Day 66 Sat 19th June

16 miles from Helmsdale to Dunbeath.

I woke up to the sound of the sea lapping on the shore 10 yards away. How much would you have to pay for a pitch like this?



After sausage and bacon butties from the Spar shop we were on our way at 8 o'clock.
The walk out of Helmsdale is a slow long uphill slog for over 3 miles. Today we also faced a strong, cold North wind straight into our faces making it a real struggle.
The whole day was spent following the A9. Usually there was a space beyond the continuous white line or else a grass verge.
I knew all about Berriedale Braes from reading other walkers' reviews but, although it was steep on both sides of the valley, I was surprised how short the climbs were. Less than a mile each side. From the top I could look ahead to where we were heading.



We had a look around Dunbeath but found it very spread out. The seafront and small harbour seem remote from the rest of the village. Dunbeath Castle stands on the cliffs half a mile to the South.




By contrast I really enjoyed my time in Golspie, Brora and Helmsdale. Compact, old-fashioned seaside places with real character.
The campsite, Inver Caravan Park, is just outside the village and very exposed. I had a real struggle to put the tent up in the very strong North wind.

STATISTICS

We have now walked 1084 miles and have 40 more miles to do. (96%).

When we finish in two days time we will have walked for 68 days including the one rest day in Reeth. So the average daily mileage is 16.5 miles.

We have camped every night - not one B&B, although I have been tempted on several occasions.

During the whole journey I have not been in a car, bus or train. We also walked all the way around estuaries to the nearest bridge. We did not use any ferries and this probably added another 25 miles to our journey.

My pack is an Osprey Argon 70 litre and I have been very pleased with it. It cost £200 but was worth every penny. Especially as it was a leaving present from my workmates so it cost me nothing. (They said that they still wanted to be on my back everyday)



The only problem is that as I have lost weight I have also lost some of my natural padding and the hip-belt now digs in occasionally. The belt was actually heated and moulded to my waist in the shop.
The average weight of the pack varies according to how much of my food and Gyp's food I am carrying but it is usually around 15kg (33lb).