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Walking Land's End to John o'Groats with Mark Moxon

Brora to Helmsdale

The beach north of Brora
The beach north of Brora

Blimey, was today really only 11 miles long? It felt like a much longer walk, not because of the weather or the difficulty of the walking, but because of the path (or rather the lack of it). Apart from a couple of miles of pleasant walking through Brora's links course, today was entirely on the A91 and already I hate the bastard. The only problem is there's no alternative; if I want to walk to John o'Groats without dithering about with much longer and more indirect routes, I have to follow the A9 and then the A99 all the way to the end. The last few days of this walk are in danger of turning into an almighty drag.

The railway line by the beach
The railway line by the beach
The view from the A9
The view from the A9

No, the verge is not the best place to be, unless you're particularly interested in the detritus of modern life. King of the verge is the plastic drinks bottle, especially Lucozade, which is no doubt the discerning choice of the long-distance lorry driver who's desperately trying to stay awake for the last few miles to Wick; other contenders are the local stalwart Irn-Bru, the global brands of Coca-Cola and Pepsi, and quite a few Tango bottles, but most of them are so bleached and crushed that it's difficult to see what they used to be.

A stone by the A9 marking the spot where the last wolf in Sutherland was killed around the year 1700
A stone by the A9 marking the spot where the last wolf in Sutherland was killed around the year 1700

Helmsdale

Helmsdale
Helmsdale

All the way along the A-road I worried about tomorrow's rest day, in case the village of Helmsdale – the location for my last rest day of all – turned out to be a dead duck. Luckily it was worth the walk, which was a relief as Barry spent most of this morning telling me just how awful he'd found Brora. It seems my accidental decision to stay out of town was a good one as Barry had a terrible time finding anywhere decent to eat; he concluded that Brora was one of the most depressing and pointless spots on his entire walk. Helmsdale, though, is another story; it's charming.

Helmsdale Harbour
Helmsdale Harbour

1 Thanks to John Thompson, who posted to my Guestbook with the following advice: 'When I did the route in 2006 I camped at Dalchalm just north of Brora. I was looking at all ways of keeping off the A9 and only walking it when there was no alternative. I left the campsite and walked north on the path till it crossed the railway line at 916067. Checking the map and looking at the way ahead I thought it feasible to drop down on to the beach and use that and the cliff edge to head further north via the coast. By doing this I was able to walk as far as a mile south of Helmsdale crossing the railway line back on to the A9 at around 019143. There was even a proper crossing point here. I have to say it turned out to be one of the best days of the trip, no other soul on the beach and only the seals for company. So it is possible to cut the road miles down a bit. Can I just add, don't be tempted to try and stick to the cliff top north of Helmsdale. There is the start of a cliff top path, but it peters out at a field edge about a mile north of the village, and the cliffs are a lot higher here than south of Helmsdale. There's no real alternative but the A9 and the Ord of Caithness.' Thanks, John – your route sounds a lot more pleasant than the long slog along the A9.