Best bits: meeting Gavin
Worst bits: a long slog by road
Distance: 19.9 miles
Thankfully I was a bit less tired this morning and we managed a leisurely breakfast.
Just as I got out of the car at Portmahomack, it started to rain. I had to put on my waterproof jacket and within a short space of time, my waterproof trousers too.
The free Church of Scotland here was an imposing building.
Today’s walk would be mainly walking on roads. It was a long 10 mile slog into Tain with very little to keep me entertained. There were spiders webs on the hedgerow and this one had a spider right in the middle of it.
There was an old airfield opened in 1941 and closed in 1947 many of the buildings remain in their shell like state. However, there is a firing range there too and the red flags were flying.
I had brought a flask of tea with me today and after about 7 miles, decided it was time for a quick cuppa and a rest. Unfortunately, there wasn’t anywhere to sit by the side of the road so I just had to stand. The sun came out and briefly treated me to a rainbow.
I pushed on for the last 3 miles into the village of Tain where I went into the first coffee shop I saw. I was just about to order when Gavin offered to pay for me. He had passed me on the road and he joined me for my lunch. We had a great chat, he told me all about his interest in outdoor adventures and fitness. He has also kindly offered to give me a lift on Thursday.
Tain is quite a cute place with many eateries and other shops. Judging by the buildings it must have been very affluent at some time.
After a mile or so on the road I crossed the A9 into some woodland. It was great to be off the road and on a woodland path. The smell of pine filled the air. The path was quite narrow and lined with trees on either side. All of a sudden a large bird of prey with a rabbit in its claws flew straight in front of me and along the path. It was so fast I never got chance to take a photograph.
They were also some examples of mighty large fungus. Aly perhaps Mark can identify it.
The path emerged onto a roundabout which was the A9. The road across to the bridge didn’t have the path it just had a small area by the side of the road half tarmac and half ballast. Another case of jumping in and out of the road as the traffic came across the bridge. The bridge itself had a small footpath which was a relief. It was actually longer than I thought and it took a while to cross over it. This sign gave me a sense of distances to places I would be passing through over the next week or so.
The sun came out again and the water which was the Firth of Dornoch was very still. There was a sign for the John O’Groats Trail which meant I had to climb over the crash barrier and down the steep slope on the side of the bridge. There was actually a path around the waterside of the Firth. It was really nice to be away from the traffic noise and walking on a soft path lined with heather. I took the opportunity to look back at where I had come from over the past few days.
Nice paths never last long and I was back on what I thought was a small back road that turned out to be quite busy. I was glad when the route diverted through some forest land. It’s so calm walking through areas like this and such a contrast to walking along roads where I have to be mindful of cars. My adrenaline levels and cognitive load lowered back to normal and it was much easier underfoot. Unfortunately, walking in woodland came with lots of flying insects that landed on my exposed areas of skin and given that I was wearing shorts and a T-shirt there was quite a lot of it. Out came the insect repellent.
The final section of the day was a short walk along a pavement into Dornoch where I met Janet for a quick drink in a pub before we traveled back to Priscilla. Where we had diner and watched another film called ‘The swimmers’ based on a true story about Syrian refugees. It was an excellent film and very thought provoking.
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