[This walk was completed on Sunday, 31st May, 2026]

Yesterday, rain stopped my walk a little prematurely. So, today I get up early (difficult for me… I’m not a morning person!) and drive back to where I ended yesterday’s walk.

The sky is still threatening, but at least it isn’t actually raining. I look at the adult play equipment exercise equipment, but decide to give it a miss.

Drop down from the promenade to walk along the beach. And I’m struck by the colour of the rocks. Red sandstone. Reminds me of some of the beaches in Devon and Cornwall, and makes a change from the granite.

Looking back, under low-hanging clouds, I can see the beautiful ‘secret’ beach that I walked along yesterday, and the tall structures of the Ardersier Energy Transition Facility. Do they make wind turbines there?

Looking across the sea, the sky is even blacker. That gap in the land must be… check my map… the entrance to Cromarty Firth. Wow! I’ve walked for days, but only travelled a few miles really.

Rocks give way to sand. Nairn really has quite a nice beach. It’s Saturday morning, but a bit early I guess, so I have the sand to myself.

Ahead, along the beach the low light of morning makes photography difficult. But, I can see the long low line of the pier and a stubby little structure on the end.

As I get close to the end of the beach, I can see the pier prevents me walking further, so I climb up onto the promenade.

Hmm. Interesting. You don’t see many statues of women – at least not fully-clothed real women.

I read the information plaque. She represents the fish wives, who did much of the work gathering bait, smoking the fish, and then selling it from large baskets they carried on their backs. Nice to see representation of a fish-wife.

She is overlooking the harbour, with its mix of little fishing boats and pleasure craft.

I get a better view of the pier. Functional and not particularly attractive…

… and I walk closer to see the pier is a double structure that marks the entrance to the harbour area, and is also the conduit for the end of the River Nairn. The stubby little building is a daymark rather than a lighthouse, I guess, because I can’t see a light.

I turn to look up the river. A static home site on the other side of the water, and a car park on this side. The map shows a bridge up there, and I will be using it later.

The car park has an interesting notice – ‘INVITATION TO PAY’. Not compulsory then, but quite cheap, with an overnight stay only being £5.00. Of course a few mobile homes are taking advantage of this – I hope they have paid.

Turn back to return to my car. A few more people on the beach now. And the sky is cheering up.

I walk back along the promenade, dodging strollers, cyclists and dog walkers.

One of the downsides to staying in a hotel is not being able to make my own breakfast. Yes, there is a full cooked breakfast available, but my eating habits have changed since my cancer diagnosis, and I no longer eat bacon or sausages. With my van, I could park up and brew my own coffee and make my usual bowl of yogurt and fruit… but I’m experimenting travelling without my van.

Luckily, near my car is a pleasant park, and I stop at a little cafe – a shack really – to order a croissant and coffee. It is early and they haven’t turned the machines on yet… I sit down on a damp chair, and wait.

Not a bad way to start the day. But my main walk is yet to come.

---

Miles walked through Nairn = 1.5 miles

Total miles around the coast = 5,284 miles

Route of this walk:

---