[This walk was completed on Thursday 18th May, 2023]

I cycle back to the parking layby overlooking the old Dounreay power station. It’s an uphill battle and a wearying ride, even though my Scooty bike is electric. You still have to pedal on an ebike, and I’m battling against both the slope and the wind!

I don’t like to leave Scooty in full view of the road, so I hide him behind a notice board.

Then I set off walking down the hill towards the village of Reay. It’s a busy road, and I have to keep dodging fast-moving traffic. I would prefer to walk across the open countryside, but it is broken up by fences of various heights – so I stick to the road.

Reay is full of mature trees. A nice change from the bare landscape I’ve been walking through.The verges are lined by wild flowers – bluebells still in bloom this far north – and the gorse smells delicious.

Dounreay nuclear power station is a familiar name, but I didn’t realise it got its name from the village nearby called Reay. It’s strung-out kind of place. I cross the bridge over a river (the Allt Beinn Ratha – or river of the mountain path) and walk past a post box and a bus stop.

I know there is a village shop and a petrol station here. But, the shop seems closed. When I cross the road and peer through the window, all I can see are various pottery items and ornaments. So, it’s not a village stores after all. What a disappointment.

Even more disappointing is the petrol pump. “No fuel” says a sign. Oh dear.

My van is down to the last 100 miles of fuel, so I’m getting a bit worried. There wasn’t a petrol station in Melvich and this was the nearest one.

Also, the little post office / village shop in Melvich didn’t have much in the way of food. I did buy some fresh strawberries there, and a pot of soya yoghurt (all they had left in the yoghurt section), but they had no snack bars for packed lunches. I’m beginning to run out of supplies.

Ah, well, onwards.

I soon reach the junction for Sandside Bay, which boasts a “Seasonal WC”.

Technically, I don’t have to go down this little road, as it’s a dead end. But, I’ve spent so much time walking on roads, and away from the sea, that I’m seizing every opportunity to head for the coast.

It turns out to be a delightful little lane. Traffic free and surrounded by fresh-green trees and blossom. Lovely.

I soon leave the trees behind and the road meanders through open countryside, with green fields on either side and a view of the sea to my right.

I’m going to head for the beach on the way back, but for now I go the quickest route… and stay on the road.

A private drive leads up to a large house sitting on a ridge of higher land. Sandside House. I wonder who lives there now – it looks too big to be a private home.

A little further, and I come across the “Seasonal WC”.

A sign tells me these facilities are highly valued by visitors and communities, and not to empty any chemical toilet waste here. There are also pictograms telling you how to sit on the toilet seat – sitting is permitted, but squatting is a “NO”.

I’ve seen similar instructions at various places across the Highlands, most notably in Fort William. What cultures squat on a toilet seat? It must be a thing some people do, because there wouldn’t be all these signs if it wasn’t a problem!

The beach below the toilet block looks lovely…

… but the impression is spoilt by a large yellow sign. Apparently, radioactive contamination has been found on this beach. “Members of the public are advised not to remove any objects…”

Oh dear! I give a little shudder. So sad to think such a pristine area has been contaminated by something that is both invisible and deadly dangerous.

Onwards, and I soon reach the car park at the end of the public road. This is where I left my van earlier this morning.

Here, a seat gives you a great view of Dounreay power station. A nearby information plaque might carry interesting information – but it is too weather-worn (or vandalised) to be visible.

I carry on walking down the track towards the end of the headland, a place called Sandside Head. On the way, I pass a row of cottages. They look very sweet, but I bet they feel the full force of winter storms.

Below the cottages is a little harbour. I wonder how much it is used, and whether any fish you catch round here is safe to eat? Perhaps everything in Sandside Bay is contaminated by radioactive waste?

The track becomes grassy. I pass another row of cottages – although these ones look far more delapidated.

And now I’m walking high above rocks. Look at all those black birds. Cormorants? No, I think they are shags.

This area of the coast is indented by deep and narrow inlets (often called geos in northern Scotland). The rocky walls of these clefts form natural shelves for nesting sea birds – and these cliffs are home to plenty of squawking sea gulls.

I walk around a particularly impressive geo. So high up, I feel positively dizzy if I look down.

Alarmed by my presence, the gulls nearest me begin to clamour and several swoop around my head. I back away carefully. It’s OK, silly birds, I’m not after your precious eggs.

I wanted to find the highest point on the headland and claim it as my lunch spot. But it is surprisingly difficult to tell where the peak actually is. I was expecting to find a cairn or something – but instead I head for what seems to be the highest land and am disappointed to discover there are no dry rocks to sit on. Everything is damp and rather marshy.

Have to content myself with taking photographs of the surrounding countryside. Look westwards along the coast… that must be Portskerra in the distance… or perhaps it is Strathy? Distances can be deceptive along the shore.

I realise I haven’t taken a self-portrait for a few days. There are no handy rocks to balance my camera on, so I simply turn it round and take a “selfie”. First attempt – and my big nose fills the screen.

Second attempt, with arms fully extended – and that’s better. I even catch Dounreay in the background!

It’s time to head back and I need to find a convenient set of rocks to sit on. It is 2pm and definitely time for lunch.

---

To be continued…

Route so far today:

---