Shinness
After breakfast, before leaving Brora, I took the dogs on another long walk along the river to Loch Brora, starting from the suspension bridge at Doll.
The forest has some really old and very large trees.
The path emerges from the wood with views across the loch. The prominent hill, centre left, is Carrol Rock which is an important landmark as it was above the township of Carrol which was completely cleared during the clearances in Sutherland and carries some historical significance.
Packed up and left Brora around 1100, stopping at the co-op for some supplies. Headed south on the A9, then east to Rogart, north to Lairg, then a few miles north to Achnairn. A great really old fashioned campsite. Run by a lovely old woman, a real highlander, she insisted that I only pay £12 per night, including power, because I was on my own!
The owners house is where you check in. Park wherever suits, I was told.
There's only 3 other outfits here. The site is massive, could easily take 100 pitches.
Right next door, I took the dogs for a walk up to a monument to the 'Land Reclamation' of the land around here and the rather impressive 'Duke's Toothpick', a rather scary looking steam powered contraption for breaking up the ground.
This is the site library. An incredibly nostalgic set of books!
Another quiet track from the site. Ben Klibreck in the distance. Altnaharra is around 18miles from here, where the walk up the Munro starts from near. I climbed it in March 2009.
The toilet block. Very clean, but ancient! The showers are 10p (!) for 5 mins.
A very long way off picture showing my van.
Popped into Lairg to walk Dunn Plantation, a nice forest walk I've visited before. Climbs a good bit giving views up Loch Shin and the Power Dam.
What struck me on this visit is how run down Lairg looks. Even since I last visited a few years ago. The village centre is a real dismal place, the bank and PO has shut, another few building look semi derelict, and the caravan site, Dunroamin, just looked awful, long grass and dirt tracks.
Even the Spar (the only shop) and the Chip Shop were shut, because they shut on a Sunday. Desperate place indeed.
Sad to read of the slow (?) demise of Lairg. I thought that was a hustling wee place when I last passed through, I think with you and Andrew. There must be a reason for its state of affairs; perhaps the popularity of the NC500 has diverted the traffic that the town (even unknowingly) relied on for trade? I remain, as ever, surprised by some of the place names that I've never heard of before reading them here. I like the sound of the caravan park; it's a shame there isn't a shop (or even bar) on the site with early 1970s prices.
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