More Mighty Mountains

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The Strathnaver Trail and the Kyle of Tongue

It was Saturday and we expected terrible weekend traffic on the narrow roads of this tourist trail. It certainly proved to be like nothing we’d ever experienced before. We drove all day and, if it hadn’t been for a veteran sports car rally of 20 cars travelling in the opposite direction, our total tally of vehicles would have been: one Royal Mail van, two tractors, four fishermen’s trucks, half a dozen motorbikes, another half dozen pushbikes, and three tourists’ cars!

After an excellent full Scottish breakfast (just like the full English but with black pudding) at Cloisters, our journey took us back the way we’d come - east to Coldbackie and Borgie - before turning south into the North Highlands on the Strathnaver Trail. This was literally a single-track road with grass growing down the middle and occasional passing places. Our speed seldom exceeded 20 to 30mph - fortunate because the scenery was truly outstanding and we wouldn’t have wanted to miss any of it.

Here was high moorland covered in bracken and heather, puddled with little lochs, and culminating in one big one, Loch Naver. Along the Trail, the Highland Council had erected waymarks with useful information on what was to be seen. Some of the sights, alas, involved a few miles’ walk from the road, so we concentrated on those we could access more easily, such as: Red Priest’s Stone - a very ancient piece of rock carved with a Christian cross, under which, it is said, Maol Ruadh (the Red Priest) is buried; a tiny church with a corrugated iron roof; and the “Gloomy Memories” memorial - commemorating Donald Macleod’s outspoken stand against the Clearances and the book by that name he published from exile in Canada.

We planned to stop for lunch or a cuppa at the Altnahara Hotel, at the end of the Trail and near the start of the return route on an unnamed road north towards Loch Hope. The only life in the hotel’s car park was a couple of cyclists munching on a cheese sandwich. The hotel had gone into liquidation, perhaps not surprising given its remote location and lack of passing trade. The rest of Altnahara, which looked like a town on the map, comprised just a handful of houses - so no local trade for a hotel either, and certainly no chance of a cuppa for us. All we had with us were some emergency rations - a couple of bits of shortbread and some grapes!

Between mouthfuls of their sandwiches, which they didn't offer to share with us, the cyclists told us that the road back was even narrower and more winding than the one by which we’d arrived. We didn’t believe this was possible, until we started driving on it. This was just a tarmac strip, twisting and turning up hill and down glen for the next 20 or so miles. But, wow, what a drive! Over the brow of every hill was another picture, another small loch, another brook, another waterfall. Round every corner, another view of towering, heather-clad mountains, Ben Hope (927m) on the right, Feinne-Bheinn Nhor (463m) on the left, An Lean-Charn (520m) just ahead. And, apart from aforesaid Royal Mail van and old sports cars, etc., it was all ours!

Despite frequent stops to admire and film the views amid gusty and showery weather, we reached the northern tip of the long, thin Loch Hope with time on our hands. So, we turned west, and drove the length of deep Loch Eriboll, known as “Lock ‘Orrible” by British servicemen stationed here during World War II because of the frequently inclement weather. The largest island in the loch was said to have been used for bombing practice by the Royal Air Force as it’s about the same size and shape as a battleship, and the surviving German U-boats formally surrendered here in 1945.

We continued around Meall Meadhonach (423m) as far as Durness - by which time we were gasping for a cup of tea, which we found at the Smoo Cave Hotel, a grubby little pub named after a nearby cave that we vowed to investigate the next day on the way to our next night stop.

We returned along the A838 to Cloisters for a wash and brush up before taking a pre-dinner drink with our convivial hosts and then on to eat at the Tongue Hotel. If you’re ever up this way, be sure to dine here; the Seafood Tagliatelle and the Posh Fish Supper (deep-fried salmon and chips) were outstanding, as was the service. Yes, food - as well as the magnificent scenery - seems to be featuring quite a lot on this holiday!

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The panorama at the top of the page was taken from near Talmine, looking inland across the Kyle of Tongue and the causeway

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Photos

Ben Hope from Dun Dornaigil Broch
The fine view towards towering Ben Hope (927m) taken from near the remains of a fortified Iron Age tower (a broch)

The view from Cloisters
Imagine waking up every day to this view towards the Rabbit Islands in the Kyle of Tongue

Loch Naver
Our rented Vauxhall Insignia looks insignificant beside the vast waters of the loch

Somewhere
...over the rainbow

Heather
Seen throughout the region covering moorland and hillsides

The church with a corrugated roof
Located in the middle of nowhere, the congregation at this tiny church must be miniscule

Loch Meadie
A fisherman's boat sits near the bridge where a stream runs out from the tranquil freshwater Loch Meadie

Loch Eriboll
This loch is well known as a deepwater harbour and was used extensively by Britain's naval fleet during World War II

Comments

[John & Angie]

AMAZING PHOTOGRAPHS!
What amazing photographs - those of Loch Meadie, Ben Hope and Loch Eriboll are outstanding.

[deleted_49612]

Congratulations! :) This photo is now on the Front Page. I just though i'd let you know, since you will likely not catch it while it is still there, as they stay there for such a short time.

[Keep Smiling]

...missed it!
Bummer, but thanks for letting me know Mell. Never mind, I'll add the original right now as a screensaver on my 24inch widescreen monitor! :-)