Touring in Brora
This is night No 66/2018 living in my caravan. It's my second night in Brora C&MC Site in Dachalm near Brora.
Slept like a log last night. My knee is on the mend. I had been up most of the night before with the pain, but last night I was in my bed at about 2030 (!) waking around 0600.
Took the dogs along the beach next to the site first thing and in addition to the herd of cattle roaming around the course, there is also a huge number of sheep. These crofters rights are obviously taken as a granted in these parts. The course is covered in cow and sheep shit!
After getting some breakfast, we headed out to Balbair Woods near Golspie. It forms part of the Loch Fleet NNR. A great forest for walking.
Nice paths and a fine wee footbridge over a drainage ditch.
Really tall and very uniform Scots Pine trees lining the route like an avenue. The path is around a 45min stretch to a bird hide overlooking Loch Fleet, and back.
Foresters obviously have too much time on their hands in these parts...
On the return, I noticed this plaque on the footbridge. Culmally takes its name from the farm which borders the wood. I remember from a book I read that this was the farm run by Patrick Sellar, the infamous factor of the Sutherlands during the highland clearance. His farm was almost like a model for improvement in farming practices in the north of Scotland, and it remains a pristine, well planned mixed farm. The field are visible after you pass the 'Mound' between Dornoch and Golspie.
I also recall reading that he dug a canal between Loch Fleet and his farm so that crushed shells could be transported as fertiliser. I'll bet this bridge crosses on of the drainage ditches he introduced to dry the land.
Headed 5 mins along to the road end at Littleferry. There's a fine links walk here, perfect for spaniels to blast around on.
The paths lead to a sandy spit of land at the narrows of Loch Fleet.
On return, I thought I'd take a picture of the problem developing in these parts. This is not peak season and the car park in half full of freeloading 'wildcampers'. Another social media phenomenon which I consider a scourge in the nicest parts. There's 3 parked, and one leaving. One was a foreigner, and there was even a hire motorhome. Drive's me bonkers! This must be a real pain for locals and visitors in the height of summer. What ever happened to stealthy 'arrive late-leave early' camping?
After lunch, parked up in the centre of Brora for a walk along part of the heritage trail. This field (with cattle) was the original golf course. There was actually an old sign 'Gleneagles Golf Course' pointing the direction? This was also the site of the Brora coalmine and salt pan operations.
It's a fine beach from here.
Even had a chance to do a bit of rock pooling!
Slept like a log last night. My knee is on the mend. I had been up most of the night before with the pain, but last night I was in my bed at about 2030 (!) waking around 0600.
Took the dogs along the beach next to the site first thing and in addition to the herd of cattle roaming around the course, there is also a huge number of sheep. These crofters rights are obviously taken as a granted in these parts. The course is covered in cow and sheep shit!
After getting some breakfast, we headed out to Balbair Woods near Golspie. It forms part of the Loch Fleet NNR. A great forest for walking.
Nice paths and a fine wee footbridge over a drainage ditch.
Really tall and very uniform Scots Pine trees lining the route like an avenue. The path is around a 45min stretch to a bird hide overlooking Loch Fleet, and back.
Foresters obviously have too much time on their hands in these parts...
On the return, I noticed this plaque on the footbridge. Culmally takes its name from the farm which borders the wood. I remember from a book I read that this was the farm run by Patrick Sellar, the infamous factor of the Sutherlands during the highland clearance. His farm was almost like a model for improvement in farming practices in the north of Scotland, and it remains a pristine, well planned mixed farm. The field are visible after you pass the 'Mound' between Dornoch and Golspie.
I also recall reading that he dug a canal between Loch Fleet and his farm so that crushed shells could be transported as fertiliser. I'll bet this bridge crosses on of the drainage ditches he introduced to dry the land.
Headed 5 mins along to the road end at Littleferry. There's a fine links walk here, perfect for spaniels to blast around on.
The paths lead to a sandy spit of land at the narrows of Loch Fleet.
On return, I thought I'd take a picture of the problem developing in these parts. This is not peak season and the car park in half full of freeloading 'wildcampers'. Another social media phenomenon which I consider a scourge in the nicest parts. There's 3 parked, and one leaving. One was a foreigner, and there was even a hire motorhome. Drive's me bonkers! This must be a real pain for locals and visitors in the height of summer. What ever happened to stealthy 'arrive late-leave early' camping?
After lunch, parked up in the centre of Brora for a walk along part of the heritage trail. This field (with cattle) was the original golf course. There was actually an old sign 'Gleneagles Golf Course' pointing the direction? This was also the site of the Brora coalmine and salt pan operations.
It's a fine beach from here.
Even had a chance to do a bit of rock pooling!
Hope the knees feeling better!
ReplyDelete