J&J's European Adventure

10 August

Thurso to Wick

We awoke to sunshine, and got the day off to a good start. The local tourist office let us leave our bags while we finished our walking tour of Thurso. After retrieving our bags, we hopped on a bus toward John o'Groats which dropped us off at the front gate of Castle Mey. Castle Mey was the summer home of the Queen Mother from the mid-1950s till her death. Prince Charles had just left the day before, so it was open to the public.

Thanks to a phone call by the tourist office lady in Thurso, we were collected at the gate by the estate manager and given a lift to the castle, saving us a 2-mile hike. The castle is small, but the self-guided tour of the building, grounds, and gardens will surely be one of the highlights of our trip. The staff was too nice and friendly to describe, and we were able to get a real insight into the lady herself. The estate's location is just about perfect. Everywhere we looked seemed like something out of a storybook. We can see why she loved the place so much.

We were given a ride back to the road where we flagged down the next bus, which took us to John o'Groats, the most northerly settlement on the British mainland. I say settlement, because it certainly can't be called a town. We had originally meant to stay the night there, but soon saw all we felt we needed to and caught the first bus south for Wick.

The bus dropped us at the train station and we hiked to the town center. The tourist office was closed, so we had to search out lodging on our own. The first hotel where we inquired was too rich for our blood, so we trudged onward. When we came across a sign for the local RV park, we thought perhaps we could repeat last night, but alas, they had no rental units, so all we got was a nice long hike. The park manager did provide us with a map where she marked possible less expensive accommodations. We checked a local B&B, which we had earlier walked within one block of, and got a very nice room from a very nice couple for ₤60. We had supper at a nearby café and turned in early.

One reason for coming on this trip was to escape the summer heat in Texas. I submit that we have been successful, as we could see our breath this afternoon while waiting for the bus!!

Daily miles: 6.41

Expenses: £118.68 (buses, B&B, Castle Mey, supper)

Thurso, Scotland

Thurso Castle & Harold's Tower

Thurso Castle

riverside flower art

Old St Peter's Kirk

Kirk plaque

beach party

Dr John Grant Smith
memorial drinking fountain

archaeology sites
around Thurso

zoom of site map

Castle Mey

lift to castle

Joe at Castle Mey

Castle Mey

planted by H.R.H. The Duke of Rothesay 7th Aug 2005	path through woods	chronicle of castle events (larger photo or see below)
1960 Longol North Country Cheviot flock founded 6 May 1960 HRH the Princess Margaret marries Anthony Armstrong Jones 1964 Castle of Mey Aberdeen Angus herd founded 19 Aug 1977 Silver Jubilee Ball Held in assembly rooms, Wick 7-9 Aug 1987 HM the Queen stays at the castle 13 Oct 1988 export of eight Castle of Mey Aberdeen Angus heifers to Denmark