Captured on a NC500 Trip, at the top of Scotland.
Visit the artwork here.
We had hired a campervan for the Easter Weekend and were driving part of the NC500. That morning we had woken up in Ullapool, grabbed some breakfast and made our way to Lochinver.
Lochinver is a small town on the North West Coast and on the way we made a stop at Ardvreck Castle, another of our featured artworks. After having some lunch in Lochinver we headed North driving the NC500. This is an amazing road that takes you through some of the wildest parts of Scotland. It really amazes me how empty our country is outside a few of the big cities. I love it.
However, this is not for the feint hearted as beyond Lochinver it quickly becomes single track roads all across the North tip of Scotland. Some big campers coming at you going 60mph is.. exciting.
On route we also stopped at Smoo Cave in Sutherland. This is popular tourist spot with boat trips taking you deep inside the cave. There is a paid carpark but seems to be busy all the time. Be prepared to wait for a spot!
We did not go this far but walked down to the mouth of the cave, over a very very rickety bridge!! Whilst there we explored the beach and my wife found a hackstone, something she had been in search of for as long as I knew her. This is a stone that has had a single hole eroded through the centre and are very rare.
After Smoo cave we were driving directly to our next campsite at the Kyle of Tongue. On the way and over a rise I spotted an abandoned cottage and made an impressive last minute swerve to turn into the small car park. I knew it was something that had to be explored and these impromptu stops are what these adventures are all about.
Walking up to the cottage you are struck by the emptiness. This is true wilderness with no other building in sight and only mountain ranges. There is a plaque outside the cottage explaining that this was often a stopping point in the 1800s for the main highway in the North of Scotland, then just a small track.
We spent a long time just taking in the views and something about the stoicism of the cottage standing by itself against the wilderness really drew me in. This is when I took the image that now features in our artwork.
A very special place that speaks to the uniqueness of exploring the remote parts of Scotland.
Visit the artwork here.