The weather looked as though it was going to hold earlier this morning, however, by walking time the rain had started and it didn't let up all day. We planned to meet at Duncansby Stacks - I'd walked there with the kids before; it has excellent views of the Orkneys. I hadn't walked into John O'Groats along the cliffs, though, and even in the rain it is a smashing walk. The village seemed pretty much the same to me as last time except we couldn't go near the famous signpost unless we paid to have our photo taken next to it. We have family photos of us all having fun pushing each other off the plinth - no chance of that now!
We called in at Canisbay Church to see the "John de Groat" Stone and found it in the middle of a Flower Festival. The whole church was decorated with beautiful flower arrangements, each one depicting an aspect of village life, so articles such as treddle sewing machines, hand ploughs and horse harnesses had been used for the bases. I can't wait to show the pictures to the flower club!
Canisbay Church Flower Festival
So, to celebrate the great achievement ( and our 37th Wedding anniversary - we seem to have spent a lot of them walking in remote places!) we had a fantastic meal at a nearby hotel. Now to plan our trip to America next year........
From Bernie:
Today's walk 10.0 miles : Cumulative 1295.0 miles
Stunning end to a fantastic walk! Anyone who claims the East Coast route is a dull way to finish LeJog must have been walking a different route from me!
Freswick Bay
Unlike the manager I hadn't been optimistic about today's weather & my only regret is that I didn't take photos of the Orkneys sparkling in yesterday afternoon's sunshine as we drove to our campsite at Dunnet - never mind, they may have their chance in the morning before we set off for home! Though it would have been easier to end in sunshine, the rain wasn't really a problem - this is a lovely stretch along some of the most impressive cliffs on the mainland while the ever-changing cloud patterns & shadows on the sea just add to the atmosphere.
Cliffs near Skirza Quarry
Started out with a feature unique in my experience; the busts of servicemen doubling as gate-posts & war memorials at St.Clare's Village Hall in Auckengill. First photographed these many years ago & in all my wanderings I've never come across anything similar.
Soon back on the cliffs, the serious ones beginning at the tiny, abandoned quarry at Skirza. Amazingly there is a path of sorts to follow &, if you only ever do one walk in this part of Scotland this should be it! Arches, stacks, collapsed sea caves, sheer gorges, nesting fulmars & the bobbing heads of seals some 200' below. Saw one 'bonxie' (Great Skua) as well but I think he was lost!
Fulmars
Highlight of the Day: ever one for changing finishing points, (The West Highland Way to finish on Ben Nevis, The Great Glen Way to finish at Clachnaharry sea lock!), I'd be inclined to make Duncansby Stacks the northern destination for end-to-enders. It's further away from Land's End by a couple of miles & is, visually, much more appealing than the hideous, gaudy monstrosity that is the John O' Groats Hotel. I don't suppose that LEDS has quite the same ring as LEJOG, though!
Huge, jagged, towering pinnacles of rock; they almost seem to be standing guard over the country's north-eastern corner. Even better today as the rain meant there were few other visitors!
Duncansby Stacks
Not finished yet, this approach takes the walker behind one final superb beach - the beautiful & surprisingly-sheltered Bay of Sannick. The manager & I counted 32 tiny black heads, young seals, watching as we passed & too nosy to even think about diving below the surface!
Bay of Sannick
But for all of this, today's was quite a sad stretch - I hate finishing long-distance walks. My eyes were drawn greedily to Stroma, to Hoy, to South Ronaldsay.... only a short ferry-crossing away but at least I didn't feel like turning around & walking all the way back to the start which has happened on occasions in the past!
Aaagh! John O'Groats Hotel! It has now been taken over by the Land's End people & re-development plans are in hand. Hopefully it will look a little different on our next visit....
Beer of the Day: 'Scapa Special' from the Highland Brewery, Scottish CAMRA Champion Beer for 2008! 'Signed-in' at the end of LeJog at the 'Seaview Hotel' & they had this on draught! Pale, golden & hoppy with a bit of a malty tang as well - very good beer to finish on!
Cliffs, stacks & arches!
Song of the Day (an occasional series!): 'Head Home' by Midlake.... says it all, really!
Thanks to everyone who has sent messages of support over the last couple of days & to all those who have sent their congratulations. The texts, emails & comments keep coming!
Thanks again to all those kind people we met along the way & for everybody's generous donations.
0 days left!
Things we're looking forward to doing when we get home (Walker): laying on the sofa with a good bottle of red wine & gently falling asleep without the manager's words, 'Don't forget you've still got to blog!', ringing in my ears!
The Blog page will remain open for some time yet as will the JustGiving page & I'll be using it regularly as I try to sort my other photos etc - I may even add some photos at the end once I'm home as the manager has ruthlessly restricted me to 6 photos a day & some really good ones never made the cut! She only let me use 10 today 'cos it's our anniversary!
Please feel free to leave comments - they'll come to our email as well.
104 days walking
328 postcards written
200 different pubs
42 barbecues
4 distilleries
Goodness knows how many new tee-shirts!
.... & still we made it to our 37th Wedding Anniversary!
Hereafter the manager will usually be referred to as Les, her contract having been terminated by mutual agreement.... unless, of course, I want to wind her up!
Made it, then!
Sent using BlackBerry® from OrangeSent using BlackBerry® from Orange
Hi Bernie many congratulations hope to see you in the bell soon. Song of the day these boots are made for walking (Nancy Sinatra)or maybe Walk on by (Dionne Warwick) Regards John.
ReplyDeleteWell done both of you, the walker yes!1 but the manager/organiser/driver as well.
ReplyDeleteWon't be able to see you in the Swiss Bell on your return, can guess beer of the day there!!!, hope we can get together sometime
Terry & Pauline
AMAZING! Well done both of you. Love, Ann
ReplyDeleteWell done, Bernie, from all the Lawns! We got back from holiday in Normandy today, so have not kept up to date over the last fortnight. However, we'd only been in the door 5 minutes when Joe said "We should have a look and see if Bernie finished his walk"! We all thought of you on the 10th, no matter that we were a day out.
ReplyDeleteHope to see you soon (results day?), but only once you've had a rest.
Cheers,
Trevor
Minus one point each, it is "Orkney" not "the Orkneys" and you made me lose "the game".
ReplyDeleteApart from that pedantic point, many many congratulations both to The Walker and to The Manager. You made it! By that I mean you made it to anniversary #37, despite all that walking on painful legs in sometimes miserable weather which stole away the views and wet you through and despite the lack of home comfort and the constant organising for the next place - the manager has worked 104 days without a holiday!
If you made it to #37 through all that then I just hope our marriage can be as strong.