Autumn Highlander - completing our trip - Monday 21st October.

After our trip out to Dunrobin Castle on Sunday, we also went up to Thurso, which is the most northerly town in Scotland.  I expected this place to be very desolate and sparse but not so, Thurso is quite a big place.    We didn't hang about much there, preferring to go back to our carriage for the trip back down to Inverness.   The people who were sitting opposite us took a turn for the worse in Thurso however. Jean and I were standing outside our coach (after being dropped off from Dunrobin), milling about deciding what to do, when an ambulance came screaming past with sirens blaring.  Jean turned to me and said 'I wonder if it's those people on the train' and sure enough, it was.  The woman had had a heart attack whilst out walking in Thurso - not surprising really because she couldn't walk along more than two carriage lengths on the platforms.   So she ended up in hospital and her husband stayed with her.  I understand that the tour company did quite a lot to help them, organising to pick up their luggage and arranging transport back for them.

So these photos are from the end of the Thurso trip and our travelling back from Inverness to Ludlow.

On the road to Thurso - I had to stand up in the coach and aim over people on the other side to get a shot of the sea.

Little choo choo on Thurso station

This doesn't really show it, the light was honey gold when it touched the trees and undergrowth.

So much pretty.

The coach windows were a bit grubby by the time we started to go home, so the photos got more and more grainy!

Lost count of the amount of beautiful rivers and streams we passed in the Highlands.

 William Wallace Memorial - him of 'Braveheart' fame.  This memorial stands proud and can be seen for miles around.  This is my shot but I've also taken one from Google and posted it below, so give you an idea of the perspective. 

All ready to go back to Ludlow.   We had a long day on Monday, only getting to Ludlow at around midnight.  Anne (Jean's friend) collected us and whizzed us back to Knighton, where I had a couple of hours sleep.  Then at about quarter to nine on Tuesday I drove the 4 and a half hours back to Long Stratton. 

Travels with my Aunt

Thank you, Jean.  This was really something special and I will treasure the memories of the time we had together forever.  I hope that I can reciprocate at some point but I doubt I'll be able to match this one!