Cape Wrath Trail - Cape Wrath

John, who'd walked from Lands End to John o'Groats last year, had phoned the Rhiconich Hotel to say that he'd had to drop out because of his knees. He'd asked them to let Peter from The Netherlands and I share the parcel he'd sent ahead. 10 Hamlet Cigars anyone? Also some very heavy food. However there were some nice fruit bars. Vultures?

Having checked that there were no military exercises taking place around Cape Wrath I set off for Sandwood Bay.

“Facing straight into the teeth of the North Atlantic, the beach has nearly 1.5 miles of wide pink sand which is flanked by cliffs. To the south stands the impressive sea stack of Am Buachaille, while behind the bay’s large dunes stretches Sandwood Loch - a freshwater loch full of brown trout. The beach is considered to be one of the most unspoilt beaches in the whole of mainland Britain.” – Visit Scotland Website

The walk over to Strathchalleach Bothy was trackless and boggy and it alternated between sunshine and showers making it difficult to know what to wear.

Boggy Trackless Terrain

I dumped my stuff at the Bothy and walked over to Sandwood Bay. It felt like I was flying as I didn't have the heavy rucksack. I had a paddle at the beach and said goodbye to Peter, who was camping at Sandwood Bay
and then returned to the bothy.

Cape Wrath from Sandwood Bay

I was sharing with Andrew, who had walked from Kirk Yetholm, where the Pennine Way finishes - on The Scottish National Trail. Sandra and Steve also arrived, who had been doing the CWT in three stages and had walked from Ullapool despite Sandra's blisters! Andrew got the peat fire going.

Looking back at Sandwood Bay

I started the last leg of my journey to Cape Wrath over some more trackless boggy ground and got to Cape Wrath in time to get the minibus and ferry to take me to Keoldale, leaving a couple of miles walk to Furness.

Cape Wrath Lighthouse

North Coast of Scotland

I was very lucky to be able to do this as the ferry hadn't run on Monday or Tuesday because of the high winds. 

Its been really enjoyable. According to the proprietor of The Ozone Cafe at Cape Wrath about 1 person a day completes the Trail. I don't know how I would have coped if there had been a lot of rain and the rivers had been in spate but that's not what happened. I had amazing weather, walked through beautiful landscape and met some really interesting people. It's been amazing!

The plan now is to go home by bus and then train tomorrow.