The Long Hard Drive From Aberdeen To Ullapool

I think this took me about NINE hours in total. It wasn't so bad as I got to Aberdeen at 7am, and made it to Duncansby Head by about 1. Had an hour or so in the morning but after that it was just overcast with the occasional bit of blue sky and sun.

Of course there wasn't much to photograph for the first few hours except Scottish football grounds:

Elgin City



Forres Mechanics





I think this was my favourite one because I was able to drive up to the pitch itself. Plus you can visit the Red Beastie after the game.





Inverness Caledonian Thistle, taken safely from the A9.



Brora Rangers





Wick Academy



Can't wait for the new season to start and the Highland League results to come up on the BBC, so I can shout "I've been there!" at the TV.

Anyway enough of the football for today. This was the first bilingual road sign I saw. I didn't see another one until I was out of the north east and much closer to Ullapool.



After a long drive up the A9, on something that at least resembled a proper road, I got to Duncansby Head, the most north-easternly corner of the British mainland.







This was the first of three stops close together to visit the local "first and last" landmarks. The second was John O'Groats. I don't know why it gets such a bad press, it's not THAT bad, especially compared to Land's End which is much tackier. It was a shame to see the John O'Groats Hotel boarded up. Many years ago I had an enjoyable evening of drinking beer and playing pool there before sitting down on the waterfront behind it to watch the sun go down over the Orkneys at about 11pm.







Finally, Dunnet Head, the most northernly point on the British mainland. As the sign says.





Had a brief stop at Bettyhill to see the Farr Stone, an 8th century Pictish thing.







After that it was about 80 miles to Ullapool, mostly on single track roads. There was pretty much only one town on the way, Lairg. That was a tough afternoon, although there wasn't much traffic at all - I might have seen another car every 3 or 4 miles.