Hill O' Many Stanes

The weather was not at all promising and we had no clear plan.  We had been thinking of  road trip up the A9, so decided that today was the day.  We packed up our picnic and headed north.
 
It was damp and raining as we drove through Golspie and Brora, so we kept going.  We stopped in Helmsdale.  It was grey, windy and not all that warm.  We had our picnic in the car, before going out for a wander to re-acquaint ourselves with TT’s Helmsdale Hill Race (fourteen years ago), when he came fourth.  He of course showed us the route, but we didn’t follow it.  We wandered around and checked out the fish and chip shop, though didn’t partake in fish and chips. 
 
We then continued our journey north, with no clear destination in mind.  Our next stop was at the Hill O’Many Stanes – which is just what it is.  It consists of about 200 small stones arranged in rows running down a low hill. They were erected about 4,000 years ago, possibly for gatherings and religious ceremonies.  Quite mysterious.
 
We continued on our way and ended up in Wick.  It was quite late in the day, a very grey and overcast day and I don’t think it showed Wick off at its best.  It’s the first time we have ever stopped in Wick and wandered around.  It felt quite run down, but at the same time felt like it has a lot of history.  We followed a town trail and got a glimpse into some of the history.  However BB and TT were intrigued that the world’s shortest street is in Wick!
 
As the weather hadn’t improved, we decided to call it a day and to head back home. We might have stopped at the Whaligoe Steps, but I read that they were closed. Later, as we had sat in the car for most of the day, TT and I went out for a village walk and beach walk.