ACTIVE OUTDOORS: Ferry failure gave us a chance to explore Caithness coastline
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I saw a puffin at Duncansby Head! It was a "Hold the Front Page" moment, if you like. I know thousands of other people have seen the aforementioned adored sea bird before and my exclamation is not earth-shattering news – but it was a defining moment for me from a mini tour of the north coast.
Sometimes referred to as the "sea parrot" because of their brightly-coloured bill, the puffins are just brilliant and seeing one at relatively close quarters was amazing.
There were lots of other sea birds nesting and fishing from the dramatic sea cliffs just around the corner from John O'Groats, but the puffin stole the show for me.
My partner Donna and I had walked from John O'Groats, initially with the intention of getting some steps in and admiring the views across the Pentland Firth to the Orkney islands.
Then we were struck by the lighthouse at the top of Duncansby Head and worked our way along the coastal path and then through farm fields to the top, where you can view – but not visit – the lighthouse, built in 1924 and automated in 1997.
We kept going, following a route which took us to great views of the jagged cliff faces, with each crevice home to a sea bird of some description.
That is where my puffin moment happened. It came to me amid a sea of northern fulmars, the odd razorbill, a common guillemot, black guillemot or two, a great skua, pomarine skua and common eider – okay, I am not entirely sure I saw all of those birds, but I am assured they are inhabitants of the Duncansby Head area.
One solitary puffin perched on a little ledge and then it dropped like a stone as it descended to the waters of the North Sea below.
What a wow moment that was. Some would say I am easily pleased – I would prefer to say nature can do wonderful things to the soul when you need it the most.
We trotted on further, heading down and southwards, to the point where the view of the jagged sea stacks gives you another wow moment of a different kind; the kind that screams, "Isn't our rugged, historical and spectacular coastline just awe-inspiring".
We retraced our steps back to the lighthouse and towards John O'Groats, making sure we didn't unduly disturb the other local inhabitants – large numbers of sheep – as we followed the pathway. We got the occasional sheep stare, almost as if they were saying with their eyes, "Not more blooming tourists".
There was another puffin moment on the way back – a different puffin (so that's two I have seen now), albeit a little bit further from the eye and I didn't want to go too near the unfenced edge of the cliffs to get a better view.
Back in John O'Groats we did all the normal touristy stuff and got our photo at the sign, which tells you how far it is to Land's End, New York etc.
We had less than 36 hours for an impromptu tour of Caithness, entirely due to a technical problem with our Orkney-bound ferry and then a backlog of tourists to slot onto the vessel once it was seaworthy again. After our initial dismay at being delayed, we became overjoyed at the unexpected opportunity to do some unplanned exploring.
We will return to Caithness for a proper visit in its own right, that's for sure.
Our whirlwind tour also saw us visit Thurso, which is very much in the shadow of neighbouring John O'Groats but is actually the most northerly town on the UK mainland, and a very pretty one at that, with lots of its own unique history.
A key figure in that history is baker and botanist Robert Dick (1811-1866), who made a tasty scone (I have to rely on hearsay to say that, clearly) and was a self-taught botanist, geologist and naturalist. He became revered and renowned across the country for his collections.
Much of his items were collected during walks to Dunnet Head, the most northerly point on the UK mainland, and another great area to see flora and fauna of all kinds.
Thurso and Dunnet Head don't get the same publicity as John O'Groats (I will happily offer my services as publicity officer for them if somebody creates the role) but they are equally worth a visit if you are planning a trip to John O'Groats.
We found out more about Robert Dick at the impressive North Coast Visitor Centre, situated on the town's High Street. It also has a fascinating section devoted to the history of the Dounreay nuclear plant, its creation, development over the years as a major employer for the area and its current decommissioning.
After a bite to eat in the centre's delightful café (other delightful cafés are also available elsewhere in Thurso), we wandered around and stumbled (not literally) across St Peter's Kirk, which stands in the centre of town on Wilson Lane. It dates back to 1125 and was the principal church, administered by the Bishops of Caithness.
It became a scheduled monument in 1929 and today there is a dedicated friends group helping to maintain the historic graveyard, although the main kirk itself was fenced off as it is in need of some safety work. Ourselves and a handful of other visitors were treated to an impromptu talk about the history of the kirk by one of those friends, a very welcoming and knowledgeable lady who brought the historic building to life with her passion and enthusiasm.
Our delay meant we had to find an extra night's accommodation and we stayed in a wonderful one-bedroom wooden lodge at Farr North Lodge in Wick. This was perfect for exploring the local area and my only gripe was that we weren't quick enough to book the second lodge which comes with a hot tub!
Before checking out, we took a walk down a path towards the sea where we explored the Trinkie, a natural sea water pool. Trinkie is the Scottish word for trench and the pool was created about 70 years ago from part of a quarry. It is repainted every year, although the pool itself has seen better days, but is still a great place to visit.
The information panel shows pictures of a crowded facility in years gone by with families enjoying picnics and having fun swimming.
All in all, a fantastic 36 hours spent exploring Caithness.
Route details
Duncansby Head
Distance 5 miles / 8.5km
Terrain Path, cliff top path, stiles, short stretch of minor road
Start/finish John O'Groats road-end
Map OS Landranger 12; OS Explorer 451
A walk along the cliff tops from John O'Groats to Duncansby Head and the Duncansby Stacks
Click here to see the route in OS Maps
