Another day on the NC500 Destination: Cromarty

We awoke to another chilly, grey morning, but that didn't dampen our enthusiasm!  After a scrumptious breakfast at the Navidale,

 we checked out and headed south to Dunrobin Castle.

The weather was definitely on our side, as the clouds began to clear upon our arrival. 

One actually enters through the rear of the castle, where a cozy fire was burning in this ornate fireplace, taking the morning chill out of the air. 

The place was extremely busy, which I thought was kind of surprising.  There are apparently a LOT of people vacationing in Scotland at the moment.

Walking up the stairs, we found ourselves in a gallery that displayed not only paintings of past owners of this estate, but many of the prized dear that had been hunted for sport. 

Each one had a carved plaque under the head, stating the name of the hunter, the place, and the date of the hunt.  One could say that these men were extremely proud of their prize!

The castle was filled with so many beautiful paintings, but I've chosen just a few to highlight in my blog. 

Here you see the dining room, with the table set for entertaining. 

This one features the Lady Evelyn Sutherland as well as the 3rd Duke of Sutherland, with a tame fawn and dog.  Dunrobin Castle stands in the distance. 

Phillip deLazlo painted this stunning portrait of the Duchess Eileen.  She was married to the 5th Duke of Sutherland.

Her portrait graces the library that is filled with over 10,000 books. 

Along the wall of the central staircase, a painting of Queen Victoria is hung.

And then there was this very unusual rendition of Mary, Queen of Scots.  I must say that this is the first time that I've seen this particular likeness associated with her.  I find it to be quite lovely.

The outside gardens were well tended and still very much in bloom.

In the corner of the gardens there was a falconry display at 11:30, and we decided to attend. 

This hawk, named Amigo, nearly took the hat off of Marty's head when he was flying by.

There was also a peregrine falcon on site that showed off his hunting skills as well.

The Falconry exhibit was quite entertaining and it was fascinating to learn about the skill of falconry from this man who had been practicing it since he was twelve years old. 

After perusing the gardens for a bit, we headed just a few miles away to the Golspie Burn Waterfall. The parking lot was easy to find and the path was well marked. 

The only surprise was to find a group of young people who had been bathing in the water just before we showed up.  No worries....they had towels to cover anything too risqué.

We decided to take a bit of a detour along a small single lane road, and soon found ourselves looking at a brilliant rainbow reflecting off the distant hills. 

Not something we see every day, but it might be typical in Scotland. 

We spotted a few highland coos but they were at quite a distance. 

When Marty spied the Glenmorangie Distillery, he wanted to stop, so we did just that.  We didn't take a tour, as we have taken SO many in the past, but we did check out the visitor center.

Next on the tour was Balintore where we were in search of the Mermaid of the North.  We first spotted some fish...salmon, I presume.

Then we spied her sitting on a rock.  I think she's waiting for the tide to come in.

A short distance from the mermaid is the Shandwick Stone.  After parking in a very small space, we walked the designated trail to the stone. 

It stands behind glass to keep it protected.

It's positioned on the top of a hill that is directly exposed to the North Sea, so you can see why it is behind the glass structure. 

Nearby was Fearn Abbey.  We just stopped for a quick pic.

Then we were off to Nigg, to a small church that holds also has a pictish stone on display.

It was really quite an amazing find considering that it is believed to stem from the year 700 BC.  I'd say that it's in pretty good shape considering the age. 

The church was quite near to the Cromarty-Nigg ferry, so we decided to give it a go.  

Marty drove the car up the ramp and onto the fairy, and soon we were traveling across the firth of Moray to Cromarty.

It was really quite fun!

We checked into our B&B, then headed into Cromarty for dinner.

The view descending the footpath was worth capturing. 

At the base of the path stands the birthplace of Hugh Miller, geologist and writer. 

and right down the street, across from the court house, 

is the Fishertown Inn where we enjoyed a delicious dinner. 

We walked around the town for a bit, enjoying the beautiful sunset.

Then headed back to our B&B which offers a great view of its own.

As I sat in the stillness of the room writing this blog, I could hear the call of a Tawny Owl as it made its rounds nearby.  Pretty cool!

Tomorrow's another day exploring the area.  Until then, I bid you good night! 

Sunday's Adventure on the NC500: Destination Helmsdale

We awoke this morning to typical Scottish weather.  A bit rainy....a bit cloudy...and a bit chilly.  Were we disappointed?  Nope. Because I've always said that I'd rather be in Scotland in the rain, than not in Scotland at all.  And, let's face it...we were having a wee bit of an issue with the heat since neither of us had anticipated it.  So, the change was actually quite welcome in our eyes.

After a delicious breakfast at the Auld Post Office B&B, we drove up to Thurso to attend Sunday Mass at St. Anne's, where we were warmly welcomed by the parish priest. We then headed south east to Slaxigo, with the intent of visiting Castle Sinclair Girnigoe.   I had read on the NC500 facebook page that the road to the Noss Head Lighthouse Parking lot was closed to non local traffic.   So, we had determined an alternate plan that involved walking the John O'Groats coastal trail from Slaxigo to the castle.  

Well, it was pouring at a pretty good clip, and we were hesitant as to whether it would be worth trying to hike a long distance in the rain  when we arrived in Slaxigo.  I had no idea where we would park, but I did see a sign pointing to the left that said Noss Head Lighthouse. The road had been recently paved.  There was no sign of a road closure, so we decided to see how far we could get.

And, guess what?  We were able to drive all the way to the Noss Head Light House Parking lot.  And it was quite obvious that we weren't the only ones to do so, as the parking lot had several cars and motor homes parked in the lot. 

It was easy to spot the path to the left, as well as the castle in the distance.  The walk was gentle and had very little increase in elevation, so it was relatively easy to maneuver.  We had donned our rain gear to keep us dry and warm as the castle stands on the cliffs bordering the North Sea, so the wind can whip a cold breeze.

The photos lack the brilliant blue skies that spoiled us our first week here, but that doesn't diminish the beauty of the structure that dates back to the 1300's.

It was originally constructed by the Sinclair family. Over time, the Sinclair's began an expansion that would span 200 years.

The Sinclair earls continued to make improvements on the structure for several hundred years. Oliver Cromwell used the castle as a base in 1651.  When the troops departed, the owner sold the land and his Earldom to a cousin, Sir John Campbell  of Glenorchy. 

This caused some heated debate regarding who really owned the property.  In 1681, the Sinclair regained the Earldom and ownership of the castle.  It was after this that the castle was left to fall into disrepair. 

It is presently owned by the Clan Sinclair Trust and the castle is presently the only Scottish castle to be listed by the World Monument Fund as one of the 100 most endangered sites of the world. 

One could cross this bridge to get a closer look at the ruins. 

Once through the building, we spotted tons of birds sitting out on a rock.

And this seal took us quite by surprise when he popped up out of the water with a fish in his mouth!

How's that for some unexpected excitement?  We were certainly thrilled to have witnessed it.

We traveled back along the path to the car park, where we passed the lighthouse in the distance, with sheep frolicking in front.  That was a photo opportunity not to miss!

We no sooner got back to the car when the rain began to pick up again, so we were quite content to be driving to our next destination, which happened to be the Laidhay Croft Museum and Tea Shop. 

Our taste buds were treated to scones with cream and strawberry jam. 

Always a winning combination in my book! We then walked right next door to the Laidhay croft museum.

This a preserved, original Croft house that still stands on this land.  The roof is thatched and covered with fishing nets to keep it stable. 

There is a stables at the one end, with the parlor next to it. The rooms were bursting with items that had been collected by families in the areas for hundreds of years.  

One of the unique items on display is this decorative plate commemorating Queen Victoria's Silver Jubilee. 

and, interestingly enough, they had in house a triangular base which had been used instead of the concrete pillars that we had spied yesterday. 

In the very far end of the house, there was a room that was filled with gardening equipment. That included a variety of peat shovels.  

The view over the north sea from the house was superb!

From here we headed to the Navidale house, our intended destination for the night.  It's not too difficult to figure out what type of people this hotel caters to. 

Actually, Salmon fishing excursions are big around here, as we have learned the last couple of days.  This hotel only offers rooms, but the decor in the bar certainly reflects the fishing ties of the past. 

The owners have only been in possession of the place for 14 months, but they have been busy upgrading and adding some aesthetic improvements.

And the view from the back gardens is amazing.

With the weather getting mistier, we decided to take a quick drive into Helmsdale as I had made dinner reservations in a local shop.  The village is quite lovely, with a war museum perched on a hill looking over the Helmsdale river.   This is where Salmon fisherman come for the sport. 

Not far, and at the top of the hill looking out to the sea, there is a statue devoted to the Highland Clearances.  This village was just one of many that had  issued the clearance of tenant farmers these lands to be replaced by sheep.  The statue explains how one family ended up in Manitoba, Canada. 

We walked around a bit, admiring the beautiful views. 

Dinner was Fish n Chips, the La Mirage speciality.  Afterwards, we headed back to our B&B where we relaxed in the bar area while chatting with one of the co-owners. 

This might just have been the best day yet! I suppose we'll have to see what tomorrow brings.  I'll be sure to keep you posted!

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