Day 113 of the End to End was the greyest yet. I began at Golval in what seemed like a break in the weather. It set the pattern for the walking day as the rain and mist came in waves. The route joined the main road along the North Coast. The low cloud and mist was rolling in from the sea and by the time I met up with Bob near the border of Caithness visibility was very low indeed.
Caithness is the last county of this LEJOG, just as Cornwall was the first, and at the moment both seem to be experiencing wet and windy weather.
After a brief rest at a lay-by on the A836, I walked down into Reay. This mile was sponsored by Patrick and Lucy of LCSB. In the small shop I asked about the Market Cross I’d heard about but without success. A bit further on Reay Golf Course welcomes all sorts of non golf related travellers for drinks and snack. No one was playing golf due to the sea mist but we received a warm welcome and enjoyed the hot drinks and cakes.
Unfortunately the parish church next door to the golf course wasn’t open. I did finally manage to find the old burial ground where a burial vault houses the Reay Cross Slab. This is an 8th century Pictish stone but there’s no access to the vault so I had to make do with the description given outside.
I walked onto a rest stop at Achvarasdal Lodge where we ate our picnic and I had a snooze as the drizzle continued.
After about half an hour I set off again on the final two and a half miles of the day down to Shebster via the NCN route 1. Such a grey day meant there had been no butterflies although there were plenty of flowers on the verges.
We drove onto Thurso and looked at some potential routes for tomorrow. The weather forecast continues to be wet for the next couple of days and it will be a question of making decisions based on how this turns out at the time. We are now 4 days from John O’Groats.
From Psalm 50
God, the Holy One, speaks and summons the earth, from the rising of the sun to where it sets.
The day belongs to God, whatever the weather!
God grant a quiet night and a peaceful end.
JAL 08.08.2019
Day 113 of the End to End from Golval to Shebster.