Day Seven,

120 miles to John O'Groats,

but before we left,

we decided to look around the Victorian Market,

and bumped into another squirrel from the art happening,

although open we were a tad early,

as many of the stalls had not yet opened,

the legend,

there is a central section,

with arms leading off of it,

the jewellers was open,

but not many in this aisle, but it was still nice to look around some of the craft shops,

we were soon on the bridge,

going over the Moray Firth, on the Kessock bridge,

it was a grey day,

we followed the A9,

and it did not look much better when we neared the Dornoch Firth bridge,

we continued on the A9 until Latheron, 

and then took the A99 to John O'Groats, and here we were, 

we were a bit early for check in,

so a quick look around first, and a photograph of perhaps the most famous sign post that many of us know,

which is covered with travellers stickers,

and we just had to have a selfie!

next to the sign the inn at what was once the John O'Groats Hotel,

in front of it a rugged coastline,

we walked to the harbour, where the ferry we would be taking tomorrow waited,

nearest to us evidence that this was a working harbour as pots were piled high on the jetty,

looking back to the inn, beside it tall wooden buildings that reminded us of the hanging sheds that we saw in Hastings where nets would be hung to dry,

been there, (London), going there tomorrow, (Orkneys),

the sign says it all,

I had to get in on the act as well,

the Pentland Venture, the ferry to the island, 

on the other side of the harbour arm I looked in vain for seals,

Diana strikes the rather cold pose, it was a bit chilly,

looking back to the inn,

and across to the Orkneys,

and further along the coast,

by now it was time to check-in, and this is where we will be staying for 2 nights,

the Seaview Hotel, £194 for 2 nights,

we were not in the actual building,

but across the road here,

looking towards the harbour, the ferry is just for foot passengers, for cars there is a larger ferry along the coast,

the view from our room,


and guess who took the picture!

 and our room,

 time for our evening meal,

 the restaurant was fairly empty, but then we were joined by the exact same group of motorcyclists we saw in Inverness, they must have arrived very cold as it must have been brutal in the cold and wet, back to our meal,

 Diana did not want a starter, but I tried the scallops, which were delicious,

 'Cheers!', 

for Diana's main course, 


she chose tempura prawns with a mixed salad, 

 for myself a Pentland Firth lobster,

 a meal that fights back!


for desert a ice cream tower for Diana,

 and for myself as I was not driving tomorrow a selection of coffees, firstly a Old Pulteney, a 12 year old malt that has the distinction of being the most Northerly distilled on the Scottish mainland, 

I only ordered it for the cream! I followed with a Scapa coffee, from the Scapa Distillery on the shores of Scapa Flow, another single malt, and misses being the most northerly distillery by just a half a mile, not many people know that, by now it was late and as we had the early ferry to catch we were off to bed.