Geocaching

John o’ Groats and Wick

We headed north today – all the way north.

John o’ Groats

John o' Groats
John o’ Groats harbour

John o' Groats
click on the above image for a larger version

We walked out along the coast, leaving the tourist area behind. There were even two caches along our route – the most northerly mainland caches.

Ness of Duncansby
Ness of Duncansby

Duncansby Head
Duncansby Head

John o' Groats from Ness of Duncansby
John o’ Groats from Ness of Duncansby

Wick

We stopped here mainly to eat, but we also visited the “shortest street”

Ebenezer Place

Ebenezer Place

Ebenezer Place was built in 1883 and measures only 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) long. It has only one address: No 1.

It was also the location of our last geocache of this holiday.

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Invergordon and Tain

Invergodon

For a small Highland town Invergordon can be very busy – cruise liners stop here. Today there were two of them at the docks. We were stopped by four Americans, who asked for directions, their cruise was heading on to Reykjavik and then to New York.

Cromarty Firth from Invergordon
click on the above image for a larger version
Cromarty Firth from Invergordon

We visited the interesting museum, avoided the craft fair and any cafe, but still picked up four geocaches in this very busy town.

Jeremy signing a geocache log
Jeremy signing a geocache log

Invergordon Docks
Invergordon Docks

Tain

Having spent some time on the couches in the Sunflower Too (sic) Cafe, and with the weather now turned sunny we went for a walk along the coast at Tain.

Tain

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Evanton and Alness

We went first to Evanton to walk in the Community Wood there and to look at Black Rock Gorge. Along the way we picked up geocaches.

Black Rock Gorge

Black Rock Gorge
Looking down into the deep gorge from one of the foot bridges across it.

Black Rock Gorge

The river at the bottom is the River Glass which passes out of the gorge into Evanton Wood.

Evanton Wood and the River Glass

Evanton Wood and the River Glass

Toadstool

Evanton Wood and the River Glass

Nessie

Evanton Wood

Evanton Wood and the River Glass

Evanton Wood

Evanton Wood and the River Glass

Alness


We found a cache here

We were doing well picking up caches in Alness, when we dropped into the Alness Heritage Centre. The next couple of hours was spent, very enjoyably, being shown around by Jim, one of the volunteers. He was an excellent guide, he showed us and told us about dozens of exhibits we would never had seen or understood. We also got tea there and homemade shortbread.

This is an iron, that is heated using pressurised paraffin, made by the Tilley company who still make Tilley lamps today. Tilley lamps make good flame throwers if the pressurised paraffin is released before the lamp is fully primed! Not the safest way to put creases in your clothes, especially if you are left handed, as the emergency pressure release valve is clearly visible in the photo.

Tilley iron

Tilley iron

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Plans went wrong!

We made a plan over a late breakfast to go walking for the day in a nearby forest, but we took the wrong turning and just kept going. It was sunny, we had the roof down on the car and the scenery was great. A check of the geocache map showed there were plenty ahead of us.

We stopped in Cannich for coffee and cake at the Bog Cotton Cafe and then onto geocaching and walking.

River Cannich

River Cannich

River Cannich

Corrimony Cairn

Corrimony Cairn

Corrimony Cairn

Corrimony Cairn is an ancient burial mound, built about 4000 years ago.

River Enrick

River Enrick

Milton

Geocache 300
Geocache 300

VR
VR


Toadstool

When we got back to the campsite having had a great day out in glorious weather with the roof down, we discovered the site was flooded in places. The heavy rain started at Dingwall at about 11am and went on and on for four hours!

So for a day that started by taking a wrong turning, it turned out alright for us.

Plans went wrong! Read More »