# We're in Durness (Cape Wrath)



## Bubblehead (Mar 5, 2007)

Hi

Weve finally arrived in Durness after leaving home last Wed night. We left home Near Portsmouth at 6pm on Wed and spent the first night at at Rutland (Wardle) next to the resivour. It was OK apart from the local boy racers and their loud music until midnight (only 1 hour after we arrived). We headed north and met our friends at Penrith before heading up to Pitlochry where we wild camped again. The following night was at Inver caravan park at Dunbeath before spending last night at Grummore Caravan club site.

The weather has been chanagable but on the whole OK with most of the rain being when were on the road or at night. We had second thoughts about leaving home due to the snow reports but thought we would give it ago, glad we did, its been fantastic and all the roads we used have been clear.

Last night I slipped on wet grass and twisted my right knee which I suspect has put paid to the long walks that weve planned  I did manage a walk on the beach today using a walking pole, but Im paying for it now!

The van also had a moment yesterday when the electrics started to play up. The headlight adjuster motors started working by themselves due to water ingress and the fuel guage dropped to zero followed by the engine cutting out - great thing on the small roads around here.

Looking forward to the next week or so up here though.

Andy


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## kennyboy (Oct 25, 2005)

We'll be up there end of July touring on the bike with some French friends who don't know Scotland. Can't wait!
Ken


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## quiraing (Feb 12, 2007)

Hi, if you are at Durness campsite you must walk down the hill to Smoo Cave. It is a fantastic experience, the cave is huge and quite awe inspiring. The beach below the site is the cleanest I have ever seen , the tide washes the whole beach clean each day and the rocks are multicoloured with veins of reds and blues A quick run of a few miles west to the small ferry which meets the mini bus that will take you to Cape Wrath, it is well worth the trip. There is space for a couple of m/homes to park next to the slipway someone very kindly knocked a hole in the sea wall. Fantastic seascapes and vertigo inducing vertical sea cliffs. The minibus driver normally stays on the Durness campsite in his motorhome.


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## Fairportgoer (Jun 24, 2008)

Hi Andy,

I hope your knee gets better soon.

We were up at Durness this sort of time last year  The beaches along that top stretch of Scotland are magnificant, and as someone said, Smoo Cave is worth a visit.










Have fun.

Regards

Dean :wink:


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## pippin (Nov 15, 2007)

Magnificent beaches - but what about the water temperature for swimming?

Any ideas?


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## Fairportgoer (Jun 24, 2008)

pippin said:


> Magnificent beaches - but what about the water temperature for swimming?
> 
> Any ideas?


If you try it.......let me know :wink:

Dean


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## Jagman (Feb 16, 2008)

Good luck with the knee Andy, have they still got the unisex showers at Durness 8O , brilliant!! If you fancy driving along the top I can recommend the view of Ben Loyal from the Tongue causeway and a trip round the Kyle on the old road is worth it. Its worth a long lunch stop or even a stop-over around Bettyhill, there are Golden Eagles on the headland N of the coffee shop and they usually fly over the main road. A trip inland to drive across the Flow Country via Strath Naver, Kinbrace and Strath Halladale past Forsinard is well worth the effort; murder for midges in the summer so ideal at this time of year before the little beggars come out to play!

Further on the Dunnet Sands CC site is one of the best ever. The walk onto the adjacent huge beach (Dunnet Sands) is almost flat, unlike Durness, so should be kinder to your knee! Once on the beach its flat and wide for about three miles. Castle of Mey is well worth a visit and the site at John O'Groates is good - no unisex showers but the biggest individual shower rooms I've ever seen 


Have a great time, so glad the weather has done you proud, we will be up there soon but have decided to head down to Wye Valley and 'black and white villages' for the rest of Easter.

Jagman


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## Broom (Oct 8, 2007)

Hi Andy

Get well quick good walking weather coming.

We are moving from Broomfield Ullapool to Inverewe today.

We have had to dig ourselves out of 3 foot of snow at Glenmore had to move to the west to get better weather

Best Regards
Broom


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