 |
| Cromarty Firth |
I started out slowly, not leaving Dingwall till 9 o'clock. Even after I packed up I ended up talking to the campsite manager and a few other people before leaving. Through town I bought a bacon bun from the bakery before climbing up through an estate to join a lane above the A9. It's a deserted road with pretty views of Cromarty Firth. A seventy something lady passed me jogging and I watched her with admiration and a little sadness: my nan was younger than her when she died last year never having smoked or drunk and I feel so envious and bitter on her behalf as well as mine.
 |
| B9176 |
At Evanton I found a church cafe and stopped to have an early lunch, beans on toast, and a glass of orange juice. I'd considered this as a possible spot to camp but it was still only half eleven and I felt much fresher and more relaxed than yesterday. There was no need to rush, quite the opposite in fact if I was wild camping, so I strolled on-wards and enjoyed the walk along a series of B roads, turning north through Balnacraig to cross the Dal Neich. Two cyclist past me at the bottom, their progress slowing as they struggled back up from the river back to the B9176 road. Both were carrying enough supplies to tell me that they were also heading for John o'Groats, I'd already seen half a dozen others today on ladened bikes. Quiet and easy going I made good progress, stopping only once to munch on some biscuits perched on my bag on the side of the road. The further along the road the more pretty and rugged the landscape became around me. Happily listening to Deasert Island Disks I carried on past Strath Rory, ignoring where I'd planned to wild camp. I felt strong in a calm and absent minded way so it seemed a pity to waste it. About eight or so miles away there was a campsite, less that six miles from Dornoch it was a perfect rest stop. If I reached it tomorrow would be nothing but a stroll.
Half way along the lane, just past Blackpark, I lost my footing in a pot hole and fell face down on the road. I knew quickly that I was unhurt, just grazed palms and leg. Rolling over I unclipped my bag rather than make any attempt to lift it up from the ground, I was also a little concerned with been sprawled across the road strapped into a 40 pound backpack. As quiet as the lane was it would only take a distracted driver speeding to get home. Once on my feet I checked on my leg and sucked my palm clean before pulling the backpack on. I was suddenly a lot more weary.
 |
| School glass house in Edderton |
A lady stopped to offer me a lift in the four wheel drive and after I politely refused I began to descend towards Edderton. A family with bikes strapped to the roof of their car had stopped near the town and were rummaging in the side ditch. The man informed me they were geocaching, something I'd only loosely heard of: people buried of hit objects or boxes around the countryside and provided both the GPS location and a clue so others can hunt them down. Its a clever way to get people into the countryside.
Once at Edderton I turned east and walked the last 3 or so miles to the Dornoch Firth Bridge. The A836 was busy and rather unpleasant to walk, and I was pretty tired at this point. I'd only walked 28 miles once before and, even more urgently, I needed the toilet. Just before Maikle Ferry roundabout a side lane takes you to the entrance of the campsite. Its a horribly long campsite, the road
 |
| Parish of Kincardine, Croick & Edderton |
on one side and train track on the other, the tent field five minutes walk from the toilet block. That said it was well maintained and clean enough. Once I'd had my rest stop, set up the tent and washed, I sat back and ate. My body was beginning to stiffen, my knees in particular complaining loudly. It took me longer than ever to go to sleep, constantly trying to stretch out my aches in the sleeping bag with no affect. It wasn't the crippling pain after a hard work out at the gym, just a dull ache of weary joints which had walked over a 1000 miles in less than nine weeks. Not much
longer to go.
No comments:
Post a Comment