tutleymutleytextiles - Blog

Day 4: July 7th: Tain to Culbokie - Netherton Farm B&B

14/8/2024

Waiting for the rain to stop 🫥 All packed and ready to go. Putting paw balm on Mabli's pads enables me to give them the once over - and she likes me doing it - first time ever I've done anything like 'grooming' that she actually likes. Glad i decided to make it a short day today - she has had a stressful few days away from her normal routine - me too!

It was gone 11 by the time I left Tain glamping. I had an alarming few minutes searching for Mabli - who I'd last seen sniffing around the neighbou's lodge/shipping container - they had a couple huskies with them. I had just decided she'd voted with her feet and set off in a homeward direction to find Steve (you know the Incredible Journey?)- when i glanced up to see her wee face looking at me from out of the pod window - the one I'd already locked! Poor Mabli! She must have snuck in as i was carrying all my luggage out.

We set off to find the Scotsburn Road - aka NCR1, Luckily the road I followed out of Tain led to an underpass - thus avoiding the A9 completely. As it was a quiet-ish back road I let Mabs run loose. We soon got into the old rhythm of me shouting 'car coming' and her sitting down as far into the verge as she could get. At one of the first times we did this performance, I looked down to see 5 unopened packets of pepperoni (original) strewn in the road. Mabli ate them with relish. Bearing in mind i dont have a rear view mirror AND I'm deaf - her skooting into the hedge and sitting became my cue there was a car approaching - very useful.

I'm over half way now - and sat in the Station Hotel, Alness, having polished off a pint of lemon flavoured cider (whoops!) And a huge roast beef dinner wuth an enormous yorkshire pudding, crispy roast potatoes and lashings of gravy. Haven't had a roast for years - as we eat veggie at home. Sights seen along the road - tame sheep! A boletus or two, and bracket fungus. Purple heather. A castle like stately 'hame' called Newhaven house' or something like that. A cycling club out for a ride - and several more laden cyclists headed north. A crashed car BURIED in the hedge (how did it get in there?!) - with police tape tatters and smashed glass. And a pony club event. Mabli only let me down once - when she couldn't resist bolting after a particularly tempting car. Rest of the time she's behaved immaculately. The barman fed her several slices of juicy ham (after showing me pics of his lab/collie cross) and Mabs prewashed my dinner plate for them (with some veg and beef left overs).

On to Culbokie next, for the night. Only about 8 miles.

I've arrived (after a fearful crossing of the Cromarty Firth on the A9), at THE most delightful working Farm B&B - Netherton Farm just down the hill from Culbokie on the Black Isle. Mabli has met the two black lab bitches - AND been attacked by one of them (after half an hour of commingling - weird! - she screamed because the dog actually BIT her!). She has her own cot in my single room. Going to get settled in now - and plug everything in. I'm a bit off course but should be easy to correct tomorrow. There are books and plants everywhere! And paintings, originals, on the walls. I LOVE it!

The pub meal was great - CRUNCHY roast potatoes (need I say more?) - then the NCR1 turned into an meandering path between the railway and the road. About 5 miles before we arrived, i could see Mabs was flagging again - she would lie down whenever i stopped - so i offered her the trailer and in she hopped. She's run about 17 miles today - and been fed HAM. Will report more on this beautiful farm later.

Day 3: July 6th. Helmsdale to Tain 36.2miles Total 120.25 miles

14/8/2024

The weather is foul today - mizzly rain. Mabli wanted to nip out for a pee at some ungodly hour, so I found myself wandering around Helmsdale at 6am taking pics. Lovely stay at the hotel: one can always tell the quality of the hotel by its sausages. The sausage for breakfast was excellent - as was the toast, fried egg, beans, tomato and bacon. I had black pudding as well - but Mabli will have to tell you how that was. The room was comfortable and everything got charged. Dog friendly AND cheap!
Met another couple at breakfast time who were travelling up to the Orkneys with their son and their two dogs... they live not so far from Neil Paice and Sue - close to PortPatrick in D&G (small world).

I felt tired and heavy when I set out. No doubt because Mabli had tried waking me at 3am, 5am and finally 6am (when I gave in and got up to take her out because she hadn't done her business when I took her out last thing at night). The road was undulating - but no huge hills - I was following the places I'd passed through on the train just days ago. The views over the coastline have been stunning. I even spotted a deer masquerading as a sheep. Wasn't as shy as Devon deer either as it didn't scarper as soon as i reached for the camera.

I was quite impressed that the tiredness and heaviness disappeared quite quickly, once I'd got moving. 11 miles up the road from Helmsdale and stopped for a second breakfast at Brora. I've had a milkshake AND tea - and Mabli shared the cream. The cafe let me charge the bike battery while I was there too.

The bloke who's route I'm following reckons the A9 isn't busy this far North. Boll**** to that, I say. I'd have to pull in to a driveway occasionally to let the tail back I'd caused go past! There was a continual roar of traffic both ways, and the wind too.

Passed Dunrobin Castle and hissed at the memory of the Cruel Duke of Sutherland (who's family still live there?). Arrived at the Tain Glamping at just after 3pm. Expensive because it's designed to accommodate two - It's a converted shipping container and I'm very comfortable and happy to hole up here for tonight. Looking back - this was THE most expensive place I stayed. The glamping site is set in behind a beautiful old mill building - which would be lovely in any OTHER setting than a tatty Industrial Estate on the outskirts of Tain. I took Mabs to the beach which is only 5mins down the road but not visible from the glamping site - lots of grass to run around on, but the tide was out, leaving mud. The heavens opened while I nipped in Tesco - Mabli was in the foyer waiting for me - and she barked a lot. Thank goodness the downpour didn't happen while I was cycling - it was a deluge. Fortune favours me as there were several really heavy downpours on this 5 week adventure and I managed to miss EVERY single one of them. I got wet - but standing out in this would have been the equivalent of standing in a power shower.

Got a tv dinner! Indian meal for one, heated in the microwave, with a side salad and dressing. I'm now sat here, playing with the gopro app and writing up the day. Better weather tomorrow - and the first night I haven't booked accommodation. Looked on line and phoned up Netherton Farm B&B in Culbokie, Dingwall. Tiz dog friendly and has good reviews so booked in there. It's only 22miles away, so can take it easy. From now on, I can go as slow or as fast as i like....

Day 2 cont. To Helmsdale 42.25miles 84 total.

13/8/2024

Today involved the steepest, sustained climbing of the whole trip (with hindsight!) - there were two hefty climbs - which also means some excellent downhills too - and (fortunately) finished with a downhill swoop into Helmsdale.

Day 2 over - 84 miles covered. Lost so far: my pencil case with travel watercolour brushes and fineliners inside. Water bottle - lovely stainless steel one. Purse with all the usual inside (drivers licence, rail pass, library card, credit and debit cards and many misc. store cards. But all can be replaced. I have phone and online banking - with couple debit cards on the phone. We are getting into the swing of it - Mabli will now jump into her carriage - albeit reluctantly - and she communicates VERY clearly that she doesnt like it. Weather has been cool, blustery, showery - ok for cycling in, apart from very heavy showers, or a headwind. The flowers have been glorious: foxgloves, Scottish thistles, orchids, buttercups, honeysuckle, bog cotton etc. etc. Seen lots of sheep, cattle, goats, - and my first couple highland coos! And i'm now away oot of Caithness and into Sutherland. The everchanging sea is at my left, and we've stopped to explore a couple of interesting places - including the ancient (Neolithic) and mysterious grey cairns of Camster. I had to crawl inside one on my hands and knees. Mabli is coloured red, from jumping in numerous peaty ditches to wallow. She has run about 25 - 30 miles so far? Along the quieter roads. I was on the very busy A9 for a large part today - very busy with campervans, motorbikes and people travelling the N500. Update: pencil case found - on the path going down to the road from the pods - by Gabs' son ('the boy', as she calls him!). She's going to post it to Edinburgh for me to collect. Waterbottle not found, but I defo didn't pack it. Probably kicked under the bed, so I told her to look there, and keep it as a gift. - rather lovely stainless steel Zero Waste one. And she DID find it there and was very happy with it.

I was rather anxious before the last big climb as I only had 2 bars of power on the bike battery left. So I paused at the bottom of this hill, to visit Berriedale Beach - a little stroll past some quaint cottages and over a wobbly suspension bridge that had a sign up warning not to loiter. Mabli was brave and positively jaunty crossing this - perhaps because she's getting accustomed to being rolled about in the bike trailer?! Lovely little pebbly beach and worth a visit.

Phew - it WAS all down hill, so made it to the Belgrave Arms Hotel with just enough battery power... we're both settled in to a very cosy room - full scottish breakfast ordered for the next morning! Going to have a shower - then i think a pint will be well deserved: I'm exhausted, at the end of day 2.

Day 2: July 5th: Watton to Helmsdale.

13/8/2024

Stopped at the 'Forse of Nature' cafe (about half a mile down a rutted drive - so thank goodness they were dog friendly AND willing to charge my battery). Veggie soup, apricot and elderflower tart, berry tea and doggie biscuits - which Mabs sniffed out on a shelf through the plastic, so excellent is her nose. They had clear plastic bird feeders stuck to the window, so siskins kept diving in and out for seeds as I ate.

Today, i left behind my water bottle. It was a very nice water bottle. Nice present for the friendly and hospitable Gabs. Also - i stopped to knock on the door of a farm to let them know a cow had just given birth in a field back down the road - and on my way back to my bicycle, several things fell out the lower part of my rucksack where i'd failed to zip it up properly! Have i lost anything else? Don't know yet. 2 days in and i'm developing an interesting attitude to material things - as long as me and Mabs are safe, warm, fed and have somewhere dry to sleep...

Shortly after reporting the calving, Mabli declined to get back in the trailer - and danced out of reach (communicating her unwillingness to travel in such an alien and scary vehicle very clearly). She disappeared into a garden next to a farm. A lady emerged from the house - and offered me tea! So I obliged and got given a home made flapjack to boot. We had a lovely conversation about intransigent dogs (she has a rescue collie) for an hour in her cosy kitchen. Sadly I had to move on, but Mabs had had a lovely romp with the lady's dog and was now willing to be transported again.

Going past Camster (read - the middle of nowhere) I spot some interesting stone igloos. I had to stop and investigate the 'Grey Cairns of Camster' - neanderthal feats of engineering! Two skeletons were discovered inside one of them - at the entrance. There was also a tale recorded on the info. board of a Victorian 'lady' who, having crawled in to one of the Cairns, couldn't crawl out again - so a ladder had to be fetched, to enable her exit through the hole in the roof! I crawled in, and Mabli came too - and out, successfully.

Later, I had another interesting conversation with a woman strimming the verges - who lived 3 miles from the A98 - she hadn't planned to live out her days in such a remote spot. But, 16yrs ago, after 3 yrs+ of looking down a shotgun barrel held by her then boyfriend, she took her three children and fled as far north as she could go - Caithness - from the outskirts of Manchester.

Day 1 cont. John O'Groats to Watton.

13/8/2024

Mileage for the day: 41.8 Total: 41.8miles.
Long straight narrow roads - quiet, after the A386 - lined with banks of wild flowers - purple thistles, buttercups, orchids,
I arrived at the glamping pods at 7pm (I'd booked the first 4 nights' accommodation and this was the second). Gabs (a lovely yorkshire woman) greeted me and gave me a couple eggs too - just as well as, though the pod was very warm and comfy, no cooking facilitues, shower or electricity - no frills glamping! So out with the trangia, and had that expensive cheese roll with fried eggs for supper and a cup of tea. Mabs had two lots of the dried dog food (it does weigh a ton!) - she wolfed it down - but she had run 20 miles or so, and been scared to death the rest of the journey! This campsite was her kind of heaven - long grass with critters to sniff out. She slept well on the second bed in the pod - apart from wanting to go out for a pee at 4am. Gabs had charged my bike battery - it was down to 1 bar. I shall have to plug it in as often as possible. Gabs also gave me some emergency cash (Scottish notes in exchange for a bank transfer). Now - it's 9.30am on the 5th July, it's blowing a gale (westerly) - I've had coffee and porridge for brekkie. Just got to pack up and get on my way. Oh - and i see there's a new Labour government! About time.
I'm off to Helmsdale today.

[posted retrospectively] July 4th DAY ONE - Thurso to John o'Groats

13/8/2024

I Finally arrived in Thurso and walked into town to 'Sandra's Backpacker's' where my bicycle had been posted a week earlier.
Settled in to my poky but cheap single room - and then tried to put Groucho back together. If 'no dogs allowed on the Caledonian Sleeper' had been Disaster no.1 - then this was Disaster no. 2.

The bicycle has been crushed by the courier! Despite using huge amounts of bubble wrap, cardboard and similar padding, the forks have been bent around the front wheel, and the drop outs so squashed, I couldn't get the front wheel to go back in.

I'd spent all night sleeping intermittently - with periods laying awake worrying about it. I finally dozed off when I decided planB was to get a bank loan and buy another e-bike. I was down at 'the Bike Shop' with all my gear as soon as they opened (9am) to see what they could do - Sam and Eric are heroes in my eyes - they fixed it! (Which was lucky, as they don't sell e-bikes!). There's an art to packing bikes, they said - not the least, using a fork divider (who knew?). Perhaps I should have let Chris Warburton help after all. (He did offer when he sourced me the bike box). Sam had spent some time chatting - telling me how hard it was to keep the Bike Shop going in these difficult times. Then they only charged me £12 for saving my entire expedition! I haggled them up to £20.
Pootled around Thurso - it's a run down little town - with some beautiful areas to make up for obvious lack of funding - green parks along the River Thurso. Mabli loved the beach - she went crazy in the waves, after her long journey up. We got going on the first section along the A836 (NCR1) to John o'Groats after buying a cheese sarnie for later.

I hadn't really had time to get Mabli accustomed to the trailer in Devon - consequently she found it fearsome. Made the mistake of thinking a short tether attached to a ring inside could stop her leaping out - it didn't! In a bid for freedom, she snapped the bit of fabric holding the ring and leapt out while i was cycling along. Trailer tipped over, scaring the life out of her - and she endeavouted to become road kill (Caroline's phrase) by leaping into oncoming traffic Fortunately, drivers all saw what was happening and slowed down, putting their flashers on - no doubt with a few more grey hairs themselves. I let her run alongside for a while, before trying again. I zipped her inside next time, and she eventually lay down.
The ride was along part of the N500 - so there are lots of camper vans and motorcyclists. But also alongside the coast, and i saw the Orkneys just off shore, or so it seemed. I also saw a dead deer, a live deer, rabbits and oyster catchers.

It was fab to arrive in John o'Groats. Until I realised I'd lost my purse. Disaster no.3. I had NOT put it back in my rucksack when I'd bought a cheese roll for lunch. Instead, I'd put it in a carrier bag in the trailer. I'm fairly sure it tipped out into the verge when the trailer fell over - and I didn't notice while i was busy catching Mabli. Sigh. Phoned shops - no joy. Told the landlady of the glamping pods - she was in Thurso so reported loss to Police. Fortunately i still have online banking and a debit card or two on the phone itself - if i can get the app. to work. Talk about being thrust into the age of technology! Things can only improve from here! My first instinct was to go back to Thurso and search for it. But it could have been anywhere in the past 20miles, so common sense prevailed. Onwards to Watton.

[Posting Retrospectively] July 3rd: Glasgow to Thurso

13/8/2024

So THEN my train at 10.07 to Inverness was cancelled! After the large coffee (and a breakfast of whipped cream for Mabs) at Starbucks - we trundled across to Queen St Station (the dog trailer works well as a luggage carrier) to find our next connecton had vanished. Scotrail staff are lovely - and fortunately i hadn't hung around in Glasgow as I've been put on the next train to Aberdeen, change at Perth - and the ticket inspector said that i'll have at least 5 mins at Perth to throw the bags off the train and put the dog trailer back together. Mabli is asleep in the triangle between the seats as i type... That made SIX changes - Exeter To Thurso.

{Posting Retrospectively] July 3rd Caledonian Sleeper Train.

13/8/2024

Slight miscommunication with the Trainline booking - dogs aren't allowed on the Caledonian Sleeper in the budget carriage. This was discovered just 15mins before departure. So i had to upgrade to a cabin AND pay an extra £30 to have it 'deep cleaned' following my trip - or not go!!! £195 total, on the spot. Still - i should sleep a little better in bunk I can stretch out on, and turn the lights out. AND i get breakfast included... (black coffee - porridge) selfie taken- in the bunk bed. I've put Mabli's blanket on the bottom bed - so she has a bed too. (Wouldn't normally, but as i'm paying for cleaning). In hindsight -so pleased I didn't actually pay for the breakfast - the 'porridge' was ready brek instant, and the 'coffee' was a paper cup full of hot water and a coffee bag to dunk.

[Posting in retrospect] July 2nd 2024 Train journey North

13/8/2024

Sat in St David's Station, astonishingly early for my 7.55pm train to Paddington, as i wanted to see how clumsy folding up the dog trailer and loading it onto a trolley would be. Also - Steve wants to watch the footie. Despite being ridiculously heavy (bike battery, dog food, mostly) it wasn't bad. I've got far too much - despite some last minute discards (warm blanket and Woody shirt). Mabli has been fed already, so she's snoozing. The Adventure begins.

Not long now!

23/6/2024

The spare bed (in Seth's room) is piling up with luggage. Today, I boxed up Groucho the ebike, after dismantling him, to be collected by the courier tomorrow to be delivered to Sandra's Backpackers in Thurso. Let's hope that 1) he arrives safely and 2) I can put him back together again (all the KIng's Horses, springs to mind). Mabli has a new carriage, so I had to try it out. Persuading her to get in was easy. Persuading her to STAY in wasn't so easy, 'specially when I made the trailer move. Plan is to load the trailer with my panniers, tent etc and drag it onto the train. Steve thinks I'm barking. I also got the old Terra Nova Laser tent out of storage and put it up in the garden just to give it a once over. What a great tent it is! The same tent I took to Australia and back 10yrs ago. Swept some ancient grass seeds off the ground sheet, but otherwise it's all good. Have left it up as it's been mizzling all day here in Devon.
Thankyou all of those who have already sponsored me! I have raised more for the Woodies than I did for MSF on my Australia trip already! AND I don't know who all my sponsors are?! Who is Sorrel? Who are the C-Ws? I'm going to be racking my brain for the next few weeks I can tell. Departure set for July 2nd. Arrival in Thurso July 3rd. I'm so excited, can you tell?