Penultimate day: Dornoch to Lybster

We started today in the drizzle and accompanied by the roar of RAF jets practicing above the Moray Firth, and had a lovely 5-6 miles initially away from all traffic following the small coast road back round to join the A9 again. Following the coast still we came through Golspie and then past Dunrobin Castle (clearly no sense of irony when they named this highly ostentatious pile which was almost certainly built on ill-gotten gain). I'm surprised Disney haven't used it as a film backdrop before now it's all turrets and spiky bits.

 Not all of this coast is quite as affluent though. Brora wasn't the height of luxury and their garage isn't as successful as others.....

 Apparently, this strech of coast was also where the last wolf was seen in about 1700 - so 'Hunter Rolson' killed it of course... then someone commemorated the event with a stone!

 The villages were usually where each river joined the sea and were a simple row of houses each side of the river, but it meant a sharp downhill and then a long (and sometimes sharp - an 18% hairpin on one!) uphill on the other side of the valley. We were also still heading into a very cold wind - quite wearing after a while!

 We stopped at a tea shop next to a long croft - which was also a museum, which we would have looked at if it had been open. The tea and cake (and warmth!) were welcome though!

 After quite a few days of searching, we finally managed to get the obligatory shot of some Longhorn Highland cattle  - a very cute family group they made too - but not without some pain, as I managed to get a real belt from the electric fence! Quite a shock!

 We finally made it to Lybster, another of the small ribbon villages, and then out the other side in search of our B&B, which is a lovely house, but in the middle of nowhere! Somewhat bleak scenery...

And so we come to our final day. a short 30 mile run up through wick to John o'Groats and then in the car back down to Perth! Here's our route:

Last day tomorrow!