Here’s a song to sing on the Nigg ferry if you’re the only passenger:
I’m a walker, I’m a walker,
Going John O’Groats way,
It may be day 104
But I’m looking forward to more!
It’s day 104 of the End to End, sponsored by Christine and Richard of LCSB, and I was first in the queue for the 10am ferry to Nigg. Actually I was the old passenger. The captain of the ferry obviously gets plenty of practice shuttling back and forth all summer. The crossing was flat calm and the low cloud was lifting.
At the Nigg Pier a bus was waiting for passengers. There were none as I was walking.
I walked up to Nigg Old Church, a simple 17th century building that houses the Nigg Stone. This 8th century Pictish stone is wonderfully decorated and very well preserved given the adventures it has had over the centuries. It is said to show the earliest representation of the Eucharist in British Religious Art. The detailed carvings include a central cross and surrounding decorations on both sides of the stone. It was broken several centuries ago, but recent restoration has tried to give an indication of its original dimensions.
From the church, I took the Bishops Path back to Nigg Bay. Walking along the road I came to the RSPB reserve which has a small bird hide. The volunteers were having their lunch and we had a conversation about the masses of painted lady butterflies we had all seen.
I saw far fewer today, around 20 compared to over a hundred more yesterday, but that would usually be a high tally.
I met Bob further up the road and we had our picnic lunch by Arabella bridge. We then walked into Fearn Station together. It was quite hot by this time and so I was pleased to sit down for a while when we hot there.
The last 3 miles were via Loch Eye and the road was sheltered by trees most of the way. The days walk ended at Tain Airfield, one of several WW2 airfields in the area, which closed in 1947.
We had quite a long drive back. We went over to the coast at Shandwick to see another of the Pictish stones. Also damaged over centuries, this one is of similar age to the Nigg Stone but bigger and similarly decorated. It stands in a barley field in a glass box for protection.
As of tonight I am 4 miles away from 1000 miles walked.
From Psalm 118
The stone rejected by the builders became the cornerstone: we were amazed at how God caused this to happen.
To see these old stones now, they are amazing. They have been telling the Christian gospel for centuries. At times they have been well cared for and valued, at other times less so. They have been broken and buried but they are not silent now.
God grant a quiet night and a peaceful end.
JAL 30.07.2019
Day 104 of the End to End, Nigg Ferry to Tain Airfield.