Log No 52. Wed 29th May 2013 - Wick to John o' Groats, 23 miles (900 miles walked)

It looked to be a good day as we started walking at 07.50 with full packs.

Both of us were carrying an injury from yesterday, Mick didn't know how he acquired his but his right foot and ankle were badly swollen while I clobbered the side of my right thigh when getting off the bus yestrday morning. Both injuries were still very painful.

From the bridge in the centre of Wick we walked along the streets on the north side of the bay and out to Staxigoe where we got onto the cliff footpath.

We followed this round Noss Head and onto the ruins of Castle Sinclair of Girnigoe, there is some preservation work underway here.

Continuing round onto the sand at Sinclair Bay we stopped for our first break and Mick found his first Tick.

Our first obstacle of the day was where the Loch of Wester flowed out into the bay, we stripped down to our underpants to wade across. As it turned out it wasn't even knee deep.

At the end of the sand we managed to walk on the cliff top along the outside of the fields.

This was proving to be slow going and after a couple of miles we took to the road to make up some time.

We had paused by the roadside to look at the map and heard a vehicle pull up next to us, it was the John o' Groats to Dunbeath bus wondering if we were wanting to be picked up. At least we now know for sure that we can flag the bus down anywhere.

We turned off the main road at Freswick onto the minor road which led us back onto the cliff at Skirza Head.

It was easier going now with a reasonable path and no fences to climb over.

The nearer to Duncansby Head we got the better the path became.

After we had passed the Stacks of Duncansby the land was used for sheep grazing and it was very easy walking.

We also started to meet tourists who had come from the car park at the lighthouse to see the stacks and geos.

The path continued round Duncansby head and right on into the campsite at John o' Groats and we had the tent up by 18.00.

It had taken us 9 hours 40 minutes to walk 23 miles but we'd had 4 breaks and the river crossing, each of 20 minutes.