[This walk was completed on Monday, 13th May 2024]
I cycle the long, straight road into Wick, find the side road that leads past the Trinkie swimming pool, and reach the car park at the end of the lane. Then, I realise I forgot to bring my bicycle lock! (It’s been a year since I walked the coast, and I have forgotten my usual routine.) So, with some difficulty, I drag my Scooty bike down a grassy slope, and leave it hidden from the road, lying against some rocks.
Hope nobody steals it, but I don’t have the battery power (nor the physical energy) to cycle back along the road to my van and then return here. Fingers crossed.
From the car park, a gravel path leads through the misty morning air towards the Castle of Old Wick. A sign reminds me that the castle is closed, but I don’t care. After a devestating 12 months of medical tests and treatment, I am just glad to be alive and back here on the coast.
The castle sits within a “danger area”, due to a rifle range inland. I checked online before I came, and believe the range is no longer in use, but it is still a relief to see no red flag flying today. I walk past the empty guardhouse.
Not much remains of the castle, just a solitary tower standing in an impressive position on the cliff.
It is bounded either side by rocky inlets, known locally as “geos”. Would be hard to take the castle by surprise from the sea.
Beyond the castle, I walk past a field of cows. I keep a wary eye on them, and they keep a wary eye on me. I really don’t like cows.
The air is chilled because of the continuing sea haar (or sea fret). Maybe the fog has kept people away? There were a few dog walkers near the car park, but nobody in sight now. Just me, and the occasional sea bird.
In the misty light, the distant rocks take on a fairy-tale haziness. Love this natural arch – the first of many I will see today.
I am following the official John o’Groats Trail, a relatively new footpath – and still under construction – that runs from JoG to Inverness. This section is marked as “green” on the website. Apparently that means, “Walking conditions normal for open hillwalking. No big burns or barbed wire to cross, but may occasionally be rough going.”
The bit about occasional rough going worries me, because my fitness level is still low following my chemo and radiotherapy treatment. But, so far, so good. At least the path is well marked.
The coast below me is full of dramatic rock formations. This large lump is called Stack o’Brough, according to my map. Its cliffs have ledges noisy with birds, and a large cave underneath cries out to be explored.
But I, of course, must stick to the coastal path. Onwards, above the dramatic cliffs.
I reach a circle of tumbled stones. It’s not clear if this is a ruined building, or the remains of an ancient monument. Anyway, it makes a good place to stop for lunch, and to set up my camera for a self-portrait.
It’s cold, so I eat quickly and carry on walking.
I think this inlet is called Gote o’Tram, with the remains of a sea cave. I stop to take more photographs.
The landscape is divided into fields by fences, so has an agricultural feel to it, but it is also a very isolated area without a building in sight. Much of the time, the John o’Groats Trail sticks close to the shore. Sometimes almost too close for comfort, remembering the unforgiving rocks beneath me!
Other times, the path strides across headlands, where the ground is rough, littered with stones, and boggy in places.
The best views are provided when the path bends around geos and you can see the rocky cliffs on the other side of the inlets. Look at the folded striations in this cliff face – millions of years of history, and unimaginable geological forces, have created these wavy line.
Briefly, I join a farm track, where tractor wheels have left huge ruts in the soft ground. Cross a small burn at a ford.
Just beyond this, I meet the first – and only – walker of the day. A single woman. We stop for a chat.
She tells me she had been walking the John o’Groats way with a companion, but her friend was forced to abandon the walk when she got sun stroke on their second day out. (Sun stroke!) But she decided to continue the walk alone.
I wish her well, and take a photo of her disappearing back.
Making my way around a curve in the coast, I cross another burn, this time with the aid of a new-looking plank bridge. And climb over a rickety stile.
From the other side, I take a photo looking back. The sea haar is lifting, but still present. The cliff face is noisy and covered in bird poo. The other woman hiker has disappeared – must be a quick walker.
This walk should be really straightforward and short, but the indententations make the route much longer than it appears on the map. I lose track of the bays and geos. Is this Girston? Or Kettle Geo, or Fasberry? I walk past Helman Head, Craig Hammel, and the wider bay of Ires Geo.
Inland are rolling fields, and the occasional ruined building. Not much to see…
…all the drama is in the coast and the rock formations. Look at those waves – rolling and crashing on the rocky ledges below.
Ashy Geo, Tod’s Gote, Broad Geo. Some of the geos are wide, but most of the geos are narrow. Each has to be walked around. The views are spectacular, but I must watch my feet as the ground is crumbly in places. Fences (and the path) seem determined to slide into the sea. I don’t want to follow!
It comes as a shock to see houses again. I check my map. That must be Sarclet, the coastal part of Thrumster.
The coast path narrows to a point of non-existence, above some vertiginous cliffs. But a new-looking stile has been provided, so I can cross over the fence and walk on the safer side. Thank you to the keepers of the John o’Groats Trail.
Another narrow geo to negotiate. Riera Geo, I think. Look at the colouration on the rocks. Pale yellow ochre, burnt sienna, and the fresh green of spring grass, all above a boiling sea of mossy green/blue.
A modern house perched above the cliffs – takes me by surprise. Clean lines and huge glass windows. Lovely view in the summer. Slightly terrifying in the winter storms, I would imagine.
Below is a wide inlet with a ruined building on the lower shore. A green track leads down to a beach of stones and gravel. Is this an old quarry, or a natural feature? The Haven, says my map.
I am tempted to go down to the little beach, but I am feeling very tired and I still have a distance to go. So, I perch on a rock looking down at The Haven, and have a quick drink and a snack.
[To be continued…]
Route so far today:
Ruth's Coastal Walk (UK) 
Lovely to see you back on the trail. I only walked that section a couple of months ago. A stunning hike and a little rough in places. I saw seals down in Sarclet Harbour.
Yes, it is a lovely stretch of coast. And a proper coast path too!
So pleased to see another post from you, I’ve enjoyed following your progress – both the walk and the positive end to your treatment 🙂 Well done for keeping at it despite how tired you felt!
It was an exhausting and unpleasant time, but I am so glad to be still here.
Really pleased to see another post from you…. well done for keeping going. We’re looking forward to hearing more from you over the weeks and months
Wonderful to see you on the road again! X
Great to be back 😁
It must have been so wonderful to get back to your coastal walk again. I hope you were able to enjoy many more walks last year & wish you a happy & healthy New Year, with lots of great walking ahead.
I have more walking planned this year. Need to write up last year’s walk first!
Pleased to see you back on your blog, even if a while back. Also really pleased to see how much work has been done on the JOGT. When I walked it in 2018 there was no signage, lots of barbed wire, almost no stiles, and parts were downright dangerous. They must have taken a lot of effort over the intervening years. Happy New Year to you. Will you be completing it this year? Don’t answer that!!!
The completed parts of the JOG Trail are excellent… but some stretches are still very much “work in progress”.
Oh – forgot to say – i went down to the ruin in the bay at Scarlet. you didn’t miss much, although it was a nice peaceful place for lunch.
Congratulations on continuing your epic expedition and it’s great to see your blog posts restarting.
I’m sure it must have felt fantastic to be back on the coast after all you had been through and this is a lovely section of coast. I’m glad to hear there is a proper path (well, sort of), too.
Such a joy to have a proper coastal path to follow. I was worried I would find the east coast of Scotland a disappointment after the west, but the coast up here is beautiful and accessible.
So glad to know you’re back on the trail again after a gruelling year. Very best wishes for 2025. X
Thank you, and Happy New Year to you, too.
You have made my day. It’s such a joy to read that you are continuing your wonderful journey.
Ah, thank you.
Glad to see you back on track.
Glad to be back!
I was just thinking about you a couple of days ago and now I’m smiling – Cheers Russ 👏
Cheers to you too, Russ, and Happy New Year.
ahh Ruth, lovely to see you are back, you will learn from this honey xx
I’m very grateful just to be given a few more years of life.
Fantastic to read of you back on the coast. Looks like a stunning walk to start with.
It really is stunning up here. I thought it would be a disappointment after the incredible scenery of the west coast, but it is just as beautiful in a different way.
It’s good to read about your walking once more, Ruth, after all your battles.
Here’s hoping for a healthy 2025.
Thank you, and fingers crossed for a healthy 2025.
Fantastic to see you walking again and in such a lovely place
Thank you Jane.
Yay that you’re back walking again, and thanks for continuing to write. I’m 40% of the way around the coast, but unfortunately don’t have the discipline to maintain a blog.
Ha ha, I don’t blame you. It takes me ages to write up each walk, and I have lacked discipline too – which is why I am so late in getting these posts up!
Welcome back.
it’s good to be back, Conrad.
dear Ruth
I had been missing your blogs but am devastated that the gap in writing came because of cancer treatment. I admire you for getting back on the road and sharing with us the wonders of this land. As the song says of you “you picked yourself up, dusted yourself down and started all over again.”
inspirational. That’s what you are. Paul
Thank you, Paul.
Welcome back!
Will be interested to see how you dealt with the next section, which defeated my poor head for heights. I like heights about as much as you like cows.
Welcome back Ruth.
Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android
Have thought of you often ,so pleased you are in a better place now , looking forward to hearing about your adventures. Best wishes Sue
Thank you Sue. I am very well at the moment, although not back to full strength.
Welcome back Ruth and a Happy New Year. It’s good to know you’re doing well after all you’ve been through – here’s to much more walking in 2025 😊
Welcome back Ruth and a Happy New Year. It’s good to see you back after all you’ve been through – here’s to much more walking in 2025 😊
Happy New Year to you too, Eunice.
Did not turn my PC on yesterday but so pleased to have done so today for your two latest posts about your travels. I think I would find it a bit of a strain to write about those very difficult times for you but so glad you are able to (and that you were able to do the walking). Inspirational, as Paul has already said. More power to your legs and happy 2025.
John
Yes, it was difficult to write about the dark days of my diagnosis and treatment. But cathartic too. And I have been very moved by all the kind comments on here, including yours.
it’s wonderful to see you back on the coast, good luck and thanks for the wonderful log
Welcome back Ruth, keep on treking!
Graham