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CapeWrath on the most beautiful of days (part 1)

It was a really cold night. Jesus Blade it got at me, and I was wrapped up in the tent, bag, clothes, jacket etc… I got out at 4.30 and went for a shower at the campsite shower block to warm up. It did the trick but it was one of those where you press a button to give you 30 seconds of shower or summat. They seem to make a big noise but I was so cold I didn’t care. I got back to the tent and back into the sleeping bag, and slept through to 9.30. When I woke up the tent was warm with the sun and that had probably kept me asleep.

I had to make a decision.

Go back to Laid and finish the journey to here.
Go to Cape Wrath.

Cape Wrath – Yeeees!!!!!

There was no wind so the ferry would be running. There are ferries at 11am and 2pm, with follow on bus journeys along to the lighthouse 11 miles away, at the end of the Cape, the most Northwesterly point of the British mainland. If there are fewer than four travellers on the 2pm ferry then it is cancelled and so is the bus. If I got the 11am ferry, took the bus to the end of the Cape and walked back then I could make the 5.00pm ferry back. If It wasn’t running I could walk round but it was a three hour trek round the head of the loch. If I walked to the Cape and tried to get the bus back then it might not be on. In that case it would be a seven hour walk back.

Apart from the bus there are no other vehicles on Cape Wrath and no residents, except the bloke who lives next to the lighthouse and runs a 24/7 cafe. Realistically he will serve 20 people from the two daily bus runs and five walkers a week coming up the Cape Wrath trail from Fort William 200 miles away (a few more in summer). The track to the Cape from the ferry is very rough, going through a remote MoD target range. It takes the bus an hour to do the 11 miles.

Anyway back to waking up at 9.30, getting my teeth cleaned and buying a sandwich at the local Spar shop. I walked on the two miles to the ferry slipway, walking through farm land.

The Kyle of Durness was dark and ominous.

There were loads of people, around 23, waiting for the ferry. I got on the first run on the boat that only holds 12 people, but it was a bigger and higher boat than last year. At the back was a couple who I’d met in the Youth Hostel at Tongue and they were walking over to Kervaig bothy near the lighthouse. Nice couple.

It was a long 11 miles on the bus, being bounced around on the rough track, but after an hour it emerged. The north coast of the UK is to the right and the west coast to the left. I love these geographically significant locations.

I had a divine cheese and pickle sandwich in the cafe and set off back on foot. Turning south and then inland I had a great view of Sandwood Bay, world renowned beauty spot.

Cutting inland I got a last view of the northwest coast down towards Kervaig.

After an hour the bus came back towards me with 5 passengers on board. Yes!!! The 5pm ferry would be running. The weather had completely turned around and long spells of sunshine brought cheer. The plateau of the Cape was beautifully surrounded by hills.