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A bit like the Cabot TrailAug 5, 2005
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You can just see the Orkney Islands in the distance from the...
View of the coastline in Thurso
| I hopped on a bus this morning and took a 4-hour trip up to a little town on the far northern coast of Scotland called Thurso. I read in my guide book that the northern highlands are some of the last great wilderness in Scotland: very isolated and off the beaten track compared to all the tourists you find in the western highlands. That was enough to sell me! The drive up went all along the east coast and it kind of reminded me of the Cabot Trail....going along the coast with seaside cliffs dropping down to the water below. We went through lots of picturesque little villages too, it seemed that every group of 5 or so houses has a sign with a town name. I got into the little town of Thurso, which was about the size of Antigonish, and easily found my hostel. I wasn't feeling so hot after the winding ride so I took a little nap in the afternoon. The hostel was both the cheapest and the nicest I've stayed in so far, £9 for the night and that included breakfast! It's a youth club most of the year and just a hostel in the summer, so the kitchen, laundry, and bathroom facilities were really great. I got a bit of a second wind after dinner so I took a walk through the town and over to the beach that looks out over the Orkney islands in the distance. I did a really nice cliff-side walk along the beach and then headed back into town. I really wanted to hear some traditional Scottish music since I haven't heard any since I've been here. I saw a notice that there's a ceilidh every Friday night at the legion in town and I was there on a Friday night but of course this particular week it has been held the night before on Thursday so I just missed it. Walking back through town I saw a band setting up in a bar and thought this might be my chance so I mustered up the guts to walk in and order a beer, something that's definitely not very easy to do when you're a girl on your own. They finally started playing and it was 50's rock....I was none too impressed. Hopefully when I get back to Inverness. |
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