Day 22 : BETTYHILL to THURSO : Oh Weather Most Foul OR What a Difference a Day Makes

24 September 2012

Bettyhill - Strathie - Armadale - Reay - Thurso

Miles : 30.56

Average Speed:

Hours:  8.30 am - 2.30 pm

Feet up : 2206

Feet down : 2354



Well, the mileage may look wimpy, but believe me, we worked our butts and legs off for every inch of it.

The weather started out being cold and windy, and we slogged through the (mostly-walked-by-us) hills between Bettyhill and Reay, facing right into the fierce headwind. The countryside was extremely rugged and bleak, right on the coast, with big rugged outcrops to the sea, and moors to the mountains on the other side.

We stopped for lunch in Reay - crackers and cheese in a bus stop, sheltering by now from the pelting rain.

We were particularly interested in Reay, since my sister Barb and husband Fin MacKay live on their farm in Southland NZ, which is called Reay also. This is because Fin's grandparents came from this Reay , and, says Barb, the cemetery there at the Kirk is "full of dead Finlay Mackays!!!!!". Well, we found the Kirk and the cemetery, but did not tarry long enough to search through the headstones - it was freezing and pouring.

Reay Kirk

Reay cemetery from the Kirk

                                             
We did see a memorial earlier to men who had drowned at sea on two different occasions, and the list was completely made up of MacKays, except for one person.

We also went through Armadale, a far cry from the Armadale we know so well in Melbourne (JJ and M. Sharplés) !

Where did High Street go?

In what felt like the middle of nowhere, here is all a community needs - phone box, garbage collection, behind which you can just see the red post box, and a notice board, not much used it seems


The weather became truly disgusting, with rain and wind pummeling us straight into our faces, until it was hard work just making way, even on downhills and the flats.

Finally our destination of Thurso was in sight, and the weather had the nerve to clear a little and be sunny as we rode into town, a couple of drowned rats.  Good spotting by JST revealed a lovely coffee house, and coffee and cream cake helped our spirits a lot.

Then we found the Pentfield Hotel with a bath and a warm room and by 3.30 pm all those wet windy experiences were a mere memory.

Weather forecast for tomorrow is not good at all, but we intend to get there somehow,

Watch this space again!!!!!!

Posted with Blogsy