Day 117 A wet and foggy day

I knew the forecast was for rain, and indeed it started in the night and by morning was a foggy wet drizzle. I packed away the wet tent, and was off by 9.40. Today was a relatively short day of about 9 miles and so I knew I would arrive in Lybster by lunchtime. I planned lunch in the Portland Arms, followed by a trip to the Lybster Heritage Centre (open 7 days with a cafe) and then on to my B and B.

It really was foggy today. I did a lot of jumping on and off the verge as I wasn’t sure how visible I was to the oncoming traffic.

There isn’t much else to say about the route. I toyed with the idea of visiting Forse of Nature (crafts and a cafe at a place called Forse) but it was nearly a mile down a track so I didn’t. I did however walk into Latheronwheel-half a mile off route- to look at the harbour.

There was still some honeysuckle flowering in garden hedges, which added a bit of colour, as did the village roses in Latheronwheel.

There were highlights -a pavement for a couple of miles from Latheronwheel into Latheron, and a change of road number, the A9 headed for Thurso so I am now on the A99. Yes, a long distance walker’s life is full of excitement.

Rather soon I reached Lybster and the Portland Arms. Guess what? The Portland Arms doesn’t do lunches. I walked down the very long Main Street which is perpendicular to the A99 and about a mile long. I found signs to the harbour where the Heritage Centre was located. It was shut too -for the whole of 2021. COVID. I took some photos (the phone is in its waterproof case so they are a bit hazy).

Back up the 0.6 miles to the Main Street. Then another slog along to the shop where I bought a chicken pie -there being no sandwiches-which the shop assistant suggested I heat up in the microwave. It was a good thought.

It was now nearly two o’clock. My B and B check in time was four. I knocked on the door thinking they couldn’t turn me away in the rain and was welcomed most hospitably. My tent fly sheet is drying over the shower, my shoes are stuffed with newspaper (Press and Journal weekend edition -a bumper issue, I might do the crossword later) and my waterproofs are over the radiator which seems to have gone off in the last hour. I hope it comes back on.

Dinner is at the Portland Arms which is nearly a mile away. Oh well, at least it’s not along the main road.