[This visit was completed on 9th May, 2023]
Today is the first day of operation for the Cape Wrath ferry. Yesterday, I moved to a campsite in Tongue, so it’s a long drive back to Durness along single track roads to reach the ferry terminal. I’m there just before 10am and in good time for the first crossing of the season.
It’s a good job I’m early. There is already a little queue on the ferry slipway.
A jolly man joins us, and assures us the ferry really is running, and the minibus won’t leave without us. At first I think he must be the ferryman, but it turns out he is the minibus driver.
The ferry arrives, and we are helped onboard. Cape Wrath, here I come!
By the time we’ve packed in all the waiting walkers, a couple of dogs, and a man with a bike, the ferry is full. A young couple arriving later are told they will have to wait for the next crossing.
The trip takes about 10 minutes, and there is plenty of splashing by the waves – and this is a calm day. I hate to think what the crossing would be like in rough weather. Safely on the other side, we all disembark. Dogs and cyclist first.
The ferryman is taciturn and doesn’t seem in a good mood. I guess he has been harassed for days by disappointed people wanting to get to Cape Wrath. He sets off with his empty ferry – and I hope he remembers to come back and pick us up.
The only person not catching the bus is the cyclist, who is cycling to Cape Wrath. Everyone else makes a beeline for the bus. The minibus is large and comfortable. The driver is the polar opposite of the ferryman. Friendly, chatty, full of jokes, and puts everyone at ease.
Now, I was planning of walking to Cape Wrath along the track. It’s only 11 miles. But the sight of the minibus makes me change my mind. I decide to ride to the lighthouse, and walk back. (Although, some doubt lingers as to whether I will make it all the way back in time to catch the last ferry, so I buy a return ticket just in case…)
The bus trip to Cape Wrath is scheduled to take an hour. An hour to travel 11 miles? We soon find out why.
The road to Cape Wrath is a public road. It is used by the minibus (obviously) and by a few residents who live here in the summer, and by the people who own the cafe and hostel at the lighthouse and who live here all year round. The road is also used by the military, who have a large area of land on the Cape Wrath peninsula which they use for manouvres and firing practice.
The road hasn’t been maintained for years and, thanks to a combination of the weather and military vehicles, it is a total mess. Full of ruts and potholes. Apparently, the wear and tear on the minibus is terrible and – because it is a public road – the bus still has to have an MOT, proper license, tax, etc.
The first part of the ride is lovely, despite the bumps, and runs close to the coast. The middle part is pretty bleak, but wild and wonderful. The last part… well, it’s hard to see anything over this section, because a huge bank of fog engulfs us.
“Fog is very rare at Cape Wrath,” the minibus driver tells us. “It’s usually wind that causes a problem.”
We climb out of the bus. Hello, Cape Wrath lighthouse, you must be out there, somewhere… ah, there you are.
The lighthouse itself is off limits. I walk along a path to the cliffs, where a large foghorn looms out of the mist. It is no longer operational, as modern navigation devices have made fog horns redundant. But, you can see why it was needed in the old days.
I look southwards down the coast line – wild and rugged – to where I should be able to see the beautiful beaches of Sandwood Bay. But I can’t see more than a few hundred feet. What a shame!
The view is no better northwards. You can’t see the horizon. A lone photographer from our party stands on a rock and points his camera into the gloom.
I walk slowly around the perimeter of the lighthouse, praying for wind to appear and blow the fog away. But the air remains calm and grey.
Can’t resist sending a selfie of me at Cape Wrath to my now ex-husband. He doubted I would make it… and here I am. (Of course, I don’t tell him I cheated and caught the bus here.)
It’s nearly 12 o’clock. I sit on a cliff overlooking a small inlet, and eat my snack lunch. I’ve been carrying a small flask of whisky with which to celebrate my arrival at Cape Wrath. I take a few swigs, but I feel deflated and it doesn’t feel like much of a celebration.
The bus spends an hour at Cape Wrath before returning. If I want to walk back, I should really set off now. I’m a slow walker and the 11 miles will take me over 4 hours. Of course, I won’t make the first ferry crossing back over, but I could make the next one. The bus driver has promised he never leaves anyone behind… if you are on the road and in danger of missing the last ferry, he will stop and give you a lift.
I wander back to the lighthouse. Several fellow travellers offer to take my photo, but when I check the images they have managed to either cut off the top of the lighthouse, or cut out most of me! If you want a good job doing, you better do it yourself. So, I set the timer on my camera, perch it on a convenient wall, and take a self-portrait.
There are two permanent residents on Cape Wrath. They own the small cafe and run a rather basic hostel that only operates in the summer. Several fellow coastal-walkers have stayed here in the past. Of course, I can’t resist visiting the cafe, and end up joining a long queue for a hot chocolate.
I ask why the hostel isn’t open over the winter, and they explain there is no electricity in the place, so it’s too dark!
Well, dear reader, you guessed it. I decide NOT to walk back to the ferry. The lure of hot chocolate was too much, and it’s still foggy outside, and I’m cold.
The road back is just as bumpy as we remembered. Once out of the fog, the minibus stops to let us look at the view… and causes a mini traffic jam.
I think this place is called Kervaig, which has a lovely little beach and some interesting rock stacks. I would love to walk down there… but there isn’t time.
We do see some wildlife on the way. A sea eagle on the way out, a few red deer on the way back, a grouse, and – when we reach the Kyle of Durness – dozens of seals floating in the clear waters. Despite the apparent barrenness of the landscape, the bus driver also informs us there are many rare species of plants here, including 3 types of carnivorous plants. Presumably they eat midges.
We also see bomb craters, shell holes, army targets and, bizarrly, a pink tank – painted bright pink by local school children on a trip here, for some reason.
Further along, we come across two young hikers with enormous backpacks. The woman is sitting next to her pack on the grass. The man stands in the middle of the road and waves us down. Yes, of course they can have a lift to the lighthouse. The bus will pick them up on the way back.
Back at the ferry slip, we wait for the ferry man to arrive. He brings over another load of passengers for the minibus trip to Cape Wrath, and then we climb on board for the crossing back.
There were two dogs on this trip. I have mixed feelings about this, because the dogs were clearly unhappy on the bumpy journey. I gather the ferryman isn’t too keen on these four legged passengers either. But, as the bus driver explained, people are here on holiday with their dogs. What are they supposed to do with their dogs for the 4 hours or so that the trip takes? Leave them locked in their vans or cars?
Nearly back on the other side.
The cyclist on our original ferry did make it to Cape Wrath safely – we met him in the cafe – and was cycling back (I presume) to catch a later ferry. Now, I see some more cyclists have arrived for the trip. I hope the fog clears for them.
My van sits waiting for me in the ferry car park. Another campervan has parked next door, and we get into a discussion. It’s rented, but the man loves campervanning and is planning on kitting out his own van. He takes a look inside mine, and talks about his plans for his new van.
His partner (relatively new partner, if I read the signs correctly) seems less enthusiastic about van life.
I confess to a love/hate relationship with my own van. On a sunny day, it’s wonderful to be in my van and I love him dearly. But it has been cold and windy in Scotland and I think we are both pining for some warmth and proper sunshine. Next time, I promise him, we’ll go to the South of France. Or maybe just Cornwall. Somewhere where the temperature doesn’t plummet into single figures overnight and you don’t have to endure 40 mph gales.
Anyway. That’s it. I’ve reached Cape Wrath! I’ve cheated, of course, and ridden there and back by bus. And the anticipated views were non-existent. But, still, I got there.
Wildlife seen: Sea eagles, several red deer, a grouse, and many seals. Best of all, NO midges yet!
Miles walked = 0
Minibus route:
Ruth's Coastal Walk (UK) 
Well done Ruth, you finally made it! A shame it was so foggy when you got there, the views look good on the way back though 🙂
I feel a bit ashamed I didn’t walk there. But at least I got there.
Nothing wrong with taking the easier option sometimes Ruth, you achieved your goal regardless of how you did it, I would have done the same except I don’t like small boats 🙂
Sorry to hear that the Ozone cafe is no longer opened by John Ure and his daughter in winter. It used to be open 24/7, 365 days of the year. You just needed to knock day or night and they would open. Clearly the remote life has taken its toll on John. (He owns a 25 year lease of the lighthouse.)
They might keep the cafe open, and I guess if you turned up wet and cold and in the dark… you’d probably get a bed for the night too. But, officially, the hostel is closed in the winter.
When we visited Cape Wrath the ferryman was also grumpy (not the same one – much older). Perhaps it’s a tradition. Or perhaps, given there had been a big celebration of some kind the day before, he just had a stinking hangover!
I know people had been harassing him about the ferry, which should have started running at the beginning of May. (One of the owners of a shop in the craft village told me she had several visitors asking where he lived!) Wrong of them to harass him, of course, but he could have put a sign up at the ferry terminal explaining. People come a long way to visit Cape Wrath and I guess are very disappointed not to be able to get there. I did wonder how long he would continue offering the service – his heart clearly wasn’t in it.
I remember our guy, when someone asked how long the wait was likely to be, said “until it’s your turn”! Very Highland! Nothing as urgent manańa.
Congratulations Ruth – what an achievement! And I would definitely have gone for the hot chocolate option as well!
All the best
Patricia
It wasn’t the best of hot chocolates, to be honest, but at least it was warm!
Well done, next turning point John O’Groats! Then easy all the way down. Scotland has such a long coastline but the rest will be a doddle, and hopefully a lot drier.
Here’s hoping!
Well done! We are all so proud of you.
Oh (blushing) it was nothing – just a ferry and minibus ride 😀
I had noticed that Cape Wrath had been by-passed but assumed that this had been forced upon you by the non-operating ferry. Now I am delighted to see you have made it. How is of no matter. This is YOUR walk, as each walk will be unique for everybody who decides to circumnavigate the British mainland. You are not walking a named trail, you are getting round our island your way.You deserve respect FOR YOUR PERSISTENCE in going back and making a good job of a tricky situation. Well done.
Hi Conrad, yes it was a bit frustrating to have to drive back – and a long drive because the road was slow and narrow – but I’m glad I got there in the end. Hope all is well with you.
Well done, Ruth,
Thank you, John. I cheated… but I got there!
Lovely to see the pictures of places I haven’t seen for quite a while.
The “rules” you laid out at the start of your coast walk don’t require to visit the lighthouse, because the only path is “out and back”. From that point of view, it doesn’t matter that you took the minibus.
Anyway, I’m glad you’ve managed to get to the Cape and see the lighthouse.
Hi Roger, and you are absolutely correct, now that I think about it.
What an amazing outing! Your photos + story are magical. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for your kind comments, Barbara
Well at least you got there, but what a shame about the weather as I imagine the lack of view rather spoiled things.
I too remember the ferry man as being very grumpy. I was doing a very long day walk from Durness all the way around to Blairmore so I wanted to get across on the first ferry to make sure I had enough time to get to Cape Wrath and done to Blairmore before it got dark. Despite this I remember he turned up then announced to the waiting people we’d have to wait for a group who had pre-booked as they would be going first (this despite the fact the website clearly says it isn’t possible to pre-book) and then I got queue jumped and didn’t make the 2nd ferry either, so it was 3rd time lucky.
I did want to get down to Kearvaig as it looks beautiful with a stunning beach but I just couldn’t spare the time. Still I would like to go back and do it and the easiest would be to get the mini bus to drop me at the junction (assuming they would do so). Something to go back for and I do hope to do that one day!
I’m glad the mini bus is better now. I recall they were very tatty and at the lighthouse itself it was a sort of mini bus graveyard with all sorts of old scrap ones in the process of rusting away, it looked a bit like a scrap yard. I hope they have cleared it up now. Glad the cafe is open though I remember being very pleased about that!
I was very, very disappointed in the view – or in the lack of a view. I’m sure the bus driver would drop you off at Kearvaig. He is a lovely man. We did see one of the old minibuses rotting in a field. Apparently they donated it to the lighthouse man who used it to ferry supplies, but its roof was torn off in a storm. It looked really sad!
But you got there! Its not the most impressive location compared with the rest of the coast especially the Scottish Coast as I am sure you would agree. I’ve now been there three times and the only time the weather was decent was when I was running the Cape Wrath marathon in 2012 when we ran right around the base of the lighthouse as our turning point. Great views but no camera nor time to stop to admire them that day. I believe the road is too poor now to be the official marathon route it was certainly rough when we walked it sixteen days before you and no ferry that day.
I read up on your visit there. You did very well to survive the hostel experience (!) and walk that distance.
Congratualtions Ruth!! I loved your story and photos. What a milestone!
Thank you. Yes, an important milestone.
Well done Ruth… that’s three corners of the island done, I guess. I don’t blame you at all for taking the minibus there and back. It wasn’t a gap in your route, so I suppose the motivation wasn’t quite so strong.
It does make you wonder why some people who have jobs interacting with the public do it, if they hate it so much!😂
I’ve never seen a sea eagle in the wild, or any other type of eagle for that matter. In fact, I think the rarest thing I’ve seen so far on the route has been a hare. Maybe I’m just daydreaming too much to see anything!
That made me think. Before starting the coastal walking I had never seen an Avocet. The Humber estuary solved that.
It was the third time I’d seen a sea eagle. The first and second times were around Loch Sunart. I remember a farmer told me to “watch out for the seagulls” – or that is what I thought he said. Then an enormous bird hovered above my head, and I realise he meant “watch out for the sea eagles”!
Just wanted add my congratulations in achieving this major milestone! No need to reply. “Keep on Trekking”.
Congratulations on achieving this amazing milestone on your journey. Such a shame it was foggy but the selfie with the lighthouse is super.
Btw, wonderful to see the sea eagle and other wildlife. We do get the occasional sea eagle near me but I’ve never seen one.
May God bless all ferrymen everywhere.