The view from our breakfast table in Patsy's conservatory was very nice, the Hoy hills on Orkney and the steep Caithness coastline were all set out ahead of us.
It was one of those days where it is chill to stand still but warm when you move with the wind. Gentle climbs took us to the border between Sutherland and Caithness. The landscape gradually converted to lush green fields divided by the Caithness flagstone boundaries. These appear to be too low for the modern farm animal so are topped with barbed wire.
The first ray of sun for the day shone eerily on the decommissioning Dounreay power station, perhaps the superior fusion reaction of our star is sending a message. Now 15 years into the lengthy process of decontaminating and deconstruction, the once great Dounreay site remains under a cloud of controversy with a recent fire, leak and worker's concerns for their safety. The promise of electricity too cheap to meter back in the 1950's, when Dounreay was being constructed, seems to have been lost and replaced with questions about the cost of decommissioning. A big issue is how employment will be in the area when work is finally complete. One source suggests it will be 2366 before the site can be released for alternative use, in this myopic political climate that is quite worrying.
Thurso is our first big town for nearly a month so it was with great excitement that we unloaded in Sandra's Backpacker hostel and strolled into town. Sunday opening hasn't hit Thurso but the Caithness Horizon gallery, museum and cafe provided us with some Pictish stones, an exhibition about Dounreay and nice coffee.
As we walked along the sea front, the wind rattled the railings as if to remind us, the only way to cycle is east, let's hope for a wind reversal in a few days when we head back to Bettyhill!
More cyclists are about now, this group were in hot pursuit of a couple on a tandem marked just married. I wonder if they had cycled from Gretna it seems so far away now.
Up to now I have never eaten scallops with black pudding in spite of it's appearance on every TV cooking programme. I had it as a starter in Red Pepper restaurant next to the hostel and it was, not surprisingly, a good combination!
Figures:
Distance:- 36.5 km
Cycle Time:- 2 hours 8 minutes
Average speed:- 17 kph
Total Distance:- 2830 km
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