Day 26: We woke up to a departure day, it was time to move along. We (Steven and I) plotted our course to the next location, Dornoch, which became our first official NC500 stop! We traveled through Inverness and got separated for a short while after Linda’s GPS had them take a wrong exit off a roundabout. Thankfully they realized it quickly and got back on track. Our walkie-talkies were a great help in the situation.

We arrived at our campsite and almost immediately walked into town for a hot chocolate from Cocoa Mountain. YUMMY! The small town of Dornoch had little shops and was easy to walk around. As we found in Fort William, it wasn’t a colorfully painted town, but instead homes and businesses had exteriors colored in brown shades of bricks and stone. We noticed this in most of the towns we drove through in Scotland. A different type of beauty for sure!

Day 27: I knew Steven would be getting up and out early to catch the sunrise, but I just couldn’t make myself get up. He did get some fantastic photos and shared them with me though, which I appreciated!

While our next stop for the night was in Dunbeath, we detoured onto some narrow rural single-track roads first to see the beautiful Falls of Shin waterfall. Once we left there and rejoined the NC500, the drive included lots of coastal scenery. You all know how we love water views and Scotland’s eastern shore didn’t disappoint!

The Inver Caravan Park, our stop for the night, had some of the best facilities! The bathrooms in particular were really nice – hotel quality showers – and they were free (well – included in the overnight fee.) We all took advantage of them!

Day 28: I was excited as we pulled out of the driveway as our first stop was Duncansby Lighthouse! Along the way we saw more of the eastern coast as we headed north. Offshore we could see a huge windmill farm and a couple of oil rigs. There was also lots of cloud drama – which I love – if only it wasn’t so hard to get pics! Remember, we were in Scotland (although it’s the same in Ireland) and the driver side is opposite what it is in the US – AND – the lanes of traffic were also opposite! So, while traveling north, the views were mostly off the driver side; from the left side of the motorhome, it was impossible to get good shots. I guess I could have gotten out of my seat and took them out the side window but that didn’t feel safe.

Upon arriving, I learned we could not actually visit the lighthouse, instead just see it from beyond the fence. That was somewhat of a surprise to me, since most we’ve visited in the USA have been much more accessible. The views from the area were amazing! We took the cliff walk trail to see the Sea Stacks.

After working up our appetites, we needed to find a place to have lunch. Linda and I had heard of a food truck place that was supposed to be very good in nearby John O’Groats, so we headed that way. We found it but it was quite windy and chilly, and also threatening rain, so we opted instead to try The Northern Point, which also had good reveiws. Turned out to be an excellent choice as their food exceeded expectations! Delicious lunch!

Afterward, we walked around the little shops and I found the cutest Highland Coo and I had to get it for my Arwen! Linda and Steven purchased the smaller version to add to their sheep mascot family.

With plenty of day left, we took off again for Dunnet Head. The lighthouse there was also inaccessible, so we just hiked the area, soaking in the sunshine and beauty.

Ferry View campsites was the cutest little campground for our overnight stay. They had 6 sites for motorhomes and a few for tenters. In high season (which it was not) they offer meals onsite, cooked in a repurposed school bus. They also sold eco-friendly homemade soaps and all-purpose cleaning products.

Day 29: We woke early and got on our way. While the length of our drive was only 86 miles, according to GoogleMaps it should have taken 2 1/2 hours. For those unaware, we always add time to whatever GoogleMaps says since their time assumes a car driving at posted speed limits. We NEVER drive that fast, even back in the States. Basically, we expected it to take us 3 1/2 to 4 hours, considering we would probably also want to stop for pictures.

So you may be asking “WHY would an 86 mile drive take so long?” The answer is this: single track roads. We knew (and I guess GoogleMaps also knows) that speed limits are significantly reduced on single track roads, not to mention the amount of time you might have to spend pulled over to let oncoming traffic go by. It’s just the way it is and if you want to visit there, that’s what you have to do.

The drive was absolutely worth it! Beautiful vistas! Don’t believe me – the pics below give you an idea of what we saw along the way!

Our home for the next 3 nights was one of the first places we made reservations, Sango Sands Oasis. While researching, we learned that this location is a favorite and literally everyone who’s even driven by says you NEED to stay there. Who are we to argue with EVERYONE? Below in the dash cam section shows what we drove up to when we parked for stay there.

As soon as we were set-up (maybe not quite) we walked down to the beach. It was amazing! There were people on surfboards and a few just with their shoes off walking in the surf. Mind you it was not warm – wasn’t what I would call cold – but definitely not “beach” weather. Not for this Jersey Girl anyway! But it was beautiful!

Day 30: Well, this day marked our one month into our trip. It was going so fast! After the morning rains slowed we took off to see Smoo Cave. I have to admit I’m running out of creative words to use for the amazing sites we are seeing. At the end of this post maybe you can help me in the comments. I had never seen a cave open up next to a beach like that before. There is also a HUGE hole in the ground above it that is in the ceiling of the cave. Bill and I took the tour to see deeper into the cave, while Steven and Linda walked back toward town.

Once the tour was over, we met Steven and Linda at Cheese & Toasted, another place we learned about while researching the area. I don’t think I’ve ever had a more delicious toastie a.k.a. grilled cheese sandwich!

Day 31: Our last day at Sango Sands Oasis, we decided to walk the other direction (west instead of east – where Smoo Cave was) looking for The Best Hot Chocolate. There had been mixed reports as to whether it was open or not. Reviews of their chocolates were not mixed at all, in fact EVERYONE who mentioned Cocoa Mountain hot chocolate or any other chocolate product they made raved about it. This was the original location of the Cocoa Mountain we visited in Dornoch – where we were less than impressed.

It was about a mile walk and the views on our way were beautiful! We arrived to find it open for business and there were a few tables of people with yummy looking things in front of them. We found it hard to decide what to get since everything looked and smelled so good! I had a hot chocolate with cream and marshmallows and a caramel and white chocolate drizzled freshly baked croissant. Delicious!

We continued our walk further down the road and came across a cemetery and cliff side golf course. We saw cows on a beach – which was unusual. Walking back the way we had come, stopping in at the Spar (small local grocery store) on our way home. I was happy to learn it was also the Post Office and I was able to buy some post card stamps. Throughout the trip, I had been sending Tom (my cousin Cindys husband) post cards. You may recall that when we left to live our full-time life, Cindy had asked for us to send a postcard from each place we stopped and I happily obliged. Since Cindy died back in 2018, I continue to send them to Tommy, as I know he enjoys getting them.

Bill and I decided to take a walk later that evening, popping in at the pub for a pint (well – Bill had a pint) and we walked along the cliff. We met a young man from England who was living and traveling in his self-converted van. We chatted a while and he invited us to see his van. He had done a wonderful job creating a cozy home for himself and his little dog.

Day 32: We were up and ready to go early the following morning for our long travel day. We followed Linda and Steven along the (mostly) single track road, which eventually led us to Ullapool. The scenery was amazing the whole way!

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We had planned to have lunch at the Seafood Shack. When we arrived, we soon saw there was a cruise ship in town. Parking was a bit difficult as it was very busy, but our fabulous lunch was worth the effort. We walked around town a bit then stopped in the Morrisons so we could pick up a few needed items.

We followed each other for a while leaving Ullapool, but closer to Inverness (the official end of the NC500) we went our separate ways for one night. Bill and I moved along to Dufftown, where we would tour The Balvenie Distillery, while Steven and Linda moved on closer to Falkirk, where we would catch up with them after our tour. More on that next time!

Bill’s Lingo Lesson:

Nappies = diapers

Severe cues = traffic

dual carriageway = two lanes going the same way/motorway

single carriageway = one lane each way

single track road = one lane for both directions of traffic with passing places

Dash Cam Clips:

Previous Post: Fort William

Coming Up: The Balvenie Tour, Falkirk, andEdinburgh

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