No, this wasn't the holiday cottage . . . . this is Castle Sinclair at Noss Head just behind the airport at Wick. It was ruined a few hundred years ago and is in the process of being restored. What a job! We had a week on the northern coast of Scotland, you couldn't get any further north without taking to a boat.
You can keep John o' Groats. For feeling like you are nearly at the edge of the world, go a bit further east to Duncansby Head, a wide promontory with a lighthouse, cliffs, rocky stacks and soaring seabirds, and in the distance, the Orkneys.
Duncansby stacks, a busy nesting place at this time of year for fulmar, kittiwakes, guillemots . . .
The view from our cottage across the Pentland Firth to the Orkneys.
... and the cottage itself. Now this was at the real northernmost point, Dunnet Head, another amazing headland, with views from its highest point to Cape Wrath, the farthest west, and Duncansby, the farthest east, along the north coast of the Scottish mainland.
Further south, this view, Dornoch Firth, north of Inverness, where the A9 goes across on a causeway.
What with interruptions, pc playing up etc it has taken me ages to get this post together!
. . . paintings . . .
. . . embroidery . . . 
We've been on holiday in Scotland again, this time by the sea. Windswept beaches, tiny picturesque harbours from which the herring boats once set sail. St Monans has these waterfront houses, just begging the tourist, digital camera in hand, 'Please take my picture'.
Some locals were a bit suspicious.
There was no one about, it was cold and rain threatened. But the shapes and colours of the houses are lovely.
Funny how the tide is nearly always out when we go places. The fishing boats look like toys.
An ancient church in St Monans, looks like a pile of children's bricks.
It's all crab and lobster fishing here now.
Our last evening, had to catch the sunset.
Over the Forth road bridge . . . 
. . . with the rail bridge alongside.
You can keep John o' Groats. For feeling like you are nearly at the edge of the world, go a bit further east to Duncansby Head, a wide promontory with a lighthouse, cliffs, rocky stacks and soaring seabirds, and in the distance, the Orkneys.
Duncansby stacks, a busy nesting place at this time of year for fulmar, kittiwakes, guillemots . . .
The view from our cottage across the Pentland Firth to the Orkneys.
... and the cottage itself. Now this was at the real northernmost point, Dunnet Head, another amazing headland, with views from its highest point to Cape Wrath, the farthest west, and Duncansby, the farthest east, along the north coast of the Scottish mainland.
Further south, this view, Dornoch Firth, north of Inverness, where the A9 goes across on a causeway.
What with interruptions, pc playing up etc it has taken me ages to get this post together!
