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After almost a year since we had heard of the existence of Sandwood Beach, the subsequent plan to visit, and then the more adventurous extension of the plan to walk the 14 miles from Blairmore to Cape Wrath lighthouse. Taking the difficult route overland using a map and a compass to find our way, which we did and then back the next day following in our footprints.
Sitka going over our route
We headed up to Inverness with a stop off to buy spare Fuji camera batteries then onto Dingwall for tea and pieces in the Courtyard Cafe. We headed past Ullapool then through Inchnadamph and on to Scourie campsite for the night. The scenery was stunning, made all the better with the sun shining all the way.
The River Ness, Inverness
St Andrews Cathedral
Ardvreck Castle, Loch Assynt
Kylesku Bridge
Sitka happy in the sunshine
Lesley posing in the sunshine
Scourie Bay
Blairmore path to Sandwood Beach
The start of our long awaited journey to Cape Wrath in sunshine
Lesley & Sitka raring to go at Blairmore carpark
Loch Aisir
Loch Aisir & Loch na Lerig
Lesley & Sitka leading the way
First glimpse of Sandwood Beach
The name Sandwood Bay probably derives from the Viking name 'Sandvatn' ("sand water") and it is believed longboats were dragged across the sands into Sandwood Loch. There are also remains of Pictish settlement in the area.The area has been largely uninhabited since 1847 when the land was cleared for sheep farming as part of the Highland Clearances. A number of shepherds huts remained and were occasionally occupied until around 1940. On 30 September 1941, Sergeant Michael Kilburn from 124 Squadron at RAF Castletown was flying a Spitfire south west of Cape Wrath when the engine failed. He crash-landed the plane on the beach at Sandwood, and managed to escape uninjured. The wreck remained on the beach and over time the entire bodywork was eroded away by the sea but its engine, a Rolls Royce Merlin, remains largely intact and occasionally emerges into full view whenever tidal and weather conditions permit.
Sandwood Loch
Well worth the walk to this beautiful beach
Am Buachaille sea stack
Lesley & Sitka happy to be on the beach
Great to feel the sand under our feet especially in the glorious sunshine
Hopefully not about to get swamped by the Atlantic rollers
Unfortunately we had to leave Sandwood to walk the remaining 10 miles to Cape Wrath
This is where the map & compass navigation really started, such a strange feeling walking off into the wilderness leaving the beach and all the people behind
Lesley & Sitka picking up the pace
Strathchailleach Bothy
Handy bog roll on the shelf
The legend that was Sandy Macrory Smith
Lochan nan Sac
View back to Sandwood
First view of the Cape headland
First view of the Cape Wrath lighthouse
Stunning sunset
The lighthouse at work
Old fog horn thankfully no longer works, it's a bit close to our tent
The Ozone Café owned by John Ure and family, such a generous and friendly guy, hot soup sandwiches and a free dram when we arrived, couldn't do enough for us, a good blether was had with the mountain rescue folk who were up to marshalling for the marathon runners the next day
The morning of our return, and it was peeing down, foggy and windy, only 14 miles to go though
Chin up Sitka its only rain
Marathon runners having completed the lap around the lighthouse
Alt na Clas Leobairnich Gorge, easier to navigate around than to tackle it
Looking back to fogbound Cape Wrath
Long way down
Might be a bit foggy out
Looking back to the MOD boundary fence which we had to climb over for the second time then navigate around bog
Bonny flowers even in the peeing rain
Crossing the Strathchailleach river and the welcome shelter of the bothy to brew up some hot soup
Lochan nan Sac
Sandwood beach coming into view
Lesley & Sitka picking their way across the Sandwood Loch outflow
Hellish weather, not the glorious sunshine of the day before
Back at Scourie campsite the morning after, clothes and boots drying in the sunshine
Sitka posing for his holiday photo
Scourie Bay in sunshine again thankfully
