Day 115 I brave the A9

The JOG trail today is reputed to be the most difficult part of the trail. I had decided not to do it but to take the road instead. I had heard bad things about the road as well- but I had been observing the traffic as Tim and I had met the road on our travels and it didn’t seem that busy. Still, I can’t imagine that the thought of fifteen miles along an A-road fills anyone with joy.

I decided to give myself plenty of time today so was ready to leave before breakfast-I’d been to the Spar to buy my lunch (chicken salad sandwich and an apple). Breakfast was a help yourself affair and I was on my way by 8.10.

The first hour or so was uphill but there was very little traffic. The only time I felt I had to climb over the barrier was at a right hand bend round a steep ravine. Mostly there was a good verge.

The traffic tended to come in groups-all bunching up behind a slow moving vehicle – which helped with deciding when to stand still. I crossed from Sutherland into Caithness over the Ord of Caithness. The Ord is a granite mound that for many years was connected to Sutherland by a difficult and dangerous road. A road used by farmers,travellers, robbers and kings (according to the information board that is). Just past the Ord there was a trail down to a broch-I hadn’t realised there were so many brochs in the North -which is where I learnt about the Ord.

I carried on because I knew that at about halfway at Berriedale, there was a cafe. Berriedale was the third ravine I had to cross and boy, was I glad I was doing this on the road and not going right down to sea level on the trail. It was a 13% incline down, and I passed a logging lorry going very, very slowly upwards behind a struggling cyclist (too many bends to consider overtaking), with an increasing queue forming behind it.

I reached the River Bothy cafe, eight and a half miles in, ready for refreshment. I had a happy forty minutes with a stack of homemade blueberry pancakes and a coffee.

On leaving the cafe, I noticed that the clouds had got lower and there was a distinct wetness in the air. I moved my waterproofs to the top of my pack, just in case. The weather continued to deteriorate, as did, I’m sorry to say, the quality of the grass verge. However, the road was quiet enough that I could hear approaching traffic long before I could see it.

At long last I found myself looking for the old A9, which was still marked on the map. I could see that I was about to hit a new (straight road and symmetrical verges) bit of road but I couldn’t see the old one. Hmm, was it lurking behind the barrier? I crossed the road to investigate and there it was, hidden away. It was a nice change from the main road and took me through forests to the entrance to Dunbeath Castle (gardens closed, tearoom shut).

I walked into the village, passing the general store (shut). I looked for a bench (there wasn’t one). I thought I would visit the heritage centre as I was a bit early for the B and B (shut).

I rang the B and B, they could take me, so I headed back to the main road -it is about a mile outside Dunbeath-and was greeted with a cup of tea, and some cake.