Shenanigans and Switchbacks: Wrath of Kahn

Tuesday May 26, 2026

Durness, Scotland

Distance traveled: 11 km. Cumulative distance: 2864 km.

Weather: kinda cloudy but 15 degrees. NO RAIN.

While we were sitting at breakfast, we had a discussion about what we would do today. When I had planned the stops, I had anticipated that a cavernous cave stop would be a good option but we ultimately decided on a trip to Cape Wrath would be a better way to start. When we were at the ferry terminal in Orkney, the guy that helped me lose my waterproof glove covers recommended Cape Wrath so I was reminded that I had examined the NC500 guide book description and we judged it worthy. However, I was trying to figure our how we get there and it was confusing. There is no road accessible to just anybody. I found the website of the guy that runs tours to the cape so I phoned him, after I figured out what numbers to add and delete from his phone number on his website; the procedure is to arrive at the dock, catch a boat across the river, ride his sprinter-type van up to the cape, walk around for an hour and ride back. All the while, he entertained us with funny jokes he had told a thousand times and jokes he had been told a thousand times. When I phoned him at 8:30 to make sure the military wasn't bombing the route and that his tour was still running, he told me to "put some skates on" which, as it turned out, meant "to hurry". The tour departed at shortly after the 9:15 sailing across the Kyle of Durness. We were in a mad scramble to figure out what we should wear to be comfortable and stay warm, get to the ferry terminal and catch the boat to start the tour.

When we arrived at the ferry terminal, there was a guy sitting in a van as we pulled up and he asked me if I was Howie and did I have 42 pounds. I figured this must be Stuart the tour guide. So I paid him 42 pounds, though I wasn't entirely sure who I was paying for what. He told me to pay the ferry captain directly. It turns out that the ferry captain is a guy who owns a skiff and he takes people across the kyle in his boat, which holds probably 10 people max. There were 16 going across for the tour plus two more with bicycles planning to stay for a few days. It's not an island, just a peninsula with no roads to the lighthouse other than the one we were taking on the tour. Not accessible to "regular" traffic.

We got the skiff across and we were told by our guide Stuart to pay the boat captain, in cash, directly the 15 pounds each. No seniors discount. It took the boat guy two trips to get everybody across. On the other side, Stuart had his large van over there, which must have cost him a penny to get it across. I didn't ask him but he would have to have hired a barge to get it across as there was no other route.

There were 16 people on the "tour" to the Cape Wrath Lighthouse. A distanc of 11 miles... and one hour over a very rough road to get there. Periodically, NATO bombs the crap out of the route to the lighhouse at Cape Wrath. It wasn't clear how often this happened but Stuart talked like it happened frequently and that we should keep our eyes peeled. We did see where bombs had landed and left craters, as well as targets that had been set up by the military for target practise. Things like plywood cutouts of vehicles, families walking across the street in a zebra crosswalk, the usual things.

The "ferry" coming to pick us up. It took two crossings to get everybody across.

Two guys with mountiain bikes and camping gear. They hadn't decided whether they were going to "rough it" or not. At this stage, I didn't realize there was another option.

Inside the tour wagon. We sat at the back, which was the next best choice to sitting in the front. I ended up taking pictures out of the back of the van.

It was definitaly all of an hour to get the 11 miles to the cape but once there, we were rewarded with a sunny day, incredible views of the cliffs and ocean, a black and white cat and a little cafe called Cafe Ozone. The cafe astounded me. There were 16 touists on our bus. The two guys who came across with their bicycles were riding the 11 miles elevation gain of 400 feet on very rough road. It didn't strike me that Cafe Ozone would have a large market and even though most people on our tour made a point of buying something from the lone gal running the cafe, it can't be much of a living. Our tour guide Stuart told me she had been out there 7 years. I figured she must be hiding out from MI6. Apparently, her father had been out there 10 years longer but I didn't see another soul around.

There is a "ranger station" on the way to the Cape. There are civilian contactors to the military who are responsible for maintaining the area when the military are not bombing the hell out of the area. We saw three people there on the way to the Cape.

One of the risks of traveling to Cape Wrath.

Frequently the military is using the peninsula as target practise.

This is a seal beach.

Our route up to Cape Wrath and the lighthouse.

Scottish stacks.

Ordnance shell casings left behind.

The gal running the Ozone Cafe's laundry.

The lighthouse, the old building on the left, the new building in the middle.

The Ozone bunks. I didn't enquire about the price or whether it was necessary to reserve. I figure the two bicyclers would end up here.

That is one big fog horn!

When we got back to Durness, after four hours of our tour, we immediately headed out down the road on foot to see the Smoo Cave, 1.7 km away from our B&Bs bed and breakfast and dinner. Smoo Cave is a popular tourist spot. It is a large cave with a waterfall inside. Unfortunately, we were unable to get a tour into the inner cave because there was a flood warning that day. However, there was free access to the waterfall, to which we availied ourselves.

Later at dinner, we treated ourselves to the B&B hosts' dinner. Nan had her beet and goat cheese salad while I had mushrooms with blue cheese. For dinner we each had a rib eye steak. Nan had a cheese plate with port for dessert and I had a chocolate/orange slice of something with another glass of shiraz. WAAAAY better food that you might normally expect from a place in the sticks.