Mackay Country

Having seen enough of the coast, we cut inland on the Strathnaver Trail, which takes you up the beautiful Naver river and valley, past scores of landmarks, pre-historic and historic sites in Mackaydom. The most important of these we reached finally in the rain, the Grumbeg burial ground. Overlooking the river and then Loch Naver, this hilly site include a pre-Clearance and very old Mackay burial ground and the remains of a neolithic cairn/grave a few feet away. 6,000 years of Mackays! Despite the cold and rain, we clambered around and took a number of pix. If you could find a Mackay axis mundi, this would be it. Just down the road we also clipped some heather, to dry and save for Bobby and Marie and Rachel and Rebecca. Vicki's “roots” experience is nearly complete. I just hope she doesn't discover the McCoys are really part of the Clan MacGillicuddy.

We proceeded on, most of the day driving on one-lane country roads with passing turn-outs, averaging, oh, maybe 20mph. At length, after getting further inland, back into the Highlands, we turned west to the coast and made it nearly to Ullapool. The campground there wanted 16 quid just to park, which I regard as larcenous this time of year, so we backtracked to a layby higher up in the valley, before you get to the beautiful fiord, and parked there for another rough-camping night. After the B&B in Kirkwall and dinner, we need to economize still further. Not to mention my various HP souvenirs.

The beach at Bettyhill

Fishing on the Naver

Western Highlands

Loch Naver

Very old Mackay burial site

Vicki at the site

The ruined dolmen

Mackay Country