A final look across the Beauly Firth near Inverness, where patches of sunlight broke through the clouds as the long journey south got underway.
John O' Groats
29th July
Now it is time for the long journey up to John o’ Groats from Lochcarron, which took about 5 hours, with a good few stops along the way including the Dornoch Firth Bridge.
The plaque commemorating the opening of the Dornoch Firth Bridge by Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother on 27 August 1991.Standing on the Dornoch Firth Bridge, looking across the water beneath a dramatic Highland sky as patches of sunshine broke through the clouds.Looking out across the broad waters of the Dornoch Firth, with dramatic clouds casting ever-changing patterns of light and shadow across the Highland landscape.A panoramic view from the Dornoch Firth Bridge, looking across the wide estuary as sunlight and shadow drifted across the water beneath a classic Highland sky.Another view from the Dornoch Firth Bridge, where the vast expanse of water, distant hills and ever-changing clouds perfectly captured the scale of the northern Highlands.
Finally, John o' Groats was on the horizon and it only took me just over a year to visit both here and Land's End.
A photo from an earlier visit to Land's End in Cornwall, taken a year before finally reaching John O' Groats at the opposite end of Great Britain.
Lands End was on the 17th June 2024 and John O' Groats was on 28th July 2025
Mission accomplished — standing beside the famous John O' Groats signpost, one of Britain's most iconic landmarks and the symbolic northern end of mainland Great Britain.The John O' Groats Tourist Information Centre, a useful first stop for maps, local information and a chance to discover more about Britain's famous northern landmark.One of the modern stone markers at John O' Groats, bearing the words "Every mile a memory, Every step a story" beside the harbour overlooking the Pentland Firth.The remarkably clear water in John O' Groats harbour made it easy to see the seaweed swaying beneath the surface.Looking out from the harbour at John O' Groats across the Pentland Firth, with low cloud hanging over the sea and the distant shoreline fading into the horizon.Looking across John O' Groats harbour towards the colourful waterfront buildings that have become one of the area's most recognisable landmarks.Looking out across the Pentland Firth from John O' Groats, where calm waters contrasted with the heavy cloud hanging over Scotland's northern coastline.
I thought it would be a good laugh to see how long it would take me to go from here to home and i was right at a total of 8 hours and 45 minutes of straight driving.
Just for a laugh, I checked how long it would take to drive straight home from John O' Groats. At 8 hours and 45 minutes, it was technically possible — but not particularly appealing! 😄
Afterwards I stopped by Wick on my way back down to see my cousin who lives there and had a good chat with them. Then on the way back, I needed a bit of a rest and decided to pull over and have a kip in a layby, but when I woke up, this was the view.
Low cloud drifted across the hills above the loch, creating a moody and atmospheric scene that felt quintessentially Highland.Low cloud and mist clung to the hills around the loch, creating one of those wonderfully atmospheric Highland scenes that seem to appear around every corner.A roadside stop along the A890 revealed another classic Highland scene, with winding waterways, marshland and cloud-shrouded hills stretching into the distance.A wooden footbridge crosses a small stream beside the A890, with low cloud hanging over the surrounding Highland hills after a spell of wet weather.
After a long day about 12-13 hours, it was time to hit the hay and not do much the next day.
One final thing is that they say the some of the roads in Scotland is like someone laid a bunch of spaghetti on a map and said, right that is where the road is going. I particularly remember 2 parts of the A9 being quite fun, one of them being the hairpin viewpoint near Helmsdale, which went from a blind 90-degree turn to a sharp 180-degree hairpin and then back to another 90-degree bend, it made me a little bit on edge. The other one which was worse was the bit at Berriedale, which has quite a steep decent going down into Berriedale and even has lorry escape lanes if they ever need them. It then going into 2 hairpin bends going back up the hill up to the top of the cliffs which the A9 mostly sits on. Driving in Scotland is quite fun to be honest, but you do need to keep your wits about you.
Now it is time for some rest and then eventually make my way back home, until next time!!!!!!
