North West Coast of Scotland on a misty day

[Compo 10,328]

Ever wondered what it is like in the far north west of Scotland on a typical damp and misty summer's day?  Here's a few pictures to show you:

 

https://flic.kr/s/aHsm2Gb1Ta

[philmayfield 6,187]

That's the sort of Scotland I know. Your garden must have a microclimate!

[catfan 14,793]

Looks a bit desolate there Compo, no Wetherspoons, Greggs, B & M or Poundland, how do the natives survive ?  

[Compo 10,328]

They go to the big city once per month and do all their shopping at once.  Inverness is only about 100 miles south of here

 

[loppylugs 8,429]

Do you get to see the Northern Lights much, Compo?  Assuming it's not raining.  

[PeverilPeril 3,288]

Thanks for that lovely selection compo. It;s such a fabulous place. Did you do the single track around Drumbeg? We also drove the coast road between Ullapool and Gairloch. Stunning.

[Compo 10,328]

Our friends were staying on the Drumbeg road but we met them in Scourie so we did not need to do it on this occasion, nice though it is.  

[Compo 10,328]

Loppylugs: WE do see teh Northrn Lights but not very often.  For some reason it is usually overcast during times of most activity.  aww them just once last winter but could have seen them more had we travelled to the coast on a coupl eof nights when they were active.

[FLY2 10,109]

I love Ullapool. I've stayed there a few times, and have driven the coast road several times too.  At this time last year, we were on a coach tour of the area, which I thoroughly enjoyed as I didn't have to concentrate on the road, and I could take in every view going. Also took in John o' Groats. A great restaurant and brilliant views of the Pentlandite Firth. 

 Stunning scenery as you say PP. Some lovely gardens in the area too. 

[Compo 10,328]

Corrections to post #8:

 

Apologies for the awful typos in post #8.  My keyboard somehow went into typeover mode and then siezed up completely, I know not why.  The outcome was that the post was full of uncorrected typos which could not be corrected until this morning. Here is the corrected text:

 

"Loppylugs: We do see the Northern Lights but not very often.  For some reason it is usually overcast during times of most activity.  Saw them just once last winter but could have seen them more had we travelled to the coast on a couple of nights when they were active and we had poor conditions at home."

[Compo 10,328]

42 minutes ago, FLY2 said:

\Snip\ Also took in John o' Groats.\Snip\

 

Fly2: Had you said I could have met you at John O'Groats for a cup of tea! It is only 18 miles from home.

[Compo 10,328]

The big problem with the far north west is that the powers-that-be have promoted the route as the NC500; a circular route from Inverness that takes in 500 miles of far north roads.  These roads are largely single track and the resulting increase in campervans and caravans is causing problems for local traffic.  In particular they are parking in passing places and shop car parks overnight to avoid having to pay camp site fees.  One night over last weekend there were 7 campervans all lined up along the short stretch of harbour wall in Thurso and no local could get in until they moved on the next morning.  When we came back on Tuesday night there were at least a couple of dozen vans parked in passing places and roadside pull-ins; The small Sango sands car park was quite literally full of them too.  I think it is time that the police started moving them on or issuing on the spot fines for dangerous and inconsiderate parking.

[FLY2 10,109]

Compo, I would love to have done, but as I said, I was on a coach tour, so I could hardly have asked the driver to make a diversion. I did see the sign for Watten, and wondered if you could provide tea and biscuits for 19 peckish travellers ! 

We went up to J o G , then across to Thurso, Dunnet Head, then turned south down the centre along a very precarious road for what seemed like miles, until we saw some signs of civilisation !  Fabulous holiday.

[Compo 10,328]

Fly2: You probably turned south down the 38 miles long single track road from Melvich to Helmsdale.  It is popular with tourists, especially bird watchers because there is a 17,000acre bird reserve along the road. Anyrode, what I meant was that I could have popped up to JO'G where you would have had at least 20 mins stopover for tea and toilets etc..  By the way....19 teas would be no problem, given fifteen minutes notice

[Compo 10,328]

Phil Mayfield: Our garden does indeed have a microclimate.  When we first (1994) started sorting out to former station yard and clearing all the junk away we put in a shelter belt of anything we could get for free.  A nearby plantation had hundreds of small Spruce and Lodge Pole Pines growing wild by the access tracks so a few of those found their way here.  In addition, the local wood bordered the railway line and several Spruce were growing close to the tracks. The railway men let me take them out because they were going to cut them down anyway - this was in the days before Privatisation though - they are a right miserable bunch these days.  From then on we put in any shrubs we came by and over the years the garden grew as a sort of self assembling doodle.  The grandchildren call it "The Park".

[FLY2 10,109]

Thanks Compo, I'll remember that if ever I'm in the area again. We can chinwag over our years at Plessey.

Yes, that'd be the road, as I remember Helmsdale. We were returning to Ullapool, as that was our base for the week.  I'm one of these sad bu66ers that has a map constantly on my lap ! 

We actually had over an hour in J o G, because I had a lovely seafood platter in that modern restaurant on the left as you are facing the sea. 

[Compo 10,328]

I don't like that café Fly.  The staff are usually surly and unhelpful.  I always go to the one in the big shop.

[philmayfield 6,187]

2 hours ago, Compo said:

Phil Mayfield: Our garden does indeed have a microclimate.  When we first (1994) started sorting out to former station yard and clearing all the junk away we put in a shelter belt of anything we could get for free.  A nearby plantation had hundreds of small Spruce and Lodge Pole Pines growing wild by the access tracks so a few of those found their way here.  In addition, the local wood bordered the railway line and several Spruce were growing close to the tracks. The railway men let me take them out because they were going to cut them down anyway - this was in the days before Privatisation though - they are a right miserable bunch these days.  From then on we put in any shrubs we came by and over the years the garden grew as a sort of self assembling doodle.  The grandchildren call it "The Park".

I was surprised to see gunnera growing. I've seen it on the west coast at Arduaine but that's virtually washed by the Gulfstream and will be almost tropical in relation to you. I think you've made a remarkable effort in an adverse climate.

  

[PeverilPeril 3,288]

 I was drinking champagne last time I was in John o Groats. We had just broken the LE to JOG record. 

[Compo 10,328]

Well done PP!

[philmayfield 6,187]

On 16/06/2017 at 11:14 AM, philmayfield said:

I was surprised to see gunnera growing. I've seen it on the west coast at Arduaine but that's virtually washed by the Gulfstream and will be almost tropical in relation to you. I think you've made a remarkable effort in an adverse climate.

  

 

I tracked you down on Google Earth and was surprised to see you were surrounded by farmland - just like us in the Trent Valley. I always thought that it was all rocks and heather in the far north. I can see there are also plenty of lochs and glens in the area. What do the farmers grow? - barley for the distilleries and potatoes for the chips that are the staple of Scottish food? Has so called "fine dining", of which I'm not a big fan, reached your remote area yet?

[Compo 10,328]

Hi Phil,

 

I live in what is known as "The Lowlands beyond the Highlands". It is an area of low lying land that was, 400 million years ago, the bottom of a shallow sea - local fossils are mostly armoured fish.  My house is in the valley of "Vatn" as the Vikings named it. Vatn means water and before extensive drainage it was a swamp with a river running through it.  the river still exists and contains salmon and there is a loch called Loch Watten containing brown trout.  The general area around the far north and far north east is what is termed "Flow Country" and contains Europe's largest blanket boglands (Now under serious threat to wind farm developers).  By and large, the area is desolate except for a small part that runs through the centre of Caithness and around the east coast of Sutherland.  Here the soil is of grades 3 & 4; which means that there are moderate to serious restrictions as to what can be grown.  Local farmers grow barley, oats and a few swedes.  Other than that one has to spend a lot of time and effort improving the ground.  The main type of farming is cattle and sheep with the crops as a supplement for whisky and winter feed.

 

Just a couple of miles down the road the scenery changes back into bogland and moor.  See my post entitled "The Middle of Nowhere" in "Owt abaaht nowt", posted 22nd May for an idea of what the majority of the county looks like.  Before the advent of wind farms the view from my bedroom window was unbroken moorland and forest.  Now the forests have been clear-felled and the view is unbroken wind turbines.

 

To give you an idea of the weather here: This weekend the maximum temperature was 18°C and it has been raining daily since 30th May.  Just now we have rain and 12 °C.

 

[MargieH 7,613]

That was really interesting, Compo.  I don't think I'd like to live where you do but I still love reading about it...

 

I wouldn't mind if it was a bit cooler here at the moment, though,  it's just TOO hot!

[philmayfield 6,187]

Thanks for that Compo. Not an area I know much about. May do the John O'Groats trip one day!

[Compo 10,328]

If you decide to do it Phil you must let me know and we can have a pint or three whilst you are here.