Day 64: Eriboll to Laxford Bridge, Sutherland

Virtual Walk: Scotland 2021

9th March 2021: 95.46km walked today taking the total to 6607.60/8868km. 16% of 79 entries submitting 596.62km.

Our walk continues from Eriboll to Cape Wrath, the most north-westerly point in mainland Britain, before heading south passing Kinlochbervie.

Route 20: Scrabster to Inverness NC500+ Part 2

We continue to follow the road from Eriboll around the loch head, where there is an interesting view over Lochan Havurn to Loch Eriboll, before turning northwards at Polla along the western loch shore. We are surrounded at every angle by the most stunning mountainous scenery as we progress through the settlements of Laid and Portnancon, where the ferry used to come in from Heilam, to arrive at Rispond where the loch opens into the North Atlantic Ocean.

At Rispond, we take the Rispond Pier Road to visit the historic harbour built in 1788, before continuing a short distance along the coast to Ceannabeinne Beach. The beach gets its name from the mountain behind it, Beinn Ceannabeinne (383m), which means ‘end of the mountains’ and is one of the most beautiful along this stretch with its grassy slopes leading down to rocky cliffs and white sand; it’s no surprise that Sir Walter Scott visited the beach in 1814. Offshore you can see the island of Eilean Hoan, once home to a few farming families, now a nature reserve. You can take the unique opportunity of a Golden Eagle Zip Wire experience from the cliffs to the beach here, reaching speeds of up to 40 mph! Following a swim, and zip wire run for those seeking an adrenaline rush, we return to the road and make our way to Leirinmore, passing yet another deserted settlement trail at Ceannabeinne before walking through Sangobeg with its beautiful beach.

Just past Leirinmore lies the famous Smoo Caves, near Durness. Its name is thought to come from the Norse, meaning ‘hiding place or hole’. The cave system has a unique structure, not yet fully investigated, where the caves are formed by the action of both sea and rainwater which became joined over time. Evidence found dates the caves’ use back to the Mesolithic age and it is, therefore, a Scheduled Ancient Monument. The caves came to the notice of the public after Sir Walter Scott wrote about his northern Scotland visit in 1814.

We take the tour on offer, walking down across the wooden footbridge into the vast first cave formed by sea erosion, whose opening is 40 metres wide by 49 metres high. Access to the second chamber, formed by rainwater, is by another footbridge, after which we are taken by rubber dingy through the darkness to see the Allt Smoo Stream. The Allt Smoo Burn transports excess water from the mountains to the sea which pours through a hole in the caves’ roof in the form of a waterfall - we are lucky as the stream is running full spate after a recent rainstorm, so the view is spectacular. It is an otherworldly, mystical place with stories of murder and illegal whisky stills; the locals, at one time, thought it to be the residence of the Devil. Donald McMurdo, known as a highwayman and contract killer in the 17th century, threw at least 18 people to their death here! Oh, and if that’s not enough, the caves are home to Scottish piranha fish...so don’t dip your toes.

After our cave visit, we return to the road to reach Durness, a very isolated village until the late 1800s when what is now called the A838 arrived and opened up the area; it is still the only single-track road into the village today. Durness has a fantastic beach called Sango Sands on Sango Bay; a popular holiday stopover so features a campsite by the beach. It also has a fantastic viewpoint out on the beach headland. We stop to take in the view before continuing along a minor road north-west to reach Balnakeil Craft Village on Loch Croispol. Here Cocoa Mountain is housed in an ex-army building converted after the Cold War. It looks nothing from the outside but, once inside, get ready for exotic hand-made chocolates and gloriously sumptuous hot chocolate! The luxury chocolatier has been here since 2006 and the queue is quite often out the door. We queue to get some tasty refreshments then move on, sluggishly, fighting a chocolate-induced coma!

We follow our route back to the coast to the settlement of Balnakeil, nestled in Balnakeil Bay at the neck of Faraid Head. Here the beach and dunes stretch out along the coast and a lone house and impressive church ruins stand at the roadside. A church has been on this site since the 8th century, this particular one built in 1690 falling into ruin after its congregation moved to a new building in the mid-19th century. It is at this little church that Donald MacMorrach (or McMurdo) the highwayman mentioned previously is buried, just inside the church entrance. His inscription reads, ‘Duncan MacMorrach here lyis lo (lies low). Was ill to his friend, waur (worse) to his foe. True to his master in weird and wo (wealth and woe) 1623.’ John Lennon’s aunt, Elizabeth Parkes, is also buried in the churchyard and he visited Durness often. Across the road sits Balnakeil House, one of the Clan MacKay residences dating from 1744, sitting on the site of an earlier property belonging to the Bishop of Caithness. Some of the stone from that residence was used to build this current house, a typical laird’s house for its time, and is now used as a luxury holiday accommodation.

We follow the signpost, taking us along the coast on the Kyle Coastal Route to Keoldale. When the road ends, we walk the edge of Durness Golf Course around the headland to arrive on the coast of the Kyle of Durness. Walking through this area we are on the machair again, which grows to the beach edges which are lined by sand dunes. We wander on and off the beaches, enjoying the views across the Kyle towards Cape Wrath in the west until we reach Keoldale, where we take the Cape Wrath ferry over to the western shore of Kyle of Durness.

The ferry is the only access to Cape Wrath from the east, and after disembarking, we follow the track built in 1828 to build and supply the lighthouse at the Cape’s furthest point. The bumpy track leads us along the Kyle of Durness shore turning inland through the settlements of Achiemore, Daill, Inshore and Kearvaig crossing hilly remote moorland wilderness, called Parph. A large part of the Cape is owned by the military, who use it for military exercises and training, so a check before visiting is essential to ensure you don’t get caught up in operations that do include live ordinance! There is a military checkpoint that blocks entry at Achiemore anyway, should you fail to do so.

Just under 18 kilometres walk later, we arrive at Cape Wrath and its lighthouse. We are now at the most north-westerly point on mainland Britain, but that doesn’t stop us from being rewarded by a welcome cuppa in the Ozone Cafe. Cape Wrath is named, not for its stormy weather, but from the Norse for ‘turning point’. The Vikings used this landmark as a navigation aid, turning their ships to head home upon reaching it. It is a geologically rich region, and the Cape is part of the wider UNESCO North West Highlands Geopark, awarded in 2004, which reaches as far as Smoo Caves in the east and as far south as the Summer Isles. The Cape area has been for the most part uninhabited so has diverse wildlife and is designated a Special Protection Area and a Site of Special Scientific Interest, amongst others. It is also used for sheep grazing so there are shepherds’ huts, or sheilings, dotted about the landscape as well as a few bothies. At the Cape, we see the sea stack, Stac an Dùnain, and some of the highest cliffs in Britain to the east. We gaze north across the Atlantic Ocean where there is nothing between us and the Arctic. To the east, we see Dunnet Head, to the northeast the Orkney Islands and the Isle of Skerry, to the northwest the Isle of Rona and, to the west the Butt of Lewis...we are ‘on the edge’!

Completing our visit, we head south along the coast, wild walking for 13 kilometres. Reaching a gully, we follow the stream east until it flattens out and we can jump over. As we continue south we leave the view of the lighthouse behind, taking the easier ground between the hills Cnoc a’ Ghiubhais and Sithean na h-iolaireich; easier is a matter of opinion, for the most part, the trackless wilderness is rough, tussocky grass and peat bog with uneven rocks. The raw power of nature is clearly evident on this stretch as we head down a slope, enjoying great coastal views, to cross the River Keisgaig on stepping stones. Clambering up the opposite bank we push on, negotiating a barbed wire fence marking the military defence land where notices and red flags fly along it on training days.

Walking nearer the coast we head over Cnoc a’Gheodha Ruaidh, passing a loch of the same name, to wade through Strath Cailleach River, and are thankful it isn't in spate! Along the cliffs, then over another barbed wire fence, we reach a small section of stone wall, after which a sandy path leads us down a steep slope to paddle across the outflow of Sandwood Loch, to reach Sandwood Bay and its glorious beach. We enjoy a swim and relax with refreshments as we participate in a little dolphin spotting. Those last 13 kilometres felt much longer than they actually were, but we are buoyed by the company and the fantastic weather!

Sandwood Bay has over a mile of fantastic, pinkish-coloured sand backed by deep sand dunes, with the Loch just behind and flanked by cliffs. The giant sea stack, called Am Buachaille, Gaelic for ‘The Herdsman’ and first climbed in 1968, can be seen at the south of the bay. The bay lies exposed to the North Atlantic breakers so many ships have been wrecked in the area and some lie buried beneath the sand. For this reason, Cape Wrath Lighthouse was constructed, and no further wrecks have occurred in the bay. There are local legends associated with the place, one of which was the sighting of a mermaid on the rocks in 1900. It is said to be the most beautiful beach in Britain plus, given you have to work a little harder to get here, it is never very busy.

Another 6.5 kilometres of wild walking through peaty, boggy moorland, passing lochs and lochans, takes us back to the road at Blairmore. The land in this area is owned by The John Muir Trust who protect the environment and maintain a crofting community.

We now follow the single-track coastal road southeast as it winds its way to Kinlochbervie, taking a detour right down the steep, even more, minor road to Oldshoremore Beach which mustn't be missed. We pass by Kinlochbervie along the shore of Loch Innis Na Ba Buidhe, meaning ‘loch of the pasture of the yellow cows’!! The village, despite its size, is one of the major fishing ports in Scotland. Many catches are landed here and transported across the UK and internationally in refrigerated lorries, as a result of which the road to this place has been much improved over the years. There is also a marina here with the most fantastic view of the mountains.

We join the B801 heading southeast alongside Loch Inchard, passing through Badcall, Inshegra and Achriegill to reach the Loch head at Rhiconich. Here we join the A838 once more, which snakes for 7 kilometres south to Laxford Bridge, through more moorland dotted with lochs and lochans and views to the southeast of Corbetts’ Foinaven (911m) and Arkle (787m). Laxford Bridge is an important junction for this area; if the bridge were to close, the detour would be 160 kilometres long! Built c1834 by the Duke of Sutherland to hold the road from Lairg, it was called ‘destitution road’ because of the potato famine at the time. It bridges the River Laxford running from Loch Stack to Loch Laxford sea loch, a Special Area of Conservation, and the river is known for good salmon fishing. The area is important geologically, being part of the Moine Thrust Belt, a linear tectonic feature running from Loch Eriboll in the north to just offshore of the Sleat Peninsula, Skye. Looking to the southeast, as we cross the bridge, we see Ben Stack (721m) and Ben Dreavie (510m).