Today was forecast to be very sunny and hot and so it turned out to be!
I had intended to do at least twice the distance as I actually did, and I did set off fully expecting to cover at least 18 miles. However, I made the fatal mistake of parking my car more or less at my half-way point at Portmahomack and with the heat and accumulative exertions over the last two days I thought that’s enough this trip and began the long drive home.
Anyway, that morning I made the short journey from my Airbnb at Cadboll to Portmahomack. I parked in one of the free car parks facing out onto the Dornoch Firth. I then intended to catch the #24 bus, but the Stagecoach school bus came along sooner, so I caught that into Tain.
I set off down the road out the town back towards Portmahomack. I would be on the B9174 for half of my walk today, as the coastal route is blocked by a large RAF bombing range. I had checked before online and it seemed like the range was open, although I did see a number of red flags flying, so I kept to the road. I passed by the ruins of the old Tain RAF base closed in 1947 and now with a large plinth dedicated to those that served there during and after the Second World War. The bombing range covers a huge area called The Morrich More made up of dunes, salt marsh and water channels.
The road was quite busy with people going to work and I was glad to reach the turn-off to the small hamlet of Inver, situated on the Dornoch Firth shoreline. From Inver itself it was quite confusing to see where the Dornoch Firth began, as The Morrich More sits between the Dornoch Firth and Inver. Also there is the Inver Channel, which when I arrived at low tide I was able to walk some distance from the shore alongside the Channel. At Inver I changed into my walking boots and gaiters, expecting to walk through the adjacent fields. Instead I was able to walk the entire distance to Portmahomack on the beach itself. I read at Inver that from 1943 -1944 most the villages on this Tarbat peninsular were evacuated in order for the Americans to practice their D-Day landings.
It was midday when I arrived in Portmahomack, as I passed my car I had second thoughts about doing an additional 8 miles. After considering what I had already done over the last two days I decided to call it a day.
NB: I also publish all my Scottish Blog entries on the excellent Scottish Hills website, I use the same narrative, but larger photos and a few extra ones. They can be found here:
http://www.scottishhills.com/html/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=24713
Distance today = 10 miles
Total distance = 5,279 miles
Walking the Coast of Great Britain 