Day 6 - Inverness to Thurso

After leaving the guesthouse we went to Wetherspoons for breakfast before starting our final long journey to Thurso.  It was warm and sunny for most of the drive with a bit of sea mist now and again.  We noticed that there were fewer bluebells but a lot of beautiful gorse bushes around.  

We made a lunch stop at Helmsdale which is a lovely little fishing village about half way.  There were great views across the river Helmsdale of gorse covered hills.  In the estuary were hundreds of noisy kittiwakes.  We had a walk around the village and up to a war memorial which is also a clock tower and sat on picnic tables in the harbour area to eat.

 
Helmsdale River

 
The Clock Tower and War Memorial

 
Train at Helmsdale Station

 

 
View over the river to gorse sloped hill

 
 
Helmsdale River where it enters the North Sea

 
Helmsdale Harbour

 
Kittiwake in flight

 
Kittiwakes

 
Noisy Kittiwakes


When we arrived in Thurso, the temperature was showing 23C and it was very warm so we changed into shorts before going to explore the town.

We first went to the park to find out where the parkrun starts.  It is less than 5 mins from the hotel so I can have a bit of a lie in.  In Scotland parkrun starts at 9.30am.

We then walked into the town centre which is very nice but very small and quiet then found somewhere to eat tonight and tomorrow night.  Restaurant prices are much cheaper here.  We then went to the sea front which has quite a nice beach and there were many people sunbathing and swimming in the sea.  From the sea front we could see the Orkney Island of Hoy and Dunnet Head.

 
The Thurso River, near the parkrun start

 
St Peter and St Andrews Church, Thurso

 
The Tourist Information Building

 
Thurso beach looking towards Scrabster

 
Thurso beach looking towards Dunnet Head

 
Sir George Sinclair Memorial Fountain

We came back to the hotel for a rest before going to eat at the Pentland Hotel.


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