Tuesday 10 September – Great weather, spectacular scenery, a memorable museum.

Overcast this morning, but no rain – all day! We set off again through the Highlands, continuing along the single-lane stretch for about twenty miles (we had about the same distance of one-lane yesterday afternoon.  It is surprisingly easy to handle; the view ahead is generally open and there are little lay-bys every couple of hundred yards; the convention is that if you see a vehicle coming towards you and you are closer to a lay-by you just pull over and let them pass, always with a wave.  And it works!  In our case it was aided by the fact that there wasn’t much traffic.)  The views are spectacular and we found ourselves frequently stopping just to get out and marvel – and take more photos. 

Our first scheduled stop was Bettyhill, a small village noted for its Strathnaver Museum, deservedly so, set up in the 1774 Church of St Columbus.  This is Clan Mackay territory, so the upstairs room (and the majority of the tombstones in the adjacent cemetery) is dedicated to the clan.  The downstairs section s fascinating diorama of The Strathnaver Clearances of the early 19^th century, when the crofters were forced off their common lands and out of their homes by wealthy landowners who sought more land.  If the famers demonstrated any resistance their homes were put to the torch, forcing then to flee with only what they could carry and either attempt to resettle and build a new life near the coast, move to other centres or emigrate to other countries. A brutal method of gaining control of the land.  The minister of the church was actually obliged to read out the names of those marked for eviction.

The museum also contained a graphic display of the agricultural and fishing industries in the area, as well as a recreation of a “blackouse”, a typical farmer’s home, so named because the internal fire smoke would blacken all the walls.  Outside was the Farr Stone, dating from c.850CE and bearing a striking Pictish design. The Picts, one of Scotland’s ancient people, marked themselves with distinctive tattoos.  To the Romans, the Picts were an iconic enemy.

We continued on, past empty beaches and lots of sheep, pausing for morning tea at a quaint little cottage where you serve yourself from a choice of cakes, slices and scones from shelves that lined the walls. Then a slight diversion along the Strathnaver Trail to view relics dating from 6,000 years ago, which turned out now to be just piles of stones.

Onwards to Thurso, our penultimate stop and the most northerly town in Britain.  A quick bite to eat, a look at the Wellhouse of Meadow Well, the main source of Thurso’s water supply until early last century, then a stroll towards the harbour to visit the ruins of the c.1220 Old St Peters Kirk, a walk through St Johns Square past the War Memorial statue, an external view of the St Peter and St Andrew Church (closed today), back in the car for the short drive to Castletown and finally the drive along narrow lanes to our farm-cottage for the next two nights, Rowan Cottage.