North West We Go...Oh its Windy!!

A musically  literate reader with a long memory has admonished me, your diarist, for a truly terrible lapse. Well, not really an admonishment, rather a kind comment reminded me of a particular Scottish treasure and I must admit to a lamentable dereliction of research and outright failure of memory on my part (too many a wee dram perchance).

OF COURSE, we speak of none other than Andy Stewart and his grand song "Donald, Where's Your Trousers?" So as we come down from The Isle of Skye lets all join in the chorus: Let the Wind Blow High, Let the Wind Blow Low . Turn up the VOLUME too.

Now we are on for a quick dash, a dream drive, up the wild North-Western coast of bonnie Scotland. Many commentators and travel blogs insist that this drive from Skye up through Ullapool, to Durness on the far North coast is the most beautiful drive in Scotland, but it should be done from South to North to best capture the grandeur of the vistas. A myriad of sea lochs, of islands in the blue-slate shaded waters, of distant bare mountain crests and wayside villages with gorse in bloom. (Not sure about the 

pheasants, though.)

Laxford Loch islands
(Attribution: Anne Burgess)

Laxford River and bridge

We took off on our magic carpet along the A832 but made sure to branch off to follow the surprising good coastal roads through the tiny village of Annat on the shore of  Upper Loch Torridon and savour the view from Poolewe on Loch Ewe. Here is a sample of our Magic Carpet Experience (suggestion: use full screen view). To be very honest, your diarist is not at all sure of this video highway's designation but it is on the NW coast.

Now on the A894 as we approached Laxford Bridge spanning the River Laxford (expecting it, the river, to be called simply River Lax and at this point there being a ford, but no, there you go). We decided to take a look at tiny Fanagmore and even tinier Foidle a few km up a side road on Loch Laxford. A little adventure into the wild. 

Fangamore Bay house and Communications
Centre

Interesting demographic fact on Foidle: population 132, comprising caucasian 131 and Indian sub-continent 1, taken from Scottish census figures (with my alteration of ethnicity description to be more, how shall we say, "PC" these days). The interested reader will find economic diversity facts in the sidebar.

OK, lets keep this epic moving. Your travelling team is now at Durness, really up the top of NW Scotland, and which is self- decribed thus:The village of  Durness 5 miles west provides 2 grocery shops, a campsite overlooking Sango Bay and sandy beaches at Balnakeil, Sango, Sangobeg and Ceannabeinne. Durness is a remote and scattered crofting township spread out along the coast.

We have elected to stay at Glenaladale House, a B&B a little bit out of town, for economic considerations and to partake of their bonzer full Scottish breakfast which includes "porridge (of course) bacon, sausage (um...singular??) black pudding, eggs (ahh...plural)". One presumes that the porridge is served separately. 😋😋

Its time to forage among the myths and legends of this part of mysterious Scotland. About a mile north of Durness is the rocky headland of Faraid Head and on the western side lies Balnakeil Bay, home to Balnakeil House (one of the residences of the chiefs of Clan MacKay) and the ruins of Balnakeil Church. Let us have some lilting traditional music as we read on TRAD times

In a remaining wall of this ruined church is a large niche, dated 1623, there lies the mortal bones of one Duncan MacMorrach or Donald MacLeod or Domhnull MacMhurchaidh or MacMurachie  ( sources do vary).

Apparently he was not a nice man.🙈 In fact, according to some, he was the hit man for the Mackay of the MacKay, the second Lord of Reay, disposing of 18-odd enemies on behalf of the chief. Being such a nasty piece of work he could not be buried either in the church or in the consecrated land of the graveyard. Compromise: put him in the wall! Another source claims that MacMhurchaidh paid Lord Reay the great sum of £1000 (must have been good work if you could get it) to be buried in this special vault so that his remains would remain safe from desecration by his enemies. Our canny Lord Reay obviously did OK out of this arrangement. 

Trivia: Elizabeth Parkes, John Lennon's auntie, is buried at this spot.

Ten torturous mile NW from Durness is Cape Wrath (what a lovely endearing name) a vast and rugged wilderness, the most northwesterly point on the British mainland and home to the Ozone Cafe. One first crosses the Kyle of Durness by passenger ferry from Keodale then takes a one hour very bumpy ride in the minibus to reach the fabulous lighthouse and hot chocolate at the cafe. Dear reader, for your great enjoyment you absolutely must check out the Cape Wrath cafe website at visitcapewrath.com. 

For a mere £13 per head, Val and I are adding a virtual day to our itinerary to visit Cape Wrath....its a no-brainer. See you at the Ozone Cafe.😀

See you lovlies next on Orkney of the North Isles

Cheers Val and Bryan