Cycle Touring - Northern Scotland

Following on from our Hebridian adventures we swiftly embarked on the next leg from Ullapool around the coast to Thurso.

Here's a handy map of where we went.

The geology in the northwest was amazing, with huge slabs and volcanic plugs. Unfortunately unlike the Hebrides this means we had plenty of hills to climb!

Here's an extra-curricular one we climbed on foot. It's called Stac Pollaidh and it's a popular day-scramble. We camped at the bottom the night before. We woke up to a light but consistent pitter-patter on the tent, which we soon discovered was not rain but midges. Uggh.

I'm sure a derailer isn't supposed to look like this. Mark managed to salvage the chain and Sylvia had to limp along the last two days on a single gear.

The decommissioned Dounrae nuclear power station, which was the subject of a facinating museum. It provided (and the decommissioning process still provides) the majority of local employment. Mark was very excited by the chance to touch a real reactor core. The wind turbines in the background provide an interesting comparison.

Fencing Caithness style using flagstones. The quarrying of flagstones is also huge part of the local industry. We went to an open-air flagstone museum.

Thuso, where we ended up for the last three days. We planned to go to Orkney but instead did a little day trip out to Dunnet Head (the most northerly point in Britain).

A video case in our Thurso Hostel.