Highland Landscapes

Here are some landscape photos to tide you over the wait for the next post about Scottish history.

Bridge over the Moray Firth at Inverness
I took all the photos out of the bus, so there may be slight reflections from the window - I got a front seat - and some blurs. I deleted the worst offenders, but the pics are not up to my usual quality. Still, they're pretty enough to share.

Sutherland landscape
I took the bus from Inverness to John O'Groats to get the ferry to Orkney. And I was lucky to catch a sunny day - yes, they do occur in Scotland. :-)

Mountains with gorse in the foreground
The sun made the gorse that was blooming in abundance even more cheerful. In early autumn, the heather on the upper part of the hills will bloom and that must be a pretty sight as well.

The road winds around the mountains
As we drove further into Sutherland, the mountains became higher and the landscape more rugged. After passing Cromarty Firth, the road goes along the coast for many miles; one of the most scenic routes.

A view of the sea
Sometimes the bus driver alerted me to a particularly nice view, like this one.

A picturesque valley
And the sea again, this time seen from higher up. The coast is rather steep in many parts.

The sea seen from the road on the cliffs
The weather on the way back was more 'Scottish', with low clouds and a dreary feel, though the sun would come out later back in Inverness.

A road in Caithness
This is the way from Thurso back to the coast; the landscape of Caithness. Miles of hills, a few farms and sheep, and not much more.

Coastal road in Sutherland
Back at the coast and into Sutherland, I caught a glimpse of Dunrobin Castle, with a farmhouse in front of the photo, and the coast to the left. It's rather archetypical.

Dunrobin Castle
I even and even managed a close-up shot of Dunrobin Castle. I've seen photos on the net - it's quite a fairy tale building and not much like the austere stone castles I've seen on my journey else.

More mountains
And more mountains. Because that's what the Highlands are about.

View to the coast again
And a final view to the coast at Berriedale. The sea is never far away. I didn't regret getting to Orkney this way instead of taking a flight from Aberdeen; it was a time well spent.