NORTH SEA SUMMER

Lairg has an excellent tweed shop which used to have a fine window display. This has now, sadly, been replaced by photographs. Inside you need plenty of money if you want to shop. I suspect my tweed-clad benefactor of the previous evening had been shopping there. Sutherland is full of large hunting, shooting and fishing estates where rich folk from the south come to spend their money on killing things and buying tweed. Last time I was here the camp-site proprietor told me that I could enjoy a good day out, and see how the other half lives, by riding on the post bus for the day while it delivered to all the shooting-lodges and great estates. Looking west over Loch Shin It rained heavily in the night but stopped considerately at 8.00. I dried the tent off and packed up under a sky full of black cloud. Then some blue sky appeared as I set off into a fresh north-west breeze. There were wide views over Loch Shin, but the mountains were still covered in cloud as I cycled up the long a...

The ferry passed close to the sea-stack known as 'The old man of Hoy'.  The cliffs of Hoy are an impressive sight. The Old Man of Hoy Then the boat swung around the north end of Hoy, past a seething tidal race and into Stromness bay.  I cycled out of the town and found a fine campsite about to close for the winter in two days time, which suited me perfectly. I pitched my tent and set off to explore the excellent museum with displays about John Rae, the Arctic explorer, and a collection of artefacts from the archaeological dig at the Ness of Brodgar. Stromness A plaque in the main street marks the place where the Hudson's Bay Company ships took on water. The ships of Lord Franklin's ill-fated expedition in search of the North-West passage watered here too. Stromness After a very good coffee from a delicatessen I cycled off on a perfect morning to visit the Ring of Brodgar, and then on to the prehistoric village at Skara Brae.  That evening I went to a...