NC500 completed!

When we moved on to Helmsdale Lodge Youth Hostel, we took the main road to Inverness, then crossed the Black Isle to Cromarty, pausing for lunch at Chanonry Point. Apparently it’s a good place to spot whales and dolphins, but not during our brief stop.

The ferry from Cromarty to Nigg was an interesting experience. The smallest ferry so far carrying just two vehicles. We were second on and our back wheels were only just off the ramp which couldn’t be raised properly. Good job it was a calm sea and only a 10 minute crossing! When I told Racheal we were going on another ferry, she said ‘no’. I think she thought it would be like the overnight crossing from Lerwick to Aberdeen. Once we were on the boat, she thought it was great fun, and possibly relieved it wasn’t so rough!

We had three nights at Helmsdale, a friendly 24 bed hostel with en suite rooms. It wasn’t advertised as an accessible room, but I had spoken to the warden before booking and decided we would be able to manage. It did mean carrying/dragging all our equipment all the way round the building from the car parked just the other side of a high wall to the level access at the back of the building. We used a Racheal’s smaller chair for indoors and kept her Treki in the bike shed when we weren’t using it. We were also able to hoist her onto a sofa in the common room, which she enjoyed.

The day after we arrived, we set off to complete the North Coast 500. Our first stop was in Wick where we found a ‘WashMe’ automatic laundry

service at the Co-op. This was the first time we hadn’t had the use of a washing machine where we were staying, but the service was efficient and the washing finished by the time we had eaten our picnic. Next stop John O Groats where it was very windy and Racheal did not like it one bit!

One thing on my wish list for this trip was to visit the Castle of Mey. Unfortunately it is totally inaccessible for wheelchair users, but Summer kindly offered to sit with Racheal in the cafe while I had a look round.

We followed the road to Thurso, so completing the NC500 as we turned inland at the point we had reached before going to Orkney. The A9 took us across some remote country until we got back to the east coast and returned to the hostel.