Plans to travel to the Orkneys were shelved this morning. The weather and visibility were both poor making the 2 hour crossing each way with only 1 hour on the island unattractive.
They enjoyed the morning sightseeing around Thurso and the afternoon relaxing at the local swimming pool before returning to The Pentland Hotel that is described by the lads as 'out of this world'. A sumptuous establishment with impeccable service and excellent food they will be sorry to leave at 6.00 am tomorrow morning when they set off for the station and the return to Liverpool.
As the Scottish Tourist board says;
In the town of Wick itself you will find numerous tourist attractions including the Caithness Glass factory and the
excellent Wick Heritage Centre. Meanwhile, just south of the town, the remarkable Whaligoe Steps enable you to
descend (with great care!) precipitous sea cliffs to a tiny fishing harbour. Built in the 18th century, these 350
flagstone steps were used to carry the herring from the boats to the curing station high above on the cliff top.
Between Wick and Thurso, you can explore the triangle of Caithness that is capped by the 'end of the road'
community of John O'Groats. Cultural and natural attractions in this area include Lyth Arts Centre and the
wonderful cliffs and sea stacks to be seen at Duncansby Head. You should also find time to explore the golden
beaches, fine harbours and towering cliffs of Dunnet Bay and Dunnet Head, the latter being the true most
northerly point on the British mainland.
Travelling west, the village of Castletown lies at the heart of the area's world famous flagstone industry. Nearby Castlehill Harbour was from where much of the dressed flagstone left Caithness during the 19th century to be used to pave the streets of the British Empire. A few miles beyond Castletown, you come suddenly upon the ancient town of Thurso and the nearby port of Scrabster - the main ferry port for the Orkney Isles. As the largest town in Caithness, Thurso boasts excellent visitor services and various attractions such as the Swanson Gallery and the glass blowing studio, Glass Creations. Situated on the shore of the Pentland Firth, Thurso is also a popular with surfing enthusiasts, who add a real splash of summer colour to the British mainland's most northerly town. Meanwhile, west of Thurso you can learn about one of the area's most famous contemporary landmarks at the Dounreay Exhibition Centre.
Beyond Dounreay, the road crosses the old county boundary into north Sutherland and winds its way west
to Bettyhill. Here the coast is punctuated by series of wonderful bays and headlands, and good views can be
enjoyed from Strathy Point with its prominent lighthouse.
Inland, you discover a very different landscape. Here, on the A897 through Strath Halladale, you have an
opportunity to learn about the unique environment of the Caithness and Sutherland 'Flow Country' at the RSPB's
Forsinard Nature Reserve and Visitor Centre. The Flow Country is the name given to a vast area of blanket bog
which covers much of west Caithness and north Sutherland. This rich and ecologically diverse area is one
of the oldest and least disturbed peatland habitats to be found anywhere in the world. It is home to numerous rare
plants, insects and birds - most notably greenshanks, dunlin and golden plovers.
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