We got a LOT done yesterday! Felt like I was driving all day but actually wasn't that long at all really.
We left the campsite at around midday and headed for Drumnadrochit (how do you pronounce that?!). We didn't realise that our campsite was on the other side of Loch Ness to all of the touristy stuff that goes on, so although Drumnadrochit was only something like 5.4 miles away, I had to drive all the way around half of Loch Ness to get to it, roughly 30 miles! Someone really need to build a bridge across Loch Ness!!
We got to Drumnadrochit about an hour or so later, after dropping into Go Outdoors for emergency supplies as the bag for my duvet has given up so a huge compression sack will do the job. To those that complain I take a duvet, it actually packs down as big as Teapot's sleeping bag!
Our aim for today was to see Nessieland and The Hill O' Many Stanes. Nessieland had appalling reviews on TripAdvisor, so naturally we had to check it out! It was £6 entry for each person and we could take the dogs in too. It really wasn't that bad!! There was a huge tacky Nessie outside and the inside of the 'attraction' was made up of stuffed Nessies and Nessies that looked like they'd been made from paper machet! It was good fun though and there was a video lasted about 20 minutes that took us through the history of Nessie.
The shop was great and ot over priced too! I brought myself a few more post cards (I collect them!) and an I <3 Scotland hoodie which is REALLY comfortable!!
Leaving Drumnadrochit we headed out towards Wick for our next stop, The Hill O'Many Stanes. Just as we went past Loch Ness we thought we'd stop and grab a few last pictures, and low and behold we have taken a picture of The Loch Ness Monster! In keeping with tradition it's very grainy and not very clear but it's obviously Nessie! Luckily I snapped another too, check out the bottom for a better picture!
Off we went along the way! We were due to arrive at our campsite quite early so decided to take a "quick" detour down to Nigg village where there is one of the finest surviving Pictish stones ever found. It was located in a really pretty little church in Nigg and it had it's own room etc. The graveyard of the church was also really interesting, having some of the strangest but fascinating gravestones in the grounds.
We followed the 'Pictish Trail' along a bit further and came to Shandwick where, above the village, is another huge Pictish stone. It's a bit odd seeing this random bit of rock in a glass case above the village, but once again the carvings are really pretty and intricate. I might get a Pictish tattoo as they're my ancestors. Haven't decided yet :)
Onwards and upwards once again, off to the Hill O'Many Stanes! This was such a peaceful visit. I don't know what it is about neolithic stone sites, but they seem to have a really calm and still atmosphere about them. The Hill O'Many Stanes contains a few hundred stones that are not much more than knee height, the tallest is about waist height , that fan out down a hill side. It's not a very big site at all (around about the size of The Sanctuary near Avebury) and didn't take long to walk around, but it was interesting to note that it's not believed it's a "religious" site but more probably an early form of graveyard (although there are no buried bones) or commemoration site for the ancestors, as generations have added to the stones over the years. The Hill O'Many Stanes was a lovely visit and I'd recommend it.
Almost at the end, quite literally! We drove through a few more villages (I can't remember if Helmsdale was before or after The Hill, but it was really pretty too) and came to Wick. I thought Wick was going to be fairly big(ish) and a bit more bustling, but honestly... it was a bit of a dump! The road from Helmsdale to Wick (A9 I beleive?) was a really odd drive as it was populated on the edges by derelict cottages ans brand new cottages. It seems that people don't mend their property they just build a new one? Very strange.
Continuing on and we arrived in John O'Groats, which is quite literally at the top of mainland UK, the most Easternly point. Just like Wick though, John O'Groats seemed a bit dead and deserted. I expected a seaside type town with lots of tourist crap, but there really wasn't much there. Luckily for us we arrived just in time for a few pictures by the sign, pick up some post cards and snap some lovely pictures of sunset!
Got to the campsite about 15 minutes after, pitched, fed, watered and in bed by midnight. Ready to start it all again on Thursday! Next stop is Clachtol Beach, via Toung and Smoo Caves!
Until tomorrow folks, over and out!!
Live photo album: https://goo.gl/photos/Gos9KaSACAwi4n7b7
Things I have learnt from this trip:
1. Robert Burns was right; “the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry”
2. Even clean wet dog smells just like wet dog
3. A wool and linen cloak is an incredibly versatile piece of clothing and I've no idea why it went out of fashion from the 15th Century onwards?!
4. My dog is really REALLY nosey
5. I had some brave relatives
6. Princess is a racist dog (she doesnt like Chinese people... how ironic)
7. Prince does some seriously disgusting poos...
We left the campsite at around midday and headed for Drumnadrochit (how do you pronounce that?!). We didn't realise that our campsite was on the other side of Loch Ness to all of the touristy stuff that goes on, so although Drumnadrochit was only something like 5.4 miles away, I had to drive all the way around half of Loch Ness to get to it, roughly 30 miles! Someone really need to build a bridge across Loch Ness!!We got to Drumnadrochit about an hour or so later, after dropping into Go Outdoors for emergency supplies as the bag for my duvet has given up so a huge compression sack will do the job. To those that complain I take a duvet, it actually packs down as big as Teapot's sleeping bag!
Our aim for today was to see Nessieland and The Hill O' Many Stanes. Nessieland had appalling reviews on TripAdvisor, so naturally we had to check it out! It was £6 entry for each person and we could take the dogs in too. It really wasn't that bad!! There was a huge tacky Nessie outside and the inside of the 'attraction' was made up of stuffed Nessies and Nessies that looked like they'd been made from paper machet! It was good fun though and there was a video lasted about 20 minutes that took us through the history of Nessie.The shop was great and ot over priced too! I brought myself a few more post cards (I collect them!) and an I <3 Scotland hoodie which is REALLY comfortable!!
Leaving Drumnadrochit we headed out towards Wick for our next stop, The Hill O'Many Stanes. Just as we went past Loch Ness we thought we'd stop and grab a few last pictures, and low and behold we have taken a picture of The Loch Ness Monster! In keeping with tradition it's very grainy and not very clear but it's obviously Nessie! Luckily I snapped another too, check out the bottom for a better picture!
Off we went along the way! We were due to arrive at our campsite quite early so decided to take a "quick" detour down to Nigg village where there is one of the finest surviving Pictish stones ever found. It was located in a really pretty little church in Nigg and it had it's own room etc. The graveyard of the church was also really interesting, having some of the strangest but fascinating gravestones in the grounds.
We followed the 'Pictish Trail' along a bit further and came to Shandwick where, above the village, is another huge Pictish stone. It's a bit odd seeing this random bit of rock in a glass case above the village, but once again the carvings are really pretty and intricate. I might get a Pictish tattoo as they're my ancestors. Haven't decided yet :)
Onwards and upwards once again, off to the Hill O'Many Stanes! This was such a peaceful visit. I don't know what it is about neolithic stone sites, but they seem to have a really calm and still atmosphere about them. The Hill O'Many Stanes contains a few hundred stones that are not much more than knee height, the tallest is about waist height , that fan out down a hill side. It's not a very big site at all (around about the size of The Sanctuary near Avebury) and didn't take long to walk around, but it was interesting to note that it's not believed it's a "religious" site but more probably an early form of graveyard (although there are no buried bones) or commemoration site for the ancestors, as generations have added to the stones over the years. The Hill O'Many Stanes was a lovely visit and I'd recommend it.
Almost at the end, quite literally! We drove through a few more villages (I can't remember if Helmsdale was before or after The Hill, but it was really pretty too) and came to Wick. I thought Wick was going to be fairly big(ish) and a bit more bustling, but honestly... it was a bit of a dump! The road from Helmsdale to Wick (A9 I beleive?) was a really odd drive as it was populated on the edges by derelict cottages ans brand new cottages. It seems that people don't mend their property they just build a new one? Very strange.
Continuing on and we arrived in John O'Groats, which is quite literally at the top of mainland UK, the most Easternly point. Just like Wick though, John O'Groats seemed a bit dead and deserted. I expected a seaside type town with lots of tourist crap, but there really wasn't much there. Luckily for us we arrived just in time for a few pictures by the sign, pick up some post cards and snap some lovely pictures of sunset!
Got to the campsite about 15 minutes after, pitched, fed, watered and in bed by midnight. Ready to start it all again on Thursday! Next stop is Clachtol Beach, via Toung and Smoo Caves!Until tomorrow folks, over and out!!
Live photo album: https://goo.gl/photos/Gos9KaSACAwi4n7b7
Things I have learnt from this trip:
1. Robert Burns was right; “the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry”
2. Even clean wet dog smells just like wet dog
3. A wool and linen cloak is an incredibly versatile piece of clothing and I've no idea why it went out of fashion from the 15th Century onwards?!
4. My dog is really REALLY nosey
5. I had some brave relatives
6. Princess is a racist dog (she doesnt like Chinese people... how ironic)
7. Prince does some seriously disgusting poos...
