Leaving Stonehaven we travelled north and then started the journey back towards the west coast. Our figure 8 route is progressing. We are finding the scenery in northern Scotland is spectacular. It seems to get better the further we go.

We stop at little Inverallochy. A village with little colour, and we can only imagine what it feels like here when the wind blows. A rusting hulk in the water is a hint that this is dangerous water. The houses are stone, but with an interesting style of stonework with bricks inserted in a regular pattern. Little 'Maggie's Hoosie', a traditional Fishermen Cottage was not open yet but the two roomed cottage was where Maggie Duthie lived until she died in 1950. The house never had electricity or water connected.
 
 
 
As we travel along the northern coast there were a number of lovely villages below the cliffs that could only be accessed by very narrow and steeply inclined roads. Pennan was the first one of these we saw. Just one row of houses and a harbour. And a pub that gained fame after it was featured in the film 'Local Hero'. The village was once reliant on fishing - the men fished and the women sold the fish around the area, but today it is mostly a holiday home area.

Further on Crovie and Gardentown are similar villages. We drive through MacDuff, Fordyce and a number of other towns with names that are interesting and/or familiar, as so many of the town names are also used for Australian towns.

In Inverness we check into the B&B and walk to the city centre. The Ness River flows through the centre of town - Loch Ness is not far away. It is an attractive place, and we have dinner at a modern cafe overlooking the river. Nice feel about the place.

The drive further north the next day was beautiful. As we wound around the scenic route I lose track of which firth we are crossing or driving by. There are regular views of water, hills and valleys, hills covered with pines, with yellow gorse, or with brown heather plants. We stop in Dornoch (a name familar in West End, Brisbane) for coffee. (Apparently , 'dornoch' means  'pebbly place'.) It was here that the last witch burning in Scotland took place.
 
 
 
Dunrobin Castle, home of the Sutherland Clan has 189 rooms but only 22 are open for visitors. That was plenty anyway, but the outlook and the view were lovely. The gardens, which run down to the waters of Dornoch Firth are beautifully set out.with an interesting assortment of fruit trees. There are heavily flowering dwarf apples and pear trees espaliered on pyramid shaped supports. 

The lovely weather makes the days so enjoyable, as all looks better in the sun.