Stepping off the train at the remote Altnabreac station in Caithness, I didn't know what to expect from a ride that - on the map at least - looked like the perfect circular outing.

VENTURE above Ullapool into Assynt and you enter a world of distinctive peaks with striking outlines, built of rocks dating back millions of years. This really is a place where the saying "as old as the hills" rings true. My eyes stood out on stalks the first time I entered this magnificent landscape, and the sense of wonder has diminished little with the passing years.