24 May 2013: 29km. Started 08:00. Arrived 18:00.
I was woken by a very noisy bird – it turned out to be a blackbird which left as soon as I unzipped my tent. With a forecast of rain, I made the most of the dry weather and got my tent down before breakfast. Actually the rain never arrived! Having learnt from the previous day, I packed my rucksack properly inside in the utility block. It was a bit off putting that the alarm was sounding, but a man working on the electrics implied it happens often. Sadly other visitors to the site had left a lot of litter lying around.
After reaching Embo village, I took a path which was fine until it passed through a field of Highland cattle with calves. I back tracked a bit and took an avoiding detour before ending up on a quiet road alongside Loch Fleet. The tide appeared to be out and there were extensive mud flats. This is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and I saw a seal colony, oyster catchers and heron although no otters.
Highland Cattle with calves 
Seals on the sandbanks 
Looking down Loch Fleet
Having reached the A9, there was no sensible alternative route that I could see for the five miles to Golspie unless I took a very large detour. I saw a sign warning of otters in the road, but sadly did not see them. Eventually after a very tedious walk, involving frequently hopping on the verge as traffic went past, I arrived at the pavement in Golspie. A police officer checking the speed of vehicles leaving Golspie told me he had caught a few that morning.
I enjoyed eating cottage pie with home baked bread and salad at a very pleasant café. The helpful waitress told me about a good footpath to Brora. It was indeed an excellent footpath passing behind the ornate looking Dunrobin Castle reminiscent of fairy tales. It went past some picturesque woods with bluebells in flower and looking wonderful with the sun shining and the sea behind them. It was possible to walk along the almost deserted foreshore for part of the time. This was the first time I had been on a beach since I had been in Devon. I had to get on to the road in Brora to cross the river on the bridge. I reached a footpath again across a golf course and entered the Caravan Club site via the back entrance.
Dunrobin Castle 
Interesting ruined buildings 
More seals 
Bluebells, trees and sea 
Boat on the foreshore 
Waterfalls to the beach 
River Brora and the sea
The helpful warden had only been there for four days. It was much less expensive than the sites on the previous two nights but still had a brilliant shower, washroom and laundry – to be honest the facilities were the best of the three. Mine was the only tent on a delightful area near the golf course (but not so near to get hit by stray balls!). The caravanners were mainly pensioners and were interested to hear what I was doing. Initially I was anxious that my walking gear and boots looked disreputable compared to their smart holiday clothes. However I need not have worried. I even met a couple making their way to Dunnet and they hoped that they would see me at the Caravan Club site there after the very end of my journey.
I relaxed, sitting by my tent eating and drinking, watching the evening golfers and looking the other way to the mountains. It was a clear night so became cold. There was a full moon and I wandered towards the sea to take a photo of it. Later, when the sun went down, there were “moonlight shadows” which were amazing. My tent aired very nicely. Camping is so much easier and more enjoyable with the right weather!
Where's Kathryn? 