The Canadian Rockies and an unexpected interruption Oct 4 2026

This article is part of the series “2026-09: Canada”.

18 September

Only reluctantly do we leave the Summit River Lodge in Valemount. It is a wonderful place. We fill all our bottles with the delicious well water, pet Cookie, the cat, and say goodbye to our hosts. Today we will continue to Jasper where we booked two ridiculously expensive bunk beds in a shared hostel room. But hey, it’s Jasper, one of the places that every single tourist seems to visit and we are lucky we found accommodation for less than a thousand dollars a night.

We take Highway 5 and then Highway 16 east, which leads to Jasper. After a turn we see a huge, striped mountain with a snowy top ahead. It is Mount Robson, with 3954 m, the highest summit of the Canadian Rocky Mountains. On the way there, I find a nice spot by the Robson River to take photos.

We stop at the Mount Robson Welcome Centre where people take pictures of this massive mountain too.

About 60 kilometres further east we cross two borders. The first is the provincial border between British Columbia and Alberta, the other is the time zone border. I will not try to explain the Canadian time zones here. They are independent of the provinces and several changes have been made this year. Pretty confusing. Let’s keep it simple: We set the clocks forward by one hour.

We pass Jasper and take a side road to Medicine Lake and Maligne Lake. Medicine Lake is special because it is not a normal lake, but rather part of the Maligne River that disappears underground. The water level varies greatly over the year. This time of year it has a pretty low water level. At the southern tip the lake is mostly empty and reveals large sandbanks, interrupted by small but fast-flowing streams.

The next lake – Maligne Lake is one of the iconic lakes in the Rockies. I guess the main season is over because we can always find a parking space, even here we have to wait just a few minutes.

We stroll along the shore to find a good bathing place but maybe the best one is near the tourist centre. There we change into our swimming clothes and walk into the lake. And we walk and walk. The lake is so shallow that I finally just lie down in the water to get wet. When we come back to dry ourselves a moose is approaches. We already heard about two local moose in this area and the signs indicate that we should not approach wildlife. But what do you do when the wildlife is approaching you? We grab our things and move back on the way to keep our distance. When the moose turns I take some pictures. The moose makes calling sounds. Is it looking for its mum?

At the restaurant – already closed we meet a couple from France that has been travelling around Canada for almost two years. Like the Canadians we met in Likely they also recommend visiting Drumheller. We are shown some photos of an impressive landscape. Maybe we manage to visit it later.

While we are driving back to Jasper the VW Tiguan displays a warning: “Check the coolant level.” That doesn’t look good. We stop the car for a few minutes but the same warning pops up again. We open the car’s hood and, sure enough, there is hardly any coolant left. The French couple passes and stops to help us. We realise, that there is a leak in the hoses. As usual, we don’t have any mobile coverage at all. All passing people are helpful, but no one has coolant or distilled water. It is the French couple who stop a camper van from Virginia. The camper van has Starlink. In the end , they are the ones that help us. Slowly we continue our drive back to Jasper with the camper van following us as a backup. We are lucky, we make it as far as the crossing near town and gratefully wave goodbye to our helpers. To all of you who helped us or tried to help us: you are great people.

In the hostel it takes some effort to communicate with the Avis customer service, who provided our rental car. They cannot understand the situation that we have a breakdown but do not need any roadside assistance. But finally, we learn one thing: Avis has an office in Jasper.

19 September

Did I sleep well? No. It was very noisy both inside (the metal separations between the bunk beds droned loudly every time someone was touching them) and outside (a lot of drunk people were shouting and quarrelling until night). But that’s not important. What is important is to get a replacement for our rental car. To make a long story short: none of the numbers provided got us any help, but the one employee in Jasper did.

First we have to wait in the queue for quite a while but before lunchtime we have a new car, a Kia Sportage. Will it be a good replacement for our VW Tiguan? We’ll see. Annika has already filled out the extensive paper form. We move all our stuff from one car to the other, return the old car key and here we are – having our mobility back. We were extremely lucky that the car broke down near Jasper, that we made it back and that Avis has an office there. So we don’t have to change any plans and are ready to leave Jasper just a few hours later than planned.

Today we will head east for a few days but our next overnight stop, Hinton, is near, so we want to drive a bit of the Icefields Parkway first. This part of the Alberta Highway 93 is most famous for its view of glaciers, mountains, and lakes and a “must-see” for many tourists. Today we want to drive to Athabasca Falls – not on the main road but on the older road 93A on the other side of the Athabasca River. Here we are almost completely alone. We stop at one of the pullouts and have our lunch by the river.

The river is beautiful but the trees clearly show that there have been forest fires in this area as well. Many trees have black, burnt bark and I am not sure whether any of them will survive. Nevertheless new saplings with fresh leaves are growing between the black trunks.

We stop at another pullout and walk to the Athabasca River near the waterfall. Even here we are almost alone. We can see the tourists on the official trail on the other side. We go to the shore – on our side, this is possible – and look at the turquoise water of the river and the steep rocky cliff on the other side.

Less than 200 metres further on is the official car park. Even here we get a parking space almost immediately. Together with other tourists we follow the trail. Sometimes I have to wait a minute until all selfies have been taken, then I get the good spots to take my own pictures.

This was our preview of the Icefields Parkway. Now it is time to turn and leave the Canadian Rocky Mountains for a while. We take Highway 93 and turn east onto Alberta Highway 16. There we pass a slope behind a lake with a lot of quaking aspen trees. The leaves turn bright yellow in autumn, a bit like the birch trees at home.

As we leave the Rockies behind, something strange happens: it gets cloudy. We haven’t seen clouds for days and almost had taken the blue sky, the sun and the fact that our rain gear stayed untouched for granted.

When we arrive in Hinton it reminds me of a western town from the movies. Yes, the streets are paved, the horses were replaced by pickup trucks long ago and the houses are not of wood anymore, but the rows of houses and the spacious roads and the overall layout of the town evoked this image. We check in into our hotel and walk to the Filipino restaurant Pinoy Kusina where we eat Tapsilog, a dish under the label “All day breakfast”. On our walk back we can see the Rockies in the west and even the sun peeps through the clouds.

Williams Lake—Valemount – From desert to mountains Oct 4 2026

This article is part of the series “2026-09: Canada”.

16 September

After two overnight stays in Williams Lake it is time for Annika and me to move on. Flexibility is more important to us than ticking off a list of must-see attractions. Since affordable hotels, motels, hostels and B&Bs are quite limited this flexibility sometimes leads us to places off the tourist trails. Did you, for example, ever hear of Little Fort? We didn’t either, but this is our next stay.

But first we go south to explore Farwell Canyon. On the way there we drive through hilly landscapes and grassy meadows. The cattle stand on the meadows, by the lakes, in the mud beside the road and on the road itself, too.

When you drive through Lapland you may see the sorting corrals for the reindeer. Here I see a fenced area that looks very similar, however this corral is for cattle.

While we are approaching Farwell Canyon the landscape changes. It becomes drier and you can see the eroded hills.

The road to the canyon provides impressive views of the canyon and the Chilcotin River.

We want to cross that river but first we turn back to a parking place to explore the “Farwell Canyon Sand Dune Trail” which leads to sand dunes with desert-like conditions. However, we only walk part of it because it is warm and we have forgotten to take water with us.

Time to turn again, drive down the hairpin bends to the bridge over the river and up the other side. Here the road becomes smaller and smaller and also rougher. We could follow this road to meet the highway 97 in the southeast.

The problem is that we had to cross Fraser River on the Gang Ranch Suspension Bridge and we cannot find any information whether we can cross it by car or not. Since the dirt road is narrow and rough and the drive would be long and bumpy I suggest turning again.

So we see it all again, the hairpin bends downwards, the canyon, the river, the bridge, the hairpin bends upwards, the car park for the trail and even the Toosey Band Gas Station that we passed hours ago. It had been opening by the Tl’esqox First Nation three months ago. We fill up the car and buy bannock for lunch. Normally I do not like hot dogs, but the smoked sausage in that type of bread is delicious.

Soon we are back on British Columbia Highway 20 where we cross Fraser River on a more boring but somehow also more reliable bridge.

After passing Williams Lake again we take the 97 southeast. The names of the villages: 150 Mile House, 151 Mile House, 108 Mile Ranch, 105 Mile House … . The names originate from the distances to the town of Lillooet on the Cariboo Wagon Road during the Cariboo Gold Rush of the 1860s.

In the Rusty Iron Coffee Co. we get a coffee and a bun just before closing. Lucky us! My espresso is outstanding and the café is very cosy. Anyhow we sit outside enjoying the warm and sunny weather. Then we explore the 108 Heritage Site nearby with its old buildings such as a school and a church before we continue on to Little Fort, where we arrive at half past six.

17 September

Where is the North Thompson River? It was there the day before. Now it is hidden by fog that covers the whole valley. Only a slightly brighter spot reveals the position of the sun.

But it is only a matter of time until the sun wins and evaporates the fog.

Today we will head to Valemount, where our next overnight stop is located. We have only to follow Highway 5 for 200 km, then we are there. It will be a short day. Hahaha! Hihi! We already have learnt that every day of travelling in Canada is a full day because there is so much to discover, with or without detours.

Today we take a detour. We leave Highway 5 in Clearwater to visit the Wells Gray Provincial Park which is famous for its many waterfalls. The first motif however is not water falling down but a North American red squirrel. It is very busy, not very shy and I can take some photos.

Then the waterfalls: we do not visit them all, some need a hike to get there and some do not sound so interesting. So I’ll show two of them. First, Dawson falls, not very deep but broad. You can access the shore of the Murtle River and watch it from there while listening to its constant droning.

Then Helmcken Falls, where the same river falls 141 metres into a canyon. Equally impressive, but from the viewing platform you are pretty far away.

We take the dirt road to the Green Mountain Trail. We were not alone at the waterfalls – here we are. It’s only we two and a lot of butterflies – probably from the genus Polygonia – fluttering around the viewing tower.

On our way back we spot an ice cream sign by the road. That’s always a reason to stop. The ice lady is kind and funny, the ice cream is delicious and the scoops enormous. And I like the sign which says: “It’s never too cold for ice cream.” So true.

Just another stop to the picture of the ranch entrance …

… and we are back on the highway. Or we could be, if the weather weren’t so nice and Clearwater didn’t have this bathing lake, Dutch lake. Time for a stop, time for a dip. We bathe and swim in the fresh, clear, but not really cold water. Many recreational sites are community-driven. Bampton is one of them and does not only have a wonderful swimming jetty but also provides life jackets for kids.

Bampton Recreational Area – bathing jetty

Now it is 6 o’clock in the afternoon and we still have 174 km to go. The sun is setting while we drive and the higher mountains that we are seeing for the first time on our trip lie in the shade.

When we arrive at the Summit River Lodge, our accommodation for this night, it is already dark. A pity, since this lodge is so beautiful, both outside and inside! And the drinking water is great, it is taken from a well and doesn’t taste of chlorine as the ordinary Canadian tap water.

Before going to sleep, I go out and take a photo of the mountain as seen from the house. It has a glacier on it and its name is Mount Albreda (3029 m). That’s higher than any mountain in any country I have lived in: Germany, Sweden, Norway.

The next day we will see more mountains, because we head to Jasper which lies in the Canadian Rocky Mountains.

Vancouver Island Sep 21 2026

This article is part of the series “2026-09: Canada”.

Oh my, it is already 20 September. My wife Annika and I are still travelling around in western Canada, have seen many things and today I finally find the time to write another blog article, this time about Vancouver Island, that we visited from 9 to 13 September. It feels like ages ago.

9 September

The alarm clock rings at 5:45. We want to catch the early ferry from Horseshoe Bay on the mainland to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. The ferry crossing takes about two hours.

With 2200 km², Hinnøya is the largest Norwegian island near the mainland. Vancouver Island is more than 14 times as large and is ranked 11 on the list of Canadian islands. Sometimes Canada may resemble Scandinavia but everything seems to be much bigger.

We take the road north and make a stop at the public beach in Parksville on the east side of the island.

Then we make a stop at Cathedral Grove. It was a recommendation of a local from Vancouver that we met a couple of days ago. And this place is amazing. This is not just some forest, it is an ancient rain forest with gigantic trees, both tall and thick so that you may need a whole group of people to embrace it. I never ever saw a forest and trees like that and my concerns that Canada could be too similar to Scandinavia are immediately washed away.

From there it is not far away to our accommodation near Port Alberni, a beautiful blockhouse that we have booked for a night but immediately extend to three nights. It has a large living room including a piano and everything you need. Later Ryan, the friendly and helpful owner will tell us about the house’s story, but now we just fall into the king-size bed and are soon fast asleep.

10 September

Today we have planned a day trip to Tofino including visits in the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. Our first stop is an unplanned one – many more will follow, a pull-off by Kennedy River¹, that has created a gorge in the rough rocks. A good way to start the day.

We buy a pass for the Canadian national parks and start with a short hike on the Shorepine Bog Trail. Well, I have visited countless bogs in Sweden, where the landscape is mostly sparse. Here a boardwalk leads over the bog, which is wet as well but overgrown with large pines with intense green needles.

And then there it is – a Pacific beach, the open ocean. Both the waves and the many warning signs prevent us from taking a bath, but the impression of standing at the shore of the largest ocean of the world is thrilling. Next land to the west? More than 6000 km away!

Before we arrive in Tofino, we walk both parts of the Rainforest Trail, which is as amazing as Cathedral Grove. Especially “Loop B” is outstanding, because it not only features giant trees but also leads into a deep-cut valley so overgrown that you cannot see any ground or soil. Even if you head to Tofino for the beaches – as I did – do make this hike. It does not take long but it’s absolutely worth it!

We spend the time in Tofino mostly replenishing our supplies, refuelling the car and having a meal by the harbour, where as many seaplanes than boats were arriving or leaving. I also found an animal on a rock under a layer of sand. It is the sea anemone Anthopleura elegantissima (thank you, Ulrich, for the specification).

The view from our oudoor dinner place in Tofino

On the way back we stop at the northern tip of Long Beach, the largest beach, where we watch the surfers, take a stroll by the beach and collect some shells.

And here I finally manage to take a photo of a Steller’s jay. I’ve seen many, but they flew away as soon as I appeared with my telephoto lens.

11 September

Our first day off. Taking it easy, feeding the sheep, playing the piano, taking a bath in Sproat Lake, taking a nap and another bath in Sproat Lake. It’s important to let the many impressions sink in.

We will stay another day on Vancouver Island, then we will head back to British Columbia’s mainland.

_____
¹Kennedy River may be the wrong name.

Skoganvarre—Tromsø – the last stage of our car trip Jun 29 2026

This article is part of the series “2026-06: Obbola—Finland—Tromsø”.

Part four of the journey from Obbola to Tromsø

It is Saturday morning. My wife Annika and I are having breakfast in the kitchen of the campsite Skoganvarre Villmark. It is raining and people passing outside are wearing pyjamas and carrying umbrellas or wearing raincoats and crocs. Campsite fashion. Skuvvanvárri (Northern Sámi) or Skoganvarre (Norwegian) is located in Norway, but most of the guests here are Finnish, and it seems to me that more or less all of them are here for fishing.

The grey weather follows us to Lakselv where we meet the sea again in the form of the southern end of the huge Porsangerfjorden, the fourth longest fjord in Norway. We passed the road leading north before, but it was the first time that I saw the fortification high in the mountain walls left of the road. It is part of Banak fort, started by the Germans in WWII and continued by the Norwegians and used until 1987.

On the other side of the road the scenery is completely different. Stabbursnes nature reserve is a large protected area dominated by wetlands.

Annika started geocaching a while ago. Sometimes I join her in the search for I found a place to park the car, sometimes I focus more on looking for photo subjects, ideally I do both. At one of the geocache locations behind a gravelly area I first find this lonely birch and then surprisingly beautiful coastal cliffs, although it looked a bit dull in the grey weather.

I hardly take any photos of one of my favourite landscapes on this stage of the journey – the plateau of Sennalandet. I only stop for the Aisaroaivi kapell after the sky has cleared up a bit.

Some more photos from this day:

At 7 o’clock in the evening we arrive at our last overnight stay of this road trip near Sørstraumen. This time we used Airbnb and found a real gem, owned by Gunn, who is a fantastic host. Gunn rents out rooms in her private home and not only invites her guests to her kitchen for a chat but also provides huge amounts of waffles with jam. I can highly recommend her when you like meeting interesting people. We met two Germans who wanted to go north for fishing and a motorcyclist, who is driving all coastal roads of mainland Norway to collect money for ME-fondet, part of Norges Myalgisk Encefalopati forening. We are talking about 50,000 km – what a trip! This is his Facebook page: Around the Coast 2026.

A last photo of this day.

The next day at Gunn’s place began a bit like the evening before: a lively chat and waffles. One thing was different, though. Gunn already told us about whales she saw and showed some videos. While eating another waffle I looked at the fjord and saw movements on the surface. It was a school of white-beaked dolphins passing by the house. We observed them for a while, swimming, jumping, blowing and hunting. They were far away, so even with the big telephoto lens I only got images like this one:

Later than usual, we left this wonderful place to drive the last stage to Tromsø. We could have made it in four hours but it took us seven and a half. The reasons: geocaches, photo stops, detours and an outdoor lunch break. Here are some photos.

Around 18:00 we arrive in Tromsø, my “work home”. I’ll be here for about four weeks and Annika will join me the first two weeks.

Bergen reloaded Jun 3 2026

On Sunday I flew to Bergen once more. While it had been sunny a few days ago, it now presented itself as Bergen is known for: rainy.

It was not the normal rain with raindrops falling from above. It was more like an omnipresent moisture coming at you from all directions. Invisible to the eye but you get wet anyway.

On Monday I went to work. I went from the hotel in the centre to the Port of Bergen, where it took me a while to find the entrance and then to get on the list for a day visit aboard the icebreaker Kronprins Haakon.

My pocket was full of cards – one for my hotel room, one visitor card for the port, one for the ship.

One of the instruments on the bridge is a radar used for sea ice navigation. On this day an engineer from Sea Hawk was installing additional hardware that delivered the radar video signal and additional data such as GPS and gyro to an auxiliary network. My responsibility was the other half: the laptop and the software to read and store the data. And so my workplace looked like:

After some hours of work the “radar” laptop showed the same data as the large overhead display on the bridge. The engineer calibrated the scan streamer unit and I used the rest of my working day to catch one hour of radar data as an example. As expected the amount of data was immense: about 74 GB per hour.

Radar view on the Laptop (Software: ScanView, dspnor)

Then it was time to head back to my hotel in Bergen, the city with about two hundred days of precipitation a year. Even the shops here reflect the omnipresence of rain.

Tor te rest of the day, I was a tourist and took some tourist photos in Bryggen, the famous historic quarter.

The first torsdagspadling 2026 Apr 30 2026

Yesterday I finally got back to paddling in Tromsø. I had already paddled once this year, on 2 January, more than three months ago. Because of the holiday the next day the traditional torsdagspadling (Thursday paddling) was moved to Wednesday. We were a group of seven, three of them tour guides. The weather was anything but friendly. It rained and it was pretty windy.

Shortly before 18:00, we started our tour to Telegrafbukta in the south.

On the way there we had strong headwinds that slowed us down a lot. Sometimes I felt like my kayak was anchored. I tried to push forward but when I looked at the shore I realized how slow we were. The distance of about 4 km took us 90 minutes, including seeking shelter twice to check on everyone.

Finally, the wooden pier came into view. From there it is not far to Telegrafbukta, I know, but yesterday it seemed to take ages until I got there.

We all turned left into the bay where we landed at low tide. We pulled or carried the kayaks higher up and took a break. Time to drink something and share some chocolate.

It wasn’t a long break because we were all wet and it was cold. A 3 °C air temperature and the wind resulted in a sub-zero wind chill. Even I, who had taken my insulated sailing parka with me, was cold.

The way back was completely different. Not only is it nice when the rain comes from behind, but also our kayaks were pushed back and we could paddle back quite effortlessly. I was nearer to land than the others, which gave me some nasty waves. One of them almost capsized me, because I reacted too slowly to take any countermeasure. I was lucky and could keep my balance.

Once we were back on land, we helped each other put the kayaks back into the boathouses, then I drove home, still wearing my dry suit and longing for a hot shower. I got it. After that I fired the wood stove in the living room that I rarely use, but which is a perfect thing to have after such an exhausting and soaking wet kayak tour.

As always, did I regret having been outdoors? Even with today’s aching muscles and stiffness I can answer: Not at all! I’m looking forward to the next time.

Takk for turen – thanks for the trip!

Low water level in Obbola Dec 30 2025

On the evening of 23 December, it got colder and frost patterns formed on the windows of the unheated winter garden.

It takes some effort to cross the new layer of ice in the bay when my wife Annika and I go kayaking on the morning of Christmas Eve, but we manage and most of the sea is free of ice.

Two days later – on 26 December – the situation has changed. It has become much warmer – up to +7 °C – and the ice is gone.

Yesterday – on 29 December – the water is gone as well, maybe caused by the storm Johannes that crossed Sweden two days before.

Today I have a day off and used the sunny weather to take a long stroll by the coast. The water level is even lower at –66 cm, so I walk part of my route in the Baltic Sea. Air temperature is around -8 °C and so you can see ice on the sea and on land, as well as huge fields of boulders that normally are underwater. Some photos from this morning:

Larger parts of the shallow bay Nagelhamnsviken by the camping ground Fläse have completely fallen dry. That looks pretty strange, when you know how it normally looks like.

Large parts of Nagelhamnsviken have fallen dry.

The only thing we do not have at all in Obbola is any snow, but it seems to be a matter of days before it snows. And Tromsø – I’ll travel there at the end of the week – has 60 cm of snow right now.

Scotland NC500 – day 8 – a hidden pass, palm trees, and a famous castle Nov 11 2025

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

October 20

Today is the eighth day of our road trip in Northern Scotland, which my wife and I are taking together. Last night we slept in a hostel near Applecross. Now we want to take the road over Bealach na Bà pass, that is known for its hairpin bends and scenic views. Unfortunately it is still raining and the clouds are low. The beginning of the road is marked with several warning signs, but Annika can drive single track roads and we do not have wintry conditions, so we can take the road. But clouds we have. Soon we are in the middle of them. It is raining and the visibility is pretty bad. And so is the view of the hairpin turns from the top of the pass. Well, you cannot have everything.

We descend and slowly visibility improves. When we look back we can see the colourful mountain scenery with the summits in the clouds. In front of us we see the other clouds floating down to the sea loch Loch Kishorn, where they start hiding the coastal islands.

Two hours later we arrive in Plockton, a beautiful village by the sea. The climate is particularly mild, so that palm trees can grow here. An older chap I meet in the street tells me that he has different sorts of palms, a eucalyptus tree and other trees I never heard of in his garden.

It is low tide. Some fisher boats lie in the mud and it is possible to go to an island nearby. From the sandy tidal flat you can see the long row of houses by the seaside – sea view for everyone. We spend an hour and a half here to visit the craft fair, to go to the island, to pet a cat, to take photos and to find a geocache. A charming place with views of the sea, an island called Sgeir Bhuidhe, Duncraig Castle, hills, and steep mountains.

Finally we continue our tour. Next stop: Eilean Donan Castle. This castle is regarded one of the most photographed landmarks in Scotland, and it’s very popular with tourists. Visiting the interior costs money, and there’s even a charge to cross the bridge, so I take photos from the outside. It is not easy to take photos without too many tourists in the shot.

From Eilean Donan Castle it is not far to the An Spiris Accommodation at Dundreggan Rewilding Centre, our last overnight stay on our road trip. My highlight of the evening is the toddler in the large common room singing “Do-Re-Mi” from the Sound of Music.

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.

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