We had to leave the beloved and deserted place that's called Rhiconich and drive a bit further along the coast towards Thurso.
A fast-changing scenery
The first part along the coast we knew quite well already since we'd done a few day trips. After an hour or so the route started to get 'fresh' again and started to change.
At first we couldn't put our fingers on it, but bit by bit we realized the landscape simply became less mountainous and more agricultural.
Gone empty deserted landscapes, hello electricity cables, fields full of cows (instead of them simply blocking your road ;-)) and... better (but less charming) roads?
[I mean, good roads are a luxury, but...]
[...who doesn't like the view of sunbathing cows along the road?]
Easier driving = more time for picnics
We decided to take some more breaks and time off the road since the earlier 'take 2,5 times more than you think you need' rule didn't count on these roads anymore.
We decided to take a picnic on a beach on the first road off the main road we saw, and since it was a sunny day we had a lot of fun with the water and some molten chocolate.
[You might recognize this road from the picture of The one place where I would love to do my laundry]
Arriving in Thurso
After arriving in Thurso I felt we were wondering: did we already leave behind the best part of the North-Coast 500? Or was more to come? Of course the beauty was still around us un abundance, but this part of Scotland reminded us more or less of home, and I already missed the Highlands.
Thurso was a small and quite uneventful city very near to the coast. Our host was a young woman who moved here from Canada and loved surfing - and her housemate was a student from India who loved letting us taste his food and tea, in the meanwhile saying: "It's not my best work, it's not my best work really!"
[The line between the heather and grass feels a bit symbolic for leaving behind the wild wild Higlands and arriving in cultivated land again.]
To be continued
OTHER STORIES ON THE NORTH-COAST 500
- Put this on your bucket list: Driving the North-Coast 500
- The North-Coast 500: from Inverness to Lochcarron via Applecross [First leg]
- The North-Coast 500: a detour to the Isle of Skye
- The North-Coast 500: from Lochcarron to Rhiconich [Second leg]
- The North-Coast 500: A magical stop at Inverewe Gardens
All photography on steemit.com/@soyrosa is created and edited by me, Rosanne Dubbeld, 2005-2018. Contact me if you want to discuss licensing or collaborations on creative projects :-)
Return from The North-Coast 500: from Rhiconich to Thurso [Third leg] to Rosanne's Web3 Blog
