Jan Allbeck: Scotland: John O'Groat

Another one of my tours while visiting Scotland. This trip was from Inverness to John O'Groats in the far north. It was a beautiful trip through the countryside with many firths, many ruins, and many barley straw bales...

The dots on the sand bar in this firth are sea lions...

Lots and lots of sheep too...

There weren't many beaches, but here is one from our pit stop in Golspie...

This is a monument for the Highland Clearances in Helmsdale. Basically, in the mid to late 1700s the clan system was outlawed by the British government and it was determined that it was economically better to have sheep live in the Highlands. People were forced to move out of the Highlands, glens, and straths. Some settled in the low lands and sea shores. Others immigrated to other countries. Seeing the monument and thinking about people being forced from their homes was very sad...

There are towers and castles everywhere. Scotland has a long history of battles...

There are also a lot of abandoned houses...

Duncansby Head near John O'Groats...

John O'Groats from Duncansby Head...

A lot of sheep wandering around Duncansby Head...

This sheep made it through the fence and onto a precipice...

Duncansby Head...

I don't know what kind of bird this is, but our tour guide was happy to see it...

A rainbow over one of the islands with a lighthouse...

Dramatic lighting...

I think the fences along the shore were more to keep stupid tourists away from the cliffs than they were to keep the sheep safe...

Birds were nesting on all of the cliffs. Some of the other tourists were disappointed that we missed the puffins, but they went back out to sea in July...