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A tender took us ashore at Scrabster, a small port at the northern tip of mainland Scotland. I had been in contact with a gentleman, Gordon Mackenzie, who is the harbor master of Scrabster. Gordon had given me some advice about renting a car and doing some sightseeing. He had also send me a map of the area. At first Sharon and I were going to do this on our own, and then Dave and his friends wanted to join us. So, six of us crammed into this little vehicle while Dave drove (on the left-hand side, of course). |
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Other than clipping a side mirror and almost having a head-on collision when pulling over to the wrong side of a narrow road, Dave did fine in getting us to a few of the spots we wanted to see. Another car with Marvin and Barbara was following us. Our first stop was Point Dunnet, the most northern spot of the mainland. All during the day we noticed some shrubs and hedges but hardly any trees. It gets cold here during the winter months. |
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From there it was a short drive to the Castle of Mey, the summer residence of the Queen Mother. The tour of the castle interior was conducted by several persons waiting for us in each room. Photography was not allowed, but . . . . |
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The gardens were quite extensive. I talked to one of the gardeners who explained that the flowers and vegetables are used when royalty comes to stay, but otherwise they are often sold to the locals. The walls surrounding the garden also help to protect the plants from the fierce winds that are so common here. |
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Our next stop was John O'Groats. The story goes that a Dutchman by the name Jan de Groot built this hotel at this remote spot. It was considered to be the farthest point north-east of British mainland. The other tip is at Lands End, 874 miles south-west. Many hardy souls have driven, bicycled, roller-skated and even walked this distance. We did not think much of the place. The 'hotel' is dilapidated and the whole place is a tourist spot with some souvenir shops and one 'pub'. But we had a sandwich here before going on with out drive. |
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My plan had been to spent less time at the castle and John O'Groat, and have lunch in the town of Wick. There is also the Pulteney whiskey distillery we could have visited. Instead it was decided by popular vote to take a shortcut back to Thurso and Scrabster. We even missed the fossil quarry at Achanarras. But we did stop in the town of Thurso to have a look around. I was not a happy camper but went along with the majority. I realize that when on a private tour, you don't want to miss the ship; it will not wait for you. But we had more than two hours left. It gave Sharon and me a chance to meet Gordon and his staff in his office. After that spontaneous and friendly meeting, I must say that this part of Scotland is full of interesting places and people; a wonderful place to explore. Someday Gordon ! ! ! ! |
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Sign in the window of the local butcher shop. If you don't know what haggis is, forget it. |
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We all decided to try an ice cream cone.
I also found a grocery store to stock up on a little wine and sodas. They come in handy on the ship where the price is a bit more!
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