Scotland NC500 – day 5 – fog, castle, mountains and forests Nov 8 2025

This article is part of the series “2025-10: Northern Scotland”.

October 17

My wife Annika and I have left Lairg where we stayed overnight and head west on the A837 through hilly farmland. Some places are covered with patches of dense fog which give even the more common views a magical touch.

We cross the River Oykel. North of the A837 another bridge spans the small river. These stone arch bridges are quite common, but here we can park so that we can take photos. We even get a bit of sun.

Half an hour later we arrive at the Knockan Crag National Nature Reserve. We park the car and have a view of the lake Lochan An Ais and the mountains behind. At least on those parts, that are not covered by fog.

Anyway, we hike the Crag Top Trail, a circular route. It starts drizzling as we follow the path and learn about the geological history of Scotland. Have a look at the seven photos of the stones.

While we continue our hike clouds approach and most of the view vanishes into a white void. But not for long, then lake and mountains are visible again.

Our next accommodation is in Badrallach in the south. However, we have time and first take the road north to Loch Assynt where Ardvreck Castle is located. We already visited this place three years ago.

As we hoped, the weather forecast was correct and it cleared up more and more. The silhouette of the castle ruins looks as impressive as last time, but now the water level is much lower and you can reach the peninsula with dry feet without wearing high rubber boots.

Not far from the castle there is a little waterfall, that is surrounded by birch trees. Now the leaves are bright yellow – one of the reasons why Annika and I love to visit Scotland in autumn.

Back in the car we follow the same roads that we already used three years ago. The same A837 to Lochinver by the sea where we take a light lunch in the very same guesthouse we stayed overnight three years ago. The same ridiculously small and bent single track road, that leads us further south to Badnagyle. Perhaps this is my favourite Scottish road (as long as Annika is driving and not me).

We turn left and reach the highlands again. We pass many mountains, amongst others Stac Pollaidh, that we climbed last time.

And we finally find a parking place where I can take a photo of a gorse bush, that is still in bloom.

Last time we spent a lot of time in Ullapool, now we do not even stop. (Or did we? I don’t remember.) We have to drive around the Loch Broom, a sea loch that cuts deeply into the land. But finally we can leave the main route and take the small road to Badrallach where we will spend the next night. Left and right there are some of the most beautiful trees I have seen for a long time, but again this road is single-track and it is not possible to stop without blocking it completely. Only once we can leave the car to admire the beech forest and to have a curious look at the two fenced in tombstones.

Then Annika and I arrive at our tonight’s accommodation where we get an extraordinarily beautiful room with a Scandinavian wood-burning stove and a large double bed. We take an evening walk to the end of the road and back again. Then we’re winding down the day in our room.

Scotland NC500 – day 4 – the highlands, a beach, a cave and back to the highlands Nov 7 2025

This article is part of the series “2025-10: Northern Scotland”.

16 October

My wife Annika and I have just left the comfortable Altnaharra Hotel. As on the whole road trip Annika is driving while I am trying to guide as well as I can. We cross the River Mudale and turn left onto one of the many, many single track roads.

A single track road is a road so narrow that two cars cannot pass. Therefore there are passing places marked with signs at more or less regular intervals. As a driver you have to be constantly alert, especially when the road is bending or the terrain is hilly. And especially if you have a rental car without a rear-view camera ;-). For obvious reasons it is prohibited to park in any passing places.

Luckily there are spots where you can stop, so that I can take photos of the moorlands in the Scottish Highlands. I wonder whether they always have such intense red-brown colours. I’ve been in Scotland three times, but always in October.

We stop at a broch. I learned this word just a couple of days ago and I cite from Wikipedia to explain it:

In archaeology, a broch /brɒx/ is an Iron Age drystone hollow-walled structure found in Scotland. […]

This tower-like ruin is Dun Dornaigil Broch. It dates back at least 2,300 years. It is impressive that parts of it still stand.

Actually we chose this street to see Ben Hope, Scotland’s northernmost Munro (that’s the Scottish name for mountains higher than 3000 feet). But it is too cloudy and we can only guess where the top might be. Following the road however is an attraction itself. The views on the moorlands, the patches of grass in the middle on the road, the stubborn sheep that refuse to move, often it is the small experiences that form one’s memories.

But eventually even the most stubborn sheep step aside and the longest single track road comes to an end. We are on the A838, drive round the sea loch Loch Eriboll and park our car at the Ceannabeinne Beach. Time for a walk. And photos. But still I haven’t bathed in the sea even once, the weather is just not very inviting.

Our next stop is the car park of the Smoo Cave. We go down the stairs, cross the river that emerges from the cave on the wooden bridge and stand in the vast opening. Here there is another bridge leading into darkness.

Following this bridge leads to a jetty. At the end of the jetty, there is a ladder. Below, a dinghy is moored. But straight ahead a waterfall is visible, illuminated from above, where there is a hole in the cave ceiling.

To our delight, tours into the caves are still available and we add our names to the list. I run upstairs to the car to fetch my waterproof mobile phone case and down again. Soon after we enter the jetty again. We are eight “cave explorers” including us and a guide, all wearing helmets. We climb down the ladder, enter the boat and are rowed over the underground pond. More than once we have to duck, when the ceiling gets low. Then we exit the boat and continue exploring by foot. We reach a water-filled hole in the bottom and the guide shows a video of a diver going down there. Diving down small and deep holes, digging oneself through the narrowest cracks – the stories we are told about the still ongoing exploration of this cave are not for people with claustrophobia!

The guided tour is not long but I enjoyed it very much. If you want to participate, take cash with you. There is no internet in the cave.

Near the cave is Durness, the north-western tip of the scenic road NC500. Here we do not stay long. After buying provisions at the shop and filling up the car we continue a bit further west to Balnakeil. We visit the cemetery and then have lunch on the grass looking over the beach and the sea.

Then we head back to Durness and drive southwards. Annika has to drive us another 90 km to Lairg where we managed to find affordable accommodation – not an easy task off-season in Scotland. But the road leads to the highlands again and so the day ends as it began: with impressive views over the red-brown moorlands and a grey sky.

Scotland NC500 – day 3 – from kayak surfers to the inland Nov 6 2025

This article is part of the series “2025-10: Northern Scotland”.

15 October

My wife Annika and I have stayed in a hostel in the center of Thurso. If you took a ship from here and head north you could reach the North Pole without crossing any land mass. We however have no ship, but a rental car and after breakfast we continue our road trip westward.

Our first stop is Melvick Beach, where we go for a walk. The beach is embedded in a bay. At the eastern end Halladale River flows into the sea. In this section of the beach it smells bad, because large amounts of rotten seaweed cover the sand. Maybe it was torn from the sea by Storm Amy a fortnight ago.

Our next stop is Bettyhill, just 20 km to the west. While there is a beach here as well – we come to this later – there is something else to see: Erected in the Bettyhill Cemetery there is an ancient Pictish symbol stone, the Farr Stone. It is dated to around the year 800. Little is known about the Picts. That makes this carved stone all the more mysterious.

The old tombstones from the 17th century are pretty impressive as well with their pictogram-like symbols: The hourglass, the bell, the coffin, the skull with crossbones and grave-digging tools. When this tombstone was carved, Johann Sebastian Bach was still alive.

Back to the present. And time to visit Farr Beach nearby. We are not alone. There are kayakers out in the sea with short surf kayaks. I wish I had a tenth of their skills. On the beach, we strike up a conversation with a man. We learn that it is his friends being out there playing in the waves. Among them are some of the most skilled kayak surfers in Scotland. The waves are not high, they are just playing around and it is fun to watch them while chatting. I wish I had a twentieth of their skills.

Back in the car we continue west but we make a detour. We follow a small road lined by trees. Sometimes the treetops touch each other so that a tunnel of trees is formed. That makes these single track roads look even narrower. Luckily the road is pretty empty.

We see the island Eilean nan Ron from above. The road rises, then descends nearly to sea level and we come to the main road, where we reach the Kyle of Tongue, a shallow sea loch. Before we cross it using the bridge, we have lunch on the car park by the loch. Each of us has a “meal deal”. That’s a cold meal such as sushi or salad, combined with a drink and a snack. Available in most supermarkets.

It has been pretty grey today, but there are holes in the clouds and the sun illuminates different parts of the mountains in the south.

Our original idea was to follow the NC500 further to Durness further west, but we couldn’t find any affordable accommodation. Therefore we had booked a room in Altnaharra the day before. After the booking we learned that there are many accommodations in Scotland, which are not on booking.com, but today’s room is already booked. So let’s head to the Scottish highlands!

We take the bridge over the Kyle of Tongue and turn left to follow the bay southwards until it looks more like a shallow slough with mudflats sticking out of the water. A pity, that the light is quite dull.

And then we cut through the moorlands in the Scottish highlands. The red-brown colours of the grass are intense – these are the colours of Scotland in my humble opinion.

Forty minutes later we sit by the open fireplace at the reception of the hotel in Altnaharra.

Soon we are given a comfortable room upstairs. To my delight it includes a bathtub. After dinner I’m having my first hot bath in years. Oh – so delightful!

Scotland NC500 – day 2 – standing stones and a castle on a cliff Nov 5 2025

This article is part of the series “2025-10: Northern Scotland”.

14 October

When I wake up in Helmsdale on the Scottish east coast it is still twilight. It is quiet. Only some fisher boats are leaving the harbour and two bird watchers are standing on the pier. I like especially the sign “No net working” which has a completely different meaning here. Context matters!

Back at our guesthouse “Song of the Sea, Selkie House”, Lorna, our host is inviting my wife Annika and me to her big kitchen where she prepares our breakfast. And what a breakfast: Cereals with fresh strawberries, eggs, bacon, mushrooms, toast with home-made jam and more was put on the table while we had a long and cheerful chat with plenty of laughter. I feel so welcome to be here and we only left reluctantly. I think: “If you do not like Lorna’s place you do not know anything about travelling.” If only my English was better and my ability to understand all kinds of Scottish accents.

Song of the Sea, Selkie House – our bedroom

Round half past ten we continue our road trip, heading straight north. Some attractions we find in our guidebook, while others are on using Google Maps. So we have found Achavanich, a megalithic structure literally in the middle of nowhere. We use the tiny parking area und wander around between the lichen-covered stones that are arranged in a horseshoe-shaped pattern. A bit further down – a lake called Loch Stemster.

Exercise for lichenologists: how many different species can you count on the second photo?

The next attraction is in the book: The Castle Sinclair Girnigoe 5 miles north of the town Wick. This castle – or better said its ruins – is located at the very edge of the coastal cliff. There are educational displays that explain the history, but for me the most impressive detail is the exposed location by the sea. More than an hour Annika and I are strolling round the castle despite of the drizzle. A real highlight on our trip!

This is one of the displays showing how the castle looked centuries ago.

Back in the car we drive back to the A)), follow it north and then take the road to the Duncansby Head Lighthouse which marks the most northeasterly point of the Scottish mainland. Photo. Check!

The next stop is only a very short one. I take some photos of the John o’ Groats Signpost, a famous but surprisingly boring signpost. It has four arms pointing to Orkney and Shetland, to Edinburgh, Lands End and New York. That’s it. While I take these photos Annika is slowly driving around because parking is expensive in this commercially focussed place and we are happy to leave it behind.

But the signpost is true: The Orkney islands are pretty near and we see the cliffs from different places, such as our next stop Dunnet Head. This is the northernmost point of the UK. Here take a photo of the partially sunlit cliffs of the Orkney islands in the distance.

So Annika, next time Orkney and Shetland? … and Faroe islands? … Iceland again? … Greenland? … Vinland? Sorry, I got slightly distracted. Back to our road trip.

From Dunnet Head it is just about twenty kilometres to Thurso, a surprisingly big town by the north coast of Scotland. Here we stay in a quite shabby hostel, but we can cook, we can sleep and that’s all you really need. Parking the car in town however was adventurous because the rules are pretty cryptic and time-dependent. Anyhow, there is a big car park by the River Thurso, where Annika parked our rental car over night. (Thanks again, Google Maps for the tip.)

The next day we will leave the NC500. We thought, travelling in October would make it easier to find accommodation, but it gets harder, because many guesthouses have been closed for the season.

Scotland NC500 – day 1 – the road trip starts Nov 4 2025

This article is part of the series “2025-10: Northern Scotland”.

13 October

It is one o’clock. Annika has driven the first 70 kilometres in our rental car, and we’ve arrived in Dornoch. We already visited the cathedral with its beautiful stained-glass windows. Now we are sitting at the only table outside the SandStone cafe enjoying the sun. I also enjoy something else: An Irn-Bru, this legendary Scottish soft drink with its bright orange colour. It won’t be the last one the next days.

From there it is not far away to our first beach: Durness beach with its beautiful sandy shoreline. It has some features beyond the usual such as a park with outdoor metal musical instruments or the box where you can lend beach toys.

Dornoch beach: outdoor musical instruments

We continue our road trip, but instead of following the main route we take a detour to the Falls of Shin. It is said that in summer and early autumn the salmons swim up the River Shin to spawn. When they pass the Falls of Shin they have to jump up the rapids. I thought, October was already off-season, but we do not only spot the waterfall but also some jumping salmons. And another species: salmon watchers with their binoculars and cameras with huuuge telephoto lenses. With my smaller telephoto lens I manage to take some photos of a lot of water with a tiny fish. I wonder how the salmons master this waterfall? We have not seen any salmon succeed.

Back in the car we take the road north and pass Lairg. Then we pick minor roads that lead east again. A deer is crossing one of the roads, taking its time.

The sun is setting much faster than in Northern Europe and soon the colours of the scenery become warm. Photographers call this the golden hour and in my humble opinion it is especially beautiful in autumn.

It is not only the golden hour, it is the hour of the pheasants. First we see one here and two there, then some are on the road and all of a sudden a whole flock is blocking the narrow road. completely. They totally ignore our car and I have to exit, running towards them, waving my arms like a madman to shoo them away. Never have I seen so many pheasants in my life.

Near Brora we come back to the main road A9. Another eighteen kilometres and we arrive at the “Song of the Sea, Selkie House” in Helmsdale, our first stay for the night. Just half a day’s drive, and we’ve seen so much already. Now we’re heading to a pub for some food, and before long we’re lying in the huge double bed in our cosy room.

Tomorrow we will continue north.

Autumnal kayak trip to Grindøya Sep 11 2025

Fourteen kayaks at the beach on Grindøya

Late summer mountain hike Aug 30 2025

The forecast was correct – the sky was blue the whole day today. At 9 o’clock I meet my friend Chris on a parking place and we start a mountain hike. The morning air is a bit chilly and some leaves even have frost on them.

After we have crossed the river Tromsdalselva we follow a path and some quiet residential streets and arrive at the way up to Sherpatrappa. That’s is a stone staircase of 1,203 steps leading up the mountain. Today is Sherpatrappa Opp – a competition where people run up the stairs. We however prefer walking and are lucky, that the competition will not start before eleven.

At the end of the stairs the terrain becomes less steep and you have a gorgeous view on the island Tromsøya and its beautiful surroundings. I see the island Håkøya that I circumvented by kayak two days ago. And today there is another competition: Tromsøya rundt, a 24 km long kayak tour round the island. From 400 metres up, we spot a group of kayakers passing below.

Kayakers joining the competition Tromsøya rundt

I assumed it was too late in the year for cotton grass – a clear sign for wet ground – but by a small and shallow pond we find a field of these candyfloss like flowers.

A lake always gives an awesome extra perspective in the mountainous landscapes, especially when it is as clear and blue as this one.

A white reindeer is grazing by the trail. It is not shy at all and ignores us while looking for food. On the way back we will meet it again.

I will never loose the fascination for the Norwegian landscapes, where sea and summits meet. I paddled to Grindøya – the island in the middle – several times. In the back lies mountain range on the island Kvaløya. This island is more than 1200 times larger than Grindøya and mainland Norways 5th largest island.

The weather has become warm and summery. Anyhow you can see the signs that the summer comes to an end. The colours have started changing.

On our way back we use Sherpatrappa again and get an awesome view on the town. Tromsø in a nutshell: Two Hurtigruten ships – the bridge Tromsøbrua – the iconic church Ishavskatedralen. And in the background the mountain Kjølen, where I’ve seen the midnight sun seven weeks ago (I and II).

Takk for turen, Chris!

Kayaking around Håkøya Aug 29 2025

Yesterday I finally had time to join the Thursday paddling in Tromsø again. The weather was calm and the tour leaders suggested to take a tour to the island Håkøya. After the usual preparations I entered the club’s kayak that I’d reserved – a Valley Etain 17,5 – waited for the others to be ready and off we went. Fourteen paddlers we were, including the tour leaders.

First we head west over the sound Sandnessundet. After 3 km we reach the northern tip of the island Håkøya.

First I was a bit disappointed about the gathering clouds after the clear and sunny day. Then I realised again, what wonderful light the combination of clouds and the low sun can produce. The houses and farms on the island look extremely picturesque in this light.

We slow down a bit and go on land to take a break. While sitting, eating, chatting we decide to circumvent Håkøya. Great – a new tour for me!

Going ashore and taking a break on Håkoøya

We enter the kayaks and continue our counterclockwise circumvention. Since I’ve been on Håkøya before I’m looking forward to some of the attractions such as the red sail boat anchoring near the shore and especially the 330-metre-long bridge Håkøybrua, built 1961 with its prominent wooden construction.

What however comes completely unexpected are the three catamarans anchoring on the southern side of the bridge. Huge, modern and probably ridiculously expensive sailing catamarans. What a contrast to the other sailing boats and the wooden bridge.

It is half an hour to sunset. The clear sky in the southeast has turned red and the light on the mountains is spectacular. Alas, My only camera on the water is my iPhone, so no telephoto shots.

When we reach the east side of the island the sea is getting rougher and choppier. The next photo is probably my favourite shot from the tour showing the sea, the evening light and some of my kayaking mates.

With the waves comes the wind and of course it comes right from the front. Together with the waves I have to focus more on paddling than on taking pictures on the last 3½ kilometres. Just two snapshots. On the second one you may see the lights at the kayaks. We’re in navigable waters with commercial traffic and we have to be seen. I have a light on the kayak as well and a second one attached to my life vest. And by the way, the clouds are vanishing.

After 13.5 km we arrive at the boat houses of the Tromsø Sea Kayakers Club at half past nine and it is pretty dark. Soon the kayak season will be limited not by temperature but by available daylight. Until then I’ll hopefully can join some more “Thursday paddlings”.

Here is a map of our route (including some zigzagging when taking photos.

I want to thank my paddling mates for good company and our tour guides for guiding and guarding. Takk for turen!

Just a pick-up at the station… – part II Jul 26 2025

< to part 1

Tuesday, 22 July

When I wake up early, the mountains and the sea have vanished. Thick fog surrounds our overnight stay Marmelkroken on the island Andøya. I take a walk through the wet grass to the bird observation place but beside of some seagulls and a lonely curlew that flies around there is nothing to see.

One hour later Annika and I sit inside enjoying our gorgeous breakfast. We get a table-side presentation of the dishes. More or less everything has been produced locally and we eat it all.

Then we head of. We want to catch the one o’clock ferry in Andenes that will bring us to the next island Senja, second largest in Norway (again, when we ignore Svalbard). The weather soon gets fair again, but around the mountains still some clouds are hanging.

Yesterday we took the western road, today we cross the boggy island to take the eastern one. On the way there we pass the village Å. There are several Norwegian places called Å, the most famous one is on the Lofoten. The next stop is the octagonal church in Dverberg.

A bit north near Myrset there is a huge area of peat mining. Andøya has large areas of peat bogs and parts of it has been drained to extract the peat. I climb on a hill of peat – it bounces like a water bed – to take some photos of this moonscape. Then I protect my camera lens, because each step emits a cloud of brown dust. But that’s nothing compared to the huge double-wheeled tractors anyhow that produce huge clouds of peat dust while driving. My car is brown now.

We take it easy, we have time – that’s what I thought. When we however arrive at the ferry terminal it becomes quite obvious that we would not join the next ferry. Too many cars are ahead of us waiting. So the one o’clock the ferry departs without us, leaving us behind but in a much better start position. Now we have to wait for four hours. Time to explore Andenes a bit.

As hoped and expected we find place on the next ferry. Now we are on the way north to Senja. Soon we are in open water, accompanied only by some sea birds.

The ferry trip takes one hour and forty minutes. Then we arrive in Gryllefjord on Senja.

Unfortunately we won’t catch the last ferry to Kvaløya today, they are not coordinated. We have to drive via the mainland – a large detour. Although it is another detour we decide to take the coastal route. 289 more kilometres to go which means a five hour drive in Norway. It is evening and we will make less breaks now.

Stop one – Tungeneset, a scenic rest area.

Stop two – another one of the many beautiful views on a fjord and the mountains on the other side. Here we see something special: a cloud waterfall. Clouds fall down a steep mountain range where they vanish in thin air. New clouds come from behind. The cloud waterfall is several kilometres broad and looks like a huge waterfall in slow motion. An impressive view.

(Note to the meteorologists: is this a orographic cloud spillover?)

We take the bridge from Silsand to Finnsnes. After two days we are on the Norwegian mainland again. Although it is still midnight sun season – the sun won’t set, it just moves lower and lower until it is hidden behind the mountain. I took the next photo at eleven o’clock in the evening.

At half past twelve we arrive home in Tromsø, my “work home”. Although it was only one evening and two days of travelling together it felt like real holidays.

We think about doing the same in half a year. I have to check the ferries, but it would be interesting to visit the same places in wintertime.

Just a pick-up at the station… Jul 26 2025

When Annika travelled to me last weekend, her train from Boden to Narvik was cancelled and the next and last train was heavily delayed. Unfortunately train problems have become common in Northern Sweden over the years. I had to use the airplane several times because trains didn’t run at all for days or it was impossible to buy tickets.

To keep Annika from being stranded, I drive to Narvik to fetch her. From Tromsø it takes me about three and a half hours plus some breaks.

Meanwhile Annika has booked a hostel in Bogen where we stay overnight. Our plan is not to drive back the direct route, but to visit the islands Andøya and Senja.

Monday, 21 July

The next morning starts sunny.

However it soon gets foggy. After crossing the Tjeldsund we are on Hinnøya, the largest Norwegian island (when we ignore Svalbard). We decide against a swim in the sea due to the fog and continue to Refsnes. From here go ferries cross the Gullesfjorden to Flesnes. On my trip to Narvik yesterday it was often 28 °C, now in the fog it is hardly 15 °C.

We have missed the 10 o’clock ferry, but they run hourly and we don’t have to wait for long. The journey itself takes only 20 minutes.

From Flesnes we continue to Risøyhamn. Hurtigruten travellers may know this place not only because it is one of the stops but also because of Risøyrenna – a man-made underwater channel that allows larger vessels to pass between Andøya and Hinnøya. The Hurtigruten ships has to go quite slow there.

We take the bridge over the Risøysundet and drive through Risøyhamn. Twice. Because I didn’t know that it is so small. Only round 200 people live there.

The weather is sunny again and we become more beach focussed. The first beach is for having lunch. We share it with a flock of sheep.

The second beach is for bathing. 16 °C in the water – surprisingly warm for the region.

We continue north. To the west the Norwegian Sea. Next shore westwards is Greenland, more than 1500 kilometres away. Our next stop is much closer: a public toilet at Bukkekjerka. But what a one! It is a designed block of concrete and mirrored glass. From the outside you cannot look in, but from the inside you can switch the huge glass windows between being transparent or opaque.

Around this place – a lighthouse on a peninsula, interesting looking rocks, a baaing sheep and of course the sea.

We follow the coastal road further north to Bleik. Here you can find beaches and turquoise water as well as ridiculously looking rock needles.

After refuelling my car in Andenes we drive south again to Marmelkroken, where we will stay overnight. With an additional photo stop.

To part 2 >