Log No 48. Sat 25th May 2013 - Tain to Golspie, 24 miles (818 miles walked)

You know what they say about the best laid plans... Mick's train was held up before he got to York and so missed his connections and didn't get to the tent until quarter to one this morning instead of 22.30 last night.

The weather had continued good from yesterday and we rose to sunshine and no wind, Mick was raring to go and with 24 miles to cover we started just before 08.00.

We had been offered accommodation in Golspie by Jane & Lawrence, friends of Pat in Orkney, Mick wasn't sure how his knee was going to hold out but if we had to stop short we could get picked up.

Crossing the Dornoch Bridge we were too busy talking and missed the little track meaning we had to double back a piece.

The tide was out so we got down to the shore of the Dornoch Firth, not quite the golden sands of the actual coast but certainly firm enough for walking on.

Rounding the point we were soon at Dornoch and there were quite a lot of people enjoying the beach in the sunshine, I was forgetting this was a bank holiday weekend.

Our first break is usually after 2 hours so were half an hour overdue when we stopped at some rocks here.

Coming up off the beach we walked along the edge of the golf course, it seems a while since I have done that now, and on into Embo, I'm sure the caravan park was bigger than the village.

From Embo we took a path & track slightly inland to get to Loch Fleet which we needed to walk round, almost 10 miles just get less than a quarter mile across the mouth of the bay.

It was a minor road along the shore to get to the A9 then for a change we had a woodland walk through Balblair Wood to get to Littleferry.

Rounding the point we got back on the beach and stopped to chat for a while with a couple and once again realised how small a world this is and they said to say to Peter & Alison Scott 'Hi from the Barclays'.

I had been keeping Jane updated with our progress and once we got to the golf links we were to phone and they would walk along the beach to meet us.

We were met at 16.15 and given an ice lolly to cool us down as we walked back to their house.

Jane & Lawrence have offered their house as a base for a second night to let us have a pack free day to Helmsdale.

Mick's knee had not given him any concerns but we haven't had any hills to climb yet.