A short ride took us to Castletown which is the birthplace of the Caithness flagstone industry.
We cycled through the old industrial buildings that saw the processing of stone before it was shipped all over the World. The heyday for this industry was between 1814 and 1914 and it declined due to the rise in use of concrete. Although the industry once employed over 500 people it now only has 30 but there is optimism in the air as more architects are looking to return to natural materials for building.
We paused at the visitor's centre which was closed and a couple of volunteers opened up especially for us, not to show us Caithness stone but the Primula scotica, commonly known as Scottish primrose. This is a species of primrose that is endemic to the north coast of Scotland, including Caithness and Orkney.
We arrived in Brough at our B&B/cafe, had some soup and tea then continued without baggage to Dunnet head which is the most Northerly point on the UK mainland. We have now completed the most westerly and the most northerly points in mainland Britain.
Figures:
Distance:- 28.8 km
Cycle Time:- 2 hours 6 minutes
Average speed:- 13.6 kph
Total Distance:- 2859 km
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