Hullo. How are you? I hope you are having a good day. I’m Mark and I’m walking from Land’s End to John O’Groats…
I set off from the lovely town of Dornoch early this morning to get as many miles in as possible before the temperature got up. The morning mist was rolling across the beach, which was mostly empty save for a few early morning dog walkers.
It was such a nice way to start the day by having a long walk along the beach. This is the first time since Morecambe Bay that I’ve been at the coast and it felt good to be back along the sea.
The route then left the beach and followed the course of the dismantled Dornoch railway towards the little village of Embo and beyond across the Coul Links.
As the crow flies, Golspie is not very far from Dornoch, but the vast Fleet Loch forces the trail away from the coast to the road bridge.
The path passes the remains of Skelbo Castle and down to the banks for Fleet Loch. The early morning mist was quickly burning away and the weather was soon amazing.
Fleet Loch is a haven for wildlife, with huge number of birds and dozens of seals basking in the sunshine on the sandbanks.
After a lovely woodland walk at the side of the loch, I then crossed The Mound, which carries the A9 road over above the water and onto the uphill bridge.
The short stint of road walking was soon completed and I followed the John O’Groats Trail into the woods.
This was a very nice section of the walk, with the sun streaming through the pine trees and the path gently winding its way through the forest and onto farmland.
The farmer had made it clear that cattle would be present in the field, which is absolutely the right thing to do. I know lots of people get nervous around cows but I love them and have been up close with farming my entire life.
Treated well and carefully, cattle are no threat and I enjoyed seeing the cows at ease and, as always, curious.
The path crosses the railway and heads back to Fleet Loch before following a lovely trail through Balblair wood.
Emerging from the trees, the walk continues through another golf course and to the side of North of Scotland Kart Club, where several people were speeding around the track.
And then it was back to the beach for the remained of the day. The tide was enough to allow me to walk along the sand rather than the alternative path through the golf course, which was fabulous.
Arriving into Golspie, I had a quick stop at the supermarket for some odds and ends and then headed to the hotel for lunch.
The Day 63 Vlog
Fundraising for MacMillan Cancer Support
As I walk from Land’s End to John O’Groats, I am hoping to raise £10,000 for MacMillan Cancer Support, who do such a wonderful job of supporting families through the most difficult times. If you are able to spare any amount and would like to donate to MacMillan, please do so through my Just Giving Page.
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