#NC500 Day 6 - Helmsdale To Scrabster Via John O Groats
Published On Tuesday 11 Jul 2023 by Sticky Beak
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Warm Croissants, Blueberry Muffins, a Full Fry-Up (Him), and Avocado, Cherry Tomato, Poached Egg and Mushroom on Toast (me) got The Man Bird and I off to a flying start on what was going to be a busy day. We’d had another good night’s sleep and I’d had a soak in possibly the oddest bath in the world: it took an absolute age to fill, but drained in seconds...go figure!
The skies were looking decidedly grey as we set off to our first destination, the Hill O’ Many Stanes, and as we climbed up the hills we found ourselves immersed in fog. Having done our research, we knew that the parking for the HOMS was literally a lay-by big enough for a couple of cars but it was still odd pulling up opposite a field full of cows and seeing a little sign on a gate for this ‘attraction’. No-one really knows what the Hill O’ Many Stanes is, although there are theories that it was a place of remembrance in times gone by. Nowadays, a little circular path takes you around the wild meadow that is dotted with stones/stanes and, although it isn’t the most impressive sight you’ll see on the NC500, there’s something a little bit magical about it.
Our next stop was the Whaligoe Steps, and if it’s stunning scenery you’re after then this has got it by the bucket-load!! Please be respectful of the limited parking and don’t go in the marked residents bays; when we visited we saw some community carers in uniform struggling to get parked to go and care for their elderly clients. And certainly don’t be like the dingbat in the motorhome that parked in a disabled bay with no Blue Badge or equivalent permit; and you wonder why tourists are getting a bad rap from locals along the NC500...muppet! There’s more parking at Cairn O’ Get, about a 10 minute walk away, so maybe use that, too?
Having made our way down the steep sets of steps (about 7 sets, I reckon!) we drank in the glorious views and admired the tenacity of the gulls that were nesting in the cliffs; coming back up the steps it was my own tenacity I was celebrating!! I’d definitely advise wearing sturdy footwear if you visit the Whaligoe Steps, even on a fine day.
Thankfully, our next stop-off was decidedly less tiring: the world’s shortest street, Ebenezer Place, in Wick, measuring 6ft9in! It’s only a street in a town, but if it’s quirkiness you want on your adventure, then it’s a must – plus No.1 Bistro (part of Mackays Hotel) is there, so you can always have a bit of a pit-stop. We parked up at the nearby Co-op (no charge to park) and stocked up on goodies – make hay whilst the sun shines, as they say.
Castle Sinclair Girnigo is well worth a visit, and then some! The car park is pay-and-display, but there are no toilets – missing a trick there, guys. It’s a pretty straight forward walk to the ruins, nothing taxing at all, but the going is a bit stickier if you want to explore the ruins and path down to the cove to assemble your own ‘stone stack’. Apparently these are the trendy thing to do, and the abundance of flattish stones make them a doddle to do; even duffers like us did one! The water is crystal clear and I was tempted to have a dip...then I spotted the Jellyfish and thought better of it; I’m no expert on which ones are ‘stingers’, and I wasn’t about to find out the hard way. With age comes wisdom.
There’s no shortage of breath-taking scenery in this part of Scotland and the Duncansby Stacks are gorgeous!! We parked up at Duncansby Lighthouse, which is quite ample compared to a lot of spots, and then followed the trail over the field to the viewing point. Coming from Derbyshire, we’re used to driving through the Chatsworth Estate and having sheep graze at the side of the road but, because the ‘road’ here is a narrow tarmac trail with passing places, you get a lot more up-close-and-personal with ‘The Woolies’!! The sheep have a worrying lack of respect for cars, too, so be on your guard for them suddenly wandering out in front of you.
The weather had improved as we journeyed from the Duncansby Stacks to John O’ Groats, though the skies weren’t flooded with blue by any stretch of the imagination.
A kilt-clad piper was just starting up as we walked over to the iconic land sign; almost as if he’d struck up in our honour! We did the obligatory tourist thing and took our photos under the sign, before heading to the Christmas Shop... don’t be going all Grinchy on me like Mr-Bah-Humbug (His Nibs) did; I was getting my JOG tree bauble, whatever he said! I did get a cheesy fridge magnet too; in for a penny, in for a pound, eh?
Between JOG and the official most northerly point on the British mainland, Dunnet Head, is the Castle of Mey and its gardens: the former family home of the late Queen Mother, one Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. The Man and I had planned to visit, but didn’t realise the castle shut on Monday and Tuesday – somehow we’d missed this fact during our research; oh well, we’ll try again tomorrow.
Dunnet Head is beautiful...as well as extremely windy; or at least it was when we were there. The wind wasn’t stopping the resident Puffins and Razorbills from their fishing expeditions, and they dazzled us with their skills. Puffins are just too blooming cute, aren’t they? The weather began to close in again on us, so we hoofed it back to the jalopy and began our journey to that nights’ accommodation in Scrabster, The Ferry Inn.
Along the way, we’ve encountered some pot-holes on the road, but my goodness, the ones on the stretch between Dunnet Head and Scrabster take the prize! His Nibs muttered that they’re more akin to sinkholes than potholes, and I can’t disagree with him, sadly.
We’ve been unbelievably fortunate when it comes to the B&Bs, Inns and Hotels we’ve booked and our room at The Ferry Inn was lovely and spacious, even if it didn’t give us particularly pretty views. Always an optimist, I’ll say that we got an uninterrupted view of the ferry port! The first thing we did (after going up the two long flights of stairs) was to stick the kettle on for a brew, and guess what we spied just to the side of the host tray? Only a pair of port glasses and small bottle of port to go with it – that’ll be a nice night-cap, thanks guys! The shower is a good size, not quite double, and there’s shower gel and towels provided. A wardrobe gave us ample space to hang our clothes in, and I was a very happy bunny as I settled in to watch the Wimbledon highlights on the large, wall-mounted TV.
Tonight we dine at Capilla; literally 50 metres from The Ferry Inn and offering Tapas – fingers crossed it’s tasty...I will, of course, let you all know.
Well. We walked past the door at Capilla, despite the name being clearly visible on the open-metalwork gate/door. Why? Because (I assume to keep out the wind and rain?) there is plastic sheeting wrapped around it, with a gaffer-taped hole for the latch, that makes it look a bit derelict/unused and we assumed there was a back way in. There wasn’t!
Inside, Capilla has a fab relaxed vibe and has got a bit of moodiness to it thanks to lower lighting; nice place for date night. The servers are lovely; really friendly and the young lass who served us was bang-on-the-money with her ordering tips: the Aubergine and Patatas Bravas are both larger portions, so if you’re planning on having those, order one along with your other choices and see if you’ve got room later on. Turns out that we would’ve struggled if we’d had the Patatas as well as the Aubergine.
There are only bottled beers available, so His Nibs had Estrella (£3.80), and I opted for a small glass of the house red (Tempranillo, £3.55 for 125ml); we also had some table water. To keep us entertained whilst we looked at the menu we ordered a portion of Bread and Aioli (£1.75 per person).I noticed there were Paellas available, but then read that 24 hours notice needs to be given – quite why that is, I have no idea, seeing as other Tapas venues we’ve been to manage to cook them fresh-to-order in about 40minutes? In the end we ordered Albondigas (£6.95), Chorizo and Black Pudding in a rich Tomato Sauce (from specials board, £7.50), Chicken Croquetas (£6.55), Calamares (£8.20), Stuffed Piquillo Peppers (£5.95), and Aubergine Fritters with Honey and Pine Nuts (£7.65).
There were flashes of brilliance: the batter on the Aubergine wedges and Calamares was super-fine and crisp, and not at all greasy, which allowed the seafood and vegetable to take centre stage. The honey was superb with the Aubergine, by the way, and I loved the texture that Pine Nuts brought to the dish; for me, this was the best dish of the bunch. I also liked the pieces of Hazelnut that were in this dish, but those with allergies wouldn’t have known they were included until the dish arrived; I mentioned this, and our server said the menu’s were being reprinted.
Actually, when I come to think of it, we haven’t been asked about whether we have allergies or dietary requirements so far whilst we’ve been dining out in Scotland! If you do have allergies, maybe be a bit more on your guard and proactive about asking what allergens are in dishes – the risks aren’t worth taking if you have severe reactions.
The Stuffed Piquillo Peppers were lovely and soft and the rice and vegetable stuffing was perfect...but there were chunks of Black Pudding in there too, which I really didn’t get: a) the flavours didn’t particularly tally well and b) a perfectly good vegetarian dish was now inaccessible to that group of diners.
More Black Pudding was in the special, and it didn’t really bring a lot to the table (no pun intended!) as the Chorizo has a beautiful richness of its own and the sauce added more depth. I love Black Pud as much as the next person, but I just didn’t get it here; His Nibs didn’t mind, he got to scoff pretty much the whole dish to himself!
When we got to the Chicken Croquetas we noticed that there weren’t any knives on the table. I know Tapas are predominantly finger- or fork-only dishes and, yes, we could’ve asked for knives, but details like this make a difference to the overall impression of a venue. Anyhow, back to the Croquetas... the minced chicken was nicely seasoned and there was plenty of it inside the perfectly crispy, cigar-shaped rolls. These were lovely.
Another dish which failed to get me revved-up was the Albondigas; they weren’t awful (if you haven’t had a lot of experience with Tapas, you’d think they were great), but I’ve had much nicer, to be honest. Chef could do with coming down to Derby and sampling some from Lorentes. His Nibs thought they were ok, but the sauce was a bit runny and not as robust as others he’s had.
So, Capilla, you were a bit of a conundrum: venue and servers lovely, good price-point for each dish, food 50:50. If we return to Scrabster I will eat elsewhere; not because Capilla was awful, but because it isn’t good enough to draw you back at the expense of trying somewhere else in town. For those travelling, I would say to go and make up your own mind; six months down the line, Chef may well have tinkered with the dishes and ‘matured’ in this style of food.
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