zeke
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Post by zeke on Jul 10, 2022 7:11:53 GMT -8
In the middle of June, I flew off to hike a portion of the John O'Groats trail, which runs from Inverness to John O'Groats on the Scottish NE coast. I had been researching it before COVID, and finally had the chance to walk some of it. I chose 5 legs of the trail that most appealed to me, intending to walk from hotel to hotel. COVID changed some of that as places I had found to stay were no longer in business. So, I decided to rent a car and take a taxi out to the trail while walking back to the hotel. Changing hotels every other day. Day 1 was from Dunbeath to Lybster, a supposedly fairly easy 8 miles. The tracker my walking partner used said we walked 10, and it was a rough trail, at best. There were definite sections where the footing was mostly loose rock the size of a softball, and other portions where the trail disappeared altogether. This pic shows the trail marker on top of the post, in the foreground. My hiking buddy way out in front, as usual.
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zeke
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Post by zeke on Jul 10, 2022 7:27:19 GMT -8
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zeke
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Post by zeke on Jul 10, 2022 7:37:31 GMT -8
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zeke
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Post by zeke on Jul 10, 2022 7:45:16 GMT -8
By Day 4, I knew I needed a zero day, but didn't have room for it on the itinerary, so I shortened my day to 6 miles while supporting my friend to do the entire scheduled day. The main obstacle for the entire trip was a river crossing at the beach where it said to cross at low tide to avoid the dangers of crossing. Low tide was 10 am, and she safely crossed at 9:30 I then drove to a meeting point and we ate lunch together, walked some more before parting ways.
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zeke
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Post by zeke on Jul 10, 2022 7:51:41 GMT -8
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Travis
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Post by Travis on Jul 10, 2022 9:58:58 GMT -8
The coastline is beautiful in its ruggedness and the relics add mystery to the setting. Looks like a very peaceful walk.
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zeke
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Post by zeke on Jul 10, 2022 10:12:57 GMT -8
Travis You'll be amused by the attitude about crossing pastures. As long as we left gates the way we found them, we had no problems crossing property. In fact, the owners had no recourse but to accept us as Scotland has a Right to Roam. We did heed the signs telling us of possible hazards in the pastures with young calves. Momma cows can be assertive, and the bulls can always be nasty. The sheep were curious, but kept their distance.
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Travis
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Post by Travis on Jul 10, 2022 10:24:24 GMT -8
You'll be amused by the attitude about crossing pastures. Yeah, definitely an improvement over much of Wyoming.
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reuben
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Post by reuben on Jul 10, 2022 10:50:50 GMT -8
I see that you took my suggestion.
I haven't been yet for a variety of reasons, even though I was scheduled to go before it was officially open (2017/8/9?), after talking with the person who I suppose that you could call the founder, or impetus, behind the trail.
As far as crossing fences, pastures, private property, etc., the overwhelming majority of land in Scotland is privately owned. Hence, they have implemented an "Outdoor Access Code", or, as it's called in the first video, "Right to Roam". It's a sort of LNT approach, in which you can go pretty much wherever you like, including private property, as long as you don't act like a jerk.
11:55 -
"There are people who are gonna make a mess, there are people that are gonna spoil things, an' leave trash, an' burn fires. We had a couple guys last summer burn this absolutely beautiful tree, had been there hundreds of years, just out of pure ignorance."
"But, I guess the way you got to think of it is that, for that one tree or that one really natural thing to be spoiled by a small minority of people, think about the other thousands of people, have just been able to jes, get out car, an' jes' go. An' not, not even think, just go. Just leave, shut the door, and go. An' that is such, like, a liberty, we take for granted." ... "Ya think 'bout poor kids gettin' like blown to bits in Syria, ya know. They can't just go."
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zeke
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Post by zeke on Jul 10, 2022 11:48:29 GMT -8
reuben Midges were nonexistent. Stream crossings were bridged for the most part. Never had to walk through water, but the wet grasses still soaked my shoes a couple of days. Mid June had great weather, even with the high winds. We appreciated them for keeping the midges down.
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balzaccom
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Post by balzaccom on Jul 10, 2022 12:20:15 GMT -8
Very cool. I spent a few summers in Scotland a lifetime ago, mainly in Ullapool, up on the Northwest coast. Wonderful stuff.
My first visit was with an Italian who warned me repeatedly about the mid-gets.
Took me about a day and a half to figure out what he was talking about...
Btw-- system won't allow me to post about mid-gets without a hyphen...
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zeke
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Post by zeke on Jul 10, 2022 13:11:29 GMT -8
balzaccom Maybe the system is reacting to that word as if it is a description of little people that is now considered a slur.
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balzaccom
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Post by balzaccom on Jul 10, 2022 13:48:09 GMT -8
Indeed. Which is what I thought my Italian friend was describing. Couldn't figure out why they should be such a problem in Scotland...
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BigLoad
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Post by BigLoad on Jul 10, 2022 18:16:28 GMT -8
I'm glad this trip came off, but sorry about the closed hotels and your knee (I guess somebody always gets a bad knee in Scotland). The pics remind my of parts of the Coast Path in Wales, which is also right along the clifftops in places. The wind blows people off it now and then, so I imagine your windy day was nasty.
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geosp
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Post by geosp on Jul 11, 2022 0:30:05 GMT -8
Great to see the pic's. Back in 2006 I covered part of your route in a Land's End to John o'Groats hike. Did you get to see BadBea village (deserted with a few stone dwelling ruins) on the clifftops? just south of Dunbeath where you started. The village sprung up from the Highland clearances on a narrow strip near the clifftop edge when the local Laird kicked the folk off his land to make way for cattle. The winds there can be pretty rugged - they used to tether their animals (and small children) to prevent them being blown over the cliff. My course deviated at Lybster where I tracked inland to head for Watten and then Dunnett Head before finally tracking east to John o'Groats. (I discovered in the last days that Dunnet Head was actually the northernmost point of the Scottish mainland and not John o' Groats where I was initially headed! Some interesting spots in the area you were in. Dornoch south of Golspie on that coast was where the last witch was burnt in Scotland. Mary Horne in 1727, accused of turning her daughter into a pony! I guess it would have been handy when it came to carrying the groceries. The winds can be quite welcome in the midge infested parts of the Highlands! Rain not so much...
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