#NC500 Day 7 - From Scrabster to Tongue With A Detour Back To John O Groats
Published On Wednesday 12 Jul 2023 by Sticky Beak
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What should’ve been a straight-forward onward journey to Tongue, actually had a bit of déjà-vu to it! Thanks to us not realising the Castle of Mey and Gardens is shut on Mondays and Tuesdays, we decided to return on the Wednesday to see this historic venue.
Then His Nibs quite fancied getting a bit more up-close-and-personal with the Puffins (and maybe spotting an Orca or two), so he booked us both on a boat from the harbour at John O’ Groats for a 90-minute bimble on the waves to see what we could see.
First though we filled our tummies with a warm croissant and full fry-up and Avo on toast from the restaurant at The Ferry Inn, The Upper Deck. This is the first venue where our breakfasting has meant we’ve had to leave the accommodation and go to the building next door –another bit of quirkiness on our travels! The young lass serving us was really sweet, bless her, and there was only her to look after the 10-or-so guests that rocked up.
As far as breakfasts go, this one has probably been the most basic; there was a smaller selection of cereal, and only orange juice to help yourself to. Tea and Coffee were both ready-made and in large catering flasks, so we helped ourselves to those. The quality of His Nibs’ fry-up wasn’t as top-notch as some of the smaller guesthouses, and he left some of the Black Pudding. Apparently, I wouldn’t have liked the sausage! My own Avocado, Poached Egg and Bacon on Sourdough was nice though, I have to say.
So, we rocked up at JOG again, ready for another days’ adventuring and both of us were raring to go! John O’ Groats Ferries operate a wildlife tours from the harbour and we boarded the ‘Pentland Venture’ boat, ready to see if we could spot Puffins, Guillemots and Grey Atlantic Seals. The tour lasts around 90 minutes and takes you around the island of Stroma or to Duncansby Stacks (depending on the tidal conditions).
We boarded the 11am tour, which only runs in the peak summer season, as we’d got too much other stuff to do to wait for the regular 2.30pm slot. Even though the weather was a bit grim, the sea was relatively calm and visibility was good, so we were optimistic about getting some sightings.
The Man Bird is clearly a good talisman to take along: we spotted Puffins, Guillemots AND Seals...no Orcas though. We also sailed through a natural white water phenomenon that is created where tidal currents meet; sometimes this creates a mini- whirlpool that proves tricky for smaller vessels and, although it was quite choppy, there was no drama on this particular day!
The Puffins and Guillemots nest on different sides of Stroma and you can clearly see the difference in the angle and type of rock. Grey Seals were lazing on the rocks, occasionally having a bit of a squabble among themselves, and they regarded us humans with fleeting interest before reclining once more.
Back on shore, we were playing catch up again; this time to the Castle of Mey and its gardens. There is a well organised one-way system for parking and Coaches, Motorhomes and Campervans are directed to park along the walls which means there’s no complicated manoeuvring for them. We purchased our ticket to the Castle and gardens and headed inside the castle; there we listened to one of the staff detailing the history of the castle and how the late Queen Mother came to purchase it. All of the team were extremely knowledgeable and so friendly, and this applies to the gift shop and tearoom, too.
We were running behind schedule but, to be honest, it wasn’t the best day to be gallivanting around beaches, so cutting two out didn’t impact our day too much. However, the rain had dried up and it wasn’t particularly cold so I stamped my foot and said that we were going to (Blue-Flag awarded) Strathy Beach, come hell-or-high-water! I was getting the feel of sand between my toes, whatever I had to do!! I grinned happily at the feel of deep, proper sand under my feet, feeling justified at pestering The Man Bird to do the steepish walk through the dunes down to the water. The road up to the beach is a bit up-and-down; and do take care as sand can make it a bit ’skiddy’.
There are possibly the best toilets you’ll encounter on the NC500 here, with an honesty box for donations. Inside the wooden cabin (as well as the toilet) is a notice board, paper and pen for visitors to write comments and pin them to the board. Outside, there’s a bench and seating for 4-6 folks to enjoy a picnic, so take food with you and enjoy.
Our accommodation for the night was in Tongue and the roads between Betty Hill and Tongue get a bit ‘harem-scarem’ in places, flip-flopping from normal, 2 car carriageways to single track with passing places with alarming regularity! We played a game of ‘Cattle Grid Hokey-Cokey’ as we lost track of whether we were in a cattle zone or not, there were that many notices! The fun didn’t end there; the turn off the road into Tigh-Nan-Ubhal guest house’s drive is best described as a ‘hair-pin hair-pin’, so do it slowly and carefully.
Angela is a super-friendly host and really got us settled in well, so much so that we chilled out and forgot to hand our breakfast sheet in! Thankfully, Angela knocked on the door and reminded us. Our wonderfully comfy bed was made up with white waffle-weave bedding and a smart, grey checked blanket and coordinating cushions. A pair of deep, plush chairs had the same cushions on and there was a nice wooden table to work on in this seating area.
Our bathroom had a double shower cubicle (with a seat to one side in case any guests need to be seated to bathe, very thoughtful), towels, shampoo, conditioner and shower gel in, and there was a well-stocked hostess tray and kettle underneath the large, wall-mounted TV to help ourselves to refreshments. Hooks behind the door served as a wardrobe, and a chest of drawers gave plenty of room to pop clothes away in. This was our joint favourite accommodation so far...and the view certainly has the wow factor!!
Dinner was a 2 minute walk away, at the Tongue Hotel. You could tell it was a hotel restaurant, it was chocka with guests, so you definitely need to make an advance reservation to get the time you want!! We’d booked a few weeks in advance and still only managed to bag an 8pm slot, which is a bit later than we’d ideally like. Varrich restaurant, to give it its full title, has the feel of a renovated Orangery about it, with its high ceilings and large windows. I loved the stormy blue colour it had been painted in, and the modern, white ‘bubble’ lights contrasted well against the dark colour. Square dark wood tables were paired with pale grey, woollen upholstered mid-back chairs to create a stylish but relaxed feel.
We ordered a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc to go with our appetiser of Bread, Balsamic and Extra Virgin Olive Oil...except we were served Crostini slices with mixed Olives and Feta Cheese! I guess the volume of the chatter had distorted the ‘Olive’ component of our order; not to worry, the correct appetiser soon came out, and the other one was left, to save it merely being wasted.
The Balsamic was wonderfully thick, with a tar-like consistency that allowed it to cling to the bread and not drip, as well as providing a platform for the fruity-tasting EVOO to stick to. The head waiter came round with iced water for us and filled the glasses a couple of times during our time in the Varrich.
I ordered the special of Seafood Linguine for my main course (£25), pasta with white sauce, Sea Trout, King Prawns and Scallops, and His Nibs had the Belly Pork with Potato Pave, Pak Choi and Carrots, with a Cinnamon and Apple Puree (£23). No enquiry was made as to whether there were allergies or dietary requirements, something we’ve noticed on our eating odyssey around the NC500 route. We’d only just finished nibbling the breads when one of the serving team came over with our mains and, having put the plates down in front of us, left. I have to admit, it’s the first time I’ve ever had the previous courses crockery left on the table... and it’s not like she couldn’t have taken it back to the kitchen, is it?!
Now, there’s no denying that the Varrich restaurant in the Tongue Hotel is a little on the spennier side, but Chef really knows his stuff when it comes to marrying tastes and textures. I got a bowl-and-a-half to contend with, and the linguine was perfectly al dente and studded with plenty of scrummy fish and seafood. The sauce was incredible! There’s nothing better than an unctuous, creamy sauce with pasta, and this one was well seasoned (with a gorgeously detectable Tarragon note in it) and had finely shredded Baby Leek in it for a pop of colour.
His Nibs’ Belly Pork had a distinct lack of visible soft, creamy fat on it, but the trio of slices were very lean though not at all dry. This meant that they were very satisfying; no complaints from The Man on that score! Trimmed Baby Carrots and wilted Pak Choi were cooked perfectly to retain a hint of firmness, and the Potato Pave (think Potato Mille-feuille) was sublime. There were artful swirls of Apple and Cinnamon puree on the plate and not only did they look pretty, they tasted ‘the bomb’!
For a moment, we did toy with the idea of pudding, but really couldn’t eat any more – not even if we shared! Generally, the service had been very good (other than the bizarre incident of leaving the finished appetiser plates on the table!) and the food was superb, so I’d certainly come back here again. Hot Wings given.
The Man and I returned to Tigh-Nan-Ubhal and made a brew before settling down for a good nights’ kip, dreaming of a hearty breakfast in the morning to set us up for another busy day.
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