Duncansby Point

At Duncansby Point you can look across to the Orkney Islands.

Duncansby Point is the farthest North one can go on the main Island of Britain.  We were hoping to be able to see the Orkney Islands, and were not disappointed.  It's the closest we will get to them this trip; maybe another time.  The Stacks of Duncansby were something we could go see.

Just follow the signs to the Stacks.

The parking lot had several caravans driven by French folk.  We have seen a lot of French holidaying in Scotland.  It's a much cooler summer than in France, especially this year.  The signs to the stacks are very clear, with the pathways mowed for easier hiking.  The ground, however, is very boggy, so you have a spring in your step.  I was glad I had my hiking poles, as they helped me navigate over some of the soggy spots.

Our first view of the Stacks of Duncansby.

At some places, the ground was too boggy, soggy to walk on, so board walks had been built.

The Goas are sections of the land that in several thousands of years will be stacks, if they are lucky.  Now their cliffs are protected areas for nesting sea birds.  Even though it is late in the season, we saw several Kittawake chicks covered in fuzzy down.

The Long Goa whose cliffs are used for nesting.

A Kittawake chick on the cliffs.

In sun and shadow, the layers show.

The stacks.  We wondered if the flat spot to the right had been a stack at one time; it is the same stone as the bottom of the other two.

The round trip was about 1 1/2 miles, as we went farther than the first view point, of course.  The wind was really howling, but we still had a good time!