were made from wood taken off a block ship. and the screen was made from scrap metal.
The statue of St George.
The Standing Stones of Stenness.
The stones were originally a circle of twelve surrounded by a ditch, they were erected sometime between 3000 and 2500bc.
Scara Brae
Scara Brae is a village built around 3100 BC, the dwellings you see today have no roofs so you get a good impression of their lay out. When you arrive at Scara Brae it's not quite what you expect, as you turn into the car park you are confronted by a very modern attractively built visitors centre. After that it becomes what you did expect. Leaving the visitor centre behind you pass a replica dwelling complete with stone furniture, this house however is built above ground whereas the originals are below ground level. The path.takes you to the village itself, where you can walk around the perimeter path and look down into the dwellings, complete with their entrance passage ways and stone furniture. After the village you can visit Skaill House which is only 200 yards from Scara Brae, and is the finest large mansion on Orkney. It was the home of The Laird of Breckness, who realised the significance of Scara Brae after it was uncovered by a storm in 1850.
St Margarets Hope
Skaill House
The MV Claymore at St Margarets Hope
Smoo Cave
Heading west along the A838 towards Durness, you pass a lovelly cove with a really nice beach, that I don't know the name of. We pulled into the small car park and were immediately surrounded by ducks!
Smoo Cave is on the A838 just east of durness. Set into limestone cliffs at the head of a narrow inlet Geodha Smoo, which runs inland for about 600 meters. Smoo is the largest and most dramatic coastal cave in Britain. This spectacular site has a rich archeological history, and is abundant in wildlife. Smoo Cave is quite large - 200 feet long, 130 feet wide, and 50 feet high at the entrance.
The Kylie of Durness
Jan waiting for her dinner in The Rhiconich Hotel, opposite Loch Inchard
Loch Inchard
Kilmartin
For the last couple of days we stayed just outside the village of Kilmartin in Kilmartin Glen Argyll.
We stayed at Dunchraigaig House, a very nice bed & breakfast by the side of the A816 a couple of miles south of Kilmartin. Apart from being a very warm friendly place to stay, it also has a couple of unique features. The first are the Ballymeanoch Stones in the field opposite, the second is the visit from a Pine Martin most evenings. You can watch it through a window directly next to a bird table, where it comes to eat the fruit that is left out for it . As well as all this, evening meals are avaliable on certain nights and there is also a special on the menu at breakfast time.
There is so much to see and do in this area, we decide to concentrate on what we could comfortably do in the day and a half we had there. We headed for Crinan which is known for the canal that bears the same name. It links The Sound of Jura at Crinan to Loch Fyne at Ardrishaig, cutting out the long trip around The Mull of Kintyre. The canal has fifteen locks and passes through some fabulous countryside and quaint villages, Bellanoch and Dunardry being just a couple.
Crinan Hotel and lighthouse
Crinan Basin
Yatchs moored in the marina at Bellanoch
The yatch Cristal entering lock 11 at Dunardry
Dunardry canal bridge
The basin at Ardrishaig
Lochgilphead from Ardrishaig
Loch Fyne from Ardrishaig
Tarbert
Above & below four views of the harbour at Tarbert
Left: The Parish Church of Kilmartin
Right: Some of the medieval gravestones
Kilmartin Church
Left: A view down Kilmartin Glen
Right The Kilmartin Hotel
Largie Standing Stones
Gairloch with Royal Fleet Auxilliary Fort Austin just visible on the right
